Alex Lifeson says there’s “no way Rush will ever exist again” without Neil Peart

Alex Lifeson has confirmed that there will be no Rush reunion in the future.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s ‘Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk’ earlier this week (per Blabbermouth), the guitarist said: “I know Rush fans are a unique bunch, and I love them. It was a really good two-way relationship. But I think, really, Rush ended in 2015. There’s no way Rush will ever exist again because Neil’s not here to be a part of it.

“And that’s not to say that we can’t do other things and we can’t do things that benefit our communities and all of that. I have lots of plans for that sort of thing that don’t necessarily include Geddy.”

Advertisement

Neil Peart
Neil Peart of Rush on stage in Seattle. CREDIT: Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Lifeson reasserted that Rush would not perform without drummer Neil Peart, who died in January 2020 at the age of 67 following a battle with brain cancer.

“Who knows?” Lifeson added. “All I know is we still love each other and we’re still very, very good friends, and we always will be.”

The musician explained that the band were “all starting to feel the fatigue” on their final tour regardless, and that it was specifically becoming difficult for Peart to maintain the energy levels he usually commanded.

“Unless he could play a hundred percent at that level, he really didn’t wanna do any more shows, and he didn’t wanna be that person that should have taken it,” Lifeson said. “And it was hard for him – a three-hour show playing the way he played. It’s a miracle that he was even able to play.”






Advertisement

Meanwhile, Primus are hoping to finally kick off their Rush tribute tour next month, which will feature a performance of the band’s 1977 album ‘A Farewell To Kings’ in full.

The California funk metal band have already had to reschedule the tour multiple times. They were originally supposed to head out in 2019 but pushed it back in order to support Slayer on the final leg of their farewell tour. They then planned to hit the stage in May of this year but were forced to postpone due to the first wave of the coronavirus. You can find the new dates here.