Alex Lifeson of Rush Confirms Band’s Retirement From Touring

While rumors heated up last December about the possible retirement of Neil Peart from Rush in a Drumhead Magazine interview- the other two of the “Holy Triumvirate” wouldn’t confirm that you heard the last from the band.. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has now confirmed to Rolling Stone that Peart won’t be touring anytime again.

In addition to wanting to stay home with his family more, Peart struggled with the physicality of touring on R40. “His shoulders were hurting, his arms were hurting, his elbows, his feet, everything,” Lifeson says. “He didn’t want to play anything less than 100 percent. He was finding it increasingly difficult to hit that mark on this last tour. So, all those things combined, I get it. I’m disappointed and I think Geddy [Lee] is very disappointed and we’d love to continue this tour a little bit longer, but we’re off now.”

Although the band wont be hitting the road again for tours, the band still holds open the possibility of new music in the studio – as they can possibly do shorten sessions in the studio to keep Peart close to his family and not beaten down from lengthy performances.  Lifeson went on to add in the interview…..

“At present, Lee has been traveling a lot and is in the “Falkland Islands or something, penguin watching. I know he’s open to sitting down and doing some writing, “I’ve been writing since the summer anyway because that’s just what I like to do. I have a small studio in town and I have my own setup at my place. So I like to keep my fingers in it and keep busy, playing guitar. I know I can give Ged a push and we do love working together. We only live five minutes from each other. And I’ve gone over and had a coffee in the past, and we end up going downstairs into his room and start making some noise.”

Check out the band performing “Xanadu” from last summer’s RUSH40 tour in St. Paul, MN.