Phil / Big Band

The allround talent Phil Collins has discovered again a new genre: he went on tour with a 19-head big band. Phil sat behind the drums and showed that it is possible to lead a band from this place.

Already in 1996 the band played in five locations in europe. In this time Tony Bennett (a long-time friend of Phil), Quincy Jones and south-african musicians and dancers were invited as guest stars. The concert in the Royal Albert Hall in London has been supported by some members of the WDR big band, the big band of the western german broadcasting company.

In 1998 the Phil Collins big band went on tour again - in June in USA and in July in europe. There has been also two concerts in germany: on July 8th in Berlin and on July 9th in Cologne.

Typically for a big band the Phil Collins band appeared in black trousers, white t-shirts and black jackets. They played well known Phil Collins and Genesis hits but also unknown songs, which still were not published. A part of these songs were only played instrumentally, whereby the saxophonist Gerald Albright played a salient role. Other songs were sung by Oleta Adams. In the encore Phil fetched the microphon and sang two songs.

The concerts were visited well. Although the songs sounded differently than known by Phil or Genesis, the visitors reported very positive about the concerts. According to fan reviews the most concerts had the following setlist:

Instrumental:
• Two Hearts
• That´s All
• Invisible Touch
• Rad Dudeski
• Against All Odds
• I Don´t Care Anymore
• Hold On My Heart
• In The Air Tonight
• Chips & Salsa
• Georgia On My Mind

Sung by Oleta Adams:
• From This Moment On
• Two Lovers As Friends
• I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
• I Won´t Be Happy (Till I Make You Happy Too)
• New York State Of Mind
• That Old Devil Moon
• Don´t Lose My Number
• Milestones
• Drum-Precussion Duet
• Los Endos

Encore:
• The Way You Look Tonight (sung by Phil)
• Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me (sung by Phil)
• Sussudio

There was given out a sampler CD at the concerts. It contains following songs:
Two Hearts, That´s All, Invisible Touch, Against all odds, Rad Dudeski.

Meanwhile there has been published a live album. It has been recorded by the concert in Paris and it´s called "A hot night - the Phil Collins Big Band live in Paris". At the moment we only found it in Internet music stores, for example at the british online shop www.mania.co.uk.

There was made an interview with Phil Collins at the Montreux jazz festival on July 14th, 1998. He was asked if it is possible that an artist can retire one day. Phil answered that he wouldn´t do so. Instead of this he would work not so much than before, but he couldn´t retire. In words: "The reason I´m doing the big band thing is that I know I can play that till I die. I can sit behind the drums and play till I drop. And there´s no age limit as long as I feel creative you keep doing it."

Last but not least it should be told that Phil Collins began to draw and to paint. For the Montreux jazz festival he has made a painting and he also designed a special credit card for the Private Issue company, who was sponsor of the big band tour 1998. Phil Collins: "I think drawing and painting gave me something new and it´s nice to go somewhere, where you never have been before."

Documents: The tours of Phil Collins Big Band up to now

Europe Tour 1996

July 11th    Royal Albert Hall       London, England 
July 12/13th Sporting Club Monte     Monte Carlo, Monaco 
July 15th    Umbria Jazz Festival    Perugia, Italy 
July 16th    Antibes Jazz Festival   Juan Les Pins, France 
July 17th    Montreux Jazz Festival  Montreaux, Switzerland 

USA Tour 1998

June 12th   Mountain Winery         Saratoga, CA
June 13th   Mountain Winery         Saratoga, CA
June 14th   Santa Barbara Bowl      Santa Barbara, CA
June 15th   Greek Theatre           Los Angeles, CA
June 18th   C.W. Mitchell Pavilion  The Woodlands, TX
June 19th   City Stages             Birmingham, AL
June 20th   Christian Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA
June 21st   I.C. Light Amphitheatre Pittsburgh, PA
June 22nd   Nautica Stage           Cleveland, OH
June 23rd   Meadow Brook            Detroit, MI
June 25th   Taste of Chicago        Chiago, IL
June 26th   Summerfest              Milwaukee, WI
June 27th   Harborlights Pavilion   Boston, MA
June 29th   Carnegie Hall           New York, NY 

Europe Tour 1998

July 7th    Jazz Festival Tivoli Gardens  Copenhagen, Denmark
July 8th    Waldbühne                     Berlin, Germany
July 9th    Roncalli-Platz                Cologne, Germany
July 10th   North Sea Jazz Festival       The Hague, Netherlands
July 11th   Patinoire                     Luxembourg
July 13th   Jazz Festival                 Nice, France
July 14th   Jazz Festival                 Montreux, Switzerland
July 17th   Pori Festival                 Finland
July 19th   Villa Erba Cernobbil          Milan, Italy
July 20th   Four Viere                    Lyon, France
July 21st   Grand Rex                     Paris, France
July 23rd   Royal Festival Hall           London, Great Britain
July 24th   Symphonic Hall                Birmingham, GB