Rush did not play in Europe during their last tour in 2015, and Geddy Lee finally explains his difficult decision.
A tour limited by personal constraints
In an exclusive interview with Classic RockGeddy Lee shared his feelings about the end of Rush and the lack of concerts in the UK and Europe during the tour R40 Live: 40th Anniversary in 2015.
“I pushed hard to add concerts for our British and European fans, but I failed to do so,” confie Geddy Lee. “I felt it was a mistake not to do it, but Neil [Peart, batteur de Rush] was adamant: he only wanted to do 30 concerts, not one more. It was already a huge compromise for him, because he initially didn’t want to play at all.”
Neil Peart, the band’s legendary drummer, had a particularly difficult time during this period, marked by health problems and a growing reluctance to return to the road.
Also read: Want to join Kim Dracula? The band is recruiting a bassist for its next tour
Tensions and sacrifices
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson also expressed his disappointment: “Ged and I were frustrated that Neil only wanted to play a limited number of dates, which ruled out a tour of the UK and Europe. A dozen more concerts would have made it easier to accept this limitation.”
Lifeson explained that Peart, despite his pain, maintained an exceptional level of performance during the concerts: “At one point Neil was almost ready to extend the tour, but he suffered a painful infection in his foot. He could barely walk to the stage. We found him a golf cart to take him around, and yet he played three-hour concerts with constant intensity.”
Neil Peart died in January 2020, bringing Rush’s story to an end.
