Phil Collins, a rock star sensation, announced that he could no longer play the drums not long ago. The singer informed fans unhappy with the news as his bandmates were preparing to reunite to tour again. Now, Collins has made numerous appearances on stage throughout the world but has been unable to stand during his performance in Berlin, which has concerned many fans about his health.
During the Berlin event, Collins teamed up with fellow bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks. Despite his excellent vocal performance, fans could not help but notice that his health was fading. Throughout the show, Collins was unable to stand upright, so he remained seated on the chair with his hands gripping the microphone to his chest as if his life depended on it.
Genesis fans who came to see the band perform at the Mercedez Benz Arena were overjoyed to see Collins on stage, but they couldn’t help but notice that he isn’t the same man he used to be.
Some fans compared British singer Collins to his former bandmate Peter Gabriel after pictures showed him sitting throughout the performance in Berlin, causing the singer to trend on Twitter.
Collins’ critics were quick to express their displeasure, claiming that he was not looking too terrible despite his recent health issues.
“I’m not a Genesis diehard, but if I had a choice between Genesis as fronted by Peter Gabriel and the band with Phil Collins as lead singer, I’m definitely going with Phil Collins,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Phil Collins is trending because he’s still around for us to tell him we love him,” another person tweeted.
One fan said: “I saw him back in 2019 as just Phil Collins, then a few weeks ago during the Genesis tour. He looked exactly the same. Trust me, he’s fine, despite the vertebrae issue.”
Collins suffered a spinal cord injury in 2007, which has remained a source of concern ever since. Because of the condition, he has on occasion been seen in a wheelchair. Collins mentioned his son Nick would be handling the drums for the Genesis tour beginning in 2021-2022 during an interview on BBC Breakfast last month.
On the talk show, the hosts asked Collins if he still drums using sheepskin. He replied:
“No. I’d love to, but you know, I mean, I can barely hold a stick with this hand… There are certain physical things that get in the way.”
Genesis’s last tour is bittersweet for Collins, who wishes he could play drums but is grateful to be part of the experience.
“Yes, well, you know, you say things. I mean, we’re all men of our age, and I think to some extent yeah, I think it probably is putting it to bed,” the singer said. “I think, yeah, just generally for me, I don’t know if I want to go out on the road anymore.”
