Mike & The Mechanics have been confirmed as Phil Collins’ support at this year’s British Summer Time festival.
Mike Rutherford will join his former Genesis bandmate at London’s Hyde Park on Friday, June 30 – part of Collins’ Not Dead Yet comeback tour, which gets underway with five nights at the Royal Albert Hall at the start of June.
Other artists confirmed for Collins’ British Summer Time show are Blondie, who are expected to debut brand new tracks, and English post-Britpop outfit Starsailor.
In November last year, Collins said he “wouldn’t rule out” working with Genesis men Rutherford and Tony Banks in the future.
He said: “What we had was pretty special. That the three of us would come in with nothing – there wasn’t just one or two writers – we’d all three come in with nothing and we’d start playing until something happened. We’d record it and come back to it a few weeks later and from there songs would develop.
“That is pretty special, to have a relationship with guys that can do that. So I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Rutherford is joined in the lineup by singers Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar. They’ll launch the eighth Mike & The Mechanics album Let Me Fly on April 7 via BMG.
- Genesis's Mike Rutherford on hits, hellish school and being uncool
- Phil Collins recalls early failings as Genesis frontman
- Phil Collins honing drum skills for comeback shows
- Phil Collins - Not Dead Yet book review
Phil Collins Not Dead Yet European tour 2017
Jun 04: London Royal Albert Hall, UK
Jun 05: London Royal Albert Hall, UK
Jun 07: London Royal Albert Hall, UK
Jun 08: London Royal Albert Hall, UK
Jun 09: London Royal Albert Hall, UK
Jun 11: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Jun 12: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Jun 18: Paris Accor Hotels Arena, France
Jun 19: Paris Accor Hotels Arena, France
Jun 30: London Hyde Park British Summer Time festival, UK
The Phil Collins Quiz: how well do you know the former Genesis man?
