Phish - "Watcher of the Skies" (Genesis) | 2010 Induction

[@angusrobertson2515]

Playing this in front of the Genesis band members most have been the most nerve wracking experience ever.

[@michaelbrickley2443]

Why? Trey and the boys are talented and they know it.

[@angusrobertson2515]

@@michaelbrickley2443 it doesn't matter how talented you are, playing someone else's song in front of them is nerve wracking.

[@michaelbrickley2443]

@@angusrobertson2515 they didn’t look at all nervous. Shalom

[@myHorribleMusic]

Check out the pianist's shaking fingers at 00:40

[@michaelbrickley2443]

@@myHorribleMusic sorry…that doesn’t tell me anything. They look supremely confident and not at all unnerved. Phish been at it a long time….a little butterflies, perhaps, before they started but it’s almost a perfect rendition. You’re seeing what you think. Only they would know

[@brainscott8198]

Steve, Tony, Phil, and Mike all looking on with a bit of apprehension...a bit of "Good luck, guys!!.." I guarantee half the crowd had never heard of this gem...I'd give it 8 outta 10.

[@mickylawless1941]

I'd give it a 9 due to degree of difficulty.

[@infinitysconcinnity2418]

I'll raise that to a 10. They did an awesome job with this one!

[@mikearchibald744]

Pretty sure i remember that intro have more meat to it than these synths gave, it sounded pretty lightweight and garden party-ish.

[@dannylgriffin]

​@@mikearchibald744 I agree. This was a very sub-par performance, particularly for Phish who can nail the entire Quadrophenia album. Giraffe did this much better 15 years prior at progfest.

[@1ouncebird]

Brian Scott: I'd say that about 98% of that crowd had never heard that or just about any Gabriel-Hackett era Genesis tunes.

[@russellsolsky8694]

OK so I am a huge Genesis fan just stumbled upon this version. I know very little about Phish all I know is they are great musicians in the jam genre. Just had to hit pause 30 seconds into this amazing the Hollywood A list absolutely bewildered at what the hell they were listening to. This band are my new heroes for having the sack to choose this song it couldn’t have been a more daring move but this rendition is absolutely stellar

[@ghost641]

agree!

[@iamwhoiam7482]

Check them out!!! I love Phish! And they put me on Genesis after watching this!!! The circle of life!

[@jeffsaginaw1769]

There's a generation of musicians that when they hear those first chords, no matter how long it's been, get chills and are instantly brought back to the moment when they dropped the needle on "Foxtrot" and first heard this magnificent composition. The Phish guys did a great job especially considering an audience of luminaries. Bravo

[@uckbee]

My only complaints were the rush job on the intro, which is such a feature of this song that it should be played as written. (However, the bright crowd of celebs and musicians locked right onto the complex harmonics, their attention duly caught.) Also, Phish didn't quite arrive at a couple of segment connecting chords, but I thought Trey's singing was quite nice, nuanced and clearly enunciated. And Meryl Streep, likely there to support Abba's induction, was bobbin' her head when the camera snatched a closeup.

[@tylerao]

I’ve seen Phish going on 100 times I just thought, have they ever played Genesis. This is it, 2 songs. They perform an album of other bands every Halloween for 1 set, I’m shocked they never pick this, they are a jam band, they play long songs.

[@tylerao]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJalmpWdnKicmKcsi=QDJ1yNT-i36jK1fa

[@ikkenhisatsu7170]

HUGE props to Phish for this. Difficult song, really well done. And damn - Peter Gabriel-era genesis. Bravo!

[@racesla]

@@jorgegarciarobles6019 Peter and Steve's era. From Foxtrot.

[@swanzettajohnson7882]

PETER GABRIEL IS SMILING 😁😁😁😁. I KNOW HE'S VERY PROUD OF THEM. WELL DONE PHISH WELL DONE.😎

[@timothyflynn9479]

Stellar performance. But what's really a shame is half the people in that audience don't appreciate the significance of songs like this. It's a part of the soundtrack of my generation. Bravo Phish. Nicely done. PS......I wish they had done "Super's Ready".

