Photo: Drumeo/YouTube
Phil Collins' various health issues have hindered him from playing the drums in recent years, but the legendary musician sat behind his iconic Gretsch concert tom kit for the first time in more than a decade in a new video from Drumeo.
Drumeo recently premiered a two-hour documentary about the Genesis frontman, his history of drumming, and the physical limitations he's endured that's prevented him from playing. On Friday (December 27), the YouTube channel shared a special video showing Phil's son Nic Collins and Drumeo host Brandon Toews putting together the drum kit, which had been in storage for more than a decade. Once the kit is complete, Nic tests it out by playing the iconic fill from "In The Air Tonight." He notes that the positioning of the drums caused his dad to lean over a lot, which likely led to bad posture and contributed to his ailments.
Phil, who walks with a cain, carefully sits behind the kit and grasps two drum sticks. "It just feels so strange to hold a pair," he admits. Then he strikes a few drums with the stick in his left hand. "That's enough of that," he says quickly.
The 73-year-old suffered a major spinal injury in 2007 and has also been diagnosed with dropped foot (difficulty raising the front of your foot) and chronic neck pain caused by drumming. Genesis played their final show in March 2022, and during that tour Phil sang from a seated position while Nic took over drum duties.
Watch both videos below.
