Phil Collins recently spoke with Drumeo about his long career and being replaced by his son, Nic Collins, in Genesis a few years ago.
The collaboration between father and son began with the Not Dead Yet Tour, announced in 2016 at a press conference at Royal Albert Hall. Reflecting on the period, Phil said, “We were playing — I don’t know what year it was now — the Albert Hall. Mike and Tony were there in the audience,” Phil recalled during the chat. We played there 5–6 nights. It was suggested that — because, you know, they were all impressed by the fact that how well he played. It sounded like me when I was younger with a bit of fire, and they both agreed that it could work. And that kind of sold me on to do the band thing again.”
Nic shared his perspective on how his involvement influenced his father’s return from retirement, explaining, “I think me being able to do it with him definitely helps him want to get back on the road. Because I think by the end he just wanted to be with his family and spend time with people that matter to him. But I think, as I started playing charity shows, maybe the idea may have popped into his head. And after the US Open, he asked me. He was like, ‘I’m thinking of going back on tour. Do you want to play drums with me?’ I’m like, ‘Absolutely.’”
Phil acknowledged Nic’s role in his comeback, saying, “I’ve sort of given Nic a taste of what life could be like and also an opportunity if you like.” Nic added, “It was some of his first performances in like almost a decade, but the first show for his tour, which was in Liverpool, was like a warm-up show that we did ’cuz we were gonna do five nights at the Albert Hall in London. We did that, and that was the first show I played, and that was like the most nervous I’ve been. And at that point now, I’ve realized the magnitude of he’s coming back, he’s doing shows again.”
During the 2017 tour, Nic took over the drums while Phil focused on vocals due to a nerve condition that prevented him from playing. Nic later joined Genesis for their The Last Domino? Tour in 2021, which wrapped up in March 2022 after delays caused by the pandemic.
Reflecting on the experience, Phil said, “Sometimes things feel very different when you’re playing it as opposed to when you’re singing with it or when you’re listening to it. So, no, I mean, I’m so pleased that we did it, but there were never any rough moments. There was never doubts. It just went ridiculously smoothly. It was something that I wouldn’t have altered for the world.”
Nic Collins has since pursued his own musical projects. He plays in the band Better Strangers, alongside bassist Yang Waingarten, guitarist Joey Rodriguez, and singer Ricky deCasa, as well as The Effect, featuring guitarist Trev Lukather, keyboardist Steve Maggiora, and singer Emmett Stang.
