Rush EuCon 2011 Coming To Glasgow October 1st

UPDATE: Rush EuCon 2011 was a massive success and managed to raise an amazing £873.60 for the MS Society!  Please check out all the photos of the event at www.rusheucon.co.uk and also www.facebook.com/rusheucon. - Thanks to William Winsborough for the headsup!

Eucon 2011, the annual European Rush Convention, is coming to Glasgow October 1st.  Featuring the Rush tribute band "Counterparts" as well as the classic rock covers band "Joe's Band", festivities will include rare Rush videos and music, a Rush themed charity auction and quiz, plus other Rush-themed surprises.  Food and drink will be available all day while you meet other Rush fans.

Eucon is officially supported by Rush's management (SRO/Anthem), and all proceeds will be donated to the MS Society.  For tickets and additional information visit facebook.com/rusheucon, t-n-m-s.com, or rusheucon.co.uk. - Thanks to William Winsborough for the headsup!

VH1 Classic's "Rush Hashanah" Starts Tonight: the World Premiere of "Time Machine Live In Cleveland"

VH1 Classic's annual "Rush Hashanah" celebration kicks off tonight, September 28th, with "Rush Classic Albums" at 7PM and will be followed by the world premiere of Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland from 8-10PM.  Additional Rush airings will include Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, R30 and Rush in Rio. 

Professional Lighting & Production Summer 2011 Issue

Check out the online edition of the Summer 2011 issue of Professional Lighting and Production for the cover feature "A Rush Of Light, Four Decades In The Making", an interview with lighting designer Howard Ungerleider. - Thanks RushFanForever for the headsup!

Machine Head Covers "Witch Hunt", gives props to Rush

San Francisco metal band Machine Head's Unto The Locust, was released September 27th; the special edition includes a cover of Rush's "Witch Hunt".  

In April of this year, the band had posted "The Making Of The New Album" to Youtube showing their "Jam Room" containing 2112 among a collection of posters of "all of our favorite bands, the bands that meant something, and helped create what we became" (the video also shows drummer Dave McClain wearing a Permanent Waves t-shirt).

"Machine Head drummer Dave McClain says their much anticipated new album has come together with a little bit of help from veterans Rush...'Three records ago I bought Robb the whole Rush catalogue and that's when our songs started extending with lots of parts. Kinda more challenging ourselves. Rush are responsible for a lot of things, even mentally in this band.  There was an interview with Geddy Lee (Rush singer) a long time ago where he said "If we get played on the radio it’s going to be by accident." Because they wouldn't write for radio and that struck a chord with all of us especially in the "Through The Ashes" where it was a crossroads in our career where we said if we were going to be ousted out of the music business we wanted to go out fighting and be a pure 100 per cent metal band and not worried about what anybody said.'" - RockAAA.com, August 2, 2011

"Interview with Andy Curran – A&R at SRO/Anthem"

One Louder Magazine has published a new interview with Andy Curran, A&R at SRO/Anthem.  Andy discusses his career in music, including his current job at SRO, his day to day jobs, the Time Machine Tour, and more. Click here for the article. - Thanks to Skip Daly for the headsup!

Time Machine Tour - In pictures: Alex Lifeson's live rig

Total Guitar has posted another feature featuring Alex's Lifeson's live rig on the Time Machine Tour.  Check it out here. - September 23, 2011

The 2010 leg of the Time Machine Tour kicked off June 29th in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and concluded October 17th in Santiago, Chile. The 2010 tour ranked #29 on Pollstar's Top 50 North American Tours, grossing $26.4 million with 372,407 tickets sold over 36 shows.

The 2011 leg of the Time Machine Tour kicked off March 30th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, saw the first ever filming of a US Rush Concert in Cleveland on April 15th, their first visit to Ireland, as well as stops in Canada, Scandinavia, Britain, Holland and Germany before coming to a close on July 2nd at The Gorge near Seattle, Washington.

