When Geddy Lee Accused Steven Tyler And Joe Perry Of Mistreating Rush During A Tour

Formed in the 1970s by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford, Aerosmith quickly became one of the most prominent bands of America. The band inspired many musicians by exploring a wide range of rock subgenres, including blues-based rock, pop-rock, heavy metal, and glam metal. However, they also went through some line-up changes due to conflicts between band members.

Rush was also one of the most influential bands of the same era. They achieved commercial success in the 1970s, which lasted until 2018, when the band decided to call it quits. Their drummer and main songwriter Neil Peart passed away two years later, following his battle against brain cancer. Since there aren’t many stories involving both bands, today we’re here to shed some light on why.

What Happened Between Aerosmith and Rush?

In the 1970s, when Rush was getting bigger and bigger, they opened for Aerosmith. However, their experience was not a positive one. According to Rush vocalist Geddy Lee, Aerosmith refused to let them do a soundcheck and lowered the volume when they were performing. The Rush members were not happy with the situation, but they responded with kindness instead of taking revenge and starting a feud.

Later, the tables were turned, and the Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry supported a Rush act. Lee made sure that Perry and his crew were treated well because he didn’t want anyone to feel unwanted and underappreciated like they did back in the ’70s. He said this to Joe Perry, which surprised the Aerosmith icon since he didn’t even remember touring with Rush.

Here is what Lee told Perry:

“I would never want anyone to feel the way we did when we opened for you.”

Even though Perry didn’t recall these incidents, he trusted Lee’s words and apologized, hoping he would accept his apology. Perry admitted that although Aerosmith always made sure that their ‘openers’ were comfortable, there was a lot of competition between the bands so, the mistreatment accusations could be true. He thanked them for being kind about the situation and regretted not apologizing back then.

Joe Perry said the following about the incident:

“Frankly, I don’t remember playing with Rush. The competition between bands was stiff, the competition between crews even stiffer, so I don’t doubt Geddy’s word. I want to thank them for treating the Project so good, and actually taking the time to ask if everything was okay. I hope I had the presence of mind back then to apologize. I want to congratulate Rush on their longevity, because, like us, they’re still around to tell the tales.”

Even though Perry didn’t recall touring with Rush, the guitarist clearly appreciated how far Rush had come and resembled the band to Aerosmith. Although feuds between rock bands are pretty common, it is always nice to see prominent figures appreciating each other’s contribution to the scene.