Following an early report from The Sun on Tuesday, BBC Radio 2 is reporting this morning that Genesis will perform together again for the first time in 13 years but without Peter Gabriel. The trio of Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford confirmed the reunion on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 show. The trio will be joined by Collins’ 18-year-old son Nicholas, who will fill in for his father on drums, who had suffered nerve damage during Genesis’s 2007 tour and, like it or not, casted his future of drumming into limbo.
“We all felt, ‘Why not?'” Collins told BBC News. “It sounds a bit of a lame reason – but we enjoy each other’s company, we enjoy playing together.”
Instead of throwing it all away, Nicholas’ presence as drummer at Collins’ solo shows helped inspire the reunion, according to Banks. “He can sound like Phil and it gave us a whole idea of how we could do it, because we knew Phil couldn’t be the drummer on the road again,” said the keyboard player.
Before this, it seemed as if there was never a time that the trio would reform to bring hits like “Invisible Touch,” “I Can’t Dance,” and “Land of Confusion” back around, but they’ll kick off their ‘Last Domino?’ tour in Dublin, Ireland on November 16. They’ll also play two nights at London’s O2 Arena, as well as dates in Liverpool and Glasgow.
“I’m looking forward to doing it,” said Rutherford. “I worked it out and we’ve only done two shows in the UK in the last 28 years, so we haven’t overworked it.”
Founding member Peter Gabriel, who left the group in 1975, will not be taking part, and guitarist Steve Hackett will also miss the shows.
“Peter left the band 45 years ago and he’s been trying to live it down ever since,” said Banks. “When they put his birthday in The Times, they always say, ‘Peter Gabriel – Genesis singer.’ And I think, ‘What’s the guy been doing since then, for God’s sake?'” Banks said it wouldn’t make sense to bring Gabriel back because “most of the songs people know” came after his departure, but added,”We love Peter.”
The band, founded at Charterhouse School in Surrey in 1967, has gone on to have international success recording 15 studio albums and six live ones and selling at least 100 million worldwide. They have had 21 Top 40 hits and six number one albums. But they have not performed together since 2007, when they marked their 40th anniversary with the Turn It On Again Tour. Tickets will go on general sale at 9am on Friday, March 6.
Genesis 2020 Tour Dates
November 16, Dublin 3 Arena – buy here
November 19, Belfast SSE Arena – buy here
November 23, Liverpool M&S Bank Arena – buy here
November 26, Newcastle Utilita Arena – buy here
November 29, London The O2 – buy here
November 30, London The O2 – buy here
December 2, Leeds First Direct Arena – buy here
December 5, Birmingham Birmingham Arena – buy here
December 8, Manchester Manchester Arena – buy here
December 11, Glasgow SSE Arena- buy here
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