Review: The last hurrah- Genesis rock their final tour

In a digital world where trends seemingly change every minute, new singers and bands coming onto the scene every day, it can be easy to have a short-lived career in the industry. Most artists can only dream of having a career that spans 54 years, Genesis have done just that though.
With over half a century of recording music and performing to crowds, it’s no surprise they wanted one final tour before ailing band members and old age gets in the way and they pack it in for good.

The Last Domino? Tour has seen the band tour for the first time in 14 years, covering North America, the UK and Ireland. The first in 14 years, the last forever, this tour carries significance in not only giving the band closure and the chance to play together once again, but for fans to experience them live one very last time. 

Phil Collins’ poor health is no secret and was evident as he walked out onto the stage, taking a seat in the centre with his visible frailty apparent to the 15,000-strong crowd. This didn’t stop him from bringing his talent and humour to the show though, as his vocals and dry wit rang out through the arena for all to enjoy.

As he perched on his chair, he was accompanied by the rest of the band, which included his 20-year-old-son Nicholas on drums. The show took off with the 1980 instrumental ‘Duke’s End’, transitioning into ‘Turn It on Again’, to build up the sound whilst luring the crowd into the performance.

If anyone was doubting Collins’s ability to front the band still, those doubts quickly melted away once he started singing. Sure, his vocal range wasn’t quite the same as it was in the 80’s, but the power projected from Collins voice and his sincereness from the singing, along with a natural charisma, entranced the crowd.

Arguably, things wouldn’t have sounded quite the same if Nicholas Collins hadn’t of inherited and practised the ability to play his dad’s parts with such precision. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was Phil himself. Clearly the natural talent running through his DNA along with years of hard work and dedication have paid off, as even Phil couldn’t help but look on with pride at his sons masterful drumming. 

Founding members Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, along with long-time touring guitarist Daryl Stuermer, all showed they’ve still got it, all carrying the weight of the show between their talented fingers. 

The band’s decision to also have two backup vocalists on stage was the right one. Daniel Pearce and Patrick Smyth aided Collins with some of the higher notes which aren’t quite as reachable in his is older age, whilst remaining unobtrusive and appearing infrequently, proving that Collins clearly doesn’t need much help.

When Collins promised at the start of the show that this tour, which was supposed to kick off in November 2020, was going to be a fun one, he wasn’t kidding. 

Bringing hits such as ‘Land of Confusion’ (my personal favourite), ‘Invisible Touch’ and ‘No Son of Mine’ to name a few, along with concert classics like ‘Home By the Sea’ and ‘Domino’, created a perfect setlist for fans to dance, sing and rightly have fun to. 

The bands acoustic diversion after their first set meant saying goodbye to the keyboard and anything else with a techno beat or vibe, even leaving Nicholas Collins with noticeably smaller drumming utensils. Stripping down ‘That’s All’, ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ and ‘Follow You Follow Me’ was certainly a good choice and felt a rather personal touch from the band to the audience.

The almost sombre, thought-provoking tone reflected how this would be the band’s last string of live rendezvous together, with them wanting to create something magical to leave fans with.  

The on-stage graphics and designs were quite a marvel- nothing new as Genesis have long been renowned for their stage design since the Peter Gabriel days. A movable lighting rig imitating giant dominoes, large screens across stage and plenty of animations to accompany, but not intrude, on the songs was the icing on the cake for this show.

As Collins’ pointed out, a currently particularly topical song, ‘Land of Confusion’, was the perfect illustration of how the bands songs have moved with the times and are as current now as they were then. Masked animated figures patrolled over cities and land in graphics on screen- another sign perhaps of how Genesis’s songs will forever remain relevant. 

Should miracles be scarce, or Peter Gabriel have a sudden longing to perform with the group again, this is Genesis’ farewell. Collins has made it clear he has no intention of playing with the band after this tour, and that this would be goodbye.

For life-long fans and newbies alike, this tour provides the perfect farewell. A magnificent spectacle as the final curtain prepares to fall on Genesis performances forever.

Setlist:

Set 1:

Behind the Lines / Duke's End

Turn It On Again

Mama

Land of Confusion

Home by the Sea

Second Home by the Sea

Fading Lights

The Cinema Show

(second half; with "Riding The… more)

Afterglow

Acoustic

That's All

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Follow You Follow Me

Set 2:

Duchess

No Son of Mine

Firth of Fifth

I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

(with "Stagnation" snippet)

Domino

Throwing It All Away

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

Invisible Touch

Encore:

I Can't Dance

Play Video

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight

(1st verse)

       The Carpet Crawlers

By Gabriela Page

Daily Nuisances

Today it’s a bit of a rant on our blog. Not a full-blown end-of-the-world type rant. Just a little moan to get stuff off our chests, stuff that is not doubt very relatable to many.

