Rush.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

No brainer. I’m in 🤘

[Bassassin]

Well - I suppose that's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do.

 

I always hoped that if Lee & Lifeson did get together again, it'd be for new music, collaborating with other musicians, and not under the Rush name. They'd previously seemed resistant to doing precisely what it looks like they are doing - maybe there's only so long it's possible to hold out against bigger & bigger dollar-carrots being waved at you, I dunno.

 

I'm glad they're using a relatively unknown drummer, rather than one of the 'usual suspects' list of prog drummers that get waved around as potential Peart substitutes. I hope they learn to pronounce her name, though.

[Bassassin]

Copy/paste from t'other Rush thread as I didn't notice this one!

 

 

Well - I suppose that's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do.

 

I always hoped that if Lee & Lifeson did get together again, it'd be for new music, collaborating with other musicians, and not under the Rush name. They'd previously seemed resistant to doing precisely what it looks like they are doing - maybe there's only so long it's possible to hold out against bigger & bigger dollar-carrots being waved at you, I dunno.

 

I'm glad they're using a relatively unknown drummer, rather than one of the 'usual suspects' list of prog drummers that get waved around as potential Peart substitutes. I hope they learn to pronounce her name, though.

[White Cloud]

4 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

Well - I suppose that's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do.

Me too. 

[Richard R]

I don't think they're doing it for the money. Unless they have made some really, really, bad investment decisions they don't need it.

 

I think they're doing it because they're bored, they've missed the buzz of playing live, they like their songs, and they can. No doubt they will be good fun gigs if you take them for what they are.

 

[visog]

I think Paul McCartney pushed the 'go' button for them at the Taylor Hawkins shows. I thought they'd go with Mike Pourtnoy! But it's not! And they're getting a keyboard player!

[Bilbo]

I think that it is easy for folk to be critical from a distance but I think it is important to acknowledge that nearly all of us love what we do and dread the day that we will have put it down. If you love music and love making music, why the hell would you not carry on until you drop?

 

I love the idea that they picked a female drummer in these days of toxic masculinity and mysogyny. I also think that, as great as NP was (and I loved his energy), there are better drummers out there by the truckload and I never thought he was irreplaceable (lyrics aside). And keyboards opens up a lot of potential for the tracks they historically struggled to perform live.

 

I say good luck to all of them. There is no downside to the idea.

[Skybone]

1 hour ago, Bassassin said:

Copy/paste from t'other Rush thread as I didn't notice this one!

 

 

Well - I suppose that's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do.

 

I always hoped that if Lee & Lifeson did get together again, it'd be for new music, collaborating with other musicians, and not under the Rush name. They'd previously seemed resistant to doing precisely what it looks like they are doing - maybe there's only so long it's possible to hold out against bigger & bigger dollar-carrots being waved at you, I dunno.

 

I'm glad they're using a relatively unknown drummer, rather than one of the 'usual suspects' list of prog drummers that get waved around as potential Peart substitutes. I hope they learn to pronounce her name, though.

Indeed, I always hoped that Geddy & Alex would get together and produce some new music, let's hope that they still do.

 

Let's also hope that they come to Europe & the UK too.

[Misdee]

I'm not saying they shouldn't do it, but I wish they wouldn't do it.

 

If Geddy and Alex want to get out there playing music together again, fantastic. Get this drummer and keyboard player in and start a new band. Trust me, people would turn out to see them in droves. 

 

They've got nothing to prove, their legend is intact. They should leave it that way.

Edited Monday at 17:59 by Misdee

[Bassassin]

If they were going out as 'Geddy, Alex & Friends Perform The Music Of Rush' or something, it'd seem a little bit less - I don't want to say it - but cynical.

 

I don't think I'll be going.

[Russ]

If we're still on this side of the pond next summer, we're definitely going. NY is closer, but I'd love to go to the Toronto show and get those hometown vibes. Not seen Rush since Wembley Arena in 1992 and I'd love to see them again. Anika is a monster drummer and will be a great successor for Neil. I'm sure there's people out there who might have preferred to see Danny Carey or Mike Portnoy, but I think she's a great choice. She's got the chops and the groove to do it justice. 

 

As for those thinking this is cynical - it's been ten years. It's their band and the fact that they haven't done anything for ten years suggests that they are doing this on their own terms. And it's being done with the full blessing on Neil's family. The Foo Fighters were back out there a few months after Taylor Hawkins passed away and you didn't find too many people saying that about them. The Who had a gig three days after John Entwistle died! 

