20, 21, 22 September | Genesis live in BIRMINGHAM | reports **SPOILERS**

    I saw the concert last night and it was a phenomenal gig. Almost 2.5 hours of Genesis magic.


    The star of the show (or boy wonder as his dad called him) was Nic. An absolute monster behind the kit who held his own with a heavy booming drum sound. His drumming was particularly brilliant on Second Home by the Sea.


    Tony, Mike and Daryl were as professional as ever and the backing singers topped up Phil's vocals nicely. As for Phil, his singing was good throughout, albeit without the power of old in some places - but we expected that. His vocals were especially impressive on No Son of Mine and Invisible Touch.

    I did feel the setlist was a little too safe though. I think a rarity like Many too Many, Ripples, Undertow, Los Endos or the ending of Musical Box could and should've been thrown in rather than dusting off I can't Dance once again.


    Surprised, but not disappointed, that Hold on My Heart and Jesus He Knows Me didn't make the cut.


    As good as Duke's Intro is, I do agree that it should've been switched up and something like TTT or Mama should've opened up.

    The only slight disappointment was the Fading Lights medley. By launching straight into Cinema Show, they robbed the song of its thought-provoking sadness and beauty. The heartfelt lyrics need time to be dwelt on rather than BANG Cinema Show.

    Highlights: Second Home by the Sea, Duchess, Afterglow, Firth of Fifth, DWTMK

    Thinking about it, it would be weird to end with Los Endos for this tour as Phil would just be sat there for 6 minutes. Not really the same without the drum duet either. All the more reason for Squonk!

    If they're going to stick with the setlist, I propose a slight resequencing, to distinguish this tour from 2007. I don't like opening and closing with the exact same numbers. (And as I took out Duke's Intro, I brought back Jesus He Knows Me... since it seems like they've omitted it at the 11th hour.)


    Tonight Tonight Tonight

    Turn It On Again

    Mama
    Land Of Confusion
    Jesus He Knows Me
    Home By The Sea/Second Home
    Fading Lights/Cinema Show/Afterglow
    That's All
    The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
    Follow You Follow Me
    Duchess

    No Son Of Mine
    Firth Of Fifth/I Know What I Like
    Throwing It All Away
    Invisible Touch
    Moonlit Knight intro/Carpet Crawlers


    I Can't Dance
    Domino

    • Official Post

    Jesus He Knows Me was the track that was the most difficult to sing for Phil. They simply didn't get that right during rehearsals. Whether or not that will appear one day, we will see.


    Besides, I am surprised the show lasts that long - it's 2hrs15 - so 15 min more than Mike wanted (he said no more than two hours)

    genesis changing a setlist???...a rare sighting indeed, but maybe for the US leg

    Was thinking that the final encore of Moonlight and Crawlers, could easily set up a helping hand for PG entering stage right?....Time will tell

    Watching the videos, it appears Home By The Sea is challenging too.

    The two parts, being played in completely different keys (C minor/E minor), sound kind of weird to me (it was already the case for the 1997/2007 versions).


    Mama sounds great, Phil's "new voice" made me feel even more "ill-at-ease" towards the song's character than previous versions.

    Playing That's All in this acoustic arrangement is self-evident. It works really well.

    I've watched a lot of the online videos - few thoughts:


    Nic is killing it. Sounds great - hits the patterns and the timing is very tight with the band. Do not underestimate how difficult that is to do. Yes - he isn't playing the small subtle fills and patterns that his dad did, but his dad had years and many performances to get the muscle memory locked so that he could play with the unqiue patterns. The power is there and I'm happy as hell we got Nic on the kit. No disrespect to Chester, but his drumming from 92 onwards wasn't very good.


    I love the backup signers. Kind of wish they were more forward in the mix, but hearing harmonies in Carpet Crawlers is a breath of fresh air. Kind of wish Genesis had them in 2007.


    The key changes are not subtle and I totally get why they do it. As a vocalist myself - you have to change the key for your vocal chords. I sing many songs down half a step or so as I can't hit the high E notes like I used to.


    I listen to the clips in my car without seeing the video. No Son of Mine, Carpet Crawlers, I can't Dance and a few others sound great - can't tell it's not 2007. Others Phil struggles with, but I struggle getting out of bed at my age now - so it's all good. Rock on.

    Quote from choccy

    Tonight Tonight Tonight has been posted finally, seems they had some issues at beginning and Phil forgot words also.


    Tonight Tonight Tonight Video

    Not quite sure how Phil could forget the words when he has the lyrics to every song on a laminated sheet of A4. I watched him slide each one into a little pocket on the edge of the table as each tune finished. I wonder if on the last show in the US he'll post each one into a shredder after each tune ^^

    Quote from simoncarbon

    Not quite sure how Phil could forget the words when he has the lyrics to every song on a laminated sheet of A4. I watched him slide each one into a little pocket on the edge of the table as each tune finished. I wonder if on the last show in the US he'll post each one into a shredder after each tune ^^

    Yeah, I watched it several times back and his timing is out but he chooses to leave some words out or it's very faint in parts.


    I made the comment on the first night about him reading the words on I think it was That's All.


    Better to have than to not lol

    Quote from choccy

    Tonight Tonight Tonight has been posted finally, seems they had some issues at beginning and Phil forgot words also.


    Tonight Tonight Tonight Video

    Thanks. Man, these songs are unrecognizable transposed so low. I remember thinking the same thing in '07 with Ripples and other songs but this seems much worse. Duchess also lost a lot of its punch in a lower key. I realize that this is the current reality. Also noticed quite a few flubs in some of the posted videos (e.g. Banks was off tempo pretty badly in Cinema Show last night). Hopefully, opening tour jitters.

    Quote from BassAnd12Man

    Thanks. Man, these songs are unrecognizable transposed so low. I remember thinking the same thing in '07 with Ripples and other songs but this seems much worse. Duchess also lost a lot of its punch in a lower key. I realize that this is the current reality. Also noticed quite a few flubs in some of the posted videos (e.g. Banks was off tempo pretty badly in Cinema Show last night). Hopefully, opening tour jitters.

    I think certain songs sound better in the lower key. Heck, I actually preferred Ripples at the 2007 Key. (Sacrilige I know)

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    Like 1
    Quote from BassAnd12Man

    Thanks. Man, these songs are unrecognizable transposed so low. I remember thinking the same thing in '07 with Ripples and other songs but this seems much worse. Duchess also lost a lot of its punch in a lower key. I realize that this is the current reality. Also noticed quite a few flubs in some of the posted videos (e.g. Banks was off tempo pretty badly in Cinema Show last night). Hopefully, opening tour jitters.

    It is what it is. If it bothers someone so much, and I get that it's difficult at times, I would just not go.


    As far as getting lyrics wrong - LOL! I get Beatle song lyrics wrong when I play them live and I've known these songs for 50 years! The brain doesn't work at 50, let alone at 70 as it does when you are 20.


    When I was younger, I saw singers using lyrics, including Gabriel in his shows in 02 and was like WTF! Then when I started to perform, I got a quick awakening.