Standing ovations Phil Collins at concert in Berlin

Two years after the originally planned date, the band Genesis took the stage in Berlin. It was one of Phil Collins’ last performances – and the musician could only do it sitting down.

Genesis are in Germany: Phil Collins and his band members started the last part of their European tour with a concert in Berlin on Monday evening. It will probably be the last time that you can see the legendary rock band live.

The “The Last Domino” tour began last year and demands a lot from singer Collins in particular, who is now 71 years old and sits on a chair on stage. In the end, however, the tens of thousands of spectators gave a minute-long standing ovation for the haunting concert.

Son Nicholas sits on the drums

The corona pandemic had postponed the concert in Berlin by two years, and 60 percent capacity was now allowed in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. On stage were reunited founding members Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford on guitar and Tony Banks on keyboards. All 71 years old.

His son, 21-year-old Nicholas, is now sitting on the drums because Collins can no longer play for health reasons. “I would love to, but I can’t even hold a drumstick with my hand anymore,” his father said in a 2021 BBC interview. Over the past year, Phil Collins has repeatedly made headlines and worried his fans about his health.

The musician’s medical record is long. The singer has been said to be almost deaf in his left ear since 2002. He also has numbness in his hands due to a cervical vertebrae operation in 2009. Phil Collins then had to have an operation on his back in 2015, since then he has also been plagued by numbness in his left foot. “It’s frustrating,” complained the rocker in 2021.

“I don’t know if I still want to go on tour”

But he doesn’t want to give up – and continues to tour the world. Genesis play more than 20 songs from their decades-long career on their tour, including “I can’t dance”, “Home by the Sea”, “Mama” and “Land of Confusion”.

It was not her last concert in Berlin: the largest indoor event in the city since the beginning of the corona pandemic will be repeated again this Tuesday. Five more concerts follow in Germany, in Hanover and Cologne. The final concert of the tour will take place in London in March.

Will it have been the band’s last concerts? “We’re all people our age and to some extent I think it’s probably going to end,” said Phil Collins. “I don’t know if I want to go on tour anymore.”