Genesis drummer Nic Collins revealed what happened when Peter Gabriel went backstage after the band’s final show.
Gabriel, who left the pop-prog giants in 1975, was in the audience in London last month when the lineup fronted by Nic’s dad, Phil Collins, took its final bow.
“It was weird,” Nic Collins told Rolling Stone of the moments that followed. “I thought that I’d be a bit more emotional and sad, but I was happy. It was a great show. It was a great way to end it. Afterwards, we got changed and had dinner and everyone was there. ... It was just a great vibe. Everybody was hanging out. We were lucky that it was the end of the tour, so the COVID thing didn’t have to be such a precaution for us. ... We were finally able to have people backstage and to actually hang out. The entire tour, we weren’t able to do anything like that. At the last show, it was great to see everyone together and hear people sharing memories.”
He revealed it was the first time he ever met Gabriel: “To be able to finally speak to someone I knew had such a big impact on my dad’s life and obviously mine … since the set we were doing, so much of it was from the Peter Gabriel era … to finally be able to talk to him was really great.”
Collins said that Gabriel told him "it was a great show. He said he was happy to be there since it was important to him as well. He left in 1975, and he never looked back. He never fell back on the Genesis material. He had a very, very successful solo career. But it was just great for him to be there. He said, ‘This is the end of something I was a part of.’ We spoke briefly. And then him and my dad spoke pretty extensively and caught up about all their good times. It was pretty great to see.”
Asked about the suggestion of more Genesis shows featuring Gabriel in place of Phil Collins, Nic responded: “I don’t think so … I haven’t heard anything about it. I know it was mentioned by fans, especially at the early stages of the reunion. But I think ultimately the band has grown and people have gone and done their separate things. I don’t think, at the moment, that it’s a possibility.”