Phil Collins announces comeback tour

The musician returns to stage after nearly a decade for stops in London, Paris, and Cologne

(AFP/Getty Images)

You probably didn't feel this coming in the air tonight, but Phil Collins is making a comeback after a decade away from the stage.

Speaking to The Guardian, Collins announced he will return for a run of shows in Europe next year, despite announcing his retirement from music in 2011. He has since performed in two charity shows this August, which the musician claims changed his mind on the matter; his children also encouraging him to start performing again, with his 15-year-old son Nicholas playing drums on the tour.

The tour, entitled Not Dead Yet, will start in June 2017 with a five-night residency at the Royal Albert Hall in London; followed by dates in both Paris and Cologne. He said of his plans. "It’s going to be a romp through my songs that people love."

He did admit it's unlikely he will play the drums himself on the tour, sticking to providing vocals; explaining, "I don’t think I’ll ever be able to play the way I used to. Something happened one night on that last Genesis tour and after that point, it never came back. I tried heavier sticks, I tried to use bigger cymbals, I just couldn’t get any power. It’s a bit of a mystery why it happened but I’m 65 and I’ve been playing since I was five years old."

"I play with my fingers and that’s the thing that has clammed up over the past few years," he added. "So it’s a matter of getting my strength back... I’ve got a drum kit in the garage and I will be getting to that to see if I can at least do 'In the Air'."

Collins is one of three artists in history to sell over 100 million records, through his work both as the former drummer, turned frontman, of Genesis and as a solo act. He's yet even to rule out a future Genesis reunion, following the band's one-off tour in 2007; "Doing the book [his autobiography Not Dead Yet] I was reminded what good friends we are. I consider what we had to be pretty special... I wouldn’t rule it out."

The full tour dates are as follows:

4-9 June: Royal Albert Hall, London

11-12 June: Lanxess Arena, Cologne

18-19 June: Accor Hotels Arena, Paris

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 21 October.