Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Anika Nilles recalled the Spinal Tap moments that took place during the first song of Rush’s reunion tour.
The trio, together with keyboardist Loren Gold, had rehearsed heavily – performing 24 complete concert sets in 27 days – before they took the stage at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Jun. 7.
But that didn’t prepare them for the incidents that unfolded as they started into opening number “Xanadu.”
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That’s when they realized there was too much stage fog billowing around them, as they told Rolling Stone in a new interview.
“I was, surprisingly, not really that nervous,” Lifeson said of the moments leading up to showtime. His feelings changed when he couldn’t find his effects pedals on the floor beneath him.
“We were drowning in fog!” Lee remembered, explaining that not only were his own pedals invisible, but so was the mirror he used to maintain a connection with Nilles behind her drums.
How Anika Nilles Proved She’s a Pro on Rush’s Opening Night
Nilles had her own problem to contend with – soon after the song began she dropped one of her sticks. “Don’t f––k this up,” she’d just told herself; then, “I saw this stick flying over the toms.”
She managed to grab it back before it disappeared, only missing a few strikes in the process. “It happens,” she said. “You drop the stick. As a drummer, you’re used to it.”
Lee, who’d seen the stick go flying and had suffered a moment of concern, said: “She’s a pro. She rose to the occasion on opening night.”
Rush’s Fifty Something tour continues, with shows listed until April 10, 2027, across multiple regions.
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Gallery Credit: Eduardo Rivadavia
