Alex Lifeson Has No Interest In 'Returning As The Top RUSH Tribute Band'

When Neil Peart died in 2020, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson made it clear they didn't intend for RUSH to continue without its beloved drummer, but Lee's tune seemed to change after he and the guitarist performed together at Taylor Hawkins' tribute concert in 2022. The duo are still jamming together, but in a new interview with Classic Rock Lifeson likened a reunion without Peart to being in "the top RUSH tribute band."

“It’s good to jam with friends as you get older,” the guitarist said about playing with his former bandmate. “I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged’s — it’s in the calendar — keep my fingers moving, play RUSH stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you where it’ll go.”

The band played their farewell tour in 2015, and there is a part of Lifeson that would like to go back on the road, but not without Peart. “Some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again and some days I don’t,” he admitted. “For 40 years RUSH included Neil, and I don’t think putting some new version together would have the same magic.”

“RUSH went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on ‘R40,'” he added. “I guess I’d rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top RUSH tribute band.”