Visit the Time Machine Tour News Archive for complete tour details including news and reviews, setlist, band comments, concert photos, videos, and essential links.

Rush Producer Nick Raskulinecz: "We will start recording again in mid October."

In a new interview, Rush Producer Nick Raskulinecz discusses the current status of Clockwork Angels.

"We have recorded two songs already and we released them last year and then the band went on tour. But we are currently in preproduction right now so that we can finish the rest of the record which we will start recording again in mid October."

Read the full interview, "Nick Raskulinecz: 'The Music Industry Is A Sinking Ship'", at UltimateGuitar.com - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

3 Inches Of Blood Covers "Anthem"

In February 3 Inches Of Blood, a Canadian heavy metal group from Vancouver, announced that they had recorded a cover of Rush's "Anthem".  The song will appear in the new film "Lloyd The Conqueror", which stars Mike Smith (Trailer Park Boys), which will  premiere September 24th as part of the Calgary International Film Festival.  In addition, directly following the premiere, 3 Inches of Blood will be performing at the official after party beginning at 9:00 PM at Dickens Pub; tickets can be purchased here: www.primeboxoffice.com. - Thanks to RushIsABand for the headsup!

"...Shane [Clark] reveals, they have recorded two new Clark-penned originals and a cover of Rush's 'Anthem'. 'For the last five years, I've had this compulsive Rush disorder,' he laughs, explaining that his Rush obsession began when he saw their documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage. 'When that documentary came out, it just kicked that into high gear. It's just such a great movie. You get to know the whole band a little bit better. Alex Lifeson is one of my favourite guitar players. The way he plays, no one else sounds like him. That's very influential for me.'" - RockStarWeekly.com, February 27, 2010

Geddy Lee Interviewed For The Chop Shop's 9/11 Tribute

"Envision Radio Networks' The Chop Shop Guitar Show's 9/11 Tribute is now available for streaming here.  The show, which will also run on the show’s affiliate stations, features personal remembrances from a number of classic rock artists who found their lives forever altered by the events.

Host Steve Black is joined by Geddy Lee of Rush, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, guitarist Steve Vai, members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and several others who share their stories, surrounded by the music that helped to bring everyone together as our country worked to move forward.

Geddy Lee recalls the moment when he learned about the attacks: "I was in Toronto and somebody found me and told me to turn on the television and of course I sat there for the next two hours just completely stunned and appalled by what I was watching."  He went on to say, "My reaction was much the same as any normal human being, I was sickened by it and it had a profound effect on the entire world I think and life has really not been the same since that day." - UltimateClassicRock.com, September 10, 2011

Tom Cochrane Releasing New EP featuring Alex Lifeson

Today Canada's RockstarWeekly.com announced that Tom Cochrane will be releasing a four song EP featuring Alex Lifeson later this year:

"Tom Cochrane will return with his first new release since 2006. The ‘Life is a Highway’ singer is planning a limited edition four song EP, originally scheduled for a September 2011 release. The EP, will contain three new un-released tracks and a new single and title track ‘Voices At 4 AM’, featuring Andrew Cole, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Lyle Molzen (Jann Arden, Michael Buble), Kenny Greer (Red Rider), Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Elton) and Carl Jennings.

Rush Featured in "Mobile Production Monthly"

Rush is on the cover of the latest issue of Mobile Production Monthly.  The issue is available online; click here to download.  Included are multiple feature stories from the Time Machine tour, with road crew interviews, multiple photos and more. - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

Alex Lifeson music for "The Double" - sample now online

We learned last spring that Alex Lifeson has contributed to the musical score including the "outro/credit" music for the upcoming film The Double staring Topher Grace, Martin Sheen and Richard Gere, set for release September 23rd.  The plotline is "a retired CIA operative is paired with a young FBI agent to unravel the mystery of a senator's murder, with all signs pointing to a Soviet assassin", and features a musical score by John Debney.

