As previously reported on Uncut.co.uk Phil Collins is to re-join Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford in a reformed Genesis.
Collins is to re-join the prog-rock giants for an international tour, announced officially this morning at a press conference.
The “Turn It On Again” tour will begin a decade after the singing drummer left the group to pursue a successful solo career.
The mammoth tour will see the band play a series of stadium concerts in Europe next summer kicking off in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki on 11 June, ending in Rome on 14 July after playing 12 countries in between.
The full tour dates are as follows:
Helsinki, Finland Olympic Stadium (June 11)
Herning, Denmark Messecenter (14)
Hamburg, Germany AOL Arena (15)
Berne, Switzerland Stade de Suisse (17)
Linz, Austria Gugglestadium (18)
Budapest, Hungary Puskas Ferenc Stadium (20)
Katowice, Poland Slaski Stadium (21)
Hannover, Germany AWD Arena (23)
Dusseldorf, Germany LTU Arena (26)
Stuttgart, Germany Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium (29)
Paris, France Parc Des Princes (30)
Amsterdam, Holland Arena (July 1)
Berlin, Germany Olympiastadion (3)
Leipzig, Germany Zentralstadion (4)
Frankfurt, Germany Commerzbankarena (5)
London, UK Twickenham Stadium (7)
Manchester, UK Old Trafford (8)
Munich, Germany Olympiastadion (10)
Monaco Louis II Stadium (12)
Rome, Italy Telecomcerto at Colosseo (14)
Tickets for the UK dates go onsale on November 24. Other onsale dates are yet to be announced.
Collins became lead singer of Genesis when Peter Gabriel, the original front man, left in 1975 to go solo.
Collins had previously been the group’s drummer and backing singer.
The group had several immensely successful albums in the late ’70s and ’80s, selling upwards of 150 million longplayers.
To coincide with the Genesis tour, EMI Records will be re-issuing all 14 Genesis studio albums throughout 2007.
All the releases will be SACD/DVD double disc sets featuring newly re-mastered 5.1 surround sound and stereo mixes.
Phil Collins’ return to Genesis for an international tour has been speculated about for some time.
Original Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has congratulated his former band mates, saying, “I would like to congratulate Tony, Mike and Phil for flying the flag once again. Good luck to them and I really hope they have a very successful tour.”
Hackett also further speculates that Peter Gabriel was indeed asked to be part of the reunion.
The guitarist told Uncut that he “was originally approached to discuss the possibility of a five piece which would have included Peter Gabriel, but since Peter’s schedule precludes this, it makes sense for the other three to celebrate the band in their ‘own special way’ .”
Hackett recently released a new solo record, ‘Wild Orchids’, and is planning a series of UK shows early in 2007.
For previous Genesis reunion news – Click here