Geddy Lee Says ‘Something Felt Wrong’ With Rush’s New Drummer — Until a Breakthrough Moment
via Rush / YouTube
For the first time in more than a decade, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are preparing to return to the stage under the Rush name. The upcoming “Fifty Something” tour, scheduled across 2026 and 2027, will celebrate the band’s long history while honoring late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, whose influence shaped the group’s sound and identity for decades. The announcement marks an emotional step for the surviving members, who had largely stepped away from touring after Rush’s final performance in 2015.
Stepping into the demanding role behind the drum kit is German drummer Anika Nilles, widely respected for her technical skill and musical sensitivity. Known to many fans for her performances with guitar legend Jeff Beck in 2022, Nilles now faces the challenge of performing some of progressive rock’s most complex material. The tour will begin at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the same venue where Rush concluded its “R40” anniversary tour, creating a symbolic return to familiar ground.
Early Rehearsals and Uncertainty
In an interview with The Guardian, Lee and Lifeson spoke openly about their first rehearsals with Nilles, which began in March 2025. The sessions were filled with both excitement and uncertainty as the musicians tried to rediscover their chemistry while adjusting to a new dynamic. Lifeson explained that their goal was not strict imitation but respect for the original music.
“It has to start there. They have to be true to the arrangements, because that’s the expectation from the fans. But we don’t place any restrictions on her. When she is comfortable and confident in the arrangements, she’s free to enhance them with her own spirit.”
Lee admitted the early days were more difficult than expected. Despite Nilles’ technical ability, something felt missing during those first rehearsals. He recalled questioning whether the collaboration would succeed.
“And she will,” he added. “But I don’t think we knew when she arrived what our expectations were, to be honest. When we started playing with her, something felt wrong. And I was, of course: ‘This is not gonna work.’ Those seemingly impossible fills were not a problem for her at all. What was difficult was understanding a relationship between snare, bass drum and hi-hat that’s different from her training.”
The Breakthrough Moment
The group chose to continue working through the uncertainty rather than ending the experiment early. Lee described how a conversation before the final rehearsal day changed everything. After several uneven sessions, the musicians focused on Nilles’ strengths and decided to give the process more time.
“The first four days were up and down, and she was nervous, and she was jetlagged, and we were unsure. We had a little chat before the last day — ‘I don’t know, Al, is this going to work?’ We talked about all the things we liked about her, and what a work ethic she has, nice person and deep knowledge, deep technical ability. So there’s a lot of positives. So let’s not be hasty. And we went into that last day and she just f**king nailed it.”
Lifeson said the turning point came when Nilles captured the subtle musical feel that defined Peart’s playing style.
“She suddenly understood what we were talking about that whole week, not about the technical aspect, but about the stuff in between the big stuff, that Neil was just so amazing at and those internal dynamics that only another drummer can understand, and it clicked in her.”
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Building Trust and Moving Forward
The musicians had previously discussed those rehearsals during an interview with Leona Graham on Absolute Radio. Lifeson emphasized how personality mattered as much as ability when choosing a drummer.
“She’s a wonderful person. So that was half of the quest, can we find somebody that’s gonna be really fun to be with? She’s really a lovely person. She laughs easily. She felt immediately comfortable. I think she was quite nervous in those first few days… But she worked really hard. She prepped for it. She had five songs, and we went through those songs. But by the fourth day, Ged and I, we talked and we were quite sold on it. There was something that just wasn’t there quite. And we talked to her about the importance of the feel that Neil had in his drum arrangements. And then on the fifth day, which was the final day that we rehearsed — bang! — she just nailed all those songs. And that turned everything around. And we again got together at the studio and thought, ‘Okay, this is really gonna be worth doing. Let’s talk to her about it.’ And we brought her in and asked her if she’d be willing to continue. And she was really enthusiastic about it. And then we just continued throughout the year. That was in March. And then we got together in June and August and November, and [we went through] more material. And she was feeling more settled.”
Lee agreed with that assessment, describing the moment clarity arrived.
“But that was the moment that the final tumbler clicked into place. On that day he’s describing, it was very much like that. We had all these questions, and that day those questions were erased. And we knew we had someone that would be fun to travel with us down this road. That’s when we had to get serious — ’cause we were starting from scratch. We had no crew, really. We had no management. We had to learn about the modern state of touring: how are we gonna put this show back on the road? So, it’s been a lot of work, but we’ve surrounded ourselves with some great people. And now we’re on that road.”
Preparing a Massive Setlist
As preparations continued, Lifeson revealed the band plans to rehearse around 40 songs to keep performances fresh throughout the tour.
“Yeah. [There will be] two sets each night. And our intention is to mix it up from one night to the next in a cycle of about five nights, so that every set will have other songs in them. So that we can really service the fans that like to come to our shows multiple times, give them the opportunity to hear other music. And it’s not just the same show over and over. It’s a lot more pressure [on us], but it’s good. It’s a challenge. It keeps you on your toes.”
Lee noted the heavy workload facing Nilles as new songs continue to be added during rehearsals.
“Last night we were talking to Anika. We saw her in Berlin. We were doing press there, and we were rehearsing together a few days ago. And there was this one song that we thought, ‘Oh, we should add that to the set.’ We’re up to 39 songs. And so I said, ‘Anika, we’re adding one more song.’ She said, ‘Noooo. I’m just getting comfortable with the first 25.’ So it’s a lot of pressure on her, obviously. I think she has the constitution and the mental capacity to handle it, ’cause she’s gonna be under scrutiny.”
Lee also confirmed that specific songs will remain secret for now.
“Oh, we’re not gonna talk about setlists yet, because there are very few secrets in the world of the Internet now. And we know it’ll only be a secret for one week, and then everyone will know. So, obviously there are the big songs that people know and love that we will have to play regularly and we want to play regularly. But there’s gonna be a turnover — about 40% of the set will be different night to night to night. I think we have five different days’ worth of sets.”
The “Fifty Something” tour begins in Los Angeles in June 2026 before traveling across North America, South America, and Europe through 2027, marking Rush’s return to large-scale touring after years away from the stage.
