The concert that changed Phil Collins’ life: “A dream come true”
Although it’s easy to take many legendary musicians at face value, viewing them merely as legacy acts who did well to stake their claim on their respective spaces, it’s often just as easy to forget that they, too, were once anonymous faces with hearts filled with music. Phil Collins, growing up in the British mod scene, was no different.
Most of the acts that Collins grew up surrounded by could have easily become his all-time favourites, with sounds coming from outfits like The Who, Secret Affair, the Chords, the Purple Hearts, and others. However, one that ultimately caught his attention, and one that would remain his most cherished group for a lifetime, was The Action.
As a child experiencing first-hand what it was like to come of age during one of the most transitional musical periods of all time, Collins became drawn to The Action because of their energy and stage presence, hoping that someday he would be able to emulate the same hard-hitting aura. Discussing their impact, he told Music Times: “In the 1960s, I was going to The Marquee Club, and I discovered them one night. I went to see them every night they played. I’ve since got to know them.”
While the arrival of groups like The Rolling Stones meant that rock could still be relevant while looking backwards at some of the most timeless facets of rhythm and blues, The Action captivated Collins due to their soulful roots. This would become a common thread in some of his solo work, likely also inspiring him to cover some of the most enduring songs in the genre.
We all know what it’s like to be asked about one of our favourite bands or musicians and draw a blank because it’s almost impossible to know where to start. When a band means that much to someone, the overwhelming sense of appreciation can sometimes cause utter speechlessness, and that’s how you know it’s something really special. For Collins, this is overcome by repeating the obvious.
“What can I say that I haven’t already said before,” he explained, adding that The Action is “my favourite band, my favourite, absolute favourite”. Luckily, becoming a musician in his own right meant that the door to collaboration soon opened, which was nothing short of a pinch-me moment for the singer. “I’ve since got to know them, played with them where they did, they reformed, and I played a gig with them at the 100 club, which was a dream come true,” Collins recalled.
Concluding: “You had to be on stage playing all the songs that I heard when I was a teenager. You know, Roger, the drummer, is a huge influence on me, and we [have become] great friends now. This is a great record, they were produced by George Martin, it’s a great song.”
Although The Action wasn’t typically the kind of progressive rock band you might associate with some of Collins’ biggest influences, they allowed the singer to realise the possibility of infusing various genres into one and enjoying the liberating feeling of knowing you’re never genuinely restricted by genre.
