Peter Gabriel Explains Why He Attended Final Genesis Show

Peter Gabriel was famously in the audience during the final Genesis show in March 2022 at London's O2 Arena. Gabriel, of course, was the band's singer from 1967-1975. So, why did he want to attend the band's final show?

He explained his decision in a new interview with Mojo. Gabriel bluntly said, "Me going was a rite of passage, really. I’d been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end." He acknowledged that Phil Collins' performance wasn't as strong as it used to be. Nonetheless, Gabriel thought the band "did a great job."

Collins mentioned Gabriel's attendance at the show, which featured a 23-song setlist. Per Ultimate Classic Rock, Collins said of Gabriel being in the crowd, "Maybe he’s the one shouting for ‘Supper’s Ready’ — I don’t know!" He also said during the final show "Yes, after tonight, we've all got to get real jobs."

Gabriel, meanwhile, wraps his current tour on October 21 in Houston. Additionally, his album, i/o, comes out on December 1. It's available for pre-order in a variety of formats at Store.RealWorld.co.uk.

Things have been quiet on the Genesis front since their final show. However, they did make headlines in September 2022 for becoming another classic rock act to sell their catalog.

As previously reported, Genesis struck a deal with Concord Music Group to sell their catalog for $300 million. This lucrative deal also included Collins' solo work and Mike + the Mechanics' catalogs.

The deal was just the latest blockbuster payday for a veteran musician's catalog. The past couple of years have seen some of music's most legendary performers sell their music/publishing rights. In February 2022, Sting sold his solo and Police catalog rights to Universal for a reported $250 million. That same month saw Neil Diamond sell his legendary catalog for an undisclosed, but very large sum. In January, the estate of David Bowie sold the rights to his catalog for upwards of $250 million. Just before the end of 2021, Bruce Springsteen sold his masters and music publishing catalog for a reported $500 million.

Genesis helped to invent progressive rock. But unlike their peers, they were able to transition to a more streamlined rock sound, dominating rock radio in the early '80s. And later, they went on to become rather unlikely pop superstars, while never totally ditching their prog roots. Even when they were topping the pop charts, they always included a proggy epic or two on each album.

The members of the most popular lineup included drummer/singer Phil Collins, along with founding members Mike Rutherford (guitar and bass) and Tony Banks (keyboards). The trio wrapped their reunion/farewell tour in March 2022. Their final show took place before a sold-out crowd at London's O2 Arena. As we previously reported, Collins honored the historic moment in dry fashion.

"It’s difficult for us to believe that, uh, you still came out to see us!" said Collins. "Yes, after tonight we’ve all got to get real jobs."

Peter Gabriel was famously in the audience during their final show. Gabriel, of course, was the band's singer from 1967-1975. So, why did he want to attend the band's final show?

He explained his decision to Mojo bluntly saying, "Me going was a rite of passage, really. I’d been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end."

To put a capper on the end of the band, Collins and Genesis sold the music rights to their catalogs in September 2022 to Concord Music Group Inc. The sale, which included some of the music of Rutherfod's other band, Mike + the Mechanics, was reportedly worth $300 million.

In honor of the band's incredible legacy, we are ranking their greatest songs, spanning the entire Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins eras. (Yeah, we know about their final album, 1997's Calling All Stations featuring singer Ray Wilson, and with all due respect, none of those songs make the Genesis top 40). As you'll see, we love the prog-rock Genesis, but we also love their hits as well. What did we miss? We're sure you'll let us know on social media. So, this is pretty much a definitive list that we won't need to update: there aren't many outtakes that they haven't released in some form, and it seems highly unlikely that any iteration of the band will get back together to put out more new music. But for nearly three decades, they were one of the best bands in the world, with a wider range than most.