S Aet:md Minot, Apni8, 1978 After Peter Gabriel left Genesis a demo tape by none other than Nick 1 Lower was tent In for consideration. Can you imagine the consequences' I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass' delivered amidst flashing laser beams and dry Ice. the mind bonlee And would those boozy eyes V have really fined In with the dean Riders image of the rest of the band? The orld will never know. "Apart from the tape there was a photograph of Lowe," says Genesis drummer and lead vocalist Phil Collins." But in the end we decided that 1 should take over on vocals. I was worried about communicating of w1th an audience i couldn't go on stage drunk because I might slur my words a bit " Hmm. maybe Lowe would have fitted in after all, The bar d do drink. But according to Collins. Gabriel - used to get pissed after "sniffing at a glass of wine." ( Now It's all change time with the the band yet again. They're now down to three with the departure of Steve Hackett. the moody looking one with a quiet stamp of guitar playing r authority. But, as before, Genesis are riding whatever storms there may have been and Phil's not saying have s if there were any. The critics or sheathed their knives after 'mistakenly believing that Gabriel's departure would mean an end to the Genesis have changed again. band Genesis just seem to be moving on to fresh triumphs and Phil seems to feel that the splits have ROBIN SMITH talks to strengthened the band "Well we couldn't afford to lose PHIL COLLINS to find out anymore, but at the same time the band is a very strong unit, Perhaps wfien you lose people it's a what the band are going rejuvenation. " Like when you prune a rose to to do now strengthen it. "Weil yes, but the old set up where you had to have a stable four piece band for years on end has gone, times have become more flexible. We have plenty of room to change things. Old mac 9 "Steve thought that the group had 111 outlived its usefulness. He was writing more and more but found d rre that we couldn't use all his ideas. He ' felt that he wanted to branch out ' 1 so We had from the unit and he left. ,. 1`+ r t_ .. .. dlºcusslons about it and obviously we wish him well." But ain't It likely that Steve is going to fade like Peter Gabriel a 20 day assault on the States then PHIL COLLINS and seems to have done? Europe before crossing the Atlantic. his baby and right, as ` Peter hasn't faded he's mixing a Then again back to Europe for 10 you probably recog- new album right now, Not a lot of open air, festivals before back to nise him with beard people know this but we did a gig in America and rounding the year off France together. He didn't have a nicely with a string of dates In percussionist. Japan. Gasp! With luck they should "We're still good friends but my be home in time for Christmas. stage act Is simpler, I don't go In for "We're doing well In America and J 'em., a lot of costume changes. Some we're making some money these Gardens also loves critics may have said 'look there's days," says Phil. "I don't regard "We're not trend setters," says Among the songs on the album are minutes of playing time each side. I Peter dressing up again - aren't American audiences as being Phil. "We built up a following 'Scenes From A Night's Dream' remember an old Llno'sfarne album while not looking It's just a progression. because people can rely on us, that's based on a cartoon character called that only had 15. " they being silly' frightening, we to the music. I wear on old It's like playing one and then two happened ever since the days 'Little Nemo. ' The sun Is shining on cozy through They'd be mac for 'Robbery Assault And nights at the Marquee you -just build used to do student places. "The strip came out in 1906 and suburbia where Phil lives, about two Battery' because it fits in well with up naturally to your targets. dancing around and living it up was ahead of Its time," says Phil. "I miles as a drunk crow Vies from as Artful Dodger. "We never wanted to do the rounds pissed out of their heads. used to like Superman but I don't Acton Town tube. The hous& Is large my days the some of the used to be a child actor. He o1 a support band In America. We "We're Into melody, like Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four', I without being gross the Phil some of them a,d played the part of the Artful Dodger never wanted to get on stage and just songs are surreal and think it's slily." neighbours probably aren', even and among his many other triumphs do half an hour. A lot of bands were may be haunting black comedy Also included on the album are aware that a star Is living In their lists a film for kids called 'Calamity frightened to have us as support things. But we're not a band that 'Deep In The Motherlode' about the midst. The Cow' - wizard stuff about because they knew that with our revels in doom, although I have to goldrush and 'Ballad Of Big' a "We had some carol singers children fighting to win back a stolen equipment we could have easily confess that I have a fascination for fantasy song about a US marshal' around here," he recalls. I opened cow to enter It for a show. Of course blown them off stage. So we played It. There's a castle in France where taking a herd of cattle across the the door and one was wearing a they succeed and the beast gets the by ourselves and broke new ground. the Germans used to keep plains and getting waylaid by Genesis T-shirt, but she didn't rosette. Resistance leaders and they've got a Indians. recognise me." "It's still doing the rounds In museum there showing scenes from "We've packed a lot in. There's 28 C'est la vie. Australia," says Phil. I'd like to see prisoner of war camps. In a strange it. Rut I always wanted to be a way I suppose that everybody is drummer. I had my first kit when I Critical fascinated by death and man's was five so in a way IL was In the inhumanity to man. It's like looking blood. Drumming is a very natural at an old grainy photograph of a form of expression, you shouldn't "We do things with class, we're body on a slab, you feel your eyes approach It from a text book point of super critical. Some would try .and drawn to it." view. You can be technically perfect lump us in with ELI' or Pink Floyd, Appropriately a large black cloud C but at the same time you can have no but we're not in that bag. ELP tend just appeared outside the window. feel It's what you put into it to be clinically perfect and the Floyd But we pass on to lighter things. "You have to have an approach are very mellow, The single, 'Follow You Follow Me'. like an athlete, I go training with "Stage effects should always be "It came out of a blow we had," Queen's Park Rangers, you can used to highlight the act not swamp Phil continues. "The blow became come off a tour and then be lazy so it. In my opinion ELO are using improvisation and we got the song. that when you get back behind a kit laser beams too,often, it takes. the It's good to do things llke that, very you feel lousy. surprise out of the act and if you see natural. I think the lyrics have "But I do enjoy touring. I them all the time It becomes a bit become more direct. remember once in Oklahoma we got boring. But at certain points in the 'Some people might say 'Oh yeah to this ghost part of the city, they act they can enhance things nicely. Genesis turning out a commercial were leaving It to decay because Shown make our stuff and because single,' but we're doing something in they were moving out and starting we tour so often we're their largest three minutes instead of something new building work elsewhere. account." in 15. The new album 'And Then Oklahoma was dead that day, the With the tons of stuff they cart There Were Three' is more direct shops were all shut up and there was around it's not surprising then that than 'Wind And Wuthering' but we tumbleweed blowing down the Genesis were once in debt for more don't want people to go around streets. It was guIte a shock after than [20.010, but the audiences have saying Genesis are for ever more you've listened to that song remained faithful. Kids love 'em going to be turning our shorter 'Oklahoma' full of life and hope students love 'em, professors love songs, we don't want to be put into a The latest Genesis tour begins with 'em and Mrs A.