[tauzero]

And there was me expecting

 

[Misdee]

8 minutes ago, Russ said:

If we're still on this side of the pond next summer, we're definitely going. NY is closer, but I'd love to go to the Toronto show and get those hometown vibes. Not seen Rush since Wembley Arena in 1992 and I'd love to see them again. Anika is a monster drummer and will be a great successor for Neil. I'm sure there's people out there who might have preferred to see Danny Carey or Mike Portnoy, but I think she's a great choice. She's got the chops and the groove to do it justice. 

 

As for those thinking this is cynical - it's been ten years. It's their band and the fact that they haven't done anything for ten years suggests that they are doing this on their own terms. And it's being done with the full blessing on Neil's family. The Foo Fighters were back out there a few months after Taylor Hawkins passed away and you didn't find too many people saying that about them. The Who had a gig three days after John Entwistle died! 

 The Who were never the same again, and they have staggered on making increasingly worthless music into the present. And as for the The Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins seemed like a lovely chap and a decent drummer, but he wasn't comparable to Neil Peart or indeed Keith Moon in terms of his sonic imprint on the sound of the band.

 

Led Zeppelin packed it in after John Bonham died. Good decision. The reunions with Jason Bonham were a mistake, and Jason's a fantastic drummer in his own right uniquely placed to substitute for his truly iconic dad.

 

It's nothing to do with playing ability or even music. It's about accepting that something very special is over and cannot be recreated. Everything in life is a time and a place. The time and place that Rush belonged to is gone now, nothing will ever bring it back. That's nothing to be sad about, though. It's what makes what they had so wonderful.

[prowla]

Hmmm - not sure about this, but it might grow on me. 
Neil Peart was the perfect drummer for Rush, who were the perfect band for his playing; I don’t care whether he was the best in the world or not: that’s a complete irrelevance. 
Effectively they’re doing a tribute to Rush, which is pretty much what they said. 
It could well be fun!

Alex Lifeson is looking old and I thought he had arthritis, so we’ll see how that goes.

But anyway, blah blah blah…

[peteb]

2 hours ago, Bilbo said:

I think that it is easy for folk to be critical from a distance but I think it is important to acknowledge that nearly all of us love what we do and dread the day that we will have put it down. If you love music and love making music, why the hell would you not carry on until you drop?

 

I love the idea that they picked a female drummer in these days of toxic masculinity and mysogyny. I also think that, as great as NP was (and I loved his energy), there are better drummers out there by the truckload and I never thought he was irreplaceable (lyrics aside). And keyboards opens up a lot of potential for the tracks they historically struggled to perform live.

 

I say good luck to all of them. There is no downside to the idea.

 

I can see a downside, but you're a long time dead and it is their legacy and theirs to do with it as they please. If they miss playing together and playing those songs, then why shouldn't they get back out there and play. As you say, why the hell wouldn't they carry on as long as they physically can! I agree with you about Peart and bringing a female drummer onboard, and bringing a separate keys player makes sense. I'm also assuming that the tour won't be as long as those they did in the past. 

 

I've got no skin in the game as I don't particularly like the music and won't be buying a ticket if they play down the road, but there seems to be a great friendship there and they come across as great guys. Best of luck to them. 

 

Edited Monday at 19:33 by peteb

[Russ]

24 minutes ago, Misdee said:

 The Who were never the same again, and they have staggered on making increasingly worthless music into the present. And as for the The Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins seemed like a lovely chap and a decent drummer, but he wasn't comparable to Neil Peart or indeed Keith Moon in terms of his sonic imprint on the sound of the band.

 

Led Zeppelin packed it in after John Bonham died. Good decision. The reunions with Jason Bonham were a mistake, and Jason's a fantastic drummer in his own right uniquely placed to substitute for his truly iconic dad.

 

It's nothing to do with playing ability or even music. It's about accepting that something very special is over and cannot be recreated. Everything in life is a time and a place. The time and place that Rush belonged to is gone now, nothing will ever bring it back. That's nothing to be sad about, though. It's what makes what they had so wonderful.

Agreed about The Who. But they did it anyway, and they've still been out there selling out huge venues. Arguably they're in an even worse situation, with only 50% of the band still being alive! 

 

As for Zep, I thought the 2007 Celebration Day reunion gig was great - Jason smashed it, and as a two-nights-only thing, it was enough to cement their legacy, plus we got a good 4K Blu-Ray out of it, for all of us who wore out our VHS copies of The Song Remains The Same! 

 

You could apply this to any number of other bands with dead/retired members - I hear it a lot about Queen, for instance. I feel the same way about them that I feel about this Rush tour - people want to hear this music, preferably with the involvement of as many of the original musicians as possible. And that's what they get. I have no issue with Bri and Rog getting up there with Adam Lambert and bashing out We Will Rock You, in exactly the same way that I will have no issues with hearing Geddy and Alex doing The Spirit Of Radio with Aneke on drums. The same way that McCartney still gets up there and does Beatles songs at the age of 83. Their legacies are no less secure for them still wanting to go out there and play their songs. 