[@brianbelton3605]

you are exactly correct. those people looked bored. I forgive them, as they don't know, this music, and the time we all enjoyed so much. anyway, they are very much gray now, not us!

[@egyptianminor]

They are there for the free booze, free 'hip' cred and rubbing shoulders w/ other celebs. Vedder is probably there for The Stooges, his indifferent look says it all.

[@dianequick3127]

@@brianbelton3605 I like Meryl Streep's expression here though.

[@cal_nevari]

My favorite Genesis track. But half the audience looked like they were thinking 'this doesn't sound like 'Illegal Alien' what is this?' during the intro

[@dianequick3127]

@@cal_nevari Wait a minute - I believe I worked professionally with a Mike Shea in the Information Technology industry. Regardless, love your comment.

[@AlbertoVO5]

It’s all been said but I’m still gonna. First of all, came across this accidentally and winced at the prospect of one of classic Genesis’s most iconic, poetic, and metaphysical songs being laid out for one of the most shallow and self absorbed audiences you could assemble: Entertainment elite. But, somehow, it was happening. Second, not very familiar with Phish but to take this on at all, especially with the originators present is a bold proposition. And even though it’s a bit Cliff Notes, particularly with respect to Banks and Collins playing, it’s a really good rendition. Very faithful to the spirit of the original. And it rocks. It’s a solid cover of a magnificent song.

[@ryanjones4150]

I think it was so awesome that Phish did this. Playing a song that nobody knows except the die-hards, but that is just their style. Until a few years ago, I didn't know much about Phish at all either, but now I guess I'm a Phish-head. Trey Anastasio, the guitar player and creative force behind Phish's music, was a big early Genesis fan. One of the first albums he bought as a teenager was Trespass. It is well-known that he referenced Lamb Lies Down in his Master's thesis. I love prog, and believe me, Phish's first record, Junta IS a prog record. It's just fantastic. It's NOT ELP or Yes, or Genesis etc., it's is own thing. If you love music like I do, you should get familiar with it. There are many sublime moments on it. They are known as a "jam band", but there is hardly any of that on Junta, I wish they had continued more in that vein.

[@AlbertoVO5]

@ nice summary and good plug. I’m gonna check it out. Thanks.

[@novakingood3788]

Shame that 85% of the people in the audience wouldn't have a had clue what the song was, but a massive thank you for doing it guys!

[@Chadner]

Right, I saw Merryl Streep and was like, sure she digs old Genesis haha

[@JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL]

@@ChadnerGabriel era is practically unknown in USA

[@MrDavesf]

@@JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL And what a loss! My proggy band saw them on the first tour at the Roxy in LA - sat 15 feet away. Phil Collins blew my mind and they were fabulous. Never missed a Gabriel/Genesis tour!

[@MrDavesf]

@@Chadner She's actually kind of a rocker; I wouldn't be surprised if she knew the stuff - seemed to be into it!

[@picardbs]

95%....

[@NeverLostRoamer]

This is my first time ever hearing Phish. I like the way they did this Genesis classic song.

[@oiramsq73]

The absolute NADS you have to have to get up and perform “Watcher of the Skies” is already inconceivable to most musos… OK OK OK - guys - you’re going to get up and play it in front of a room full of jaded ‘industry’ types! ….HA! I remember that I laughed when I saw this the first time! Like everyone’s worst high-school anxiety nightmare unfolding in an odd time signature. Phish - you guys are legends for many, many reasons - this is just one! Thanks for sharing this moment of preposterous musical history. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@gazzis]

Frankly I don’t care how many folk in the audience knew the song. More fool them. What is particularly brilliant about this video is, unlike anything else I have seen on YT, it shows Phil, Tony, Mike and Steve realising how good their own music is. The looks on their faces is priceless. Well done Phish.

[@ghost641]

great comment... the best part is watching Phil when it pans to him. they were floored.

[@Ratguitar58]

So true! This is a difficult song to play, Phish did a great job 👏 thank you for posting this 😎👍

[@amyoneelse]

I had no idea the Genesis prior to the pop band of the 80s. For two weeks now I am seeking and searching and viewing all things Genesis. What a band! I have seen both Genesis and Phil Collins had no idea the extent of their talents. So happy that I have found all these albums and interviews to put it all together.

