The documentary includes interviews with Collins recorded in Vevey, Switzerland, in October 2022, just months after his retirement from touring in March. This followed Genesis’ final performance at London’s O2 Arena, marking the end of an era for the legendary group.

Joining Collins in these interviews is his son, Nic, who served as drummer for his father’s later tours. Their discussions dive deeply into the specifics of drumming techniques and iconic fills, with Nic reflecting on stepping into his father’s role. One interviewee remarks: “What other sixteen-year-old could do those Genesis parts?” showing just how crucial Nic’s lifelong connection to his father’s music was in him earning his role.

The documentary traces Collins’ journey from receiving his first drum at age three to joining Genesis in 1970 after responding to an advert in music newspaper, Melody Maker. Peter Gabriel, then the band’s lead singer, reportedly recognised Collins’ talent instantly.

The film also explores the development of Collins’ signature drumming style, a blend of traditional acoustic kits and electronic pads, which helped define the sound of hits like ‘Invisible Touch’. Reflecting on his transition to lead vocalist following Gabriel’s departure, Collins commented, “I’m a drummer who also sings,” downplaying his rise as a frontman despite his theatrical experience undoubtedly bolstering his confidence.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Drumeo (@drumeoofficial)

Iconic moments from his solo career feature prominently. The creation of “In the Air Tonight,” including its iconic drum fill, is unpacked. Collins revealed that the now-famous fill wasn’t part of the original demo but came later, becoming a defining element of his sound. During his time as a record producer, Collins was asked to do an “In the Air Tonight’ fill more than once.  

The documentary delves into the making of ‘Easy Lover’, his chart-topping collaboration with Philip Bailey. Written during Bailey’s album sessions, the track was initially dubbed ‘Tuesday Lover’ before its evolution into a worldwide hit.  

Health issues also form a key part of the narrative. Collins dislocated vertebrae in his neck during a 2007 Genesis reunion tour, resulting in nerve damage that made drumming impossible. “After playing drums for 50 years, I’ve had to stop,” he said in 2009. Multiple surgeries followed, and he performed his final tours seated, with Nic taking over drumming duties.  

The physical toll of drumming is further discussed by contributors like Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel’s longtime drummer. “I’ll deal with it later. We [felt like we] were invincible” DeVitto remarked, addressing the attitude toward the health of drummers of Collins’ generation.

Growing up, many of my most exciting musical memories involved Phil Collins and Genesis. I can’t wait to watch this documentary. — Mark Hexton (@Hammerhexy) December 12, 2024

Drumeo’s production, created for its 4.4 million YouTube subscribers, combines these interviews with archival footage. The Drumeo YouTube channel’s most watched videos feature Jonathan Moffett, Michael Jackson’s drummer, who discusses his iconic drum parts, and personal stories about Jackson. Moffett also features in the Phil Collins documentary.

@mjmediafanaccount Video Credit: @Drumeo channel on YouTube. Michael Jackson’s Drummer, Jonathan Moffett performing Beat It and Smooth Criminal. He worked with Michael Jackson for thirty years and also performed on several tours as well. He is great! #michaeljackson #jonathanmoffett #drums #beatit #smoothcriminal #viral ♬ Beat It – Michael Jackson

As Collins reflects on a 50-year career, he’s philosophical about his retirement. “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything.”

Phil Collins: Drummer First captures the impact of a musical icon across the years, offering viewers a detailed tribute to his journey and legacy that will leave you wanting to listen to all of his greatest hits.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RAYE (@raye)

The Instagram post’s caption reads: “it’s my birthday and my car got stolen with all my song writing books in the boot so no second album any time soon love you bye.”

Despite the devastating news of her car being stolen, the ‘Flip A Switch.’ singer remained in high spirits on her birthday. The post featured many celebratory photos including Raye posing alongside a ‘Queen for the DAY’ sash, multiple birthday cakes – one of which is homemade with icing stating: “sorry ur car got stolen” and a customised Nintendo Wii Switch.

