# The “worst” performance Phil Collins never wanted to play again

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-worst-performance-phil-collins-never-wanted-to-play-again/
- Published: 2026-07-24T07:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T02:38:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/worst-performance-phil-collins-never-wanted-to-play-again/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Collins regretted playing Live Aid twice in one day.
- He flew from London to Philadelphia by Concorde.
- Led Zeppelin’s reunion set was widely criticised.

## Summary

Phil Collins reportedly regarded his appearance at Live Aid in 1985 as one of his worst performances, largely because of the exhausting and complicated journey involved. He played both the London and Philadelphia concerts on the same day, attempting to support the global charity event despite limited preparation and logistical difficulties.

After performing at Wembley Stadium with Sting, Collins flew by Concorde to the United States and joined Led Zeppelin for their Philadelphia reunion set. The performance was widely criticised, with technical problems, little rehearsal time and an uncomfortable on-stage dynamic contributing to the band’s poor showing; Collins later indicated that he wished he had not taken part.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.