 

For me, I just want them to get the setlist right - the classics, of course, but also make sure their newer stuff is represented too! 

 

 

[Bassassin]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

As for those thinking this is cynical - it's been ten years. It's their band and the fact that they haven't done anything for ten years suggests that they are doing this on their own terms. And it's being done with the full blessing on Neil's family. The Foo Fighters were back out there a few months after Taylor Hawkins passed away and you didn't find too many people saying that about them. The Who had a gig three days after John Entwistle died! 

 

Peart retired after the R40 tour (which I recall he only did on sufferance), several years before he became unwell. Clockwork Angels was their final album and as far as anyone - band or fans - were concerned it was over. And that was a shame but their choice - so fine. Lee & Lifeson said they'd maybe work together again at some point but it wouldn't be 'Rush'. The assumption was it'd be new music in some form.

 

The Taylor Hawkins reunion thing was quite unexpected, and I do remember reading that afterwards they said the phone "hadn't stopped ringing". They were highly dismissive of the idea of going out as Rush with a different drummer.

 

Lifeson went off to do his Envy Of None thing, and Lee's written three books - it sort of looked like they'd found new outlets. Personally, as I said, I hoped they might get the bug to make some new music together, but instead they've done the very thing they seemed pretty adamant they weren't going to do.

 

For musicians who I always admired for making their own decisions & not succumbing to commercial pressure, or doing anything the easy way, this feels pretty sad.

[Burns-bass]

I don’t know much about Rush, but unlike a lot of these tings it doesn’t seem like a cynical cash in (looking at you Oasis). More seems like lifelong friends who want to experience a big stage for possibly the last time. 

[Thor]

I agree that it doesn’t seem like a cash in exercise and, as stated before, it strikes me as two lifelong friends that have shared interests wanting to do what they love doing - putting on a show for their fans. 
 

We all know what effect performing in front of a crowd can have on your soul, imagine being denied that feeling that you’ve lived and played for as long as these guys have.

 

I for one am pleased they’re collaborating with other musicians, yes it’ll be a little odd not seeing Neil behind the kit, and it’ll be odd if, as they’ve suggested, they bring in a keyboard player to free up Geddy to concentrate on his bass playing. 
 

If I can get a ticket to one of the Toronto dates, I’d be there in a heartbeat. 

[peteb]

Perhaps a mod should consider merging the three current threads on Rush? 

 

[Lozz196]

I’m not a particular fan, like some of the songs, but I echo the sentiments of others, great that they want to get together and make some music. I don’t think gender of either the drummer or keyboard player is relevant really, genitalia doesn’t dictate that you can play an instrument better/worse, pick the people who do the job you want the best, and who you can get on with. 

[paul_5]

I say more power to their respective elbows. It's their band and they can do what they like; I reckon by this point they've earned it.

[Burns-bass]

32 minutes ago, peteb said:

Perhaps a mod should consider merging the three current threads on Rush? 

 

Take it slowly, there’s no need to… err, yeah.

[wateroftyne]

Dammit I love these guys.
 

 

Edited Monday at 21:35 by wateroftyne

[Misdee]

4 hours ago, Bilbo said:

I think that it is easy for folk to be critical from a distance but I think it is important to acknowledge that nearly all of us love what we do and dread the day that we will have put it down. If you love music and love making music, why the hell would you not carry on until you drop?

 

I love the idea that they picked a female drummer in these days of toxic masculinity and mysogyny. I also think that, as great as NP was (and I loved his energy), there are better drummers out there by the truckload and I never thought he was irreplaceable (lyrics aside). And keyboards opens up a lot of potential for the tracks they historically struggled to perform live.

 

I say good luck to all of them. There is no downside to the idea.

I have to take issue with the idea that Neil Peart could be bettered as a drummer in the sense that it's not a case of good, better, best. There are better drummers than John Bonham, but none of them could have improved Led Zeppelin. There are and always were much better trumpeters than Miles Davis, but he was Miles Davis.

 

Niel Peart had a style and a delivery that made him iconic. It's not just what he played, it's what he represented at a particular time. Put a "better" drummer in Rush and their music would be diminished, not enhanced. I thought most of his lyrics were bloody awful, though. 

 

I am sure this semi-reunion will be rapturously received but I think it's a bit of a tragic to be yearning so strongly for the past. I never imagined Rush would go this route. I suppose Geddy must be bored of polishing his basses. I just hope the intervening years haven't diminished Geddy and Alex's prowess. I see so many artists who go on performing after time has robbed them of what once came so effortlessly. It's painful to watch.