The film's co-writer Derek Haas has uploaded a two minute clip of the credit music, titled "Don't Look Back", and had this to say about working with Alex Lifeson:

"Alex Lifeson played guitar on the score throughout the movie (the great John Debney composed it). We asked Alex to write a song for the closing credits and he wrote/recorded "Don't Look Back," a brand-spanking new single. ... How this came about: Michael and I got to know Alex and Geddy when they were in LA finishing Snakes & Arrows. Alex is a movie-buff and literature-buff and he expressed interest in scoring films. (I hope you detect my admiration shining through... he's truly one of the greatest guys I've ever met. Geddy too, but that's a different story.) As we were putting THE DOUBLE together, Michael and I told Alex we'd love for him to be included any way he wanted. We did the movie for very little money so we weren't going to be able to afford him but we wanted to throw it out there. He was between the two tours so he asked us to send him the latest cut of the film and he started talking to the composer (Debney) via email and the phone. Then he just went to town... the guy is astonishing. And generous. The single is definitely not a RUSH song but you can sure here Alex's distinctive 'voice' all over it."- Derek Haas, The Rush Forum, August 15, 2011

Neil Peart, Rhythm Magazine's August Cover Story - Transcript Online

The August 2011 issue of U.K.'s Rhythm magazine includes an 11-page cover feature on Neil Peart.  The complete transcript of this article is now online at Cygnus-X1.net.

"Peart lets the reader in on why, after 45 years behind the kit, he's still working to make himself a better player. Neil talks about taking lessons, improvisation, finding the perfect sound and much more. The reader also gets a guided tour (see video below) of the "Time Machine" kit from Neil's drum tech Lorne Wheaton and winds the clock back to The Professor's first-ever Rhythm cover way back in 1987." - Blabbermouth.net, July 5, 2011

Alex Lifeson, One Of Guitar Player's 50 Rhythm Guitar Gods

The October issue of Guitar Player includes the cover story "50 Rhythm Guitar Gods" with the following from Alex Lifeson:

“I’ve tried to develop a style that combines broad arpeggios and suspended chords,” explained Lifeson. “They’ve been my two main target areas. Suspensions have been my trick for many years to make a trio sound big.” Not very often are you treated to a body of rhythm work like Lifeson’s, from classic riff rock (“Working Man”) through heavy prog (“Xanadu”) onto the textural ‘80s and ‘90s, deftly riding the heavier sonic zeitgeist all the way to 2011. Along the way, Lifeson has also incorporated more feels into his vernacular as well, including reggae (Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures) and funk (Roll the Bones). Lifeson has done it all, and never at the expense of his own personal voice." - Guitar Player, October 2011

Thanks to Frank Panacci for the headsup!

Rush Signs To Roadrunner Records!

Today Roadrunner Records issued a press release announcing that Rush has signed with the indie label.

"We have tremendous respect for Roadrunner Records, and what Cees Wessels and Jonas Nachsin have built on a worldwide level. After years of Roadrunner pursuing the band, Tom Lipsky presented a deal that worked and the timing was right. We wanted to be at a label focused on the rock genre – and that’s Roadrunner," said Ray Danniels, manager of Rush.

While the press release demonstrates excitement by both Roadrunner and Rush manager Ray Danniels, it is unclear how exactly this will affect Rush.  The fact is that Roadrunner is an independent label which is owned and distributed by WEA (i.e. Warner Elektra Atlantic), or in otherwords both are subsidiaries of one large umbrella.  This is apparently a lateral move from a major label to an independent label that is distributed by a major label.  This is supported by the fact that Rush owes/owed Atlantic one more studio album under their previous aggrement; apparently the previous aggreement is being fullfilled by the new arrangement with Roadrunner, although that is purely supposition at this time.  In addition, the time period of this record deal remains unspoken.  Read the complete press here.  For a video press release click here. - Thanks to Brad, John, Frank, Darren and everyone else who emailed for the headsup!

