Rush has just announced plans to extend its Fifty Something reunion tour into 2027, with new dates scheduled in South America and Europe. The Canadian prog-rock legends previously scheduled a massive 2026 North American outing running from early June through mid-December.
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Coinciding with the new announcement, Rush co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took part in a lengthy interview with Planet Rock radio.
[RELATED: Rush Expand Reunion Tour with 2027 International Dates]
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers discussed the challenges of playing some of Rush’s complex songs again after not having done so for a number of years. They also talked about new drummer Annika Niles, who was hired recently after Lee and Lifeson decided to reunite following the 2020 death of longtime drummer/lyricist Neil Peart.
Lifeson explained that the idea to relaunch Rush came about slowly, after he and Lee got together and began playing some of their old tunes.
“We just kind of jammed, just trying to get the fingers in shape,” the guitarist explained. “And the next thing we knew, we thought we’d just try playing some Rush songs, ’cause we really hadn’t played them in a few years, and a lot of them in more than a few years. And it was just so much fun. You know, we really enjoyed it. We were really terrible, but it was really, it was a lot of fun. And for me, it kind of rekindled something in me that I didn’t quite expect.”
On the Challenge of Playing Rush Songs
Those jam sessions soon led Lifeson and Lee to seriously consider reuniting for Rush’s first tour since the band’s 40th anniversary trek in 2015.
“I really am proud of the work that we did,” Alex noted. “And … when we began talking about it more seriously, the whole idea started to gather steam and it turned into this great project to get back into shape and to become … like a full-time player … of Rush music.”
Lifeson said that as he and Geddy ran through songs from Rush’s catalog, he realized how complex the material was.
“It’s so challenging,” he maintained. “You know, when you do it every day for 40 years, you can read a newspaper while you’re playing, but when you get away from it and revisit it, you suddenly realize how difficult [they are to play.] … They’re hard. We made them hard, not expecting to have a problem later. But it’s immensely satisfying to play these songs and to get through them. And the more you play them, the more settled they are. And they become what they’re supposed to be.”
Details About the Upcoming Tour
Meanwhile, Lee shared some details about the show Rush is putting together for the trek, including about the band’s plans to pay homage to Peart.
“We’re gonna do two sets,” he said. “Each set will be about an hour, a bit more. So we’ll end up playing around two hours [and] 15–20 minutes … with an intermission, of course. And in each of those sets, we’ll take a song and do a bit of our own way of tributing to Neil. And, of course, his presence will be will be throughout the evening.”
In addition to new drummer Niles, Rush has expanded its touring lineup to include a keyboardist, Loren Gold. Since 2012, Gold has been The Who’s touring keyboardist.
Lee on New Drummer Annika Niles
As previously reported, Niles played with Jeff Beck during the late British guitar legend’s last couple of tours. She was brought to the attention of Lee by his bass tech, who also worked with Beck.
Geddy revealed that Niles currently knows about 25 Rush songs, and the plan is to have around 40 tunes ready for the tour.
He also reported, “[W]e will change the set every day a little bit, but 40 percent of the set will be different from night to night to night to night.” That way, fans who attend multiple concerts won’t see the same show twice.
Lee acknowledged that Niles is taking on a lot by having to learn to play so many Rush tunes.
“Even though [Alex and I are] rusty on some songs, they’re lying in the grooves in the brain somewhere, right? And it comes back,” Geddy noted. “But she’s starting from scratch. And she’s starting from scratch trying to fill the shoes of a guy whose shoes are impossible to fill. So, she has her work cut out for her.”
Having said that, Lee showered praise on Niles, as a musician and a human being.
“[S]he’s incredibly, deeply talented, both technically and from a musical knowledge standpoint,” he enthused. “She’s got a fantastic work ethic, she’s easy to be around, she’s a great person, and she’s ready to take on the inevitable scrutiny of Rush fans. And so far, they’ve been very welcoming, they’ve been very warm, and she’s really appreciative of that.”
Rush fans can check out Niles with Lee and Lifeson in a new YouTube video announcing the 2027 tour dates. Visit Rush.com for a full list of confirmed shows.
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
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