Mike Rutherford opened up about feeling emotional about Genesis' last show a year after its final performance.
Genesis fans received the most heartbreaking news yet when the band marked the last stop of its farewell tour in March at the O2 Arena. While the band's "retirement" was a long time coming, Rutherford said he did not feel it until before the end of the farewell show.
Mike Rutherford Says Genesis Last Show Was "Bizarre"
Genesis former singer Peter Gabriel joined the three members when they bid goodbye to fans during the March 2022 show. In a new interview with Classic Rock, Rutherford said it felt great to see Gabriel and Genesis' former tour manager, Richard McPhail, at the event to finally bow out in front of their fans.
While the last show had been planned for a long time, he revealed that it did not sink in until the band was only a few songs left before the show's end.
READ ALSO: Frank Kozik Cause of Death: Rock Bands' Poster Artist Dead at 61
"But the actual show felt bizarre. I was kind of OK until I saw on my set list that there were just four songs left. Seeing that in print made me emotional," he said. "[It] felt very good to see things through to an official close."
Rutherford said the band was a lovely reach, especially when they had sold out concerts in a city where they had not played in three decades.
Although he and his bandmates felt sad, he revealed that he enjoyed his last tour and his final performance with Phil Collins and Tony Banks.
Mike Rutherford To Hit the Road Again
While Genesis is already over, the guitarist will start focusing on his tour with Mike + the Mechanics which will also include Collins' son, Nic. The latter, who plays on drums, reportedly opened up more scope for playing Genesis songs with Mike + the Mechanics since Collins' son also became part of their band's tour.
Before the shows, Rutherford expressed his desire to play "Jesus He Knows Me" since they were not able to play it on the last Genesis tour. On the other hand, Nic has since dismissed the idea of having the Genesis members reunite again to have a remote show, especially amid his father's health battles.
Mike + the Mechanics' Refueled! Tour 2023 officially began on May 10 at St. David's Hall in Cardiff, United Kingdom and visit more cities before its last show on June 7 at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Dusseldorf, Germany.
READ MORE: The Cure 2023 US Tour To Have Cheaper Tickets, Reeves Gabrel Shares How Band Made the Decision
