Geddy Lee recently opened up about Rush’s decision to return to touring with new drummer Anika Nilles. He shared his mixed emotions about the band’s comeback in an interview with The New York Times.
The Rush frontman discussed his feelings about performing with Nilles, who has replaced the late Neil Peart as the band’s drummer. Lee expressed both excitement and melancholy about the new dynamic on stage.
“I’m going to be a bit sad when we hit the stage and I’m facing the audience and not facing her [Anika Nilles, new Rush drummer],” Lee said. “Because I’m having so much fun playing along with her.”
Lee also reflected on how the band had initially struggled with the idea of continuing Rush after Peart’s passing from cancer six years ago.
“I think for a while we put Rush in a box and put that box in our closet, and it’s almost like we felt weird to open the closet and open that box,” he explained. “[But playing at the Hawkins tributes] taught us something really important about music. A band can end, but the music lives on.”
The musician described how performing at tribute shows helped the band overcome their hesitation about continuing without their longtime drummer.
“And I think we were kind of afraid to take ownership of songs that we wrote with him together, songs that we did together, and that performance, the first one, especially in Wembley, felt so good and right,” Lee continued. “It’s like we had taken the box out of the cupboard and we had opened it up. And you know what? It was OK.”
The band is now preparing for their reunion tour with Nilles. This marks their return to the stage after years of uncertainty following Peart’s death.
This comeback represents a significant shift for Rush, who had previously indicated they saw no future without their legendary drummer. The choice of Nilles as Peart’s replacement reflects the band’s commitment to finding a drummer who could honor their musical legacy while bringing her own unique style to the group.
The Economic Times reported that Nilles is a German drummer born in 1983 who began playing at age 6. She rose to fame through YouTube compositions that blend progressive rhythms, jazz, and funk. Her technical precision and creative approach to drumming made her an ideal candidate to fill the massive void left by Peart’s passing.
The loss of Neil Peart in January 2020 from brain cancer marked the end of an era for Rush and their millions of fans worldwide. Peart joined the band in 1974. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers in rock history, known for his complex compositions and philosophical lyrics that helped define Rush’s progressive rock sound.
DrumRadar noted that Nilles studied music at the University of Popular Music and Music Business in Mannheim. She developed her skills through formal education before launching her career on YouTube during the early 2010s. Her background as both a performer and educator has prepared her for the challenge of stepping into one of rock’s most demanding drumming roles.
The decision to continue touring represents a major evolution in Rush’s thinking about their future. For years after Peart’s death, Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson had maintained that Rush could not continue without their longtime bandmate. This makes the reunion tour all the more significant for fans who thought they had seen the last of the Canadian prog-rock legends.
