TORONTO - Nice stage, shame about the performance.

That about sums up the North American launch of British prog-rock veterans Genesis' Turn It On Again reunion tour -- which sees frontman Phil Collins, bassist Mike Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks playing together for the first time in 15 years -- that unfolded at BMO Field last night.

Playing on an impressive-looking, enormous stage that featured an LED screen so big you could probably see it from space, the trio -- backed by longtime sidemen Chester Thompson on drums and Daryl Stuermer on guitar -- are solid musicians but not what you'd call dynamic showmen, despite some verging-on-pomp-rock just dying for theatrics.

A restrained Rutherford looked like he could have been smoking a pipe while Banks' dour expression while bent over his keyboards didn't exactly signal a good time.

Collins, meanwhile, alternated between playing drums and taking centre stage, but was a mostly static performer, with the exception of a much needed late show tambourine workout during I Know What I Like.

"How very nice to be back here with you," said Collins. "We're Genesis and we're going to try and entertain you."

It didn't help the show's pacing that the climax came early during Turn It On Again, No Son Of Mine and Land Of Confusion, in the first half-hour of the marathon performance that was scheduled to last two-and-a-half-hours.

Where is original Genesis singer Peter Gabriel, who passed on this latest trek, which was originally going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and his wacky stage outfits when you need him?

The group has been in Toronto since last weekend rehearsing for the North American leg of their tour which began back in June in Helsinki.

Still, practise hasn't exactly made them loose and lively performers, far from it.

Infinitely more entertaining to watch were the group of enthusiastic teenage boys accompanied by their hockey coach one row in front of me, whipping off their shirts and twirling them in the air whenever the mood struck.

Otherwise, it was the new soccer stadium's first rock show and some fine tuning is definitely in order given the traffic jams to get into various parking lots, followed by more long lineups to get into the venue.

Still, it was a warm summer night and despite wild winds and ominous looking black clouds, it stayed dry with the exception of a few drops of rain about an hour-and-a- half into the performance.

There was also some beer throwing from the upper stands, which landed on the backs of myself and others, even though we didn't need any cooling off.

Genesis' only other Canadian stops are at Montreal's Stade Olympique on Sept. 14 and Ottawa's Scotiabank Place on Sept. 15.