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| Anika Nilles - a powerhouse performance |
As a long-time fan - I first saw Rush at Hammersmith Odeon in 1978 - it's been emotional seeing them rejuvenated like this.
Any way you look at it, Anika is just phenomenal in the way she not only plays those iconic drum fills, but how she captures the feel and spirit of the songs. And then to lock in with two guys who have been playing this stuff for 50 years! That's special and it's why there has been such an emotional response from fans around the world.
The excitement is all around their new drummer, Anika Nilles. Replacing the seemingly irreplaceable Neil Peart, Anika has proved the many doubters wrong with a phenomenal display.
And the most heart-warming aspect of it is the great cheers that have gone up in the audience every time she nails one of Peart's iconic drum fills.
If you have seen the clips on youtube, you will already know how amazing it is to see someone other than Neil Peart pulling off those amazing drum patterns and fills.
For those that haven't - feast your eyes on this.
Peart, who tragically died six years ago, was an inspiration to drummers and wannabe drummers, who were drawn to the music of Rush for its anthemic qualities. This was especially true in Rush's early career in the late 1970s, when their music was epic in its scope.
Spirit Of Radio...The Trees...Xanadu...YYZ...Tom Sawyer...Closer To The Heart...2112 - all classics
Neil's drumming provided every teenage fan's dream of what a drummer could be. He showed you didn't have to sit back there and just keep the beat. His musicality on the kit meant that Rush songs became known as much for the drum fills as the guitar licks. Moreso, in fact.
As a trio, Rush were the perfect blend and showed how, in the rock idiom, a three-piece band is often the most dynamic and cohesive musical unit.
Back in the day, as a Rush fan you were definitely outside of the mainstream. None of my friends were remotely interested, but I was a fan of their first live album All The World's A Stage, which featured excerpts from their recent breakthrough album 2112, as well as earlier songs like Fly By Night and Lakeside Park.
So I took the opportunity to see them live at Hammersmith in 1978, in their full prog rock pomp, playing their early classics. The show was later released as part of the Different Stages CD package.
This interview sheds some light on the recording of A Farewell To Kings, Rush's studio follow up to the breakthrough album 2112.
Neil had an uncomfortable relationship with fame, and the pressures
of being on the road and away from loved ones. He once said, “I don’t like to
puncture illusions. I know I represent some kind of fantasy to a lot of people.
But there is no fantasy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=311&v=q_mKr28G7og&feature=emb_logo
If Neil was looking down now, he would surely see millions of people of all ages still air drumming to his songs - and mesmerised by Anika's skill at helping to recreate the Rush magic.
Spirit Of Radio...The Trees...Xanadu...YYZ...Tom Sawyer...Closer To The Heart...2112 - all classics
Neil's drumming provided every teenage fan's dream of what a drummer could be. He showed you didn't have to sit back there and just keep the beat. His musicality on the kit meant that Rush songs became known as much for the drum fills as the guitar licks. Moreso, in fact.
Which makes this new incarnation of Rush so intriguing. Anika Nilles had already gained a reputation as a jazz fusion drummer - here she is with Jeff Beck. But most mainstream rock fans would not have heard of her until Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced they were reconvening Rush for a world tour.
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| Rush in their 1970s pomp |
As a trio, Rush were the perfect blend and showed how, in the rock idiom, a three-piece band is often the most dynamic and cohesive musical unit.
Back in the day, as a Rush fan you were definitely outside of the mainstream. None of my friends were remotely interested, but I was a fan of their first live album All The World's A Stage, which featured excerpts from their recent breakthrough album 2112, as well as earlier songs like Fly By Night and Lakeside Park.
So I took the opportunity to see them live at Hammersmith in 1978, in their full prog rock pomp, playing their early classics. The show was later released as part of the Different Stages CD package.
It was the glam-prog era of silk kimonos and their extended pieces like Xanadu - "To seek the sacred river Alph, to walk the caves of ice" - and 2112
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| My ticket for Rush live in 1978 |
"Attention all planets of the solar federation!
We have assumed control".
This interview sheds some light on the recording of A Farewell To Kings, Rush's studio follow up to the breakthrough album 2112.
The second live album, Exit...Stage Left, reflected their evolution from the 1970s to the early 80s (shorter hair, no more silk kimonos) and is probably the best of the early live recordings.
Later on in their career, the Rush In Rio DVD showed how much their music meant to people all over the world. And South Park's send-up was so good that Rush incorporated it into their live shows as the intro to Tom Sawyer. They are using it for this tour too.
Later on in their career, the Rush In Rio DVD showed how much their music meant to people all over the world. And South Park's send-up was so good that Rush incorporated it into their live shows as the intro to Tom Sawyer. They are using it for this tour too.
A perfect example of how much Rush meant to their fans, is the Foo Fighters doing 2112 at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
If you haven't seen it and you're a fan, check out the documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage for the full story of how Rush defied expectations and became one of the biggest bands in the world.
If you haven't seen it and you're a fan, check out the documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage for the full story of how Rush defied expectations and became one of the biggest bands in the world.
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| The Professor hits the road |
His way of dealing with the isolation and distractions of
life on the road was to ride the back roads on his motorcycle.
“Every day when I’m on tour and travelling between cities on
my motorcycle, I have half-a-dozen pleasant encounters with people. I’ve spent
a lot of time in truck stops and diners and cafes, very casual, low-grade
places, and those are the encounters I have: stranger to stranger, I guess you
could say. I love the anonymity of my travels.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=311&v=q_mKr28G7og&feature=emb_logo
If Neil was looking down now, he would surely see millions of people of all ages still air drumming to his songs - and mesmerised by Anika's skill at helping to recreate the Rush magic.
Here, Rick Beato gets to know Anika Nilles
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