Known for her tracks ‘Escapism’, ‘Worth It.’ and ‘Prada’, Raye’s fusion of pop with R&B and jazz, feels soulful, refreshing but relevant to the experiences of her listeners. Her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, gained worldwide traction following its peak at Number two on the Official Albums Chart when it released in early 2023.

SIX @BRITs & ALBUM OF THE YEAR please just thank you https://t.co/c23XcFUtUl pic.twitter.com/4MAYkWiFgj — RAYE (@raye) March 3, 2024

My 21st Century Blues proved its relevance when it won Raye six Brit awards, including Album of the Year, at this year’s BRIT Awards, alongside endless social media trends following the album’s relatability.

Raye’s fans were waiting on tenterhooks for her highly anticipated sophomore album, therefore, the news of its delay is very unfortunate but understandable.

Since the success of her debut, Raye released a comeback single titled ‘Genesis’ on June 7 of this year. The track is exactly seven minutes long and features socially-conscious lyrics in a spoken word format alongside instrumentation which elevates the R&B and hip hop elements to the track. Raye amalgamates these quintessential themes of her discography with gospel and jazz, remaining reminiscent of the big band movement to exhibit the multitude of her musical inspirations. ‘Genesis’ accompanied an EP which broke the single down into three parts and a live version, to appeal to Raye’s diverse listeners.

The success of Raye’s ‘Genesis’ only proves that the talented singer is unequivocally a visionary, with a unique sonic style that excites listeners for future music. The delay of her sophomore album grants Raye with the ability to further cement her artistry in the curation of new music.

In a statement on his website, Gabriel announced: 

“After a years-worth of full moon releases, I’m very happy to see all these new songs back together on the good ship i/o and ready for their journey out into the world.”

With “full moon releases”, the former Genesis frontman is referring to his unconventional album roll-out plan, which involved releasing a new single on the occasion of every full moon in 2023. On top of that, Gabriel gave fans the option between “bright” and “dark” side mixes of the respective songs.  

Listen to the “bright-side” version of the upcoming album’s title track:

The majority of i/o was recorded at Real World Studios in Bath, England and Gabriel’s home studio. Furthermore, a plethora of musicians and producers contributed to the record, including longtime collaborators Brian Eno, guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché. The Soweto Gospel Choir, Swedish all-male choir Oprhei Drängar and the New Blood Orchestra also feature.

A press release on Gabriel’s official website details the upcoming LP’s concept and themes as follows: 

“Throughout the album the intelligent and thoughtful – often thought-provoking – songs tackle life and the universe. Our connection to the world around us […] is a recurring motif, but so too the passing of time, mortality and grief, alongside such themes as injustice, surveillance and the roots of terrorism.“ 

“But this is not a solemn record. While reflective, the mood is never despondent; i/o is musically adventurous, often joyous and ultimately full of hope […]”

Listen to the “dark-side” mix of Gabriel’s most recent single “This Is Home”:

To complement these themes, and building upon an idea initially developed in his Us and Up albums, Gabriel has invited a host of visual artists to create a piece of art to accompany each of the twelve songs on the new record – be it through painting, photography, sculpture or even plasticine. The dozen artists include Ai Weiwei, Olafur Eliasson and perhaps more surprisingly, Nick Cave.

Meanwhile, Gabriel still has a few more dates left on his North American tour which ends on October 21, but so far, he hasn’t made any plans to retire from recording or touring.

Pre-order i/o here.

Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, President Bob Valentine spoke on Concord’s plans with their newly acquired rights. He states how they plan to distribute the music through avenues that capture the younger generation’s attention. Valentine continues, “In the world we live in today with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, all these things that drive consumption of older music… there are definitely ways for us as a record company to bring some of this music back to life,”

Included within the deal are a collection of Genesis’ biggest tracks; music included in the agreement are “Follow You, Follow Me“, “Land Of Confusion“, “Invisible Touch“, “In Too Deep“, and “That’s All“. Those affected by the new deal are Genesis’s current bandmembers, Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks; incorporated within the agreement is music recorded by the band Genesis and work from the musicians’ solo careers.

