Alex Lifeson on the self-doubt that crept in before Rush’s reunion tour: “There were times I was sitting on the edge of my bed at two o’clock in the morning thinking, ‘Can I do this?’”
After more than a decade away from the stage, even Alex Lifeson wasn’t sure he was ready to step back into Rush. The guitarist says the pressure of preparing for the band’s Fifty Something reunion tour became so intense that, at times, he found himself questioning whether he had made the right decision.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Lifeson opens up about the nerves and “self-doubt” that crept in during the final weeks of the band’s 14-month rehearsal period.
READ MORE: Alex Lifeson reveals the Rush song he “really struggled with” learning to play again for the band’s reunion: “My hands are not operating like they once did”
“14 months of rehearsal, it was difficult,” says Lifeson. “In the last month of rehearsals, there were times I was sitting on the edge of my bed at two o’clock in the morning thinking, ‘Did I make the right decision? Can I do this? Can I play? Am I good enough?’”
As Lifeson explains, getting back to Rush wasn’t just about relearning the songs. After so long away from the stage, there was the physical challenge of playing a full show again, along with the pressure of meeting the standard he had set throughout his career.
Geddy Lee felt much the same pressure. The singer and bassist says the band’s return demanded more preparation than anything he had done before, with the full show being rehearsed 24 times in 27 days during the final month and a half.
“In my history as a musician, I don’t think I’ve ever rehearsed quite as much as an individual, and also as a band,” Lee says. “Of course, we needed to, because it was a monumental task.”
“Coming back at this age, your fear is that you can’t do it anymore, and you’re going to be a compromised version of yourself. And I don’t want that,” Lee continues.
Thankfully for Lifeson, those nerves finally gave way once the band actually stepped onstage.
“It wasn’t really until Sunday, when we played that gig, that it all kind of came down this funnel and spilled out,” he says. “It was at that moment that I thought, ‘Yeah, this has all been worth it. This is where I really am happy to be.’ I’m tired this week. But I’m really, seriously happy.”
Watch the full interview below.
The post Alex Lifeson on the self-doubt that crept in before Rush’s reunion tour: “There were times I was sitting on the edge of my bed at two o’clock in the morning thinking, ‘Can I do this?’” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
