Alex Lifeson reveals the challenges of bringing Rush back for their reunion tour
Following Neil Peart’s retirement in 2015 and sad passing in 2020, it looked like Rush would never play again. But in recent months, Alex Lifeson has given plenty of hints that things might not be over for him and bassist Geddy Lee.
That said, few anticipated the shock news this week that Lifeson and Lee would be reuniting for a seven-city tour in 2026 including US, Canada and Mexico dates.
READ MORE: Alex Lifeson admits he’s “never been very confident as a player”
While playing without Peart might be tricky to navigate, what Alex Lifeson is really concerned with is relearning Rush’s old material. “50-something years” into his service as guitarist, Lifeson admits in a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame interview that their songs are still difficult to play: “When you do it every day, it’s not a big deal, really.”
“You’re used to it. But when you’re away from it, and you are a little more objective about the intense complexity of the music and the feel and the new nuances and all the things that go into making a Rush song and performance”.
Despite this, Lifeson enthuses that: “to be challenged with that again was really, really exciting. And the more we started rehearsing and playing, the more I just fell in love with the idea of playing again.”
A Rush reunion wasn’t always so clearly on the cards, as losing Peart initially made the idea of reuniting difficult. As Geddy Lee admits in the same interview: “First of all, because [of] what it entails in terms of work, but also what had transpired, you know, losing a member like Neil is devastating.”
“It was a very sad time, and it took time for us to even contemplate. This is a relatively recent decision, and I would say it was kind of out of the question for the longest time because of those circumstances – and how do you replace someone who’s irreplaceable?”
Their final decision was endorsed by both Peart’s daughter Olivia Peart and his wife Carrie Nuttall, who shared in a press statement: “We are thrilled to support the Fifty Something tour, celebrating a band whose music has resonated and inspired fans for generations, and to honor Neil’s extraordinary legacy as both a drummer and lyricist.”
“As the band enters this new chapter, it promises to be truly unforgettable. We are excited to see how their new vision unfolds, and to hear this legendary music played live once again.”
German drummer and composer Anika Nilles is now taking over from Peart’s duties, expressing in an Instagram post how “overwhelmed” she is after being thrust into the spotlight by fans of the band.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
