Rush

[jff]

 

 

I wonder if they will end up using backing tapes this time around. All the Moving Pictures tracks have something going on - outside of guitar/bass/drums. I know in the past that Geddy did the keyboards live, and/or used foot pedals while playing bass. It seems like a lot for him to do. Maybe they will go really old school, and have a keyboard player hidden behind some scenery.

 

 

 

Alex and Geddy use the taurus pedals. Neil triggers some sounds with an electronic drum pad. Between those things they manage to have it all covered.

 

Here's Alex Lifeson's pedal setup (Taurus pedals on the right):

 

[Moss]

I only saw them once when they had an opener. It was Mr. Big, and it was the now legendary show where their guitarist, Paul Gilbert got his hair caught in a power drill he was using for rapid fire guitar pyrotechnics ( ) and had to leave the stage.

 

http://www.truthinsh...-dangerous.html

 

I saw Mr. Big open for them as well so it must have been the Presto tour? That's pretty cool you were at that show, I remember hearing about that incident. He has a guitar pick attached to a drill so he can play even faster than he already does. Of course they all had that big 80's hair so it's no wonder things got hung up. Did he just kind of creep off stage? Did he come back on stage after that? I just remember thinking Mr. Big were pretty awful. Dissapointing, because there are some monster musicians in that band.

[jff]

I saw Mr. Big open for them as well so it must have been the Presto tour? That's pretty cool you were at that show, I remember hearing about that incident. He has a guitar pick attached to a drill so he can play even faster than he already does. Of course they all had that big 80's hair so it's no wonder things got hung up. Did he just kind of creep off stage? Did he come back on stage after that? I just remember thinking Mr. Big were pretty awful. Dissapointing, because there are some monster musicians in that band.

 

Yeah, either Presto or Roll the Bones tour. Probably Presto. I was far enough back that I didn't see the drill get stuck, but I did see him leave the stage, followed immediately by a bass solo. That seemed entirely normal. It wasn't until some time later, when a friend who had really good seats told me about the drill incident, and it wasn't until fairly recently that I confirmed it on the internet.

[Analogman]

Alex and Geddy use the taurus pedals. Neil triggers some sounds with an electronic drum pad. Between those things they manage to have it all covered.

 

Here's Alex Lifeson's pedal setup (Taurus pedals on the right):

 

 

I was making a joke sort of -

[jff]

I was making a joke sort of -

 

Yeah, I know the hidden keyboard player part was a joke. One could argue that they do use tapes, because they do, it's just that Peart is the one pushing play, so to speak, so that makes it ok.

 

When I first get into Rush I assumed they were a five or six piece band. It wasn't until a few months later when I saw 2112 at the mall record store and there were only three people in the band photo. That was pretty confusing to me.

[Analogman]

Yeah, I know the hidden keyboard player part was a joke. One could argue that they do use tapes, because they do, it's just that Peart is the one pushing play, so to speak, so that makes it ok.

 

When I first get into Rush I assumed they were a five or six piece band. It wasn't until a few months later when I saw 2112 at the mall record store and there were only three people in the band photo. That was pretty confusing to me.

 

Although, Aerosmith, and Dio, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy all did they hidden keyboard deal.

[jff]

Although, Aerosmith, and Dio, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy all did they hidden keyboard deal.

 

Yeah, I've even heard Ozzy has a hidden singer for the high notes. Not sure if that's true.

 

I also heard that the reason Ozzy is always soaking wet is to conceal the fact that he regularly wets his pants onstage. Not sure if that's true, either.

[Analogman]

Yeah, I've even heard Ozzy has a hidden singer for the high notes. Not sure if that's true.

 

I also heard that the reason Ozzy is always soaking wet is to conceal the fact that he regularly wets his pants onstage. Not sure if that's true, either.

 

Poor old guy.

 

At least Rush has aged well.

 

Have you ever watched The Biggest Fan segments on their website? The one with Alex is hilarious.

[jff]

 

 

Have you ever watched The Biggest Fan segments on their website? The one with Alex is hilarious.

 

No, I didn't know about that. Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check that out. Alex has several funny moments in their Rio dvd, too.

[Analogman]

It's under the multimedia section.