Music from Collins’ highly successful solo career is also part of the deal, the deal incorporates such hits as “Against All Odds“, “You’ll Be In My Heart“, and the beloved song “In the Air Tonight“. Many of Collins’ hits include covers of previously released songs; the deal with Concorde includes covers like the drummer’s version of The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love” and the 1988 release of Diane & Annita’s “A Groovy Kind Of Love“.

Also included within the new acquisition is music from Rutherford’s music created with Mike And The Mechanics. The co-founder of Genesis formed Mike And The Mechanics in 1985 as a side project whilst on break from Genesis, the band’s biggest hits include “The Living Years” and “Over My Shoulder“. Those who the deal will not affect include former Genesis band members, most notably Peter Gabriel. Concorde has not acquired the rights to his music; this includes his work created as a solo artist and music created by Gabriel during his time in Genesis.

Based in California, Concord is a global music company that specialises within the music industry’s publishing and recording arm. The company itself had been running since its official formation in 2004; its predecessor was Concord Records which was formed in 1973 and found its origins within the Jazz music genre. The long-standing company distributes worldwide through conglobate Universal Music Group, a partnership which has proved profitable. Concord Music Group Inc is also known for its roster of record labels; those associated with the company include Fearless Records, Rounder Records, Sugar Hill Records, Stax Records, Fantasy Records, Kidz Bop and Victory Records.

pic.twitter.com/zuL2MKZRvl

— Genesis (@genesis_band) October 8, 2021

Genesis embarked on their final tour on September 20^th, kicking it off with a show at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. The band is also set to embark on a run of North American shows in November, starting off at the United Center in Chicago, IL and ending on the 16^th of December at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. The tour was titled The Last Domino? to suggest some ambiguity as to whether or not this would indeed be Genesis’ last hurrah, however, singer Phil Collins has since made it known that this tour will indeed mark the end of Genesis, telling MOJO; “This English and American tour, that will be enough for me.” Guitarist Mark Rutherford said in the same interview; “We’re a good age. I’ve been doing it for over 50 years… I’ve loved it. But at the same time, you can’t get too lost in work.”

Phil Collins explained to BBC Breakfast last month that his ongoing health issues had taken quite a toll on his ability to perform, and that his son Nic would be taking his place behind the drum kit for the upcoming tour. He said in regard to this; “I’m one of his many influences, being his dad. He plays like me and he kinda has the same attitude as me, so that was a good starter.” Collins has unfortunately been dealing with nerve damage since sustaining a spinal injury in 2007, and explained in this recent interview that he could “barely hold a stick”. Since the beginning of the tour, Collins has been performing sitting down.

Genesis has stated that they will be updating fans on the state of the postponed dates as soon as possible via their website and social media. Other than this, the band has also made it clear that all purchased tickets will remain valid, and that ticket holders will be contacted by their ticket providers once the dates have been rescheduled. You can read their full statement here. 

Ban members Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins announced last year that they were reuniting for a tour called The Last Domino?. The band will be playing together for the first time since 2017 and are set to be joined on the tour by Nic Collins on drums, and guitarist/bassist Daryl Stuermer.

The UK run was originally set for November and December 2020 before it was pushed back to April and then again to September all because of the coronavirus pandemic and now it will be preceded by a newly announced North American run. You can see them rehearsing for the tour below.

Just before the start of the UK leg of the tour beginning tonight, Collins has ruled out any further dates from the band, saying these will be the last Genesis shows ever. In a new interview with Mojo, Collins said “This English and American tour, that will be enough for me.”

This comes off the back of the news earlier this month, where in a rare interview Phil Collins gave fans an update on his ongoing health battles and their effect on his ability to perform.

The musician has been suffering from nerve damage since a spinal injury back in 2007, where he damaged the vertebrae in his upper neck. He Discussed Genesis’ forthcoming reunion tour which will see his son Nic taking his place behind the kit – he said “I’m kind of physically challenged a bit which is very frustrating because I’d love to be playing up there with my son.”

After the tour begins in Birmingham tonight, the band will head around the UK before the leg wraps up with three dates at The O2 in London in mid-October. A North American run will then begin from mid-November, taking the band through until a week before Christmas.

