Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Genesis-June 3,1992 Giants Stadium

16 Years ago today, my girlfriend(now my wife) and I went to see Genesis at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. I had seen Genesis a few years earlier on their Invisible Touch tour and was not impressed. They sounded fine, but they really seemed to be just going through the motions. No real connection with the audience, and a pretty bland setlist.
My future wife was a big Phil Collins fan, and we were able to get great seats a few days before the show, so we got the tickets. I was looking forward to it, but did not have great expectations. I did like the new album We Can't Dance, so I figured at least I'd hear album perfect versions of the songs.
Well, I was correct, they did perform album perfect versions of the new material, and many of their previous hits, but they were really good. I don't know if maybe the previous show I saw was a bad night or what, but this new concert was very impressive. Not only was their performance great, but the staging and use of video and lighting was also impressive. I've never been one to care too much for a great "show". I'd rather see a band who plays well, but stands still(Grateful Dead anyone), then see a stage show with a group that couldn't play live. But all the elements came together and it turned out to be a concert I truly loved. They mostly focused on post Peter Gabriel material , save one medley early one in the set.
Phil Collins, Tony Banks & Mike Rutherford are technically Genesis, but Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer were not relegated to some backup position. They were treated in the live shows as members of Genesis. I think that could be part of what made them a good , tight live band. It wasn't 3 "stars" and the backup band. And as much as Phil Collins is front & center, which is unavoidable since he is the lead singer, I never felt that Genesis was his backing band. He had a solo career for that, and believe me he was everywhere at that time.
Sadly I did not get to see them when they came around on their reunion tour, but I will always have the memory of a great concert with the best company possible.
Here is the setlist, as best as I can piece together.

Setlist 06/03/1992

Land of Confusion
No Son of Mine
Driving the Last Spike
Old Medley(Dance on a Volcano/Lamb Lies Down on Broadway/The Musical Box/Firth of Fifth/That's All/Illegal Alien/Follow You,Follow Me/Stagnation/I Know What I Like)
Throwing It All Away
Fading Lights
Jesus He Knows Me
Home By the Sea/Second Home by the Sea
Hold on My Heart
Domino-In The Glow of the Night/The Last Domino
Drum Duet
I Can't Dance

**Encore**

Tonight,Tonight,Tonight
Invisible Touch
Turn It On Again

Show length was roughly 2 Hours 20 Minutes

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