[@mikeking7710]

Here's a clip of Genesis performing the same song. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGaxgIlmYqp7ZsU&ab_channel=oldGenesisStuff. Consider that 4 of those 5 young guys were there in the audience when Phish did this performance. Only Peter Gabriel was missing, and check out the baby face on Phil Collins. Phish did a great job covering this piece, which is one of my favorites by Genesis. If you get a chance, listen to the entire Foxtrot album. It starts with this song, Watcher of the Skies and ends with Supper's Ready, their 23 minute magnum opus.

[@jeffbauer3425]

Enjoy the journey. Genesis was one of the greatest 70s Progressive bands !

[@genoellilienstern5789]

Congratulation!

[@lukaf2393]

Well you can say you didn't know "the real" Genesis then and the songs for they will rembember forever, and no, I'm no talking about Land of Confusion, Mama or Invisible Touch... fortunately it's never too late! 😉

[@mikeriesco6174]

Welcome to the light!

[@patrickr.452]

As a drummer myself, I was nervous just watching this!! Phil was one of my biggest inspirations and I couldn't imagine trying to tackle this song with my hero looking on. Bravo, gentlemen, great job!

[@jdmresearch]

The bassist is killing it. 10/10.

[@stargate1555]

Yup, he "killed" it all right, just like the entire performance. DOA. I'm not impressed, not at all.

[@Drchainsaw77]

@@stargate1555 I'm paritcularly unimpressed with the keys man. Rushed intro, plus the triplet on six section he made a mess of.

[@Farewelltokingz]

@@stargate1555He’s a good bass player but I don’t think any of them rehearsed this song much.

[@eduardorivera508]

To be fair, Phish's rehearsals are all of their back to back live performances and constant touring. For a cover like this, I'd say they probably didn't.​@@Farewelltokingz

[@biorage6670]

No one is killing it, really... Awful rendition way above their heads!

[@phriend2spin]

For one, with that many rhythms and changes that song is incredibly difficult. Second, the pressure to do it well in front of Genesis is unimaginable. Kudos to Phish for nailing it.

[@MrDavesf]

And that drum part, the way Phil played it, is damn near impossible. Which is why Phish's excellent drummer did the theme lick with two hands - Phil plays it one handed, on snare and floor tom simultaneously. It's really, really difficult.

[@morbidmanmusic]

It's not that hard. 6/8 one note. Yes, I have a cover on my page. Suppers ready too. These vocals were so bad

[@doctorpatient519]

@@morbidmanmusic this is a marginally acceptable facsimile of the song -- it's tentative and rote

[@DuckRuckus]

What's better than a Mellotron? 2 Mellotrons on top of each other!

[@caryheuchert]

You can never have enough Trons!

[@davidwebster8004]

Great version done live in front of millions for the first time. Brought tears of joy to my eyes finally recognized for the masterpiece it is.

[@billsmith2112]

So true! I'm sure most of the audience had never heard the song previously. It was so nice that this song was picked. An awesome masterpiece!!!

[@morbidmanmusic]

To bad the vocals and most of it was horrible.

[@jessicaswan4923]

I can’t imagine the pressure of playing this song in front of Genesis but somehow I feel only Phish could pull it off as well as they did

[@marzzz1]

Yeah, you could see Page tremble a bit while playing the intro solo, perfectly I may add.

[@rk41gator]

Rush, maybe?

[@wyattownby2886]

@@rk41gator I would love to see Rush cover Genesis

[@allenvaughan1]

@@rk41gator Now THAT would be worth hearing! Phish did a good job of it though, I think.

[@rkress9349]

@@allenvaughan1 Check them out on KZbin free.

[@free2roam674]

I just watched this song on The Midnight Special channel. Original lineup from 1974. Phish did a great cover.

[@vincentnigro1496]

Watcher is my favorite Genesis song and Phish did a great job-first time I've heard this. On point.

