As Rush prepare to step back onto the world stage, bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee is getting ready with a brand new bass. Rickenbacker has crafted a one-off bass for Geddy Lee and we really need this thing to be a signature model. Like, now.
Finished in Turquoise Blue, the custom build is a nod to the earliest days of the 4000 Series bass line. On the bass, Rickenbacker said: “Very special bass we made for Geddy Lee per his specs. Turquoise Blue finish with an unfinished neck and stringer. A true throwback to the earliest of the 4000 Series bass line. Look out for it on the upcoming Rush tour!”
And fans won’t have to wait long to see it in action. The bass is expected to make its debut on the upcoming Fifty Something Tour, a milestone run that marks the band’s first tour in 11 years — and their first without drummer Neil Peart, who passed away in 2020.
Joining Lee and Lifeson on drums will be Anika Nilles, a German drummer known for her work with Jeff Beck, alongside touring keyboardist Loren Gold, who has performed with The Who and Chicago.
The choice of Nilles, whose background is in jazz and fusion rather than traditional rock, was deliberate. Lee said the goal was to avoid predictable comparisons and bring in a fresh perspective: “Well, there’s a few reasons for that.
“First of all, I think Alex and I wanted to stay away from the obvious comparisons. When you are working with a drummer from this famous band or that famous band, it’s just too easy to make comments. You know what the Internet’s like, you know what fans could be like arguments.
“So I think what appealed to us about Anika — first of all, we were so thrilled to see how well she plays and her technical ability. And it never really occurred to us that she came from a different genre of music. So I think we wanted somebody fresh, someone that had a story, someone whose story would be welcomed by our fans. And I think Anika fits that bill completely.”
Alex Lifeson said the reunion was never originally planned, but came together naturally after he and Lee started playing Rush material again and rediscovered how much they enjoyed it.
“We never really talked about that, because that was never really a concern or an issue. As far as I was concerned personally, I went back and forth on the idea of going back on the road. I did other projects, and I kept pretty busy.
“And I just didn’t know if I wanted to go through the whole thing of touring and being on the road. But Geddy and I got together and we started playing some stuff, and invariably we started playing some Rush songs, and we really had fun and we realized how much we love playing.
“I mean, we’re very good friends — everybody knows that; we’ve been friends for a long time — but we were just having so much fun playing the songs, and after not having played them for a while, they were challenging to play.
“So that made it even more fun. And then we started talking about, what about the idea of maybe sharing this? And the more we talked about it, the more interesting that idea sounded and it kind of took on a life of its own. And now here we are with a full-fledged tour.”
A key emotional focus of the tour will be honoring Neil Peart. Each show will include dedicated performances and visual tributes to the late drummer and lyricist, with selected songs performed in his memory.
Lee said the intention is to create “a moment” each night to reflect on Peart’s musical and lyrical legacy, supported by visuals tied to his work.