It can be the little things in life that gets to us, can’t it? As a nation, we’re renowned for complaining but often lack the ability to stand up and right our grievances face-to-face. We may not be too impressed with our main course at the restaurant, but God forbid we let the chef know! ‘Oh yes it was lovely, thank you’, we mutter as we flash a false smile and proceed to leave a tip out of sheer panic that anyone may think we didn’t enjoy ourselves.

Whether we like it or not, nuisances are riddled throughout daily life. Take not being able to find the matching sock to complete your pair, now that’s an all too familiar scenario come Monday morning. Why can we not seem to keep the same colour together instead of inevitably resorting to odd socks for the day? 

The smaller an issue, the more annoying it can often be. It’s a bit like when stubbing your toe on the bed can feel so much worse than any other pain you’ve experienced, we often sweat the small stuff and get more annoyed the pettier the issue. 

But why do we get this way? What causes us to feel these frustrations over life’s niggly nuisances? Is it because we simply enjoy complaining? Personally, I have another theory.

When there’s a big problem, and I’m talking big picture things like real emergencies and incidents in life, it can feel like things are out of our control, like we’re helpless. We have a better way of accepting that we can’t do anything, but when it’s something smaller, more trivial, we get annoyed as it could’ve been prevented easily. There’s more control in those situations, and we perhaps struggle with the fact that something so silly can happen. 

I feel that is where our true frustrations and nuisances lie. Lapse of control in the most trivial of momentary problems. We could’ve thrown away the 50 chargers that don’t work so that they’re not clogging up our draws. We could try a better job of keeping our matching pairs of socks together. We could even check replace the loo roll BEFORE we go to the toilet. But these things have a sneaky habit of escaping our busy schedules of life, and come back in the form of daily nuisances when forgotten. 

Time to cool off with some Ice Cream talk

By now, most of us have encountered sweltering summer days and had our fans turned up to the max throughout the 25-degree nights. Summer is well and truly upon us, and what better way to cool down than with a scoop or two of the frozen goodness that is ice cream. 

We tend to turn to this sweet treat when the warmer weather hits, but really, it’s a staple that’s enjoyed all year around- surely, I can’t be the only one to eat a Ben and Jerry’s tub in front of the fire on a winter’s eve? 

Some fun facts about ice cream:

·      It takes 12 pounds of milk to produce just 1 gallon of ice cream.

·      According to the International Dairy Food Association, chocolate mint ice cream is the second most popular flavour of ice cream in the United States, after vanilla.

·      The average number of licks to finish a scoop of ice cream is 50.

·      The country that consumes the most ice cream is USA, followed by Australia then Norway.

It’s not all about scoops and cones though. The humble ice cream is more versatile than one may think. National Ice Cream Sandwich Day happened on 2nd August, and this fun and whimsical holiday highlights one of the creations that can be made with the tasty treat.

Many countries around the world have their own version of the ice cream sandwich. For example, in Iran, rose or pistachio ice cream is sandwiched between two thin wafers, however in Vietnam, street vendors will be found selling ice cream stuffed between two layers of bread as their take on the indulgent creation. 

Fancy making your own sweet sandwich? Well never fear, we have a recipe here just for you!

To make 12 you’ll need…

Ingredients

- ice cream, any flavour of choice  

- 24 cookies (shop bought or homemade) 

If making homemade, follow the below recipe:

• 280g light soft brown sugar

• 225g granulated sugar

• 250g butter

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 450g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 300g good-quality milk chocolate , roughly chopped into chunks

1.     To make the cookies, tip the sugars and butter into a large bowl. Blend them together until the mixture looks smooth and creamy, and a little paler in colour.

2.     Carefully break in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each egg and pausing to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Mix in the vanilla. 

3.     Sift in the flour and baking powder, then mix well with a wooden spoon.

4.     Stir through the chocolate chunks. Use your hands to squeeze the dough together in 1 big lump, then split into 2 even pieces. Put each piece on a sheet of cling film.

5.     Roll each piece of dough in the cling film so that they form thick sausage shapes, then seal the ends. Put them in the fridge and chill for at least 3 hrs or overnight – can be frozen at this point.

6.     Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Take the dough rolls out of the fridge, unwrap and use a small knife to slice each one into 12 pieces, so you have 24 in total.

7.     Place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Ask a grown-up to put this in the oven to bake for 20 mins or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges, but still pale in the centre.

8.     Allow to cool slightly before lifting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Method for ice cream sandwich:

1.     Simply take a biscuit, place a scoop of ice cream on top, and then sandwich it together with another biscuit on top. Make sure to place the biscuits together firmly so that the ice cream stays in place but not too hard so that the biscuits break. 

