Prior to Phil Collins’s ‘Not Dead Yet Tour’, the legendary musician began having problems with the nerves in his hand, making it difficult for him to play the drums. Luckily, he had someone on hand to help him out. For his tour spanning from 2016 to 2019, he employed his son, Nic Collins, to play the drums for him. In a surprise twist, at the tour’s stop in Houston, the father-son duo shook things up by having Nic take a seat in front of the piano.
Phil explained to the audience that when he had shown Nic his back catalogue of work, his son found a song that he liked. The pair showed their shared sense of humour when Phil jokingly quipped, “Just one”, and Nic joined in, correcting, “Two songs… mainly just one.” The song that Nic liked was ‘You Know What I Mean’ from Phil Collins’s debut solo album ‘Face Value’. The duo then launched into a heartwarming performance of the song with Phil on vocals and Nic on the piano.
Phil Collins’ fans flooded the video with supportive comments, many of them glad to see Phil still touring despite his health conditions. The video of the performance ended up reaching over 2.7M views. Many viewers were also touched to see the father-son duo perform on stage together, with one viewer commenting, “Wonderful to see father and son together that way.” Many viewers noted Nic’s talent as a musician in his own right, observing, “Nic Collins inherited Phil’s musical talent.”
Nic would go on to prove his various musical talents throughout the tour, most often on the drums – the instrument he was brought on tour to play. At the very same concert in Houston, Nic got the opportunity to display his drumming talents when he engaged in a drum duet with fellow percussionist Richie Garcia. His dad watched on proudly as Nic displayed his drumming prowess. The performance then became a drum trio, as Nic joined Richie and his father on stage to play the cajon.
Since the tour ended in 2019, Nic has gone on to play drums once again for his father on his tour with Genesis from 2020 to 2022. Since then, he has also played the drums on tour for his father’s fellow Genesis bandmate, Mike Rutherford, in Mike and the Mechanics. Those who want to hear more of Nic’s drumming will want to check out his own band, Better Strangers, which debuted in 2022. Alongside keeping his father’s legacy alive and forging a musical path of his very own, Nic Collins is sure to be kept busy with his talents for the foreseeable future.
If you enjoyed Nic Collins’ incredible talent, be sure to support him further by visiting and subscribing to his father, Phil Collins’ YouTube channel where you can view performances, including collaborations between this talented father-son duo. Also, follow Phil and Nic on their official Instagram and Facebook pages for more updates. Additionally, you can find further information and upcoming tour dates on Phil Collins’ official website.