Genesis

“Good evening London! – it’s been a long time we’ve waited to say that!” These were the first words from Phil Collins, legendary drummer and lead singer of Genesis, as he opened The 02 show on Thursday.

For fans it was music to their ears, having waited for this Last Domino Tour gig for over two years after it was rescheduled four times due to Covid. To see Phil, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and the band actually playing to thousands of people, just like in normal times, was a truly uplifting moment after months of being stuck in a Land of Confusion.
It was quite a shock to see the once energetic Phil performing in a chair for the gig due to his reduction in mobility as a result of health issues. However, as soon as he started singing the band’s first set-list song, Turn it on Again, against a dramatic strobe light show, his enormous vocals and stage presence were back on stage once again. As his powerful voice filled the arena the audience soon became fully immersed in the magic that is Genesis. In fact, by the end of the show, his unique performance, made entirely from his chair, endeared the fans even more for his dedication, determination and sheer passion, against all odds.

The drama continued apace with the foetal heart-beat percussion of Mama performed expertly by Phil’s son Nicholas who is clearly a drumming prodigy, just like his father and teacher. It was a very moving and heart-warming aspect of the concert to witness Nicholas picking up the drumsticks where his dad left off and continuing the Collins’ rich legacy.

Hit after hit left the audience mesmerised as the band took them on a magical journey of their rich back-catalogue, stretching all the way from their prog rock beginnings to their 80s hits from best-selling albums such as Invisible Touch.

Ever the showman, Phil kept the audience spellbound with his anecdotal intros, including a Tales of the Unexpected-style teaser, by telling the audience “We’re going to try to get in touch with the other world – out there somewhere are some nasty spirits” – the spooky theme for the brilliant Home by the Sea.

Among the stand-out moments in this much-awaited gig was Phil’s demonic laughter ringing through The 02 as he performed the hauntingly powerful hit song Mama. Another highlight saw the audience treated to an eye-catching backdrop showing the band’s iconic I Can’t Dance moves from their original video.

Introducing popular hit Land of Confusion, whose 80s video famously featured the satirical Spitting Image puppets, Phil told the audience: “It was originally written about Thatcher and Reagan and that stuff that was going on in the 80s and then of course when we started this tour it became more relevant to Covid, and now Mr Putin’s gone and started another war, so it’s kind of about that, still current.”

Other gems of the Genesis legacy included Selling England by the Pound, Follow me Follow You (when the audience lit up their mobiles phones in the darkness to share this special moment), That’s All and No Son of Mine.

It really was a night to remember, seeing Mike, Tony and Phil reunited together made the long wait for fans worthwhile. Mike and Tony’s musicianship was as polished as ever, and with Phil’s voice still a commanding presence, in addition to Nicholas’s amazing drumming, this was just what the fans had hoped for, and more.

Speaking to the audience, Phil Collins said: “This is our last stop – after that you’re gonna have to make your own music!” The one thing this show proved is that Genesis would be an impossible act to follow.

The first sentence in the Biblical book of Genesis starts: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” – thank you Genesis for providing us with a little slice of heaven on earth. We sincerely hope it’s not the last time we see you on stage and that you’ll Turn it on Again and again and again…