[@violethill]

I've many years of appreciation, and concerts, of Genesis under my belt. I say this was an excellent performance of the song. Anyone anticipating a duplicate reproduction version of the original would be sorely mistaken to have such narrow (and dare I say, un-creative) anticipation. As well, it's obvious that these guys felt honored to be performing this song in this moment. Anyway, I liked it.

[@davidwebster8004]

Someone said this song sounded like King Crimson. King Crimson sold their Melotrons to Genesis and anointed them SON OF KING CRIMSON.

[@AlbertoVO5]

Well put! And helped me check those tendencies in myself.

[@xs10tl1]

pretty damn good. compressing the intro for time is forgiveable... they nailed the character of the song. vocals a standout.

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

I thought that intro had to be time constrained because of the way he played it rather quickly, the original version is much slower and makes you anticipate what’s to come more.

[@mollyanderson8445]

Wow, this is so good! What a difficult song to cover. They did great.

[@daftfish99]

Best cover at one of these things ever! I’m checking out Phish!!!

[@gerrywagner3693]

Consider me a new Phish fan! I stumbled on this because of my fondness of Genesis, Now I will listen to more Phish music!

[@slandersir7255]

You should check out The Squirming Coil or The Divided Sky

[@TheTwangKings]

Not like Genesis much, but a great band in their own way.

[@altarofkubrickfloyd]

My dude, start with their early weird proggy stuff.

[@ellegwaapo619]

Oh, where to begin? Lol. Enjoy the journey that is discovering Phish. There's a lot to unpack, but it's fun to do, and so worth it!

[@peteshallcross787]

@@ellegwaapo619 I've been a fan since they burst on the scene with "Down with Disease" in the 90s but never saw them live. To describe them I would say, Phish is fun!

[@marktheelf53]

It's absolutely right to get a tribute to this IMMORTAL song and to Genesis...best prog band ever!

[@tomace4898]

1:12- Meryl Streep watching Phish cover Genesis.

[@AlbertoVO5]

A cabinet of curiosities if ever there was one.

[@kanasatka1]

C U Next Tuesday.

[@jasonmagel2069]

Priceless

[@pecovgfx]

these guys are brilliant! they've managed to put their own character on an already very peculiar piece of music.. amazing !

[@davidg8939]

apparently, I have not paid enough attention to Phish...Wow!

[@finnster4949]

They have some iconic prog rock songs themselves!

[@achickie39]

If you haven’t made it to one of their shows yet, you really gotta make that a priority ;)

[@zooropa140]

For those that feel the need to comment on the "quality" of the vocals-keep in mind that Trey is singing Peter's vocal parts at the same time as playing Steve's guitar parts.

[@edhartman5466]

Fair enough, nicely said!

[@codjh9]

Exactly. It's a fucking GREAT cover.

[@newusernamehere4772]

Also the fact that he's alive at all is a miracle given that he used to snort speedballs, smoke crack, drink drive etc. pretty much every day without fail. (Just to be clear I'm not saying this to shame him, it was almost 20 years ago and he's become one of the greatest people on the planet. Just clarifying because some people get sensitive about these things lol, anyway needless to say just the tip of the iceberg of ways in which this man's existence defies logic in a number of ways, all good as far as I'm concerned lol)

[@iananderson3799]

Wow!!! Playing guitar AND singing!!!

[@teelurizzo8542]

OK, true, but let's be fair Trey always was and still is a much better instrumentalist than singer. Also individually and as a whole, Phish's greatest strengths always lay in their instrumental ability, vocals not so much even when delivering their own material, they did and do ok, but true forte will always be their playing.

[@MrGpoulin]

To be able to play this song is one thing; to be able to compose and come up with a piece like this is another one.

[@mulkamp8]

This epic song needs full attention. Great performance!

[@CraigMaxwell-gz3vw]

I love the shots of all the celebs in the audience pretending like they have a clue about this music and the band absolutely nailing it. Bravo

[@morbidmanmusic]

Vocals were horrific, drums were Weak. Not reality

[@Samantha-vlly]

Truly a magnificent moment for the band to perform infront of Genesis themselves.

[@JeffReams]

If there’s one thing that Phish does well, is that they do covers extremely accurate. In the 90s, I saw them cover the entire Dark Side Of The Moon. It was incredible.

