Phil Collins Back at the Drums After a Decade, Rekindling Memories and Legendary Music Magic!

Phil Collins has been enduring a difficult time recently, grappling with multiple health challenges that have prevented the famed “In The Air Tonight” singer from performing or even playing the drums, an instrument he is highly regarded for. However, Collins recently found joy in playing his iconic Gretsch tom kit once again after more than ten years, as featured in a new video by Drumeo.

The 73-year-old former Genesis frontman has been struggling with his physical health since around 2007, following a serious spinal injury. This injury resulted in him developing drop foot, a condition that makes lifting the front part of the foot difficult. Additionally, he experiences chronic neck pain, a common issue among drummers. These health problems have naturally limited his ability to perform on the drums.

Phil Collins Briefly Revisits His Old Drum Kit in New Drumeo Documentary

In his latest documentary, Phil Collins: Drummer First, Drumeo interviewed Collins, exploring his legacy as one of the most influential drummers of his time. The documentary openly discusses Collins’ physical limitations and his methods for managing them. A significant portion of the film features Collins alongside his talented son, Nic Collins, who is the drummer for Better Strangers.

Drumeo shared a preview from the documentary showing Nic Collins and Drumeo host Brandon Toews assembling Collins’ long-unused drum kit. This kit is famous for being used by Collins during Genesis’ legendary 1992 We Can’t Dance Tour.

Once the kit was put together, Nic took the first turn to play it. He performed impressively, even executing the renowned drum fill from Collins’ 1981 hit “In The Air Tonight.” It’s important to note, however, that this particular kit is not the one Collins used in the original recording of the song.

Nic mentioned in the video that the drum setup required his father to lean forward to play effectively. He speculated that this positioning might have contributed to Collins’ poor posture and subsequent neck pain in his later years.

In the final moments of the video clip, Collins approaches his old drum kit and sits behind it. He gives the drums a few test taps before declaring, “That’s enough of that,” and stands up.

You can watch the full Drumeo documentary, Phil Collins: Drummer First, on YouTube: