Hawkeye, it was quite probably the greatest night of my life. It was front row, almost centre, and FREE! And more importantly, it was Genesis -- playing songs I never thought I'd hear them play live. So yeah, absolutely, it was a very special night!
Mike, it would have been amazing had you been able to make it! There were a lot of international fans there -- I met a few people who came all the way from New York, Texas, and England to see this rehearsal and the show on Friday. In fact, most of us didn't originally have passes to get in; we planned on just showing up and trying to sneak in. One look at the number of security guards made us realize that would have been impossible. And somehow, Maria (the Genesis forum head honcho) made it possible for just about ALL of us to get in. So kudos to her!
I didn't film any of it, as my camera is utter crap. It would have drained the batteries after five minutes, I'm sure. But there were TONS of people filming. And I think it is possible to see people's footage on the official website. (If anyone wants a code for a free virtual membership, let me know; I still have eight left.)
It's difficult to say how different the lighting will be. After all, the size of the stage at BMO Field is supposed to be three times the size of the one at the rehearsal! The "ribs" do make it interesting to look at, what with the lights lining up and down, but overall, they lack the punch of the vari-lights from the Invisible Touch tour. However, there is a very cool (and very large) video screen directly behind the boys, projecting all kinds of fun stuff: animated characters walking about during "Follow You Follow Me"; photos of the boys (including Peter and Steve!) during "I Know What I Like"; and other, assorted crazy, fun graphics. The fireworks at the end of the show were a nice little touch too. I guess I'll be able to compare the rehearal stage to the real thing after Friday night!
Phil's voice . . . well, personally, I think it was never stronger than in the mid- to late 80s. He has lost a little bit of range, and there were moments when he would try to hit a higher note or hold a note just a little bit longer, and suddenly I couldn't hear him at all. But those moments were few, really. He still has quite a bit of power he can belt out.
I absolutely love going to a stadium show and getting that wonderful communal feeling when thousands of people around you are all singing the same song. I felt it most keenly with "Champagne Supernova" whenever Oasis came to town. But it was even more special last night, because a lot of people in the audience for this "private" show were hardcore fans. To hear us all singing songs like "I Know What I Like" and "Carpet Crawlers" nearly moved me to tears. It truly was a day I'll never forget!
cheers,
supervij
