Phil Collins’ comeback looks unstoppable after petition to have him banned backs down
Date
November 9, 2015 - 3:29PM
Phil Collins no longer retired
The organisers of a petition calling on the United Nations to stop Phil Collins’ musical comeback have closed their appeal prematurely after an outraged response from fans of the popular 1980s crooner.
The man who launched the petition on change.org, going by the name Brian Pee closed it on Sunday (UK time) after a stream of angry messages forced him to rethink his incursion - although it had found 4,352 supporters impressed with his satirical sales pitch: “There is too much suffering in the world as it is.”
Phil Collins. One of the most reviled and loved men in music. Just don’t try to stop him.
Phil Collins. One of the most reviled and loved men in music. Just don’t try to stop him. Photo: Warner Music
N.A. from Tel Aviv sounded as though he or she may have damaged a keyboard with this response to the petition’s appearance: “whoever is responsible for this petition, what the hell is the matter with you. Phil is a great musician, and you have no right to prevent him from working … maybe you don’t appreciate good music, and that’s your problem.”
For a Canadian fan, Sandra Cabral, the offence caused was deeply personal because Phil’s heartfelt ballads were the soundtrack to her best memories: “I listened to his music everyday [sic]. Genesis, Phil Collins,was the only music I listened to when I was studying or cruising with my friend Jeanine. The best times of my life,” she wrote, adding that her friend had died from cancer.
“So if I hear any Phil Collins music now.Its a special memory that I treasure deeply.”
Phil Collins rehearses for a 2007 reunion show with his former band Genesis.
Phil Collins rehearses for a 2007 reunion show with his former band Genesis. Photo: Frank Gunn
Sue McJilton Founds maintained Collins is “a kind and gentle man … I don’t think you are funny, and you probably trip blind people and poison dogs too. Stop bullying people. It’s childish.”
The petition’s supporters obviously had fewer warm memories invested in worldwide no.1s like One More Night, A Groovy Kind of Love and Another Day in Paradise and unfathomable hits like Sussudio - and they showed more humour in their reasoning.
“I struggled for years with addiction to Phil Collins’s music. Just take a look at me now,” wrote Greg Stone from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, cleverly integrating a key lyric from Collins first US no.1, 1984’s Against All Odds.
“He dumped his wife by fax, we dump him by online petition. Seems fair,” wrote Glaswegian Louise Costello. Collins did indeed advise his second wife, Jill Tavelman, of his intention to split from her by fax in 1993.
Someone calling themselves Carl Cox posted that he was a “Phil Collins survivor, having grown up in the 1980s”.
“To this day I live with PTSD from such horrors as Invisible Touch, Easy Lover and Sussudio… For the sake of all that is good and kind in humanity, please, please keep this man in retirement.”
It’s unclear exactly why Brian Pee backed down, but it seems he could not hold his nerve, posting this sheepish explanation with a note that the petition was now “gone”.
“It very obviously wasn’t a serious petition. Surely no one could think this was going to be sent to the U.N.?”
But evidently they did - in fact two counter petitions were addressed to the United Nations: ‘Phil Collins must be encouraged’ and ‘Phil Collins must stay’.
Brian Shaughnessy noted the UN was “useless” in such matters and instead would be relying on “the zombie apocalypse”.
One Schitt von Klaussen of Reykjavik, knew the real reason the petition was pulled: “Phil got to him!!” So what then? Does this mean the ex-retiree really does have An Invisible Touch?
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/phil-collinss-comeback-looks-unstoppable-after-petition-to-have-him-banned-backs-down-20151109-gku9w0.html#ixzz3r2bjelQf
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