Phil Collins Plays Classic Drum Kit For First Time In A Decade: Watch
Phil Collins plays his classic Gretsch drum kit for the first time in over a decade in a new video released by Drumeo.
order Phil Collins’ ‘Both Sides (All The Sides)’ 5LP set here
The clip shows Collins’ son Nic and Drumeo host Brandon Toews assemble the kit, which has been in storage since it was played. Collins underwent major spinal surgery back in 2007 and currently suffers from drop foot and chronic neck pain. On setting up the kit Nic exclaims, “No, there’s no way. maybe. I refuse to believe it was this bad,” referring to the extremely low positioning of the kit, which is thought to have contributed to Collins’ health problems.
When Collins is brought into the room, he says, “It looks alright,” before being helped to the kit and picking up drumsticks, adding: “Just feels so strange to hold a pair.” After testing the kit, : “That’s enough of that.”
In a recent Drumeo interview Collins provided fans with an update on the likelihood of getting behind the kit again. “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything… If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I’ll have a crack of it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles,” he said. “It’s still kind of sinking in a bit… I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To be suddenly not able to do that is a shock.”
Earlier this year Collins released a special edition 5LP box set of his fifth solo studio album Both Sides. The deluxe edition contains the remastered full original album, cut at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, and is a compendium of early demo tracks from the recording of the album as well as rarities from the singles originally released on the album – Both Sides Of The Story, Everyday and We Wait and We Wonder.
Both Sides (All The Sides) adds contemporary live tracks, such as Can’t Turn Back The Years and Both Sides Of The Story, taken from Collins’ MTV Unplugged performance, Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore and more, for the first time on vinyl. The set is housed in a slipcase with picture sleeves and a 16-page booklet containing newly-written and extensive liner notes by journalist Michael Hann.