Just as surely as the sun will set and the seasons pass, we can always expect Rush to lose whenever they are nominated for a Grammy. This observation was proven once again this past Sunday as Rush lost their 6th Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental to Peaches En Regalia from Zappa Plays Zappa at the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
We learned late last week that Neil Peart has agreed to answer questions from DRUM! Magazine readers in their June 2009 issue. All you have to do is email your question to NeilPeart@drumlink.com. Editor Andy Doerschuk will forward all the questions to Neil Peart and Neil will then sift through them and answer as many as possible in a marathon interview. If your question is chosen, they'll include your name (and a photo if possible) in the issue. The deadline for questions is March 16th. Just email your questions to NeilPeart@drumlink.com.
On Tuesday I let you know about how Metallica's James Hetfield had some nice things to say about Rush in a recent Reuters interview where he discussed the band's upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Hetfield expressed a bit of embarassment at Metallica being inducted before more deserving bands such as Rush and Kiss. Guitarist Kirk Hammett also mentioned how Rush deserved to be in the Rock Hall at the band's press conference following the announcement of Metallica's Rock Hall induction. Hetfield and Hammett also appear on the cover of the February issue of Guitar Player where they are featured in an interview. Reader Bryan O let me know that in the interview, Hetfield mentions how great of a rhythm guitar player Alex Lifeson is. Also on the subject of Metallica and Rush, reader Tamra sent along this Vote for Rush! alert. Vote for Saltyrockz next t-shirt; it's Rush vs. Metallica.
The first episode of the Rush road crew documentary Backstage Secrets has been uploaded to YouTube in 6 parts. You can find all the links to the videos in this post. The first one is here.
Earlier today I pointed you to a snippet from a Classic Rock magazine interview with Geddy Lee. In the interview snippet Geddy essentially puts to rest (for the time being at least) rumors that Rush's next release is going to be a concept album. The full interview will be published in Classic Rock issue #130, on sale March 4th.
Reader JesseZ recently picked up the latest issue of the UK music magazine Q with U2 on the cover. Rush is mentioned twice in the issue. The first mention is in a Larry Mullen, Jr. interview where a sidebar titled Ask The Drummer lists stickmen who really run he band. Neil Peart is one of the drummers mentioned. The magazine also reviews the Snakes & Arrows DVD, giving it 4 stars (3 stars for the extras) and saying this about it:
The veteran three-piece are on top form at this 2007 Rotterdam show - and clearly having fun, too. Ergo we get bonkers video song intros, a chicken oven "speaker stack" and amps adorned with toy dinosaurs. Who could ask for more?"
As I'd mentioned a few weeks ago, Alex Lifeson made a surprise guest appearance at the Trailer Park Boys Community Service Variety Show at Massey Hall in Toronto back on Saturday, January 24th. He came out towards the end of the show to perform Closer to the Heart with the boys. The Gibson Les Paul he played that night is now on display at Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill, Ontario and several photographs of the autographed guitar were recently posted up on the Gibson forum.
Asif K alerted me to a recent Drum Channel interview with Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy that you can check out at this link. The interview was conducted at the recent NAMM show and Portnoy talks a good bit about Rush and Neil Peart throughout the interview.
What does Black History Month have to do with Rush? Check out this recent CentralJersey.com article titled Obscurity can pave the path to popularity to find out. Hint: it has to do with pre-Geddy Rush bassist/vocalist Jeff Jones (thanks Spindrifter).
In this News and Star article Mark Walton talks about how he's about to see his 1000th rock concert. Guess what his first ever show was? Yep - Rush:
... I do remember the first gig. ... Rush at the NEC in Birmingham in May 1983: Alex Lifeson’s guitar cut out during the solo to The Analog Kid (it’s there on the bootleg and of course I have a copy). I nearly missed the bus home to Stoke and it was, all together, the greatest night.
I was 15. There had been chances to see bands before that, but I’d been stymied by cancellations, sell-outs, illness and holidays.
And it’s more than fitting that Rush kick off The List. The Canadian trio are my first and longest-lasting musical love. ...
Thanks to Spindrifter for the heads up.
Reader Ron alerted me to this list of the Top 500 Worst Passwords at password recovery tools & information site What's My Pass?. Coming in at #250 is 2112 and at #491 is rush2112. I wonder how many of you out there have one of these passwords? Shame on you! :)
Speaking of 2112 passwords - according to the Power Windows site, in the 2005 French action movie Les Chevaliers du Ciel (Sky Fighters), a pilot is required to input 2112 as their transponder code. And if you are real estate shopping in the Netherlands, all you need to do is text a message to 2112 as seen in this TV commercial. :)
Apparently on Friday, January 23rd a live Rush concert took place inside the virtual world of Second Life. I've heard a little bit about this from a couple of readers and the Power Windows site mentioned it too, but the details are lacking. If you know anything about it or were witness to it, let us know.
Here are a couple of items from the satire department. Online parody site Wine & Excrement posted a story last week claiming that Kid Rock is a closet Rush fan and that his next album will be a progressive rock conceptual piece (thanks malterb). And starman.2112 let me know that at the website for VH1's Best Week Ever, they had an article discussing how cool the title of the movie The Mummy: Tomb Of the Dragon Emperor is, and how the title might make a good name for a Rush album.
On HDNet's Inside MMA, heavy weight Josh Barnett mentioned Neil Peart on the show while promoting his Affliction fight on January 24th. Barnett is a Rush fan and has been known to crank up 2112 during his fight training sessions. Thanks to Power Windows for the heads up.
And TorontoWriter located this video on YouTube of the aftermath of Rush's surprise guest appearance playing YYZ at a May Foo Fighters show in Toronto. Dave Grohl is pretty damn excited as he introduces the members of his band:
Sorry for the late update, I had a very busy week. Have a great weekend everyone!
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