The parents of Nic Collins are Phil Collins and Orianne Cevey. Nic’s early drumming career is not particularly surprising given that he is the son of one of the most well-known drummers in the world.
After having a spinal operation in September 2009, Nic’s father lost his ability to play the drums. Nic was eight years old at the time. Phil revealed in 2014 that he was unable to grip the sticks due to a neurological problem. By June 2017, Phil had “drop foot” as a result of a back operation.
He had to sit down to sing since it was difficult for him to stand up. Nic entered the fray first as Phil’s drummer and subsequently as the drummer for Genesis. He is currently on tour with Mike & the Mechanics.
When necessary, Nic Collins is not afraid to pound the drums, and he has a good, clean sound. Leland Skar, a renowned American bassist who joined Nic when he was 17 and on his first tour with his father in 2017, leaves the following comment in response to the video:
“Nic has been a gifted musician since he was a little kid. I loved playing with him on Phil Collins’ Not Dead Yet Tour. He nailed it every night & just kept getting better and better as the tour went on. I am so proud of him. Plus he is a GREAT GUY!”
According to Nic’s father, he joined the Phil Collins tour because he was talented enough, not because he was the boss’s son. The popularity of the Not Dead Yet tour proved that Phil Collins could still sing well despite his health issues.
Due of this, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford decided to embark on a last Genesis tour with Nic playing drums. Nic was simultaneously playing the drums for his own band, Better Strangers. Better Strangers with But I Don’t Know Your Name (2022) is available here.
Longtime friends and bandmates Yang Waingarten (bass) and Joey Rodriguez (guitar), as well as singer Ricky de Casa, make up Better Strangers. Nic Collins makes a point in Better Strangers not to capitalise on his notoriety. Nic has performed in stadiums all throughout the United States and Europe with Phil Collins, Genesis, and Mike and the Mechanics.
With Better Strangers he plays in clubs. He says: “At this stage of the band, doing it in a club is the best you can ask for. You get to see the most raw, unfiltered reaction to your music. There are no lights to cover it up. It’s all about the energy and the songs.”
Rewinding to Genesis, The Last Domino? tour rehearsals began in January 2020. This was the first time in thirteen years that Genesis performed as a group. Covid19 stepped in as soon as the tour announcement was made. Even though the tour was cut short when it resumed, it still comprised 50 gigs in the US and Europe.
On March 26, 2022, Genesis performed their last concert at the O2 Arena in London. Peter Gabriel attended the performance and then had dinner with the group. JazzandRock.com praised the sound and said that “young drummer Nicholas Collins gave an impressive performance” in its review. He was given frantic acclaim for good reason.
Gary Wallis, the regular drummer for Mike & The Mechanics, is not available for the Refuelled tour, so Nic Collins is filling in. A treat for drummers and drum geeks, at last. Here is an hour-long video of Nic Collins dissecting the Genesis grooves of Phil Collins. Enjoy.
If you would like to see more from Nic Collins and Better Strangers, you can subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Facebook.