[@morbidmanmusic]

This isn't accurate. And the vocals are horrible. Drums are struggling. So, nah. I like my solo version better.

[@nyc1ts932]

i love the look on Bruce's face, he's like "this is about to be fuckin sick...." and the people around him are like "omg who is phish?!"

[@diggabledork]

Epic tribute of one of the best songs.

[@dmoore4520]

My favorite Phish performance ever!

[@asilve3]

This is such classic Phish. Show up to an over the top mainstream event and play a whacked out challenging piece from the band you're inducting. Complete troll of the audience.

[@twowheelsgood28]

I wonder how many people actually know Peter Gabriel sang this on this song.

[@pland99]

I did,I did ,pick me Monty!

[@luisalonsoecheverria]

And also butcher the most hated pop hit from said band.

[@bpm609]

@@luisalonsoecheverria That is just incorrect. How is this even a thought?

[@luisalonsoecheverria]

@@bpm609 Ask any Genesis fan. Literally, like ANY.

[@williamjueschke9960]

I have been watching quite a bit lately and the more I watch it the more details I hear in how good their performances was, well done Phish.

[@mitchmartin2659]

I recently saw the Canadian Genesis tribute band The Musical Box for a 3rd time. They perform Gabriel era Genesis. They performed SEBTP in its entirety with a few others covered as well. You will never see a better exact performance than TMB. Perfect in every tiny detail. Even the originals from Genesis have sat in and said so.

[@midnightrambler7716]

Just saw them in Sherwood Park 2 weeks ago this past Sunday. This is pretty good but TMB were light years better. Singer had all the mannerisms and sound of Gabriel. Right down to the bat wings and make up and identical stuff he did with the tambourine from the 1974 Midnight Special rendition. I just watched that, and the show I saw on October 20 was a carbon copy. And they played most of the rest of Selling England by the Pound as well. Other songs included the Musical Box of course and Supper’s Ready. The encore was The Knife from their second album Trespass, which was the first album featuring Phil Collins and Steve Hackett. The Musical Box’s drummer could also give Phil Collins in his prime a run for his money. Absolutely brilliant.

[@Samantha-vlly]

Must check them out

[@edselljr]

The best thing about this all of the stars did not know the song in the beginning.

[@edselljr]

Music is. Genesis. Peter and all with Phil having long hair.

[@classicguitarfan8]

Nor did they know it at the end

[@chriscoughlin9289]

Jerry Edsell Jr Or by the end, for that matter. It's not as if 'Foxtrot' was Tops of the Pops in the U.S. circa 1972 - even for people who we're Prog Rock fans at the time. ELP was gaining some acclaim, but 'Dark Side of the Moon' did not yet exist, and Yes was still in the process of recording the tour that would become 'Yessongs' - the album and the movie. I think it would fair to guess that if Meryl Streep and et al are representative of their cohort, it's a 50/50 proposition that things like this, BeBop Deluxe and Gentle Giant we're even on their radar.

[@massimopescatori6514]

One of TRUE Genesis masterpieces !!!

[@ADITYASINGH-vc4gm]

1:32 I see Tony banks and I feel nervous... wonder how nerve wracking and thrilling it was for Phish.

[@ElfAsura]

fabulous tribute to genesis

[@keithward3970]

Ok, these guys absolutely blew this away...i'm not even a fan, but the talent...holy shit!

[@morbidmanmusic]

It was sloppy, vocals were terrible, drums and guitars were weak. It sounds thrown together.

[@jayarbee3804]

I watch this every once in awhile for inspiration….🎸

[@craigchapman8220]

Fantastic and hilarious at the same time.

[@edselljr]

To cover a tune with the likes of 3. But Phish is a band that is more than a cover. Phish is that band that could cover anything from here to there ask Gaia. Thank Yous. And Thank you Jamesville DeWitt. I'm from Syracuse NY

[@francisdufort6586]

It gets better on every hearing ... remarkable...!

[@johnanderson2112]

Nice job! I have a whole new appreciation for Phish

[@DRourk]

Genesis was my first favorite band. Phish is my second. For good reason. I don't know who chose Phish to perform at this ceremony, but whoever it was they knew what they were doing, and I thank them!

