AFAULTY generator means that Genesis take to the stage 75 minutes behind schedule. “Sorry about the delay,” says Phil Collins, “but shit happens.” It isn’t the only obstacle to slow the trio’s progress recently. Never mind that the pandemic has already pushed back The Last Domino? tour twice. Collins has been suffering from severe nerve damage, amid other health issues, which means that he can no longer play drums.Walking is difficult too, requiring him to shuffle out with the aid of a stick. But Genesis refuse to be denied; with Collins’ 20-year-old son Nic now convincingly manning the drumkit, the band deliver an epic set befitting the broad scope of their impressive 53-year career.
Unsurprisingly, the running order sticks close to that of The Last Domino? – The Hits, the best-of comp issued just prior to the tour. It’s a set carefully weighted between radio favourites and the more involved pieces that first gave them a fanbase. “Mama” is a successful meeting of those two camps, with a seated Collins growling out the verses over a sheet of art-rock noise and an eerie synth whine. Similarly there’s a rare outing for 1980’s “Duchess”, which is little short of euphoric, its heart suffused with real melodic warmth. But the band truly dazzle with a scintillating version of the Peter Gabriel-era hit “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”.