Bubba's Book Club - September 2011

Neil Peart has updated his website with a the September 2011 issue of Bubba's Book Club.  In this issue, Neil discusses only one book, After Many a Summer Dies the Swan, by Aldous Huxley.  Click here for more.

Costco Connection, interview with Geddy Lee and Rush Giveaway

The September issue of the Costco Connection [available in stores or online here] features a promotion for the Rock Icons series including Rush's Icon 2 (released July 19th), including a brief interview with Geddy Lee.

The Costco Connection: You’re Rush’s main vocalist and bass player, but you also play keyboards, control sequencers and work bass pedals with your feet. Given the technical mastery all those duties require and the sheer difficulty of it all, have you ever thought about bringing in other musicians to share some of your workload?

Geddy Lee: Oh yeah [laughs], I used to bring it up at the beginning of every tour because there were times when it felt quite daunting to have to deal with all the electronic apparatus when I really just wanted to sing and play bass. So, yeah, I’ve had to wrestle with that question quite often. But, in the end, we’re quite a tight unit, the three of us. And we just kind of figure that our fans would rather see us up there with our technology rather than see us fill up the stage with sidemen. We opted to go the difficult route. But I did get them [guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart] to share some of the sequencing responsibilities. So that helps a bit.

CC: Even just singing and playing bass is very difficult for most musicians. Was that a trick for you in the beginning?

GL: Yeah, especially on some of our songs. Sometimes you write a song that has a really cool riff, and then you write the melody later, and record it separately. Then when you go to rehearse it, you go, “How do I do this?” because one part has very little in common with the other part. It’s hard to get your brain synchronized … you kind of split your brain in two, and, if you practice it enough, it starts to come naturally. Sometimes you have to compromise a bass part a tiny bit to let it fit more comfortably into your brain pattern, but generally I’ve found it’s like Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule [Author Malcom Gladwell says that the best way to achieve success in any field is to spend 10,000 hours honing your craft]. Just keep playing it, [and you will] eventually get it."

The magazine includes as a chance to win a Fender Geddy Lee signature bass or a framed, numbered 2011 limited edition Moving Pictures Litho signed by each member of Rush:

"Costco has one Fender Geddy Lee Bass® guitar to give away. For a chance to win, email your name, address and daytime phone number to giveaway@costco.com, with “Fender Geddy Lee Bass” in the subject line. Or, mail a postcard or letter to: Fender Geddy Lee Bass, The Costco Connection, P.O. Box 34088, Seattle, WA 98124-1088. Value is $1,399.99.

Costco also has one framed, numbered 2011 limited edition Moving Pictures Litho signed by each member of Rush to give away. For a chance to win, email your name, address and daytime phone number to giveaway@costco.com, with “Moving Pictures Litho” in the subject line. Or, mail a postcard or letter to: Moving Pictures Litho, The Costco Connection, P.O. Box 34088, Seattle, WA 98124-1088. Value is $160.00.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. One winner will be chosen for each item. Purchase will not improve odds of winning. Sweepstakes is sponsored by Universal Music Enterprises, 2220 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Open to legal residents of the U.S. (except Puerto Rico) who are age 18 or older at the time of entry. One entry per household per prize. Entries must be received by October 1, 2011. Winners will be randomly selected and notified by mail on or before November 1, 2011..."

Thanks to Sindrew and Paul Southward for the the headsup!

Orange Amplifiers' Music Aid for Joplin Auction Ends This Week

Orange Amplifiers' Music Aid for Joplin fund-raising auction is currently underway, and will come to a close Wednesday, August 24th.  The auction is to help those affected by the worst tornado season to hit the USA in more than 50 years. 153 people were killed in Joplin, Missouri and the Glory Days Music Store also fell victim to the disaster. As a result of this, Orange will be donating a rare and valuable Union Jack half-stack worth at least $6,000 – the last of only 20 made.

