Geddy Lee Reflects on Rush’s Final Tour and Connection with British and European Fans

Geddy Lee has opened up about his feelings of regret over Rush’s final tour, the R40 Live: 40th Anniversary trek, which took place in 2015 and included only 35 dates across the United States and Canada. In an exclusive interview with Classic Rock, the iconic bassist addressed why the band was unable to extend the tour to the UK and Europe, leaving many devoted fans disappointed.

Lee revealed that while he had advocated for a more extensive tour schedule, the late drummer Neil Peart had been firm in limiting the tour’s scope.

“I’d pushed really hard to get more gigs so that we could do those extra shows, but I was unsuccessful,” Lee admitted. “I really felt like I let our British and European fans down. It felt to me incorrect that we didn’t do it, but Neil was adamant that he would only do thirty shows and that was it. That, to him, was a huge compromise because he didn’t want to do any shows at all. He didn’t even want to do one.”

Peart’s reluctance stemmed from his personal struggles at the time. Lee explained, “In his mind, he’d already compromised by agreeing to thirty gigs. He said, ‘I’ll do thirty, don’t ask me for any more.’ So that was that.”

Lee went on to express his gratitude and understanding of the fans’ loyalty, which further fueled his desire to provide an explanation. “I just felt I owed them—the audience—an explanation. It’s part of why I went into such detail about Neil’s passing in my memoir, My Effin’ Life. Fans invest their whole being into our band, and I thought they deserved a straight answer about what happened and how their favorite band came to an end.”

Neil’s Challenges and the Band’s Emotional Journey

Guitarist Alex Lifeson echoed Lee’s sentiments, sharing his own disappointment over the limitations of the tour. “Ged and I were disappointed that Neil demanded playing only a limited number of dates, which precluded a UK and European run,” he said. “I think a dozen or so more dates would have made us a bit more accepting.”

Lifeson recounted a particularly challenging point during the tour, when Peart suffered from a painful infection in his foot. “He could barely walk to the stage at one point. They even got him a golf cart to drive him to the stage. And yet, he played a three-hour show with the intensity he brought to every single performance. That was amazing, but it was also when he decided the tour couldn’t continue beyond that final show in Los Angeles.”

Reflecting on the End of Rush

The years between the conclusion of the R40 Live tour in 2015 and Peart’s passing in January 2020 were deeply emotional for the band. Lee described this period as “very unusual, complicated, emotional times.”

The iconic trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart had forged a deep connection with fans over their decades-long career. For Lee and Lifeson, sharing these insights into their final chapter as Rush was a way of honoring that connection and providing closure to their loyal supporters worldwide.

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