Reading X/Twitter is often like opening a gateway to hell, but today it has lit up with good cheer from emotional Rush fans heaping praise on their new drummer, Anika Nilles, after the opening of their comeback tour.
One performance in particular seems to have won over people who thought it would be impossible to succeed the mighty Neil Peart: her awesome fills in Tom Sawyer.
I can’t find a link to the best video I’ve seen, which shows her and Geddy Lee smiling broadly after the crowd roars its approval, but I’ve linked to one that focuses entirely on her. During the big fill, at about 3 mins in, she seems to have more than the standard number of arms.
I can’t imagine the pressure involved in following in the footsteps/drum stool of such a loved and respected musician, but as many fans are saying, she has absolutely nailed it. The crowd’s reaction even moved my jaded old heart.
Good luck to her. Rock on!
I’ve become slightly obsessed with the build up to this show and I’ve seen a whole bunch of fan vids from it now.
Here’s a different angle of Anika Nilles killing the Tom Sawyer break.
The sexist overtone of some of the comments on YT are par for the course. It seems incredible to some people that a GIRL can play the drums as well as ‘The Professor’, and that she is now ‘welcome to the family’ (a bit of gatekeeping thrown in.) Nobody was surprised when Omar Hakim did the same thing a few years ago.
But yes, she rocks, of course she does.
(not aimed at anyone here, btw.)
Rush fans are known for their unfamiliarity with the fair sex, of course.
now come on, that’s unfair. Rush have plenty of fans of all persuasions, more so than most prog-adjacent acts.
Perhaps. The gag is that having a new female drummer has now doubled the number of women attending the average Rush gig. Genesis’s poppier direction certainly shifted their gender demographic.
My word! You are a card, sir, and no mistake!
I went with an (indifferent though ‘hippie’) girl when i saw Rush in 1980. She preferred Gilli Smythe. She was also unappreciative of Genesis, Yes, when we also saw gigs by them that year. She woke up when we saw Adam and the Ants, and the Human League, though. needless to say, it didn’t last. A later GF liked Peter Gabriel, Jethro Tull, and Yes gigs. That didn’t last, either.
Gilli Smyth!?
Wow, I never thought that name would pop up in a conversation (not least about Rush).
A Rush tribute act is playing the Arts Centre in a few months. Mrs Gatz shall be in attendance, my role is to turn up when it finishes to walk her home.
I did enjoy Rush in my teens and even saw them twice, but I’m not a big enough admirer to go to a standing gig by a tribute act (especially when I wasn’t that impressed by the same line up’s Floyd act at a different, and seated, venue a while back).
I’m going with my mate to Manchester next March. I can’t wait now. I would say the reviews have bern 99% positive.
I was in a pub in East Lothian over the weekend and couldn’t help earwigging on a conversation between locals about this very subject. There is very clearly a buzz.
This was also the first time I have heard The Max Websters mentioned in over 40 years.
That was marvellous.
I’m not a Rush fan, but I wish I was because Geddy and Alex seem like super nice guys and the fans seem solid.
I’ve seen some vids of the recent shows and they are really impressive. It seems that Geddy is singing better than he has on recent live outings and there is an enthusiasm/energy that seemed to be missing in their previous few tours.
And of course Anika is superb, as she would need to be to get the gig.
They do seem genuinely chuffed to be back on stage. Apparently they’ve been on diets and Geddy has had a voice coach !
First gig back, they opened with Xanadu…wow!
Statement of intent, I guess…
Impressed to see three different set lists unveiled so far!