Which weird and wonderful day is up next… ah! Happy Uncle and Aunt Day! (Yes, really)

It’s safe to say that there’s a fair few weird and wonderful holidays that are spread out across the calendar year, and I’m not talking your average Christmas or Easter.

Here at KCL, we like to look at the more unusual ‘unofficial’ holidays that people may not necessarily know about, educating you, if you will, about things you may not know about. 

So, following this fashion, today we wish you a happy uncle and aunt day! 

Perhaps often overlooked, uncles and aunts can take on an important role. From providing support, influence, guidance and fun, they can help shape who we are.

Now, not all of us have uncles or aunts with whom we have contact with, or any in the first place, but for some they play an integral role in our lives.  

Aunts and Uncles are similar to parents, except without most of the rules and regulations. Whether it’s getting spoilt with attention, showered with gifts that your parents refused to get you or providing some much-needed advice that you can’t seem to approach with mum or dad, they can be a huge part of a much-needed support system. 

But it’s not just those with whom you share DNA with that can be regarded as uncles and aunts.

In Western cultures, these terms are typically reserved for the close family members who are related by marriage or genetics, but many other cultures contrast this ‘norm’. Africa, Asia and Middle East cultures especially use the terms to refer to anyone from the generation of one’s parent, and that has followed, in a way, to Western cultures as of late.

For example, close or old friends of parents are often sweetly referred to as ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’, especially if they are Godparents. Having that support network of people who are close to you but not necessarily related can be invaluable. Speaking personally, I would be a little lost without the support, advice and adventures I’ve been fortunate enough to experience with my Godparents.

My Godmother, who I refer to as an ‘aunty’, is essentially my second mother. Someone I know I can always turn to when it may not feel quite right talking to my mum about or I can go and experience new and exciting things with (including some questionable delicacies on our travels). This isn’t to say I don’t talk to or get on with my own mother at all, it’s simply been incredibly beneficial to me to have someone to go to when I may need advice on delicate topics, or just knowing there’s a place and person I can go to when I need space and support. 

It can be so important to have these people in our lives, and I feel extremely grateful that I have that, as I know not everyone is lucky enough. So, for those who are, try and not take them for granted, and take a minute this uncle and aunt day to let those people know how important they are to you, or simply have a perhaps overdue catch-up.

Family doesn’t always have to be down to genes and DNA. Often those we chose to be part of our families serve the greatest purpose and are the ones you value most. 

Did You Know…

…that "say uncle" is a phrase popularly used in the United States and Canada and is usually used to concede defeat in a game or match?

Are you bank holiday ready?

We’re coming up to that time of year again- May’s bank holiday! And with the weather set to be less than impressive on Monday 3rd, it’s best to be prepared for all weather eventualities. 

Bank holidays are little bursts of relief and joy sprinkled throughout our years to provide us with some often much-needed longer weekends to get errands done or have a cheeky lie-in (I know that’s what I’ll be doing).

It’s the perfect excuse for a get-together with friends and family. From throwing a Pimm’s fuelled BBQ or a cosy movie marathon laden with popcorn, it feels like an extra treat we get given to do as we please with.

Like most of life lately though, there are restrictions and rules in place which throw a spanner in the words for gatherings. On top of that, despite the kind weather we’ve had lately, it’s set to be less favourable on May’s first Monday. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still make the most of your golden day of free time. 

Here are some short and sweet ideas for your bank holiday:

·      Indoor BBQs. You can still put the prep in for a BBQ, as you can easily bring it inside if needed. It may not be quite the same as basking under the British sunshine and sipping away on a cold one, but you can ignore the downpour outside and turn your dining room into the summer paradise you’re after.

·      Set up some forts. Yes, I’m serious. Embrace your inner child and get creative with your blankets and pillows. Snuggling up to watch films, setting up Zooms to talk to loved ones or gathering some board games together in a fort can prove a relaxing setting to unwind. Or if you want to save the tidying up, just bringing the duvet down to your sofa will suffice.

·      Virtual cocktail making. Now this is a fun one. Order you and your drink-loving friends some cocktails kits and join a Zoom together to shake up some drinks for you all. you can practise your bartender skills at home without the stress of a high-pressured environment. 

·      Challenge yourself! How much can you learn/put together in a day? Is there a song you’ve been pondering about learning? A recipe you’ve ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ over? Why not use your extra time to finally give it a go? You’ll be surprised with how much you can learn and achieve in a day.

These are just some short and simple ideas, but let it inspire you- get creative! We all need a bit of light-hearted joy nowadays, so if you can push your work aside for the day, make the most of it and do something fun.

Let us know in the comments what you’ll be up to!