There remained one problem: the drum stool. Peart wasn’t just a notable drummer; he was perhaps the most distinctive and technically adept rock drummer of his and most other generations. He was many fans’ favourite member of Rush. And he wrote the lyrics. Lee and Lifeson nod when I suggest that replacing him is a little like telling a young ball player he’s in for Babe Ruth.
“Go out there and take a swing, kid!” Lifeson says, laughing.
The drummer they have chosen is 42-year-old Anika Nilles, from Germany. Lee’s bass tech had recommended her, after working on a Jeff Beck tour she played on. After a video call, she came to
Canada last March for a week of auditions.