Alex Lifeson

As a new documentary celebrates Neil Peart’s legacy, Anika Nilles recalls her hesitation before taking on one of Rush’s defining songs

After the Taylor Hawkins tribute, McCartney told Lifeson and Geddy Lee that touring was “in our blood” — advice that helped push the reluctant Rush guitarist toward a reunion

“I like to do something that they would never expect,” the guitarist says of his post-Rush collaborations, where he chased strange effects, new textures and unexpected sounds.

A forgotten piece of 1970s gear became crucial to their late-career swan song

With Lee sidelined by laryngitis and bronchitis, it’s a reminder of 1979’s ‘Hemispheres’ tour, when Lifeson’s fretting hand took a hit just as Rush were becoming one of rock’s hottest live acts 

Lee knows some fans will never accept a drummer other than Neil Peart but says Nilles was the only person Rush considered for their return

A teenage Lee thought he’d solved his gear problem — until he and Lifeson realized the oversized Traynor amp was too big too carry home

The band are readying their first tour in over a decade, but Lifeson is unlikely to make this mistake again

However, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee give different reasons for their choice of song, as Anika Nilles and Loren Gold make their debuts