Classic Rock is reporting that Rush guitarist, Alex Lifeson, has revealed he and longtime bandmate Geddy Lee jam on a weekly basis – but they have no plans to resurrect the Canadian prog icons with a new drummer to replace the late Neil Peart.
Speaking exclusively in the brand new issue of Classic Rock in an interview to celebrate 50 years of Rush, Lifeson said that he and bassist/vocalist Lee still play together and even record their jams.
“It’s good to jam with friends as you get older,” says the guitarist. “I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged’s – it’s in the calendar – keep my fingers moving, play Rush stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you where it’ll go.”
Rush played their final show on August 1, 2015 at the of the R40 tour, and Neil Peart died in 2020. Lee and Lifeson reunited in 2022 to play at a pair of shows in London and LA in honour of late Foo Fighrers drummer and Rush fan Taylor Hawkins. They peformed three Rush songs: the “Overture” part of 2112 plus “Working Man” and “YYZ”, with various drummers sitting in, including Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Tool’s Danny Carey and former David Bowie drummer Omar Hakim.
“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,” says Lifeson. “For forty years Rush included Neil, and I don’t think putting some new version together would have the same magic.
“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.”
Read more at Classic Rock, and purchase the new issue of Classic Rock magazine here.
(Photo – Andrew MacNaughtan)
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