It was billed as Phil Collins' First Final Farewell tour but when he told the crowd he was truly done with the road, he was met with deafening boos. "They turn on you so fast," he joked back.
It was a love-fest as Collins, looking like Dr. Evil, hit all the high-lights of a quarter-century-long career. Opening with a drum solo, Collins performed hits like "Sussudio," "Against All Odds," "Easy Lover," an unplugged "True Colors," "I Missed Again" ... you name it. He was a classy star, giving plenty of solo time to his saxophonist Gerald Albright and two of his strongest backup singers. Just as well, since at times his 54-year-old voice was shaky.
"In the Air Tonight" got the strongest response, with lights rising dramatically as Collins menacingly returned to the drums, pounding out the crescendo. "Take Me Home" was also enthusiastically received. And that raises an odd fact. The first song is about divorce. The second is about a man in an insane asylum. Yet, neither one's dark content bothered the two busty blondes bouncing up and down. Nor anyone else.
But Collins made sure the audience knew exactly what "Another Day in Paradise" was about by flashing various statistics about homelessness and poverty. It worked. Roughly 12,000 people went quiet, and I got the sense it was the first time many had actually truly listened to the song.
But before any buzzes could be harshed, the party was back on again, eventually culminating in explosions of confetti and streamers during the fun Caribbean romp of "Wear My Hat" and an encore urged on by—and I'm not making this up—people holding up lighters. Collins couldn't ask for a better Vegas goodbye.