In a recent interview with Classic Rock, Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee reflected on the band’s 2015 farewell tour and the possibility of moving forward without drummer Neil Peart.
According to both musicians, Peart’s 2020 death has ended any possibility of Rush ever reuniting. Both Lifeson and Lee seem to agree that it wouldn’t be Rush anymore without all three of them on the stage.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the two haven’t considered continuing to work and perform together.
In 2022, while celebrating the death of another legendary drummer – Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts in London and Los Angeles – Lifeson and Geddy took the stage together to perform a few Rush tracks with a slew of guest drummers, including: Dave Grohl, Chad Smith, Danny Carey, and Omar Hakim.
These two shows seemed to spark an urge in the two musicians to continue playing together in some form.
Still, Lifeson thinks that their R40 farewell tour was the perfect way to end Rush and that he doesn’t want to spoil it:
“The energy was fantastic around that show, I know, and some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again, and some days I don’t. For forty years Rush included Neil, and I don’t think putting some new version together would have the same magic. It was an incredible experience working together and making so much music. It was beautiful how much we loved and respected each other, and how much we laughed but everything, amazing or not, dies eventually and we are left with the memories.”
“After those two gigs and the months of prep Ged and I went through, I was excited by the response and to be in the dressing room again with so many fellow artists in Wembley and LA I respected and felt a kinship towards. But after a few weeks that wore off and it occurred to me that despite all the pain of loss, Rush went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on R40. I guess I’d rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top Rush tribute band.”