The company has also encouraged support from other manufacturers and suppliers and the list of items being added to the auction is being updated daily.  Included in the list of contributions is Sabian cymbals 'money-can't-buy' 14” Paragon Crash, personally signed by Rush’s Neil Peart to be personalised with the winner's name.  Also included is an Orange CR50BXT bass amp signed by Rush’s Geddy Lee also personalized with the winner’s name.

Rush Transcript Archive

Last month I began working on updating the "News Archives" for the albums released since 2000. This has led to a major project, the creation of "The Rush Transcript Archive"; but first, some quick back history.

The individual album News Archives began back in 2000 with the release of My Favorite Headache, when I began keeping track of various online news transcripts and the like. I later created similar archives for Vapor Trails, Feedback, Snakes, etc. Over time, however, those News Archives got lost in the depths of my various pages and were not exactly easy to find, especially to new or infrequent users to this site. With that in mind, I decided to move most of the contents of these News Archives to a single centralized page.

I quickly went to work on it and soon realized something was lacking...there was very little online content from before the year 2000. This problem was easily solved, however. As a member of the National Midnight Star mailing list, I remembered receiving transcripts of everything from magazine and newspaper articles to radio interviews and more, all shared from Rush fans from around the globe via TNMS. To flush out the pre-2000 content, the old NMS transcripts have been invaluable. In addition to TNMS, I have hundreds of news clippings to be found in my Tour Archive, some of which were also worthy of transcribing. And of course, I've been collecting various magazines featuring Rush through the years. I've been working on transcribing these as well, and many have also been transcribed already by other Rush websites and messageboards. So that's the back story.

I've added the new "Rush Transcript Archive" to the "Literature" tab on the main menu.  Included are numerous magazine cover stories from the 80's and 90's which had nearly been lost, including transcripts from multiple issues of Guitar Player, Metal Hammer, Guitar World, Modern Drummer, Circus, Kerrang, Guitar For The Practicing Musician and more. Also included are more recent transcripts of Classic Rock, Ontario Golf, Prog, Vintage Guitar, Guitar World, Bass Player, Bass Guitar, DRUM!, Rhythm magazines and more, many of which were provided by John Patuto at Cygnus-X1.net.

This massive archive is an ongoing work in progress, and I'll be adding to it frequently in the future. Please feel free to email any suggested additions (high resolution scans work best). To be notified of new additions to the Rush Transcript Archive, follow my Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/pwrwindows, or follow me on Facebook.

I should mention here that this Transcript Archive does not include transcripts of stories or literature which inspired Rush...those are found on the "Rush Inspirations" page. I should also mention that I have a massive collection of concert reviews from both the Snakes & Arrows and Time Machine tours; those reviews were not included in the Transcript Archive, and remain in the Tour Archives in the individual Snakes & Arrows Tour News Archive and Time Machine Tour News Archive. Those pages were just too massive, and include so much more than just transcript links, that I kept them as is. (Clear as mud, right?)

Video editor Glen Lazarro looks back on the making of the "Time Stand Still" music video

Video editor Glen Lazarro looks back on the making of the "Time Stand Still" music video, and includes the "spoof" video to the right which is not to be missed!:

"Producer Stuart Samuels called Sales Executive Steve Ostrow to book me for 7 days straight. I would have to be available 24 hours a day. Zbigniew Rybcznski wanted the freedom of working around-the-clock on two Music Videos. One for Rush and one for Mr. Mister. He wanted to, as he said, 'Edit Live.'

Director Zbigniew Rybcznski was know for his Oscar winning short 'Tango' and his supremely cool Music Video 'Close To The Edit' by 'The Art of Noise.'

His early work was shot and edited on film but lately he had become enamored with Video effects and had shot his last few projects on Videotape.  I personally thought he seemed more concerned with technology rather that esthetics.

The Floating Aimee Mann Video. An edit suite was set up in the control room of National’s largest stage where I would live for the next seven days. You can see the edit suite at 2:17 in the Rush Video.  Zibig moved his wife and children into one of the green rooms. Rush and Aimee Mann moved into adjoining rooms. I got a room in a Holiday Inn across the street from National I never saw.

