We weren't really sure if Rush's next tour would be the last time the group would ever go out on the road when we posted about it back in March. Road manager Ray Daniels alluded to the fact that the tour could be the last, but concrete answers weren't available. Now guitarist Alex Lifeson has revealed to Global News that drummer Neal Peart has serious tendonitis and the next tour is basically the last time you'll ever get to see Rush live.
“I have mixed feelings about it. In one way I feel relief – I think 40 years is a long time to be touring the way we tour.
“I still love playing. But in Neil’s case, for example, his job is really tough. Playing the way he does is very, very difficult on his body. He has chronic tendonitis in his arms and he’s had problems with his shoulders.
“It’s getting to the point, no matter how much we love doing it, that it’s much more demanding and much more difficult.”
Rush has had a hell of a career, and good on them for making it this far… but wow. A world where Rush is just a studio thought and that's it. I wonder how long Rush can even be a studio entity with Peart in the condition he's in? It's not like Rush can get a new drummer.
Wait, there's a bright side! Lifeson also says there will occasionally be one-off shows here and there if it's possible! That and maybe even a new studio record soon-ish or some movie soundtrack work.
"Well, we’re not finished as a band. We still talk about recording.
Who knows, there may be an opportunity in the future to do not a big tour, but a series of concerts … like a week in Massey Hall or Radio City Music Hall.
Ged and I are just itching to get back into writing. He just revamped his studio, and he’s not a tech kind of studio guy. He doesn’t know how probably even one per cent of that stuff works.
But he’s had this renaissance of being a musician and wanting to play and study more — it’s really inspiring to see. When things slow down we’ll start to do some writing, for whatever purpose. We’ve always talked about doing some soundtrack work."
So Rush isn't completely dead and buried, though at this point who could possibly get mad if this really were the end? The bottom line is the three dudes are getting old and have families. It makes so much sense to call it quits on the massive tours and everything, but it's still cool Rush will still be around!