[Vacant Horizon]

I only saw them once when they had an opener. It was Mr. Big, and it was the now legendary show where their guitarist, Paul Gilbert got his hair caught in a power drill he was using for rapid fire guitar pyrotechnics ( ) and had to leave the stage.

 

http://www.truthinshredding.com/2009/08/paul-gilbert-drills-can-be-dangerous.html

 

i saw mr. big open for them too. it was in ohio.

[Vacant Horizon]

I only saw them once when they had an opener. It was Mr. Big, and it was the now legendary show where their guitarist, Paul Gilbert got his hair caught in a power drill he was using for rapid fire guitar pyrotechnics ( ) and had to leave the stage.

 

http://www.truthinshredding.com/2009/08/paul-gilbert-drills-can-be-dangerous.html

 

 

there's a famous jam with alex and the drummer and bass player from mr. big out there somewhere. pretty neat.

 

also, as far as using tapes, rush has always done it. it must be a nightmare getting all that shit worked out. vocal harmonies are def piped in.

 

did zep have a hidden keyboardist?

[Analogman]

there's a famous jam with alex and the drummer and bass player from mr. big out there somewhere. pretty neat.

 

also, as far as using tapes, rush has always done it. it must be a nightmare getting all that shit worked out. vocal harmonies are def piped in.

 

did zep have a hidden keyboardist?

 

No, they had John Paul Jones.

 

Also - as was mentioned, this is the place to go:

Rush is a band (blog)

[Dreamin']

Did anyone see Beyond the Lighted Stage last night? I was one of the few women in the audience (a parallel universe where there is no line for the ladies room). It was fun to watch it on the big screen with an awesome sound system. My favourite part was the deli autograph woman, who repeatedly ignored Alex while fawning over Geddy ("'cause he's the leader!").

 

 

Review from the National Post

[Analogman]

I bet that was cool. There are is very early footage in the film, right? I am looking forward to seeing that.

[jcroach]

Did anyone see Beyond the Lighted Stage last night? I was one of the few women in the audience (a parallel universe where there is no line for the ladies room). It was fun to watch it on the big screen with an awesome sound system. My favourite part was the deli autograph woman, who repeatedly ignored Alex while fawning over Geddy ("'cause he's the leader!").

 

 

I can still remember listening to the "new rush single" (Dreamline) that a buddy of mine (who had an older brother into Rush) taped off of the radio onto a cassette and we took turns listening to it in the break room at the Dairy Queen we worked at in 1991. Good times.

 

I missed meeting Neil once in like 1992. He was on a bicycle ride through Indiana and stopped at the DQ. My brother and a different friend met him, got his autograph and served him a sundae. 10 minutes later I showed up and was pissed!

 

I tried to get those same two old friends to get together see "Beyond the Lighted Stage" last night, but they were both busy. It's been a long time since 1991.

 

I've seen them three times. Twice on the Roll the Bones tour and once on the Counterparts tour. The very first concert I ever saw was Rush, with Eric Johnson opening, on Halloween night in 1991. I saw a show with Mr. Big opening too. not nearly as good as Eric Johnson.

[Analogman]

In one of his travel posts a couple of years ago, there was a photo of him on his bike at a gas station that I have been by many times over the years. It must have been after a show in Pennsylvania somewhere. As I am not all that far from the PA border.

 

From what I have read, the experience you guys had was not normal. He apparently does not like to be bothered at all.

[jff]

 

 

I've seen them three times. Twice on the Roll the Bones tour and once on the Counterparts tour. The very first concert I ever saw was Rush, with Eric Johnson opening, on Halloween night in 1991. I saw a show with Mr. Big opening too. not nearly as good as Eric Johnson.

 

Awesome. I saw Eric Johnson in a small theater. He's something else.

 

My first band did covers of Rush and Eric Johnson tunes. We did Johnson's "Zap" and "Cliffs of Dover", and Rush's "La Villa Strangiato" (pretty decent versions considering we were teenagers). We tried loads of other Rush songs, but we never had finished versions of any, probably because we didn't have a singer.

[borracho]

Moving Pictures Tour '81 was memorable for many reasons as well. For one, I got as psychedelicized as I've ever been in public in my whole life , and secondly the opening band was Max Webster (whose LP "Universal Juviniles" was a BIG record for my crew then). When MW played "Battlescar" Rush (all of them)came out and sat in on the tune, and Geddy wore a Ronald Reagan mask! Wierd to think that just a week or two later Ray-Gun was shot.

i saw them on the moving pictures tour and max webster was supposed to open the show, but broke up a few days before our show. so rush just came out and played longer to make up for not having an opener!