You can see Genesis’ full list of upcoming UK dates below.

Genesis The Last Domino? UK Tour Dates:

09/20/22 Utilita Arena – Birmingham
09/21 Utilita Arena – Birmingham
09/22 Utilita Arena – Birmingham
09/24 Manchester Arena – Manchester
09/25 Manchester, Manchester Arena – Manchester
09/27 First Direct Arena – Leeds
09/28 First Direct Arena – Leeds
09/30 Utilita Arena – Newcastle
10/01 Utilita Arena – Newcastle
10/03 M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
10/04 M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
10/07 SSE Hydro Arena – Glasgow
10/08 SSE Hydro Arena – Glasgow
10/11 O2 Arena – London
10/12 O2 Arena – London
10/13 O2 Arena – London

Genesis The Last Domino? North America Tour Dates:

11/15 United Center – Chicago
11/18 Capitol One Arena – Washington DC
11/20 Spectrum Center – Charlotte
11/22 Centre Ball – Montreal
11/25 Scotiabank Arena – Toronto
11/27 Keybank Center – Buffalo
11/29 Little Caesars Arena – Detroit
11/30 Rocket Mortgage Field – Cleveland
12/02 Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia
12/05 Madison Square Garden – New York
12/08 Nationwide Arena – Columbus
12/10 UBS Arena – Belmont Park
12/13 PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh

The artists’ health issues have occurred from a spinal injury that Collins suffered in 2007. Since the initial injury which saw Collins damage his vertebrae, the drummer has been experiencing nerve damage. The injury and its damaging effects cause Collins to sometimes use a wheelchair and has now affected his ability to perform.

The Genesis band member recently gave an interview to BBC Breakfast, within the interview Collins shared an update on his health and how it has impacted the group’s upcoming tour. The drummer’s son, Nic Collins, will be following in his father’s footsteps and will take his place behind the drum kit during the group’s reunion tour. Although Collins will not be able to assume his place behind the kit, he will still be able to sing and join his band members and son on stage.

Collins provided the following answer when asked about the tour’s replacement member, Collins also described how his ability to play has been affected by his health concerns. “I’m kind of physically challenged a bit which is very frustrating because I’d love to be playing up there with my son. No. No, I would love to but, you know, I mean I can barely hold a stick with this hand, so there are certain physical things that get in the way.”

The “Invisible Touch” performers will embark on their reunion tour entitled The Last Domino tour on 20th September 2021 with a set at Utilita Arena in Birmingham and will finish on 13th October 2021 at O2 Arena in London. The tour was initially confirmed in March 2020 but has been rescheduled to this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, The Last Domino tour consists of 16 dates and is being billed as the group’s farewell tour. The group’s union tour is a mere four years before Collin’s played his solo performances within the Not Dead Yet Tour, the tour’s setlist included Collins’ best-known solo material such as “Against All Odds” and “Sussudio”. Named after the artist’s autobiography, the tour included a sold-out show in Newcastle. The tour also included dates around the US and Europe and some performances also featured his son Nic on drums.

When the tour’s announcement was made, Collins had this to say regarding his 20-year-old son’s fledging musical ability and the musical similarities in which the father and son hold. “He plays a bit like me when he wants to, one of his many influences, being his dad. He plays like me and he kinda has the same attitude as me, so that was a good starter.”

In July of this year, the group also announced the release of The Last Domino, a new collection perfect for any Genesis or Phil Collins fan. The new collection of 27 songs has been marketed as a companion to the group’s upcoming tour. The new release is available to order as 4LP edition as well as 2CD configuration, both can be pre-ordered before their release date of 17th September 2021.

Click here to pre-order The Last Domino

Genesis Uk Tour Dates

20/09/2021 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
21/09 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
22/09 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
24/09 – Manchester Arena – Manchester
25/09 – Manchester Arena – Manchester
27/09 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
28/09 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
30/09 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
01/10 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
03/10 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
04/10 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
07/10 – SSE Hydro Arena – Glasgow
08/10 – SSE Hydro Arena – Glasgow
11/10 – O2 Arena – London
12/10 – O2 Arena – London
13/10 – O2 Arena – London

The tour was originally scheduled for November 2021, but had to be put back to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The last Genesis show took place at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles on 13th October 2007 to mark the bands 40th anniversary. Phil Collin’s last show was on 19th October 2019 in Las Vegas for his, ‘Still Not Dead Yet’ live tour.

