Phil It @ COVERnights, Müllheim 2026

Event 1 August 2026

For me, this concert evening began rather differently from usual. For the first time, I was there not merely as a visitor, but had the opportunity to photograph a band throughout the entire concert. Working with my camera directly in front of, and on, the stage rather than capturing individual moments on a mobile phone certainly brought a certain nervousness beforehand. At the same time, there could hardly have been a more fitting occasion for this premiere.

COVERnights 2026 drew a large crowd to Markgräfler Platz in Müllheim. The venue was sold out, and the anticipation for Phil It was palpable everywhere. It was a special evening for the band as well. They had already appeared on the COVERnights stage in 2024, but on that occasion their performance had to be abandoned after only a few songs for safety reasons due to a severe thunderstorm. Two years later, they now had the chance to make a successful second attempt.

The evening was opened by the cover band GetWet. The line-up around singer and guitarist Maren Disch presented a varied mix of rock classics and more recent songs, creating a superb atmosphere on Markgräfler Platz from the very first number.

Maren in particular shaped the performance with an exceptional stage presence. With tremendous physical commitment, visible joy in playing and an impressive voice, she repeatedly stood at the centre of the action. Together with Alexander Stocker on guitar, Jürgen Wernet on bass, Ralf Rees on keyboard and Markus Stratz on drums, GetWet connected perfectly with the audience.

Musically, GetWet stayed pleasingly close to the originals. Even so, the songs never sounded like mere copies. Maren’s strong voice gave the familiar tracks a fresh character of their own, which suited them remarkably well.

The audience were swept along from the outset, singing along and rewarding the performance with generous applause. GetWet achieved exactly what one hopes for from a support act: they warmed up the crowd early on and ensured that the anticipation for the evening’s headline act grew with every song.

By the time the final notes had faded, Markgräfler Platz was perfectly prepared for Phil It’s second attempt at COVERnights.

After a short changeover, it was time for the evening’s headline act. The moment they stepped onto the stage, it became clear that Phil It are no ordinary cover band. Curtain up for an impressive line-up of 14 musicians. In addition to the classic members of a rock band, the ensemble included a five-piece brass section, three backing singers and an additional percussionist. One glance at the stage was enough to reveal the effort and attention to detail with which Phil It devote themselves to the musical legacy of Phil Collins and Genesis.

For me, this appearance also had a very personal significance. My friendship with guitarist Sascha Happle goes back to 1996. We worked together for twelve years, which made me all the more delighted to see him on stage that evening.

After only a few songs, it was obvious why Phil It enjoy such an outstanding reputation — one that even took the band to the renowned Oerrock Festival in Ureterp in the Netherlands in 2025. The musicians performed the familiar songs with impressive precision and a tangible passion for the originals, at a level of quality that soon made it easy to forget that this was not the original line-up on stage.

Singer Sascha Spitz played a major part in this. His astonishing physical resemblance to Phil Collins was almost uncanny and gave the show a remarkable authenticity from the very beginning. Together with the outstanding performance of the entire band, it created a concert experience that felt surprisingly genuine. For me personally, it was a journey back to the years when I actually had the chance to see Phil Collins and Genesis live.

Having free access to the stage allowed me to experience the concert from perspectives that remain hidden from most visitors. Observing from such close range how intensely the musicians communicated with one another, and how much pleasure they took in performing together, was extremely fascinating.

Singer Sascha Spitz was no easy subject to photograph. With his enormous stage presence, he used every available space, moved spontaneously across the stage and often appeared in completely different places from where one might have expected him a moment earlier. This demanded constant attention, but at the same time made the work all the more exciting.

Musically, the evening offered a wealth of songs deeply rooted in the DNA of many music fans. Among the absolute highlights were, without doubt, “In The Air Tonight” and “Land Of Confusion”. These songs belong to the soundtrack of a whole generation’s lives.

The large line-up is by no means mere spectacle. The powerful brass section, the backing singers and the additional percussion provided precisely the fullness of sound that defines many of these songs. In doing so, the band developed exactly the dynamism and energy familiar from the originals.

Müllheim has a pleasingly generous approach when it comes to how late concerts are allowed to run into the evening. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why COVERnights have retained their special charm for so many years. Bands are able to present their shows without unnecessary time pressure, and the audience can enjoy a concert evening that is allowed to unfold naturally.

This had a noticeable positive effect on the experience that evening as well. After thunderous applause and loud calls for an encore, Phil It brought their performance to an energetic close with “Sussudio”, rounding off a show that visibly thrilled the sold-out COVERnights audience. Afterwards, the band made way for the Queen tribute band Break Free, bringing their successful second attempt at COVERnights to an end.

A question I had often asked myself about concert photographers answered itself that evening. Despite working with the camera, I was able to enjoy the show without restriction.

The finest memory of the evening, however, remains a remark by guitarist Sascha Happle: “You are now part of the Phil It family and welcome as a photographer at every concert.” After my first concert as an official photographer, I could hardly have wished for a greater compliment.