Which GENESIS tours did you see?

  • The '70s were brutal to bands in regard to all the crap that people threw on stage. In particular, in North America, fireworks were often lobbed at the stage which is insane. And I don't mean little fire crackers - think cherry bombs. I remember seeing Aerosmith in the '70s and someone lobbed said cherry bomb towards Steven Tyler. Even in his obvious altered state of consciousness, he went berserk on the person. What also didn't help back then is that the "floor" was often general standing admission. On a positive note, people were way friendlier and mellow (cough, cough) at gigs back then and bras were rarely worn lol (sorry if this offends anyone). Different times....

  • Strangest ever support for any live act I have seen was Steve Hackett 1980 who had a Ventriloquist consisting basically of guy with his hand up a monkey glove puppet. Steve, cost saving in his early days I think. Did not last long on stage at the at times boisterous Glasgow Apollo.

  • The '70s were brutal to bands in regard to all the crap that people threw on stage. In particular, in North America, fireworks were often lobbed at the stage which is insane...

    Yeah, I remember the Canadian Music Festival in 1979 in Toronto. It was a one-day event. There were maybe 9 or 10 bands on the bill headlined by a trio of rockers: Aerosmith, Nazareth and Ted Nugent.

    Johnny Winter came on before them, and before him it was The Ramones and that was the one act the crowd turned on.

    It began with heckling and then people started whipping food and chunks of sod. I, of course, didn't participate in any of that, I was up in the stands as a young observer.

    I recall The Ramones stopped playing mid-song very shortly into their set. One of the Ramones walked to the front of the stage, gave the audience the finger and the band walked off.

  • Yeah, I remember the Canadian Music Festival in 1979 in Toronto. It was a one-day event. There were maybe 9 or 10 bands on the bill headlined by a trio of rockers: Aerosmith, Nazareth and Ted Nugent.

    Johnny Winter came on before them, and before him it was The Ramones and that was the one act the crowd turned on.

    It began with heckling and then people started whipping food and chunks of sod. I, of course, didn't participate in any of that, I was up in the stands as a young observer.

    I recall The Ramones stopped playing mid-song very shortly into their set. One of the Ramones walked to the front of the stage, gave the audience the finger and the band walked off.

    Funny, I don't remember that one.... I definitely remember (and tried to go) to Canada Jam at Mosport but that was in '78, I think? In fact, I remember reading that this was the largest crowd that Kansas had ever played in front of (over 100,000 people). I remember Triumph and Prism also on the bill? It's a longgggggg time ago.

  • Was there actually an 'era' where bottles were thrown at bands? Why was this behavior ever tolerated to such an extent?


    I wasn't there and I was 1 year old in 1982. But support bands are a common, easy to understand thing. What kind of brain dead fool throws solid objects at someone trying to do their job. I can't share the view that this behavior was inevitable, with the caveats I mentioned.


    If I had been in Genesis I would have gone on stage and told the crowd that if one more object was thrown at my support act, I would not be taking the stage myself. Bullying enrages me.

    In the early 90s while in graduate school I had a job one summer working at the arena in Salt Lake City. One night The Cure played there. I was tasked with stage clean-up after the show. There were literally dozens of panties littering the stage. All I could think was “Women want THAT guy?” It was definitely a different era.

  • In the early 90s while in graduate school I had a job one summer working at the arena in Salt Lake City. One night The Cure played there. I was tasked with stage clean-up after the show. There were literally dozens of panties littering the stage. All I could think was “Women want THAT guy?” It was definitely a different era.

    Meanwhile I'd totally want the women who'd want THAT guy!

    Abandon all reason

  • Yeah, I remember the Canadian Music Festival in 1979 in Toronto. It was a one-day event. There were maybe 9 or 10 bands on the bill headlined by a trio of rockers: Aerosmith, Nazareth and Ted Nugent.

    Johnny Winter came on before them, and before him it was The Ramones and that was the one act the crowd turned on.

    It began with heckling and then people started whipping food and chunks of sod. I, of course, didn't participate in any of that, I was up in the stands as a young observer.

    I recall The Ramones stopped playing mid-song very shortly into their set. One of the Ramones walked to the front of the stage, gave the audience the finger and the band walked off.

    And I can remember when The Ramones opened for Black Sabbath at the Long Beach Arena (California Nov. 1978) and got a deluge of bottles thrown at them! I was young and not very amused by this behavior although I did not like their type of music but thought that they did not deserve such a rude reception.

    So it appears this happened to them more than once, poor dudes :(

  • New guy here. Been lurking for quite a while.


    Seen Genesis 3 times. I discovered them in 1982 while station in Germany. Then was transferred to Ft. Hood, Texas. That was where my Genesis journey started.


    Mama Tour

    Jan. 24, 1984 - Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX


    IT Tour

    Jan. 18, 1987 - Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX


    WCD Tour

    May 8, 1992 - Texas Stadium, Dallas, TX (Opening Night).



    I didn't get to see them on the last two tours. I live in MN now and the closest they got in 2007 was Chicago. For TLD, they didn't even get close. :(

  • As far as stuff being thrown on stage, I was at a Blue Oyster Cult show back in 1981 (Minneapolis) and someone threw a Frisbee at the stage. It hit the mic stand while Allen Lanier was singing backup and the mic literally hit his mouth, making him jump back.

