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Aging rock legend delivers touching message as he says goodbye to fans at final concert

March 27, 2022 | | Print Article

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Legendary singer-songwriter Phil Collins and his Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks performed their last show ever during a concert Saturday in London.

The concert came exactly six months after Banks told USA Today, “When we do the final show next year, that will be it, so I’d say if you want to see Genesis, don’t put it off ’til the next one. We’re not like the [Rolling Stones].”

Banks hadn’t been joking. On March 7th, the band played their first concert of the year as part of The Last Domino? tour. Three weeks later, they played their last one ever.

But fans should consider themselves lucky, because the tour was supposed to have started and ended much earlier but was postponed because of COVID.

“The band reunited for The Last Domino? tour this year after postponing due to the coronavirus. The tour came after a 14-year live performance hiatus,” Fox News notes.

The end of the band’s shows comes amid Collins’ declining health.

“Collins has suffered from numerous health issues in recent years, including dislocating vertebrae in his neck in 2007 that left nerve damage to his hands. He has used a cane since 2015, when he had back surgery, and revealed in September he can ‘barely hold’ a drumstick,” according to Fox News.

As a result, his son, Nicholas, 20, has had to take over as the band’s drummer.

“Sitting centre-stage in a black tracksuit top, he remained chirpy and defiant but marooned. There was a beautifully poignant moment when he slowly walked to sit by the drum riser while Nic played the fiendish drum pattern in Second Home by the Sea,” The Telegraph reports, describing a recent show preceding Saturday’s final one.

“Collins looked on, a proud dad watching his son nail the beats that he originated decades ago but is now unable to play himself. A baton has been passed. Collins Jr was in many ways the star of this show.”

 

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A post shared by ~ Nic Collins ~ (@nic_collins)

“This is the last stop. After that, you’re going to have to make your own music,” Collins reportedly said at one point.

Is there a chance that the band might one day return to the stage? Yes.

“They reserve the right to change their mind and keep touring, especially since they haven’t announced a single show in Italy where they’ve enjoyed an enormous audience for over 50 years,” Rolling Stone magazine notes.

So Collins could always recover, and another tour could always happen. Though given his age, 71, the chances seem slim.

“But Phil Collins has significant health issues and is probably anxious to wrap up his touring career. That will be a sad day for Genesis fans, but at least he gathered up the strength for this last run,” as noted by Rolling Stone.

The report was published a day after the tour’s first concert three weeks ago.

Below is a clip from Saturday’s final show:

“Tonight is a very special night. It’s the last stop of our tour, and it’s the last show for Genesis. It’s difficult for us to believe that, but you still came out to see us! Yes, after tonight we’ve all got to get real jobs,” Collins said in the clip above.

Reportedly missing from the final show were original band members Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett.

“Steve Hackett served as lead guitarist for Genesis from 1971 to 1977, arguably the band’s most glorious rock n’ roll years. Over his time with Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and company, Hackett contributed to six studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP before he left to pursue a solo career,” according to CT Insider.

Gabriel meanwhile was the band’s original lead singer but left in 1975 to concentrate on “other literary and experimental interests outside of music,” as claimed at the time by a record company spokesperson.

Though not in the official show, he did attend the final concert.

See more media from the final concert below:

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