Genesis farewell shows at The O2 Arena 24/04/2022

The final domino falls in London as prog legends Genesis finally call it a day with stunning, career spanning shows.

Photos courtesy of Genesis ( @dazzaward , @jameslyden , @tiliacell , twitter.com/Horace_Austin ).

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, Genesis have finally made it to London’s O2 Arena to put the final punctuation mark on one of the most remarkable careers in the history of popular music. Tonight feels like a historic, timely celebration rather than a glum farewell. The `…And Then There were Three` lineup of Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins enter to massive applause tonight. The legendary trio takes the stage alongside long time collaborator Daryl Stuermer on guitar and bass and Phil’s own son Nic Collins on the drums, plus  two backing vocalists to round out the sound.

The elephant in the room is the health of the one and only Phil Collins. While Collins is visibly older and his voice is not as strong as it used to be, his charm as a frontman is untouched and with a few jokes and a wink of the eye he still has the audience eating out of his hand. “Its really the last one for us” says Collins to a roar of boos from the crowd. “See how quickly they turn” jokes Collins before adding “now you’ll have to make your own music!”. Speaking of their platinum plated songbook, its simply incredible to hear classics like `Turn It On Again` and `Mama` to `Home By The Sea` performed live for the last time.

While the band themselves may be slightly less agile then they used to be the spectacle has grown to fill the gap. Surrounded by a triptych of massive videos screens and a massive interactive lighting fixture above them, this is one truly impressive and immersive cinema show. `Land Of Confusion` is as relevant  as ever with the current state of the world while `Afterglow` is as gorgeous a piece of dream pop/prog as anyone has ever written. Tonight the sound and mix at the O2 Arena, a notoriously difficult venue for those behind the mixing desk,  is simply perfect. Crystal clear and full of life, its a joy to hear especially during the band’s mini acoustic set. Starting with `That’s All` before `The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway` and `Follow You Follow Me`.

With such a large back catalogue to choose from it was always going to be a hard call to fit every fan favourite in there, but tonight’s setlist does a rather excellent job of balancing between the pop hits (Turn It On Again, No Son Of Mine) and the old school Gabriel era songs (I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) ). Nic Collins is a revelation on the drums, playing an absolutely flawless set while his father proudly smiles at him and air drums along. The epic `Domino` is played in its twisting intricate glory before `Invisible Touch` gets the entire 18,000 strong crowd singing along.

The encore begins with the joyous `I Can’t Dance` which brings the entire arena to its feet. Its followed by the intro of `Dancing With the Moonlit Knight ` into  `The Carpet Crawlers`. As the lights go up and the band gather together for a final bow, it feels like a privilege to have witnessed this final note in a career that has brought joy to so many listeners the world over for decades. The Music of Genesis is sure to continue doing that for decades to come, even as the band themselves enjoy their very well earned retirement.

 

Setlist :

Behind the Lines / Duke’s End
Turn It On Again
Mama
Land of Confusion
Home by the Sea
Second Home by the Sea
Fading Lights
The Cinema Show (second half; with “Riding The Scree” & “In That Quiet Earth” snippets)
Afterglow

Acoustic set

That’s All
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Follow You Follow Me

Duchess (followed by band introductions)
No Son of Mine
Firth of Fifth (instrumental excerpt)
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (with “Stagnation” snippet)
Domino
Throwing It All Away
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Invisible Touch

Encore:
I Can’t Dance
Dancing With the Moonlit Knight (Intro and first verse only)
The Carpet Crawlers