[@Brianfrs]

me too!

[@johnanderson2112]

@@cyounger5716 I think I mainly appreciated their effort

[@dmcguriman]

@@DRourk for me it was Yes then Genesis then Phish all in the terrible 80's. If I never heard yes in 83 and found their old music I would have never found genesis old music and would have never liked phish,

[@edselljr]

Not only I am impressed by this... Celebrities at that show were clueless and expecting radio Genesis. As you see Eddie Vedder apparently appreciates the sound. He was like... Hhhawhat

[@deadheaders86]

Iggy was like "I'm pretty sure I fucked Peter Gabriel over a couch in British Columbia.."

[@ezekielbrockmann114]

@@deadheaders86 That's hilarious.

[@MrSpankee02]

Eddie was the only one not flapping their jaw during this. My favorite band covering my other favorite band.

[@teelurizzo8542]

I think he was actually appreciating the wine he was drinking, I think he has no idea of what Genesis's 1972 music sounded like, nor did he truly care. He is there for Iggy Pop.

[@aMan-or9ij]

@@teelurizzo8542 Actually, Eddie got into Genesis, and is/was a Peter Gabriel fan (he's done Red Rain live with Peter). I remember him talking positively of the sound on Abacab.

[@johnmccracken9438]

I played this in a Rock band in the 70s. Boy, I miss it.... You did an amazing job.... Bravo!!!!

[@TheDeecue]

One of Genesis's best early songs...laid the path for how'd they (and Peter Gabriel) would push the threshold of their music...and great jog Phish!!!!

[@stuff4sale80]

What a beautiful rendition of one off the best Genesis songs

[@allenvaughan1]

Nice to see Steve there, and smiling! But Tony was not amused! Mike and Phil were like, "okay, let's see what you got!" If I were playing those keyboards, I would've thrown in ALL of the passion my heart and soul could muster!!

[@marcomazzoldi4115]

Is Tony EVER amused?

[@allenvaughan1]

@@marcomazzoldi4115 not really. I have heard him chuckle just a couple of times. I've heard people complain that "it's Phil Collins' fault that the band started doing pop and abandoned prog. But It was Tony, who admitted to not wanting to write songs about "mythical Gothic battles, or Greek mythological demigods". (Boy...that hits where it kinda hurts---that throws in Watcher of the Skies, Firth of Fifth, Battle of Epping Forest, Cinema Show and I guess Battle of Big, all wonderful melodies where the lyrics just don't match the music, but you don't care anyway because it's so damn good! LOLOL) But instead, it was Tony that pushed for that move. It was just at the same time when Phil was hitting his own stride and discovering his own special talents.

[@marcomazzoldi4115]

@@allenvaughan1 exactly as you say.

[@furnitureconsortium]

@@marcomazzoldi4115 haha! 😆 That dude was born with Resting Bitch Face If the Genesis books and interviews for all of the albums taught us anything.....it was that Tony Banks was THE guy behind the music, he really drove the car so to speak.....that’s not denigrating others’ input over the years.....but all of them have either had bad rows with Tony over musical decisions or they had to have Tony sign off on their idea. For better or worse as the years have shown. I’d imagine that was part of the reason for the departures of Peter, Steve, and eventually Phil. They all love Tony to death, well....maybe not Steve.....but they all got tired of arguing with Tony.....even Phil who could seemingly get along with Satan, he’s so laid back, eventually got wore out and left. That’s not necessarily painting Tony as some giant prick or anything......it’s just that he seems to be difficult to work with for long periods. His musical prowess speaks for itself

[@mariechristinenaillod2884]

@@marcomazzoldi4115 nope 😬

[@hyo2002]

excellent & brilliant playing

[@jimspry9245]

Just Awesome! Such attention to detail demands respect!

[@morbidmanmusic]

They could have got it better. Vocals were horrible, drums and guitar were not hanging. I like my version better.

