When the final curtain fell on Genesis’ farewell tour at London’s O2 Arena in March 2022, it marked the end of an era for the legendary prog-pop band. The core trio of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks had reunited for one last run, but there was a notable figure watching from the audience: original frontman Peter Gabriel.
Gabriel, who co-founded the band in 1967 before leaving in 1975, chose not to perform, viewing his attendance simply as a “rite of passage.”
“I’d been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end,” he told Mojo in 2023.
While fans may have pined for a musical reunion that night, many forget that Gabriel did reunite with Genesis for a full show decades earlier. But that 1982 concert, known as “Six of the Best,” wasn’t born out of nostalgia. It was a rescue mission to save Gabriel from financial ruin and death threats.
The trouble began with a noble idea. In July 1982, Gabriel launched the inaugural WOMAD (World of Music, Arts, and Dance) festival. He envisioned a celebration of global culture, featuring acts ranging from The Chieftains to Indian sitar players and post-punk bands.
“I [wanted] to celebrate all these fantastic musicians, art, dance, film from around the world that weren’t getting exposure,” Gabriel explained in a clip for the documentary Genesis: Together and Apart.
Artistically, it was a triumph. Financially, it was a catastrophe. A rail strike that weekend decimated attendance.
“We were hopelessly under each day, and suddenly realized the financial consequences,” Gabriel recalled. The situation escalated quickly. Gabriel found himself facing an “oppressive nightmare,” receiving “horrible phone calls and death threats” from creditors.
By this point, Gabriel had established a successful solo career and had little interest in looking back. His debut single, “Solsbury Hill,” famously chronicled his relief at leaving the “machinery” of the band, according to Rolling Stone. Genesis, meanwhile, had become a stadium-filling juggernaut with Collins on vocals.
Despite their musical divergence, when the band’s manager, Tony Smith, suggested a benefit concert to help Gabriel, the group didn’t hesitate.
“Whether or not he felt he needed our help to get himself out of trouble, it made sense to us,” Collins wrote in his memoir Chapter and Verse, adding that “it certainly was not a condescending gesture.”
Keyboardist Tony Banks noted that it was a way to help a friend while finally giving fans what they wanted. “People had been asking us to organize some sort of get-together for years and years, and this seemed a very good reason to do it… We did need a reason because it wasn’t something we were itching to do.”
The reunion took place at a rainy Milton Keynes Bowl (later corrected to be the site, though rehearsals were at Hammersmith). The performance was famously loose—Gabriel hadn’t sung the songs in years, and the band had limited rehearsal time.
“Having tried for seven years to get away from the image of being ex-Genesis, there’s obviously a certain amount of stepping back,” Gabriel told NME at the time. “I don’t think they would choose at this point to work with me … [but] I’m very grateful.”
Despite the lack of polish, the show worked. It raised the funds to clear Gabriel’s debts, allowing WOMAD to eventually grow into an international institution. It also proved that, despite their differences, the band members’ bond remained unbreakable when it mattered most.
“I believe that show did go some way to sorting out Peter’s financial problem; now WOMAD is a monster thing,” Banks reflected.
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
