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Phil Collins

Documented by Chris @ Drum Faster

Genesis drummer turned megastar — and the man behind the most famous drum fill ever recorded. Gated reverb, concert toms with no bottom heads, and a left-handed lead on a right-handed world.

1985 — No Jacket Required / Live Aid

The year he played Live Aid twice in one day, on two continents. Hybrid rig: Gretsch acoustic shells plus Simmons electronic pads — the definitive '80s drum aesthetic he helped invent.

Bass drum — Gretsch USA maple kit Floor tom — Gretsch USA maple kit Rack tom — Gretsch USA maple kit Rack tom — Gretsch USA maple kit Snare — Gretsch 14"x6.5" snare 14"Hi-hats — Sabian HH 14" Hi-hats 14"Crash — Sabian HH 18" Medium Crash 18"Ride — Sabian HH 21" Raw Bell Dry Ride 21"
The 1985 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Gretsch USA maple kit with single-headed concert toms ⤷ who plays this
Gretsch 14"x6.5" snare ⤷ who plays this
Simmons SDS-V pads the hexagonal '80s icons ⤷ who plays this
Sabian HH 14" Hi-hats moved to Sabian in the mid-'80s ⤷ who plays this
Sabian HH 18" Medium Crash ⤷ who plays this
Sabian HH 21" Raw Bell Dry Ride ⤷ who plays this
Promark 5B ⤷ who plays this
Remo Coated Ambassador ⤷ who plays this

1981 — Face Value / In the Air Tonight

The sound that named the decade: gated reverb discovered on Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" sessions, then weaponised on that fill. Gretsch concert toms, no resonant heads, and a Roland drum machine keeping time until the drums arrive.

Bass drum — Gretsch USA kit with concert toms Floor tom — Gretsch USA kit with concert toms Rack tom — Gretsch USA kit with concert toms Rack tom — Gretsch USA kit with concert toms Snare — Gretsch 14"x6.5" snare 14"Hi-hats — Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats 15"Crash — Paiste 2002 18" Crash 18"Crash — Paiste 2002 18" Crash 18"Ride — Paiste 2002 22" Ride 22"
The 1981 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Gretsch USA kit with concert toms single-headed toms — the gated-reverb canvas ⤷ who plays this
Gretsch 14"x6.5" snare ⤷ who plays this
Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats ⤷ who plays this
Paiste 2002 18" Crash pair ⤷ who plays this
Paiste 2002 22" Ride ⤷ who plays this
Roland CR-78 CompuRhythm the drum-machine intro on In the Air Tonight ⤷ who plays this
Remo Coated Ambassador single-ply over concert toms ⤷ who plays this
Promark 5B ⤷ who plays this

1973 — Selling England by the Pound

Prog-era Genesis: Phil played Premier kits in the early days before his long association with Gretsch, with Paiste cymbals throughout the '70s.

Bass drum — Premier kit with double kicks Bass drum — Premier kit with double kicks Floor tom — Premier kit with double kicks Rack tom — Premier kit with double kicks Rack tom — Premier kit with double kicks Snare — Premier 14"x5.5" snare 14"Hi-hats — Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats 15"Crash — Paiste 2002 18" Crash 18"Ride — Paiste 2002 22" Ride 22"
The 1973 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Premier kit with double kicks early prog setup, sizes varied tour to tour ⤷ who plays this
Premier 14"x5.5" snare ⤷ who plays this
Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats ⤷ who plays this
Paiste 2002 18" Crash ⤷ who plays this
Paiste 2002 22" Ride ⤷ who plays this
Promark 5B ⤷ who plays this

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