"Actor: Ronnie Caryl"

• Phil Collins - Live And Loose In Paris | DVD | (01/05/2000) from £8.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (100.11%)   |  RRP £17.99

  If Phil Collins isn't the hardest-working man in show business, he's right up there, at least if the nearly 90-minute concert Live and Loose in Paris is any indication. The man is non-stop motion, whether seated behind his drum kit, prowling the stage as frontman (the format is in-the-round, so it takes an effort to keep all of the arena-sized audience involved), or, of course, singing the hits (including "Against All Odds", "In the Air Tonight" and "Sussudio"). The "loose" part of the title is a bit of a misnomer; Collins' excellent band is unerringly tight, and the performance is well-choreographed while still maintaining some sense of spontaneity. There's no denying the appeal of Collins' drum-heavy, horn-driven, R&B-cum-world-music sound, and if his music ultimately isn't as challenging or engaging as that of Peter Gabriel's (the other ex-Genesis lead singer), no one in this Paris audience seems to mind a bit. Good show, Phil. --Sam Graham