.@tonybanksmusic, Mike Rutherford and @PhilCollinsFeed have reunited in London and started rehearsals for the forthcoming Genesis The Last Domino? Tour which starts in April. pic.twitter.com/InVyCq24hG

— Genesis (@genesis_band) October 27, 2020

Collins was in good spirits in joining his old bandmembers for their rehearsals, despite the ongoing drama with his ex wife, Orianne Cevey who married her younger lover Thomas Bates at a secret wedding in August before moving into their Miami mansion.

A few days before rehearsals, Collins was accused by Cevey of setting up hidden cameras in her changing room and bathroom, spying on her. This has led to an explosive ongoing legal battle whereby Phil is trying to recover his mansion after claiming the newly wed couple are, ‘trespassers,’ and that they have taken his home over having employed armed guards, ”through a show of force’.- The Daily Mail 

The couple reciprocated his claims by saying that the lawsuit was simply a retaliation to their marriage and that he was ‘fabricated’ with a ‘shameful story.’

Phil’s son Nic has taken his place in the band on the drums due to his spinal condition. Phil comments about his son stepping in for him, “I didn’t elbow him into the band. You can’t force a drummer onto these guys.”-Music-news.com

Bandmember Tony gave his initial thoughts on Nic joining by saying, “When I first heard Phil was using Nic, I thought it was a stupid thing to do. Nic was only 16. But then reports started coming back about how good he was, the real deal. I saw Phil’s show at the Albert Hall and Nic was just incredible.”

In recalling their first rehearsal with Nic, Tony said, “The first songs we played were ‘No Son of Mine’ and ‘Land of Confusion’. Mainly because they’re the two easiest. “Nic knew them better than we did. He showed us up – embarrassingly so. While the trio are looking forward to the tour, they’ve no plans to make a new album.”- Music-news.com

Genesis formed whilst at Charterhouse Boarding School in 1967  in Godalming, Surrey with Peter Gabriel as the original lead singer. When Gabriel left the band in 1975, drummer Phil Collins took over as the band’s frontman. Collins left in 1996 and was replaced by Ray Wilson. The next album, ‘Calling All Stations,’ released in 1997, was unsuccessful which resulted in the band splitting for 10 years, until their reunion tour in 2007.

As well as being one of the worlds best selling groups having sold more than one million records, they have also had 21 UK Top 40 hits and six number one albums.

Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks had fans foaming at the mouth with excitement after announcing their return in March. But now fans will have to wait a little longer to see them. The band have announced two new dates to give fans who never got a ticket a lifeline. They are at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and London O2 Arena.

Genesis have re-scheduled their 2020 UK & Irish dates for April 2021 and are excited to announce two additional shows in Birmingham & London. ‘The Last Domino?’ Tour 2021 will now start in Glasgow on 1 April. All dates & ticket information at https://t.co/PwtNfBhTOE#LastDominopic.twitter.com/Ca5VnwM4s6

— Genesis (@genesis_band) July 24, 2020

Since lockdown the band have been teasing fans with footage from previous iconic gigs which, I’m sure, does nothing more than add fuel to the fire for the ticket holders. The last time the band were seen playing together was way back when in 2007; they played a 40th Anniversary gig. Now, it has been 13 years and it was Phil Collins’ son who urged them to reform. How times change?

Having been born in 2000 and being one of those millennials, I was a bit too young for Genesis. Just slightly. But this does not mean I do not understand the gravitas of the reunion. From hearing my dad or my mates dad getting excited about this tells me all I need to know. For those who are not too sure about them (and like me were born in 2000), it would be like if the Arctic Monkeys had broken up and got back together. This is the level they were at.

