UPDATE - 6/1@12:34PM: The article is now also available online.
The 2021 leg of Primus' A Tribute to Kings Rush tribute tour finished off in Phoenix back in October, and - despite a few cancellations along the way due to COVID-19 - the tour was a huge success. The tour saw the band paying tribute to their musical heroes Rush by covering the A Farewell to Kings album in full as seen in these fan-shot videos (part 1, part 2), mixed in with a couple sets of Primus classics. The band will be continuing the tour into 2022, starting with an extensive, 46-date, coast-to-coast extension, including several Canadian dates which kicks off in Oklahoma City in 2 weeks on April 15th and will conclude in Las Vegas on June 25th. They have also added a European leg to the tour this coming September which will begin in Sweden on September 9th, and make its way across mainland Europe before finishing off with 3 shows in the UK and one final show in Dublin on October 1st. For all the details and to purchase tickets visit primusville.com. Primus frontman Les Claypool was interviewed regarding the tour for a cover feature in the latest issue of Bass Player magazine (issue 421), and they also spoke briefly with Geddy Lee. You can check out a 13-page sampler of the issue which includes the cover and first 2 pages of the feature at this location. The issue hit newsstands today and here's what Claypool had to say about Geddy Lee's original reaction to the tribute tour:
... I actually asked him about it quite a while ago. We originally planned on doing this thing a while ago, but then we ended up taking the Slayer tour which postponed it, and then COVID hit and postponed everything. When we originally talked about doing it, Neil Peart was still on the planet. I just texted Geddy and said, 'Hey, we're thinking about doing this. What do you think?' He said, 'Oh, that would be great'. He was stoked on the idea. And Alex [Lifeson, Rush guitarist] has been very supportive too. Lor [Larry LaLonde, Primus guitarist] will call him and say, 'What the hell chord are you playing in this one section?' Alex has been very helpful with that, and he loaned him some guitars as well. So they've both been extremely supportive. We've yet to play it in front of them, and I'm all nervous about that. ... I imagine they'll show up at some show. ...
Geddy was also asked the same question:
... I was very complimented, of course, and then I thought he was a little bit nuts, but by all accounts it's quite an impressive performance and a real tribute, performed by an awesome band. ...
And here was Claypool's reaction to that statement:
... Well, I think it is - on all fronts. It's definitely nuts, and I get to wear a satin robe every night on stage, which is pretty spectacular. That's another sprinkle on the cupcake of this project. Every now and again I think, 'Geddy Lee's a good friend of mine'. If I'd known that when I was 14, I would have ejaculated in my pants to even think of the notion. With my career, I'm most proud that I've been able to meet, befriend and oftentimes work with a lot of my heroes - and it's been a wonderful, wonderful thing.
Geddy was coy when asked whether he might sit in with Primus for one of their upcoming shows, saying, "Ha ha! Now there's a random suggestion! Primus will be playing back-to-back shows at Toronto's Massey Hall next month ... Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up and transcript.
