Phil Collins has expressed a willingness to give Oasis the "benefit of the doubt" years after the band's Noel Gallagher labelled him the "antichrist of music". Both acts are set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year, some 30 years after Gallagher said he hoped to have Collins's "severed head in my fridge by the end of the decade".
Collins Reflects on Past Feud
In response to the insults at the time, Collins described Oasis as "rude horrible" and "not as talented as they think". However, he now believes relations may have thawed. Speaking to MOJO magazine, Collins said: "The inductees have all been invited to a lunch before the ceremony. Which will be interesting, as I'm sure to bump into Oasis."
The drummer recalled a moment when his family intervened: his youngest daughter Lily Collins ran into Liam Gallagher backstage at the 2007 Live Earth charity concert and asked, "Why do you hate my dad?" Phil recalled: "And apparently Liam said, 'I don't hate anybody, love'."
The Genesis Connection
Collins now believes the whole spat may have been a misunderstanding, possibly stemming from some of the music and looks Genesis produced over the decades. Noel Gallagher later said in an interview that he had attended an '80s Genesis gig "completely out of it" and came out feeling terrified.
Collins theorised: "Now I've thought this through and although Noel didn't specify what song it was, I reckon it was Mama, where I go 'Ha-ha-ha… Oww,' with the light under my face. So I think Mama is why Noel called me the antichrist. But I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt here, and assuming he doesn't really think I'm the antichrist."
Health and New Music
Collins has been battling health issues and injuries that have left him unable to drum in recent years, but he still hopes to release new music, revealing he has a "strong idea" for something including a new ballad.
The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
