Rush singer and bassist Geddy Lee “resented” late longtime drummer Neil Peart as the rock trio left the stage at their final show, Lee revealed during his book tour earlier this month.
By the final leg of the end of the Canadian band’s 2015 final tour, R40 (which celebrated 40 years of Rush), the frontman explained on his book tour for his memoir, “My Effin’ Life,” that “our relationship was strained,” Lee said, Ultimate Classic Rock (UCR) reported. The longtime line-up for Rush included Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and now-deceased drumming prodigy Neil Peart: a progressive rock power trio.
.@rushtheband‘s Geddy Lee admits he resented Neal Peart: https://t.co/YH3TrmClzP
— UltimateClassicRock (@UltClassicRock) December 8, 2023
“With every successive gig, he was closer to the end, [Neil] was getting happier, and Alex [Lifeson] and I were getting, uh, less happy,” Lee continued.
The conflict at hand between the band was reportedly over how Peart was unwilling to continue touring, per the outlet. (RELATED: ‘Come On Motherf*cker:’ Sammy Hagar Invites Arch Nemesis David Lee Roth To Join In On Upcoming Tour)
After their final gig in Los Angeles, Lee noted Peart was even initially unwilling to take a bow for a show that all three bandmates were aware could have been — and ended up being — their last time performing together.
“I asked [Peart], I said, ‘Well, would you come out and take a bow? Maybe it’ll be our last gig.’ He said, ‘No, I don’t do that. No, I don’t cross that invisible line.’ We said, ‘Okay.’ But, he did anyway, because he couldn’t resist it. He snuck out. He gave us a hug, and we took a bow together,” according to UCR. (RELATED: Rock Star Reportedly Tells Disgruntled Audience To ‘F*ck Off’ After Reading From Autobiography For An Hour)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 06: Musicians Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart and Geddy Lee of the band Rush perform at the Nokia Theatre on May 6, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
But even offstage, tensions remained high.
“I had resentment, I’ll be honest,” Lee laid out.
Lee believed the animosity was because he wanted to take the tour around the globe but Peart had only agreed to play so many shows and “wouldn’t bend.” (RELATED: Drummer Got So Furious At Former Bandmate He Allegedly Threw Molotov Cocktail Into His Living Room, Police Say)
As time went on, the bandmates were able to work things out, and Lee suggested he came to his senses.
The drummer told Lee he was elated with his “new life” absent of any obligations tied to touring and Lee realized it was best to make amends, UCR noted.
Lee stated, “I thought to myself, what kind of friend am I that would begrudge him [sic] after all he’d been through?”
Peart lost both his teenage daughter and wife in 1997 and 1998 respectively, according to a profile by “Nights with Alice Cooper.”
Peart passed away from brain cancer in Santa Monica, California in January 2020.
With Neil Peart they became Canada’s most legendary rock group. Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, author of a new memoir, (“My Effin’ Life”) talk about their particular blend of musicianship and what might constitute @rushtheband‘s next chapter. https://t.co/jpmRGMopmF pic.twitter.com/mUbYX8UJ0B
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) December 3, 2023
Rush was recently showcased on CBS Sunday Morning; it is currently up in the air if the band will tour again with another drummer in Peart’s place on the throne.