Alex Lifeson rules out a Rush reunion: “I’d rather be remembered for that legacy”
Guitarist Alex Lifeson has once again shut down talk of a Rush reunion. This is despite him and fellow surviving member Geddy Lee jamming together every week. However, Lifeson maintains that any reunion at this stage would make them nothing more than a “top Rush tribute band.”
Rush played their final shows in 2015, with their drummer and primary lyricist Neil Peart retiring from music later that year. It was then confirmed in 2018 that they would not be continuing, which was affirmed when Peart died in January 2020 following a battle with brain cancer.
In a new interview, Lifeson has maintained that despite frequently playing with Lee behind closed doors, where they jam Rush material, a reunion is effectively ruled out.
“It’s good to jam with friends as you get older,” Lifeson told Classic Rock. “I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged’s — it’s in the calendar — keep my fingers moving, play Rush stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you where it’ll go.”
Despite Rush ending many years ago, he and Lee did inject life into classic Rush songs alongside a cast of friends from the industry, including Dave Grohl, Danny Carey, Chad Smith and Omar Hakim at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in 2022. Since then, the pair have discussed a Rush reunion but played down the chances of it happening.
“Some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again and some days I don’t,” Lifeson conceded. “For 40 years Rush included Neil, and I don’t think putting some new version together would have the same magic.”
Although Lifeson and Lee playing under the Rush banner again looks unlikely, the guitarist did reflect fondly on their 2015 farewell shows. “Rush went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on ‘R40,’” he said. “I guess I’d rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top RUSH tribute band.”
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