[mountain bed]

Awesome. I saw Eric Johnson in a small theater. He's something else.

 

My first band did covers of Rush and Eric Johnson tunes. We did Johnson's "Zap" and "Cliffs of Dover", and Rush's "La Villa Strangiato" (pretty decent versions considering we were teenagers). We tried loads of other Rush songs, but we never had finished versions of any, probably because we didn't have a singer.

I LOVE me some Eric Johnson! He's one of my favorite players of the past 25 years.

 

I'm almost in shock that you and your buds would cover such cool stuff - there's no way I could do tunes like that justice. Well done! When my youngest kid was in concert choir (HS) her friends had a 3 piece rock band, and at the Variety Show that year the band played a flawless version of YYZ. My old Rush buddies Spanky (Kenny Harris) and JD (Jack Dudley) also had kids in the show, and after it was over we all said that if we live to be 100 years old we will NEVER see anything as cool as that in a fucking HS Variety Show.

[jcroach]

In one of his travel posts a couple of years ago, there was a photo of him on his bike at a gas station that I have been by many times over the years. It must have been after a show in Pennsylvania somewhere. As I am not all that far from the PA border.

 

From what I have read, the experience you guys had was not normal. He apparently does not like to be bothered at all.

 

Don't get me wrong. He didn't chat them up. It was more of a conversation like this:

 

Neil: "I'd like a strawberry sundae."

My Friend: "Wow, are you Neil Peart?"

Neil: "Yes"

My friend: "I love your music!"

Neil:

My Friend: "Can I get your autograph?"

Neil: "Sure kid. Now where's my sundae?"

 

Still, for a 16 year old, it was pretty memorable.

[Analogman]

That sounds about right. In his last book, he actually writes about sitting down and talking to some fans. He seemed as surprised as they were. He even has a security guy that rides with him. I saw an interview with him that was conducted at Rush-Con. He writes some really great stuff, and is a hell of a drummer, but I don't think I would want to meet him.

[Dreamin']

That sounds about right. In his last book, he actually writes about sitting down and talking to some fans. He seemed as surprised as they were. He even has a security guy that rides with him. I saw an interview with him that was conducted at Rush-Con. He writes some really great stuff, and is a hell of a drummer, but I don't think I would want to meet him.

From what I saw in the documentary, Neil seems like a genuinely shy guy who is uncomfortable with excessive admiration. He said that it embarrasses him and he doesn't know how to respond to it (so he avoids it). I also think that he's kind of nerdy and awkward in real life, so he probably knows that he can never live up to his fans expectations. His reclusiveness preserves the rock star mystique, if you will. Geddy and Alex have a completely different and relaxed approach to their fame and to their fans (similar to the Wilcos, I think) and that seems to work for them.

[Moss]

Awesome. I saw Eric Johnson in a small theater. He's something else.

 

My first band did covers of Rush and Eric Johnson tunes. We did Johnson's "Zap" and "Cliffs of Dover", and Rush's "La Villa Strangiato" (pretty decent versions considering we were teenagers). We tried loads of other Rush songs, but we never had finished versions of any, probably because we didn't have a singer.

 

I have seen Eric Johnson live several times, makes me want to quit playing every time he is so good. Were you the guitar player in the band? I have been playing for 25 years and would still never attempt Zap or Cliffs of Dover. Impressive.

[Analogman]

"every star that hides on the back of the bus

Is just waiting for its cover to be blown"

 

From what I saw in the documentary, Neil seems like a genuinely nice, but shy guy who is uncomfortable with excessive admiration. He said that it embarrasses him and he doesn't know how to respond to it (so he avoids it). I also think that he's kind of nerdy and awkward in real life, so he probably knows that he can never live up to his fans expectations. His reclusiveness preserves the rock star mystique, if you will. Geddy and Alex have a completely different and relaxed approach to their fame and to their fans (similar to the Wilcos, I think) and that seems to work for them.

 

I think he has changed somewhat over the last few years. Maybe I just got somewhat of a bad view of him from reading to much into some things he has written over the years.