[@robkarinmullen8513]

Bought this album in '72 - live Probably,drove my friends nuts trying to turn them on to this. Thank God I had a good stash. ;-)

[@johnnybarrett5108]

Phish really really did Watcher of the Skies justice here. Seriously, they freaking nailed it. They put just a slight bit of their own flavor & feel into it but for the most part they approached the song with a real reverence & faithfulness to its original feel & structure. And with the exception of sounding kinda stiff on the very first vocal line Trey hit all the right notes on lead vocals and nailed the cadence and the phrasing which is no easy task because even aside from Trey being a generally average vocalist that is definitely one of Peter Gabriel’s toughest vocal melodies & singing performances. All in all it was a really ambitious choice to cover Watcher of the Skies but Phish pulled it off with aplomb. I wish I could say the same about their performance of No Reply at All that followed, but I cannot - it was uhhhhhh not very good 😬 lol. But yeah man. Phish hit Watcher outta the park. They really nailed it. Matter of fact, I’ve been a Phish fan since 2008 but it was thanks to discovering this video back in 2010 and learning that Phish inducted Genesis into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and subsequently hearing them play this song that actually wound up turning me into a Genesis fan. Watching this video again all these years later and it’s every bit as good as I remembered it being. But what’s interesting to pick up on that I didn’t notice as much before is the reactions of all the famous celebrities in the room, some of them clearly trying to make heads or tails of what the hell that song was 😂 but then some people like Eddie Vedder for instance was clearly digging the hell out of it. That was cool to see. As for the members of Genesis themselves, I’m still not sure what they thought of Phish’s rendition, at least not collectively. The only thing I could tell for sure was that Steve Hackett was absolutely loving it. It looked to me like Phil Collins was also impressed or at the very least honored. With Mike Rutherford and (especially) Tony Banks it’s kind of impossible to tell what they thought of it because they’re so zipped up & don’t really show much in the way of enthusiasm. But you can tell Steve was really into this performance at the very least. I wanna say I later read or heard quotes from the whole band that they thought Phish did a great job with Watcher, but I might be mistaken. It’s a crying shame that Phish has to my knowledge never performed this song again since. It is an absolute pipe dream of mine to see them finally bust this out on Phish tour. Maybe one day. Until then at least this video exists, documenting a totally unique moment in history where 2 of my all time favorite bands connected in spectacular fashion. It’s also super jarring to see Fishman playing drums in a fancy dress suit here, or more accurately not in the donut pattern dress… lol

[@michaelbrickley2443]

Kudos to Trey and the boys for an almost note for note rendition. Not trying to improve but instead, a truly very apropos homage to Gabriel era Genesis. I always saw it as a cinematic song. Just needed a movie. Saw this in early ‘73 @ Philharmonic Hall and that was incredible. Sandy Denny opened with a nice solo bit and then the stage went dark and the screens were brought out. The black lights went on then it all went dark and Tony hit the opening notes to Watcher. You had to be there.

[@howardtennenhouse7849]

Very good tribute to a classic piece.I am sure most of the audience didn’t know of much less appreciate early Genesis.Seeing Meryl Streep cracks me up.

[@GOFFMEISTER]

I like how as soon as the bass starts it pans to Rutherford!Maybe the camera person was a fan!

[@Seb_Sebastian]

You cannot imagine how well it is prepared by the director and his crew, they know exactly when to switch the cameras. I’m almost sure that they knew to switch to Mike Rutherford’s face at that very precise moment.

[@moonmothman]

Bravo. Well done for playing a difficult song and in front of the original musicians. That takes some cojones.

[@djdemoh-niaspoisonedjclub2316]

Great Version of Classic Genesis' Song with Peter Gabriel !

[@clambelino]

Not a phish fan , but a ballsy choice. Good job lads.

[@newusernamehere4772]

Not a Genesis fan (I have Trick of the Tail on vinyl and I'm partial to Selling England by the Pound but am ignorant to the rest. Some of the real early stuff is interesting and solo Hackett is great) BUT I think Phish could do this better and wish it became a regular live performance so they could really work it out - I think they themselves didnt like the degree of their performance despite nailing every note and theyve set such a high standard for prog and jamming that anything they play will basically be compared to some of the best prog, classical and fusion of all time. A nightmare to be in as a touring act for sure, and I think it's why they havent revisited this particular gem

[@ashratempel5094]

Amazing masterpiece from the summer of my years.

