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Tuesday, 7 November 2006, 16:12 GMT

Genesis reunion 'not about money'

By Tim Masters
Entertainment editor, BBC News website

Genesis - (l-r) Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford

Rock supergroup Genesis have announced a comeback stadium tour across Europe in summer 2007, promising to play songs from most eras of their history.

Phil Collins will tour with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks for the first time in 15 years - the only UK dates are at Twickenham and Old Trafford.

Collins said the tour was about playing classic songs, not about making money.

"We're all loaded enough not to worry about where the next million or two is coming from," he said.

'Right time'

"If money was the issue, we'd be playing more than 20 shows," added the musician.

The Genesis Turn It On Again Tour takes in 12 countries starting in Helsinki, Finland in June 2007 and ending in Rome, Italy in July.

"I just felt now was the right time to have a go at it," said Collins, who quit Genesis in 1996.

Phil Collins

"I left the band and I did some things on my own, and the guys carried on. I used to listen to odd bits and pieces at home and I missed the camaraderie a bit."

He said the band members had always stayed friends and had discussed getting back together many times.

"We would bring it up every time we sat down together. Sometimes we talked ourselves out of it and finally we decided this was as good a time as any to do something."

The two British dates are Twickenham Stadium in London on 7 July and Old Trafford in Manchester on 8 July. A series of US dates are also planned.

The band revealed that the orginal idea had been to reform with ex-bandmates Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett and perform the 1974 concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Prog promise

Collins said that the five members had met and discussed the plan, but Gabriel had been "more sensitive" about what such a reunion would mean.

"This is just music, us getting together and playing some songs," he said. "Peter has been doing his thing since he left and he is just a little over-cautious about going back."

Gabriel was a founding member of the band, singing with them until 1975, when he left to pursue a solo career.

Genesis Keyboardist Tony Banks said that the Genesis gigs would include songs from most albums in the band's history.

"If Genesis is playing on the radio, it tends to be Follow You Follow Me or I Can't Dance," said Banks.

"Genesis has another side to it, a more complex area of music. One side gets slightly more attention than the other. We are trying to reacquaint people."

Asked what the band thought of the recent All Saints reunion, Banks replied: "I'm afraid I didn't know they had split up. I haven't listened to very much since 1968."

Cult success

Genesis sold over 130m albums during the 1970s and 80s, scoring hits with albums such as Nursery Cryme, Selling England By The Pound and Invisible Touch.

They started out as a progressive rock band, but took a more commercial direction when Collins took over as lead singer

The 80s saw them score a run of top 40 singles, including Mama, That's All and In Too Deep.

After Collins left in 1996, he was replaced by former Stiltskin singer Ray Wilson.

He recorded one album, 1997's Calling All Stations, with remaining members Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks before the band was put on indefinite hiatus - until now.



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Related to this story:
Gabriel passes on Genesis reunion (19 Oct 06 |  Entertainment )
Rockers Genesis plan reunion tour (18 Oct 06 |  Entertainment )
Phil Collins separates from wife (16 Mar 06 |  Entertainment )
Collins 'open' to Genesis reunion (07 Nov 05 |  Entertainment )

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