Phil Collins | Hand in hand | Live in Orlando 01.03.1997 | Unreleased pro-shot footage | Rare

“Dance into the Light” marked a new chapter in Phil Collins’ career — his sixth solo studio album, released worldwide on October 21, 1996, by Face Value Records. It was his first record as a fully independent solo artist, following his departure from Genesis earlier that same year. To take the new material on the road, Collins conceived the ambitious and visually stunning “A Trip Into The Light Tour” in 1997. The live band was almost unchanged from the "Both Sides Tour of 1994–1995", with only two fresh faces joining the lineup. Luis Conte finally stepped in as the percussionist who perfectly matched Collins’ rhythmic vision (Steve Forman, an earlier candidate, had been tried during the ’94 rehearsals, but didn’t quite fit). The other addition was Phil’s longtime friend, guitarist Ronnie Caryl — a familiar face going all the way back to their pre-Genesis days. Rehearsals began in late January 1997 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the band dived into the new songs and an audacious stage concept that would redefine the live experience. Further rehearsals took place from February 20 to 27 at the Lakeland Arena in Tampa, Florida, before the tour’s grand opening on February 28 at the Ice Palace, also in Tampa. This time, Collins wanted to completely reinvent the concert dynamic. His mission: erase the distance between performer and audience. The result was a breathtaking circular stage, surrounded by fans on all sides, built on two ring-shaped levels connected by sweeping steps. At its center, a towering elevator platform lifted the action, while only the drums, percussion, and keyboards were fixed — the rest of the band could roam freely. The set design carried a playful nautical theme, reminiscent of a cruise ship, complete with lifebelts and maritime details. Overhead, an immense fan-shaped lighting rig bathed the stage in spectacular motion and color. Each show across North America and Europe exploded to life with “Hand in Hand”, as Collins made a dramatic entrance directly through the crowd before taking his place behind the drum kit — a move that instantly connected him with the audience. An official tour video, directed by the legendary David Mallet, followed in 1998, released on VHS, LaserDisc, and later DVD under the title "Live and Loose in Paris". The film presents around 90 minutes of the set (the full concerts typically ran well over two and a half hours) and remains the only official visual document of the "A Trip Into The Light Tour." Shot in Paris on December 8 and 9, 1997 — just as the European leg was wrapping up — it offers a vibrant selection of highlights from those final shows. Back in the 1990s, it was common practice for an artist’s video crew — or local TV teams — to capture a couple of songs from the start of a concert, often using raw audio straight from the mixing desk, for news or broadcast use the following day. The footage featured here likely comes from exactly that kind of setup. This rare, previously unreleased pro-shot recording originates from the very first North American leg of the tour. Newly restored in 16:9 widescreen, with its mono audio lovingly remastered in stereo, it showcases “Hand in Hand”, the electrifying opener from March 1, 1997, at the Orlando Arena, Florida — only the second night of the world tour, and a thrilling snapshot of Collins and his band hitting their stride. A final and curious detail about this footage: since the cameraman had to remain fixed in his assigned position next to the mixing desk, he was—unfortunately—stuck filming Phil Collins mostly from behind at the drum kit, as he happened to be positioned directly on the opposite side. 1997 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑: Phil Collins – lead vocals, drums, piano, percussion Ronnie Caryl – guitars Brad Cole – keyboards Luis Conte – percussion Nathan East – bass Amy Keys – backing vocals Ricky Lawson – drums Arnold McCuller – backing vocals Daryl Stuermer – guitars 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑠 Daniel Fornero – trumpet Harry Kim – trumpet Arturo Velasco – trombone Andrew Woolfolk – saxophones #PhilCollins #Live #Florida