Phil Collins's view of the Musical Box show in Geneva
... there were many questions about this, so I'll try to put it all in perspective..... Originally the band asked me to write the programme notes for them. I said this was no problem. I suggested that if they were coming to a town near me, that I'd come to see them. When it turned out that they were playing in Geneva, I suggested that I might play with them. It ended up that we decided that I would play their encore of The Musical Box. I left it till the day of the show... a dangerous thing to do !!! I went downstairs to my basement where my drums are, and I tried to play along to the Genesis version.... DISASTER. What would have been a problem for some drummers, the fast bass drum parts for example, were no problem for me... but everything else.... WHOA !!! I realised that I was trying to play things that I'd played 30 years ago. This was not going to happen.
I arrived at the sound check and we played through the tune... I sounded like a complete amateur !!! Likewise the second , third and fourth try. I had to play Martin's kit. This was something I had not taken into account. Not only was I trying to play like the "me" of 30 years ago, but on someone else's drum kit. He had "my kit" alright, but everything 6 inches closer to him than I had.... even when I changed things, it was like wearing someone else's shoes. The Band and their crew could not have been more helpful and supportive... it was ME that was the problem. Eventually we all agreed that it was "OK"... that made me suspicious... they should have been saying "wow... that sounds great..." Inside I knew I'd bitten off more than I could chew.
When it came to the gig... I watched and listened. They played that stuff better than we ever did... we wrote it, which is a big point of course. Recreating something that exists is easier than the creation of it... but they DID play it better than us. Especially Martin, who caught ALL of my personal nuances, vocally and drumming wise. All the Timbale fills... so much that I'd forgotten but he'd remembered.
It reminded me that I WAS GOOD !!! Well it came to my "moment" and having changed into my lucky Converse and into a shirt made for me by them, I took the stage to warm applause. Then the reality... I dropped 2 sticks in crucial places... generally missed everything I went for.. and emerged sweating and pissed off that I hadn't lived up to the occasion. Well... you asked me what happened.....
My wife, who hadn't lived through the Lamb experience, thought the songs challenging and interesting. She thought I played great... but I knew.... I realised that I didn't look like that soldier anymore, I wasn't that soldier anymore... it was an interesting experience. The Musical Box were fantastic... they are all fabulous musicians that have a love for what they are doing. They do it wonderfully. The problem was with me.
source: forum of Phil Collins' offical (now defunct) web site
New album as special edition with bonus tracks and bonus dvd.
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