Express & Star

European tour for Phil Collins tribute from Wolverhampton

A Phil Collins tribute band who hail from Wolverhampton are hoping to take Europe by storm after announcing a series of overseas gigs.

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The group called, And Finally...Phil Collins have been touring the UK for many years, most recently performing at the city's Grand Theatre in April.

Following their sell-out performance, the eleven-strong band, which formed in September 2007, will embark on a series of gigs, including a performance at La Cigale in Paris, scheduled for April next year.

Four members of the band, drummer and producer Tim Harper, Jon Peacock – a music teacher at St Peter's Collegiate School and the band's trumpet player, Dave Phillips – the bass guitarist, as well as front man Chris Hayward all come from Wolverhampton.

The band began planning their tour in Europe after a chance encounter with one of Mr Harper's former colleagues, pub landlord, Jamie Atkins, aka former popular 70s DJ Richie Garrett.

Now landlord of The Great Western, on Corn Hill, Wolverhampton, Mr Atkins was once a highly successful DJ, touring as far afield as Ålesund, Norway. Mr Harper, who is originally from Merry Hill, said: "I met Jamie in the 70s when we were both working for the same agent in Wolverhampton – performing at the Club Lafayette, which was on Thornley Street.

"When the band and I were performing at The Grand, we stopped in at The Great Western pub and after speaking to Jamie, things just snowballed from there." "I've been trying to get the band into Europe for the last eight or nine years but Jamie has managed to organise it in the space of a few weeks!"

The group will play the Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock on June 24 and the Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury on July 7.

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