    • Official Post

    how was the 1992 opening night? And which of the three shows was your favorite?


    Sad to hear you couldn’t go this time. There were plans for another North American leg, but as things turned out, COVID stopped all that. Same with more European shows

  • And I can remember when The Ramones opened for Black Sabbath at the Long Beach Arena (California Nov. 1978) and got a deluge of bottles thrown at them! I was young and not very amused by this behavior although I did not like their type of music but thought that they did not deserve such a rude reception.

    So it appears this happened to them more than once, poor dudes :(

    Similar experience when saw Morrissey supporting Madness at Finsbury park..probably around 92. A rowdy crowd on the beers most of the afternoon and Morrissey wasn't quite to their liking! 🥺

  • how was the 1992 opening night? And which of the three shows was your favorite?


    Sad to hear you couldn’t go this time. There were plans for another North American leg, but as things turned out, COVID stopped all that. Same with more European shows


    Opening night was flawless. As most know, it was documented as part of the original DVD set.
    I say flawless but I'm certain there were flubs as there always are on nights like that. I remember it going quite well.

    As for my fave show, they literally go in the order I saw them. The Mama show was the best since it was the first time seeing them. Setlist-wise, it was the best.


    This is why I wish they'd unload the live stuff from the vaults. Many, like me, didn't get to see them during their best (Phil) years.

  • Hi,

    I have seen 81 Genesis shows as follows:


    Duke (6) 1980: Sheffield, ManchesterX2, Bradford, Newcastle and Liverpool.

    Abacab (9) 1981: Koln, Brussels, Londonx3 and BirminghamX4.

    3 Sides (6) 1982: BirminghamX2, Deeside, Leeds and EdinburghX2.

    SOTB (1) 1982: Milton Keynes.

    Mama (1) 1984: Birmingham.

    IT (7): 1987: Paris, Glasgow, Leeds and Londonx4.

    WCD (23) 1992: Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa!, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, Seatle, Paris, Gelsenkirchen, Hockenhiem, Goteburg, HannoverX2, Leeds, Knebworth, Manchester and LondonX5.

    CAS (6) 1998: Birmingham, London, Newcastle, Manchester, Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park.

    TIOA (13) 2007: Berlin, Leipzip, Frankfurt, Manchester, London, Toronto, Buffalo, Pittsburg, PhiladelphiaX3, Washington DC and Denver.

    TLD (9) 2021/22: BirminghamX3, ManchesterX2, LeedsX2, Liverpool and London.


    ...OK, Tampa was only two songs before a sick Phil walked off stage. But I still have the ticket stub and still paid the money so I am counting it as a show!


    ...and I did see the three song sound check for Koln in 81 (while stood on the stage)(I had been a roadie for the afternoon)...



    and Genesis Solo:

    Peter Gabriel (21)

    Phil Collins (9)

    Steve Hackett (22)

    M&tM (7)


    and still counting!!! SH, MR both have tours booked and PG rumoured for a tour next year!!!


    Cheers, Nigel

  • Strangest ever support for any live act I have seen was Steve Hackett 1980 who had a Ventriloquist consisting basically of guy with his hand up a monkey glove puppet. Steve, cost saving in his early days I think. Did not last long on stage at the at times boisterous Glasgow Apollo.

    I always thought it was a ferret, then in another thread this discussion took place

    Abandon all reason

  • Strangest ever support for any live act I have seen was Steve Hackett 1980 who had a Ventriloquist consisting basically of guy with his hand up a monkey glove puppet. Steve, cost saving in his early days I think. Did not last long on stage at the at times boisterous Glasgow Apollo

    Sounds as bad as Chris Bliss, a juggler, who opened for Asia on their first tour - Wembley Arena 1982.


    He was hopeless - dropping balls all over the place. Plenty of booing and quite rightly so. What were the band/management/promoters thinking?!

  • Sounds as bad as Chris Bliss, a juggler, who opened for Asia on their first tour - Wembley Arena 1982.


    He was hopeless - dropping balls all over the place. Plenty of booing and quite rightly so. What were the band/management/promoters thinking?!

    Perhaps there were musicians union issues?


    Kate Bush had a magician (Simon Drake?) but he was part of her show, not a support act. Dancers, too, of course.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Peter Gabriel - 2016 Rock, Paper, Scissors Tour w/Sting at the Hollywood Bowl


    Phil Collins - 2019, Still Not Dead Yet Tour, American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX


    Genesis - 2021, The Last Domino! Tour, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC



    I'm 31 so I missed the boat, by a huge margin, of getting to see them in their prime. I didn't become a fan of Genesis until discovering them in college, in 2011, through Top Gear. Of course, come to find out the band wasn't active and Phil Collins had just retired earlier in 2011, so I didn't think I'd ever be able to see them live. I have never cried at a concert before until Genesis came on stage and the opening notes of Behind The Lines played at the Charlotte concert on TLD Tour, and the tears flowed all the way through Mama.


    I wish I could've seen them in their prime and see Phil run around stage and play drums but I am forever grateful that they decided to do one more tour.

  • I have never cried at a concert before until Genesis came on stage and the opening notes of Behind The Lines played at the Charlotte concert on TLD Tour, and the tears flowed all the way through Mama.

    Awww, c'mon: I know it took 'em a while to warm up, but they can't have been *that* bad...