Watch Phil Collins Perform ‘Sussudio’ for First Time in 12 Years
Phil Collins officially ended his retirement Friday night with a concert in Liverpool, England, the singer’s first full show in nearly a decade.
The gig, a warm-up of sorts before Collins and his band kick off a five-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, featured the singer dusting off some of his greatest hits on stage for the first time since Genesis‘ 2007 reunion tour and, in some cases, for the first time ever as a solo artist.
For instance, the Liverpool gig found Collins singing his No Jacket Required track “Sussudio” as well as “Dance in the Light” live for the first time since November 2005. “Invisible Touch” had its first live airing since Collins sang it with Genesis in October 2007.
The setlist also featured Collins’ first ever solo rendition of Genesis’ “Follow You Follow Me”:
Elsewhere on the set list, Collins and his band – which includes his teenaged son Nic Collins on drums – played “I Don’t Care Anymore” and “Only You Know and I Know” for the first time since the Both Sides Tour in 1995; “Can’t Turn Back the Years” was similarly unearthed following a two-decade onstage absense.
After a nearly decade-long hiatus that followed Collins’ battles with back issues, the singer announced in October 2015 that he was “no longer officially retired.” 2016 saw Collins shake off some rust with some mini-concerts and promotional appearances – including a visit to the Tonight Show – before scheduling his upcoming European leg of the Not Dead Yet Tour.
“We’re working out a way to make a show special,” Collins told Rolling Stone in October. “At the moment, there won’t be any new material, but we can bring out some songs that we haven’t done so they’ll appear new.”