Here are all the new dates that they have announced;

Thursday 1, Glasgow SSE Hydro

Friday 2, Glasgow SSE Hydro

Monday 5, Birmingham Utilita Arena

Tuesday 6, Birmingham Utilita Arena

Wednesday 7, Birmingham Utilita Arena

Friday 9, Newcastle Utilita Arena

Saturday 10, Newcastle Utilita Arena

Monday 12, Manchester Arena

Tuesday 13, Manchester Arena

Thursday 15, Dublin 3Arena

Friday 16, Dublin 3Arena

Sunday 18, Belfast SSE Arena

Wednesday 21, Leeds First Direct Arena

Thursday 22, Leeds First Direct Arena

Saturday 24, Liverpool M&S Bank Arena

Sunday 25, Liverpool M&S Bank Arena

Tuesday 27, London O2 Arena

Thursday 29, London O2 Arena

Friday 30, London O2 Arena

The first news of the tour came when a throwback photo was posted on the band’s Instagram page with the caption “And then there were three…”. This cryptic message, along with a post from Radio 2 announcing that “a massive band are reuniting” caused fans to theorize that they would be back together soon.

View this post on Instagram

And then there were three… . . . . . #genesis #genesisband #music#musiclover #musicfans #genesisfans #tonybanks #philcollins #mikerutherford #Throwback #Flashback

A post shared by Genesis (@genesis_band) on Mar 3, 2020 at 2:58am PST

Collins has hinted a reunion a few times, including in 2018, when he told Rolling Stone “I did mention to Tony very quietly if we did anything again it would be with Nic on drums.” Nic, Collins’ 18-year-old son, is also a drummer and has played drums on his father’s tour in 2016. Collins is unfortunately unable to play due to nerve damage to his hands, so he now takes the role of only the lead vocalist.

Additionally, when asked by Rolling Stone if he would be interested in drumming for a Genesis reunion, Nic said that he would definitely want to: “That Genesis stuff, drum-wise, is something else; absolutely unbelievable.” This morning, it was confirmed, along with Daryl Stuermer playing guitar and bass.

It’s official.@genesis_band are back together and heading out on tour later this year! Hear the band chatting to @ZoeTheBall right now on @BBCSounds https://t.co/TuXpxQoWkG pic.twitter.com/S9n2MDAEmK — BBC Radio 2 (@BBCRadio2) March 4, 2020

The band are looking forward to the tour just as much as fans are, with guitarist Mike Rutherford saying “It feels great, it feels the right time, we’re looking forward to doing it. A lot of our contemporaries have been playing a lot – we’ve done two shows in the UK in the last 28 years.”

Other details which were addressed on Radio 2 included the potential setlist. Collins said “There are songs you feel you have to play because the audience would feel cheated if you didn’t, then it’s a question of putting the rest of the stuff together from songs we haven’t played for a long time.”

Genesis are delighted to announce that @tonybanksmusic, @PhilCollinsFeed
and #MikeRutherford will be touring the UK in late 2020! Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9am.
More info here https://t.co/L0KvJuBNRw #lastdomino pic.twitter.com/X2RodjlpkJ

— Genesis (@genesis_band) March 4, 2020

Genesis formed in 1967, and have released 15 studio albums which all charted highly – their fourth album, ‘Foxtrot’, was their highest-charting release. Their sound progressed throughout each album, beginning as rock, eventually adding more pop influences, though still staying true to their core sound. They have sold 21.5 million albums copies in the US and an estimated 150 million worldwide.

It has been thirteen years since the band last toured in 2007, and now they plan their ‘Last Domino Tour’, with tickets going on sale at 9am on 6^th March. See the full tour dates below and find more information on the official website.

16/11/2020 – 3 Arena – Dublin, Ireland
19/11 – SSE Arena – Belfast, Ireland
23/11 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool, UK
26/11 – First Direct Arena – Leeds, UK
29/11 – O2 Arena – London, UK
30/11 – O2 Arena – London, UK
02/12 – Manchester Arena – Manchester, UK
05/12 – Birmingham Arena – Birmingham, UK
08/12 – SSE Hydro Arena – Glasgow, UK
11/12 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle, UK