Geddy โLee of Rush discussed theโฃ band’s upcomingโฃ performances with โฃdrummer Anika Nilles and his recent attendance at a Toronto Blue Jays playoff game in a new interview. The bassist revealed Nilles was โrecommended โby โa member of โJeff Beck’s โขcrew and that the band spent a weekโฃ secretly rehearsing with her in Canada before decidingโข toโ move forward.
Lee explained the challenge ofโ introducing Nilles, who wasn’t previously a Rush fan, โฃto the band’s complex catalogue. “We had to go through each song and explainโฃ the nuances of the โsong and the idiosyncratic nature of how our songsโ are โคput together,” he โขsaid. He praised โคNilles’ work ethic, technical โคskill, and positive โattitude, noting its beneficial impact on himself and โguitarist Alex Lifeson. The interview also touched on Lee’s experience โwitnessing โขGeorge Springer‘s series-winning home run for the Blue Jays, describing the โคstadium atmosphere as “electric.”
“And we haveโค been fortunate to have been introduced to the nameย Anika Nillesย through one of my road crewโ – my bass techย Skully, who was on tour withย Jeff Beck – โand โshe was the drummer forย Jeff Beckย on hisโ last tour. And he came home โfromโฃ that tour raving about her. And so when we made the decision to seeโฃ what it’s like to play with another drummer, we contactedโ her, andโ she’s just a fantastic person. And she came to Canada and we very surreptitiously snuck โintoโฃ a studio and worked out for about a week. And by the end of it, we where convinced that this โwould be a go for โคus. Yeah,she’s justโ a tremendous player.”
Lee continued,”When she first came overโ here [to Canada] we started playingโ some of the songs,tryingโฃ to translateย rushย music to someone who didn’t really grow up as aย Rushย fan; she was โnot aย Rushย fan. โฃShe knew, of course, ofย Neil’s playing – every drummerโ knowsโข whoย Neilย is, orย Neilย was, I should say – so it wasโ a bit of a daunting โขtask.And โคwe had to go through each song โคandโ explain โthe nuances of the song and the idiosyncratic nature of how our songs are โput together. So โขat times sheโ was a bit overwhelmed, but she’s anโฃ incredibly hard worker.She’s got great technical facility โขand she’s just got a really positive attitude, โขand that’s really goodโค forย Alexย and I โto be around right now.”
it hasn’t been all tour โฃprep for Lee as the bassist was photographed sitting behind โขhome plateโ and enjoying a pivotal moment the Blue Jays’ run โto the World Series earlier this โขweek.”I’ve never heard a crowd โคthat loud, that electric, and that on cue,” Leeโ said of when the Blue Jays’ George โSpringer hitโข a series-deciding home run to advance Toronto to โthe World Series.
