Canadian progressive rock legends RUSH have confirmed their new drummer Anika Nilles after a performance at the Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario.
The band opened the ceremony with a performance of the song "Finding My Way" from their debut album and introduced themselves to the audience as part of their comeback shows.,Speaking about what it has been like to play with Anika, RUSH bassist Geddy Lee said: “We've been rehearsing with her, on and off, for about a year now.
And now it's very comfortable, and she's expressing her personality, which is nice to see, because she's a fantastic person, lovely, easy to work with and really deeply talented.,Lee added he thinks Peart would approve of RUSH's choice of a new drummer in Nilles, who toured with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022 and has been rehearsing with Lee and Lifeson in preparation for RUSH's upcoming tour.,"Neil is irreplaceable,” Geddy said.
“And if he had something to say to us right now, he'd probably say, 'You guys are idiots.' But music lives beyond tragedy, beyond anything that can happen in your life.
One thing we've learned over the last 10 years is that music is still a part of us, and so to play it now with someone as young and exciting as Anika, it's just another tribute to him.
I think he'd be very pleased with our choice of drummer, and I think he would have a bit of a smirk on his face.
A thumbs up, I hope.,Nilles reflected her first rehearsal sessions with Lee and Lifeson in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine.
She said: “I had a few songs prepared before I flew over, and we played those.
But during the session, we also talked a lot about Neil — about his view on music and drumming.
We spoke a great deal about the feel of the songs.
The most important point is simply to capture the feeling — that it feels right for the two of them to play their music again.
And ultimately, it will feel right for the fans as well.
We talked about that a lot.
The first session was really about getting to know each other and seeing how we function together.,RUSH will kick off its comeback shows with 11 dates in June starting at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
The band's lineup includes Anika Nilles on drums, Loren Gold on keyboards, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.
This marks RUSH's first official shows under the banner since their debut album release in 1974.,Geddy mentioned that Peart would have been proud of their choice of drummer.
He said: “Neil is irreplaceable,” but added, “But music lives beyond tragedy, beyond anything that can happen in your life.”\u2026\u2026\u2026The band's comeback performance at the Juno Awards served as an introduction to Anika Nilles.
Lee and Lifeson first mentioned their plans to tour again last month.,RUSH will also be touring extensively in support of its upcoming album, with over half a million tickets sold for 2026.’s dates across North America.
The band’s tour includes stops in Canada, USA and Mexico, spanning 24 cities.,In February, RUSH announced additional tour dates in South America and Europe, scheduled for early 2027.
The tour marks the first time the band will play in Europe since 2013.",