Phil Collins bids emotional goodbye to fans as he performs final show with Genesis

Phil Collins has said goodbye to his fans after performing his final ever concert, and now his fans are taking to Twitter to document their experience of Genesis’ final gig.

This comes as the 71-year-old continues to battle prolonged health conditions.

The In The Air Tonight singer can no longer hold a drumstick, which was apparent at his final show, and comes after undergoing surgery on his back years prior.

On Saturday night (March 26) the music icon performed with his band Genesis at the O2 Arena in London, before saying goodbye to his fans.

Fans who attended his final gig took to Twitter to document the “emotional” concert, with many explaining how they could clearly see that the singer and drummer appeared to be “frail”.

One said: “Privileged to see Genesis and Phil Collins tonight at the O2 which after 51 years in the business was the last ever concert , when you get to see how frail Phil Collins is this was an amazing show from someone who stuck two fingers up at his illness.”

Another penned: “There was laughter, there were tears: last night’s @genesis_band show was indeed the last show that the band will perform after 50+ years of loyal service. But with @PhilCollinsFeed on fine form and his son Nick an incredible drummer in his own right, this was one for the books.”

A third added: “Went to see Genesis tonight for the very first time at their last ever concert. Surprisingly emotional when they finished. Phil Collins is clearly very unwell. The music he and his band mates have made will live on forever, of that I have no doubt.”

Genesis is an English rock band which was formed in in 1967.

Phil drums and sings in the band, while Tony Banks is the keyboardist, and Mike Rutherford plays bass and guitar.

Throughout the tour Phil has been perched on a chair while performing, something that he must do after suffering nerve damage.

The nerve damage has prevented him from being able to drum or walk unaided, meaning he now walks with a walking stick.

In April 2009 Phil’s health started to decline when he had surgery to repair dislocated vertebrae in his upper neck – something that occurred on the 2007 Genesis tour and later led to nerve damage.

Following the operation, he lost feeling in his fingers and could only grip drum sticks if they were taped to his hands.

In 2015, he underwent a spine operation and a year later he said that he was still unable to drum.

Two years later in 2017 he started using a walking stick and began sitting down during gigs.

At the time of his neck injury Phil released statement published on the Genesis website which read: “Somehow, during the last Genesis tour, I dislocated some vertebrae in my upper neck and that affected my hands.

“After a successful operation on my neck, my hands still can’t function normally. Maybe in a year or so it will change, but for now it is impossible for me to play drums or piano.”

More recently he opened up to The Guardian where he said: “I don’t do anything at all. I don’t practise singing at home, not at all. Rehearsing is the practice.

“These guys are always having a go at me for not, but I have to do it this way.”

“Of course, my health does change things, doing the show seated changes things,” he added, explaining how he didn’t feel him having to sit down got “in the way” of the show.

“But I actually found on my recent solo tours, it didn’t get in the way; the audience were still listening and responding. It’s not the way I would have written it, but it’s the way that it is.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk