Mike Rutherford open to Genesis reunion: 'We’re all fit and healthy and good friends'

After Tony Banks and Phil Collins both refused to rule out a Genesis reunion in recent interviews, Mike Rutherford has now said he’s tentatively open to the idea.

Author: Scott Colothan Published 13th Mar 2019



Mike appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier today to promote Mike & The Mechanics’ upcoming ninth studio album ‘Out of the Blue’ when he was asked the burning question – will Genesis ever reform?

He replied: “I’ve always said, for years, never say never and we did the tour 10 years ago… Who knows? Phil (Collins) is in good shape now out touring, his son (Nic) is drumming – fantastic drummer. Never say never.”

When host Piers Morgan said his brother has pointed out that ‘Foxtrot’ masterpiece ‘Supper’s Ready’ hasn’t been performed live since 1982 (an acoustic version of the Lover's Leap segment was played on the Calling All Stations tour in 1998), Mike replied: “Well we better do it for him hadn’t we? We better make him happy.

“We’re all fit and healthy and we get on well, (we’re) good friends. I mean, you never know.”

In January 2018, Tony Banks confirmed to US radio station 91.9 WFKP he’d be up for a Genesis reunion should the opportunity arise.

“Phil is out there again, which is fantastic … a year or two ago I would have thought he was never going to be out there again,” Tony said.

“He found a way to do it. It involves quite a static performance, but his voice sounds great, and his music still sounds fantastic and everything. So, I don’t rule it out at all. Mike and I see each other all the time, we get on well, no problem, so it’s never an impossibility.

"We’re all getting a bit long in the tooth, and who knows whether, if we came back together, anything of any worthwhile nature would actually happen. We could get into a room, say, ‘let’s do it’ and find there’s nothing to do! But we don’t rule it out. Phil’s got to survive his tour, first of all, and we’ll see where it goes!”

Then last August, Phil Collins said Mike and Tony were both so “blown away” by his teenage son Nic’s drumming on his Not Dead Yet! solo tour that he believes they’d be open to Nic joining Genesis.

“They both were raving about Nic,” Phil told Rolling Stone. “Mike made the appropriate comment of, ‘He just gets it. He just gets what is needed and what is required and why you’re doing this for that song.’ I thought that was a wonderful thing to say. He was 16 at that point.

“I think that, yeah, if we did anything I think it would have to be with Nic on drums because I don’t think I’m capable of it. I think their opinion of Nic is high enough for them to take him onboard as part of the band.”

Speaking to Planet Rock last summer, Steve Hackett blamed “Mexican standoffs” within Genesis for getting in the way of a reunion.

“The problem is that – and no one really wants to hear this – but the reality is that what starts as communication between young guys in their early twenties ends up becoming phase cancellation later on; Mexican standoffs and all of that,” Steve explained.

“And it really does get in the way and that’s the reason why there is no band at the moment - and that may all change tomorrow, of course!”