AND THEN THERE WAS PHIL…
For more than three decades, Canada’s The Musical Box have done something few others dare attempt; not simply perform Genesis songs, but a painstakingly researched theatrical reconstruction of Genesis in their prime. Endorsed by the original band members themselves, they now move for the first time into the Phil Collins-fronted years, revisiting the pivotal period from 1976 to 1980. Find out what frontman Denis Gagne has to say about it all…
Having performed the works of Genesis for so long, what is it about the band that inspired you to recreate their music and shows?
Personally, Genesis has been my favourite band since I was 10 years old after hearing Supper’s Ready. It was instantaneous. I fell in love with the music and as child, I had been exposed to classical music and their use of mellotron which is basically a classical music instrument might have struck a chord. The sound of those 3 12 string acoustic guitars has always sounded wonderful to me. Of, course, later on, when I saw the cover of the Genesis live album with the black silhouette of Peter Gabriel wearing this strange red box on his head and batwings with fluorescent eyes… that was just too much. For Sebastien (Lamothe – guitar) it was the same thing. The idea for recreating their shows came from a “frustration” of being too young to attend the original shows and wishing we could have seen them, so Sebastien decided to recreate it. Ironically enough, we still don’t get to see it since we’re part of it.
How much research and work goes into ensuring you get the right staging, props and looks for the various eras you cover – have you reached out to the original design teams?
We have. And some of them have a pretty good memory. But we also succeeded in tracing footage of the original shows. We also talked to as many people who saw the shows as possible.
When it comes to the music, considering you are going back in time 50 years, how easy is it to recreate the sounds and songs authentically?
This is archaeology work. The only way to sound exactly like them is by, acquiring the same instruments they used. Sometimes, some are not easy to track down, but we manage. Of course, in the few past years, prices for a lot of vintage gear have exploded since they are rare.
Why look at doing the Phil Collins era now?
We have been performing the Peter Gabriel era a lot, so we felt like doing something different for us and the fans. When we did our Extravaganza tours a few years ago, a part of the show was dedicated to the early Phil Collins era. I guess we wanted to do a show that would show that Genesis were still a very strong band after they lost their frontman in 1975. Some of the material on A Trick of the Tail is simply amazing and I always said it was a TRUE Genesis album. And it is clear that they wanted to show the world that they were still strong. After all, the 2 main guys who wrote the music were still in the band.
Why does the music of Phil Collins remain so enduringly popular?
Great melodies I would say.
What do you think is the most underrated album of Phil Collins / Genesis?
Genesis/Phil Collins era most underrated album is probably Duke. Some material is very strong. I never get tired of listening to Behind the Lines, it’s a great song. Actually, when we started talking about the show, the plan was to perform songs from Trick, up to And Then There Were Three. And I suggested that, maybe, we should play some tracks from Duke, and i played Behind the Lines to Sebastien who did not know the song and he was sold. But then again I might be biased ‘cos this is the song Genesis opened with the first time I saw them, so…
What song are you most looking forward to performing and why?
Never easy to pick only one. Behind the Lines is probably one of them. There is another one I’d rather not name right now as it is a surprise. I am really looking forward to seeing the reaction when we play that one. But it will have to remain a surprise…. until the 1st time we play it live of course, because I imagine the setlist will end up on the web very quickly.
What can the audience expect from the show?
One of the craziest things they’ve ever seen visually and musically. We picked all the big songs from 1976-1980. I doubt that the audience will leave thinking they didn’t hear everything they wanted to from that period. And it is the most audacious production we’ve ever put on so…
You have performed with members of Genesis before, how did these come about and when they happened, what did it feel like to be sharing the stage with them, playing their music?
It was amazing. I can still remember when Phil joined us in Geneva about 20 years ago already. I usually don’t have the other singers in my monitors but that night I took some of his vocal. I was on stage looking on my left and thinking… “damn, it’s Phil Collins on drums and singing backing vocals with us”.
How did the crowd react when you were joined onstage by an original member?
Of course, the reaction was very strong. People went wild.
Given the level of detail in your performances, have you taken the opportunity to quiz the original members about any elements of their shows and music that helped your productions?
We had help from the original members. Tony Banks gave us access to some material via their staff. We were lucky enough to visit the Farm, their recording studio which they do not have anymore, and look at various things and listen to some material. And we found the slides used on “The Lamb” tour, it was Serge Morissette, our staging director, who put those slides back in order and they made us copies that we used on the tour. So we had the real slide show used by Genesis.
You have been coming to the UK for over 20 years, which city are you most looking forward to visiting?
I wouldn’t want to make anyone jealous. But I’ll say that; it is always fantastic to visit the UK, where Genesis are from.
And Then There Was… Phil | 10-Jun-26 Guildford G Live