[@adash66]

Great editing, Great interpretation and Greatest Respect!

[@niviamendez1958]

Phish did a stellar job! And to do it in front of members of Genesis! Props to them!👍

[@marksummers666]

Wow! Killer rendition of a pretty challenging song.

[@GrantSchinto]

Wow. Great job. Not an easy song to cover, especially when handling vocals on top of an already challenging instrumental part.

[@brucelafrance5577]

Tony Banks thinking, "you're playing the key part wrong".

[@morbidmanmusic]

And he was playing the wrong part. Lol.

[@jojojojo483]

that was amazing!

[@JonathanPalmer-qe6zx]

Huge prog fan, never been able to get into the jam band genre, though I definitely respect Phish's talent, even moreso after this spot on rendition!!

[@Birdy2b]

For me, it's one of the greatest songs in the world and I cry with emotion every time I hear it (And I'm not ashamed of it). I have followed Genesis since I was 15 and have only been able to see them once in March 2022 in Paris. And for me, Watcher of the Sky marked me forever... And I loved this Phish cover!

[@andygnatovich]

6:49 That moment when you realize you're not touring this summer because you're going on Phish tour this summer.

[@CStack2Ci]

Excellent version!!

[@willoweezie1]

crunchy! yum! seriously great technique, plus groove

[@Erieeyes]

Congrats excellent choice and excellent rendition wow

[@hectormonclova7563]

I’ve never seen this, now I’m crying... 😭

[@WayneHarris]

Not a Phish fan, but they did a really nice job on this cover..

[@legshakermaker1968]

I can only imagine die hard Phish fans saying they did a nice job here.

[@mickjames5388]

I’m a punk rock guy and stumbled over this video one night; I was impressed and come back to watch it semi-regularly.

[@gkfrandsen7739]

How monstrously fuckin great was Kansas. Probably not thought of as a prog band but they def. had the HEAVY omg ...they brought it. this song just kills it f me!!

[@klepetar]

this tune is Soooo hard to play.. hharrrdd..

[@anthonylawson6955]

Wow! Stellar performance.

[@mcdaniels6188]

If you can't like this, you drink Ripple. If you like this, you appreciate fine vintages for their notes and complexity. This is a damn hard song, obviously, and you can tell Phish put in the hours to play it as well as they did. Hell, they nailed it.

[@edselljr]

This is the best thing I have ever seen

[@frankscuiletti996]

Loved it! Nicely done. Brings back some great memories!

[@hiridavidfeign]

I don't understand how anybody keeps up with those time signatures. They did a great job.

[@chrissnyder6787]

Good job! Never heard anyone else do this.

[@SomeRandomGuyOnYouTube]

This must have confused all the diners who turned up expecting to hear Invisible Touch

[@jeffbauer3425]

😂

[@brianb1733]

This is incredibly cool!

[@donatomonaco120]

Non è facile fare un brano del genere davanti ai suoi creatori. Immensi Genesis

[@paulshropshire4148]

I love this song

[@egyptianminor]

Extremely hard tune to pull off, the only shortcoming is the vocals, but they did a fine job given the circumstances. There's only one man who can truly sing this, like he owns it, and unfortunately he was not present at this event. 1:19 - the chord voicings starting there sounds slightly off, like he omitted certain notes on those changes,

[@gringochucha]

Yeah, the intro was a bit weak.

[@carlosclaptrix]

I just like the voice of PG so much, so noone can came up to his version.

[@Arthur54321]

Bloody good effort - well done.

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

I am choked up with tears of joy. I lOVE Genesis, and this song. Fish nailed it! Hit it out of the park! WOW!

[@claudiodesilveri9329]

Bravi,e poi esibirsi davanti ai Genesis e,soprattutto,con quella canzone,non è cosa da poco!Da applausi 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

[@celticmoon111]

Wow that was amazing!!!!

[@edselljr]

This is way much too beautiful... Kids rock every song in front of them. I said this 20 years ago. Phish covers the best of original songs by a Band.