70 year old, Phil Collins finished his first live show with the Genesis group on there, The Last Domino Tour, seated throughout the entire concert. Frail-looking Collins was accompanied by the group’s guitarist, Mike Rutherford, who also opted to remain seated during the concert in support of his old-time friend. Collins proceeded to sing all of the evening’s tunes from that chair onstage all evening. This performance was one of the band’s first stops on their farewell tour and initially one of their first live performances. The Birmingham show was broadcasted live and had been one of the first live shows done in nearly 13 years from when they went live during the ‘Turn It On Again’ event. Collins spoke out that seeing Genesis in concert was his final chance of seeing an ‘English and American Tour’ and that, in fact, would be more than enough for him.
Over the past few years, Collins has struggled and continues to struggle with many health conditions and has been fairly open about these medical issues with his band throughout the prepping months of the tour. Collins was asked by reporters how he had prepped for months end of the three-hour shows and his response was simply that he indeed did not do anything at all. He explained furthermore that he was not into practicing vocals at home, nor anywhere at all. Collins believed that rehearsing was all the practice he needed before going on stage. Collins bandmates were always on his case for not practicing, however, Collins knew this was the only way he could be and feel ready. Prior to the tour, Collins expressed his inability to hold drumsticks due to a spinal injury he obtained throughout his drummer career. One in which had progressed on daily basis. Collins vertebrae were in fact crushing his spinal cord due to the positions he would be seated in while playing the drums. Stating to reporters, Collins explained the severity of his injury by stating that he could not hold his drumsticks properly due to the pain shooting throughout his arm and hand.
Despite the odds, Collins’s 20-year-old son, Nic Collins, has had the opportunity to step into the limelight and take over the drumming position for him. Although this may seem like a beautiful thing to others, Collins finds it quite frustrating that he is not able to nor will he ever get the chance to be onstage drumming alongside his son. The disability of not being able to hold the drums correctly in order to play has shed its dim light on Collins’s future and he is now understanding that this is what his life holds for him now. He has spoken to reporters about the end of Genesis and putting it to ‘bed’ per se and has stated that he could not speak for all the members due to them all having their own age difference. However, he accepted the idea that the band was no longer a good decision when it came to his health and motor functions. The pain was just too much for Collins to bear in order to keep playing, so he decided after the Last tour with the Genesis it was about time to retire and let retirement ease into the rest of his life. Due to his previous and current health conditions making it harder and harder for Collins to live the life he once lived, the decision to stay off the road was more significant to the remainder of his years.