Zibig had shot footage of country landscapes for Rush and the idea was to shoot short pieces of Rush performing the song against green screen and composite them together. When we started working he decided that he loved the stage and wanted to composite Rush over that instead. I suggested that we shoot them live in the stage but Zibig wanted everyone to 'float' around the stage. He also insisted that everything had to happen 'live.' Each new layer would be placed on top of the preceding layer without making protection copies or 'laying off' a copy, as we used to say. The green screen footage was shot with the same giant studio camera Aimee Mann is using in the Video. Zibig would give some vague direction to Rush, I would set up the effects, play the audio track and press record and multiple One-Inch tape machines would roll up on the third floor. For 3 days in a row. It didn’t matter what time it was. If Zibig got an idea at 3 in the morning he would wake everyone up (I was sleeping in the control room) and we would all go to work. We started on Saturday morning and on Tuesday night we finished." - Glen Lazarro, 99Tigers.com Thanks to Rushfanforever for the headsup!

2012 Rush Wall Calendars

There are two Rush Wall Calendar's currently available for preorder at this time.  The Official 2012 Rush Signals Wall Calendar will be available (Geddy's birthday!) and can be ordered here.

A second 2012 calendar features Rush's album covers and will also be available in July, and can be ordered here.

Alex Lifeson featured in Vintage Guitar and Total Guitar

Alex Lifeson is featured on the cover of the current (September) issue of Vintage Guitar which includes the feature story "Rush Keeps Rollin'".  The complete transcript is now available. - Thanks to John at Cygnus-X1.net for the transcript, with help from RushFanForever. 

"Critics have called them pretentious since the start, and not every rock listener signed on as a fan. But Rush has always focused on writing songs, playing, and performing to the best of their individual abilities. Through the group’s many musical changes, Alex Lifeson has provided unique guitar work, and played mandolin, bouzouki, mandola, along with other instruments." - Vintage Guitar

In addition, Alex Lifeson is also featured in the current issue of Total Guitar (#217) with:

"As the prog rockers wrap up their worldwide Time Machine Tour, guitarist Alex Lifeson gives Total Guitar a personal tour of his extensive live rig." - Total Guitar

Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is a new comprehensive book released April 1st from Eddie Trunk, the host of VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, as well as XM Radio's Eddie Trunk Live and Friday Night Rocks in New York City. Eddie includes Permanent Waves among his favorite all time albums, and the book includes an entire chapter on Rush, who were guests on both That Metal Show in 2009 as well as two separate episodes of Hangin' With in 2005 and 2006.  Click here to order.

"Known as a leading expert on all things hard rock and heavy metal, Eddie Trunk continues to entertain fans on the radio and as the host of VH1 Classic's hit television program That Metal Show with his passion for music. In his debut book, Eddie discusses his most essential bands, his unique personal experiences with them, his favorite 'Stump the Trunk' anecdotes and trivia, as well as his favorite playlists. Whether you're a classic Metallica or Megadeth metalhead or prefer the hair metal of old-school Bon Jovi or Poison, Eddie Trunk's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal salutes all who are ready to rock!"

While promoting his book, on August 9th, Noisecreep.com posted a short interview with Eddie Trunk where he was asked about his rare chance to interview Neil Peart:

"I was working at VH-1 Classic. I'd interviewed Geddy and Alex, twice, and you know, Neil is shy and reserved and does not really do interviews. I'd gotten a call from a book publisher doing press for one of Neil's books, about him biking all over the country after the tragic loss of his wife and daughter. Neil wanted the interview to be with me because he'd seen me talk to Geddy and Alex and he felt like he trusted me- that I 'got' the band. It was a great honor. He showed up at the door with zero entourage. Just wearing a backpack and a baseball cap - the most unassuming guy in the world. You'd never know it was him. After, he went out for a smoke and I went outside with him. We kept talking out there, in the heart of New York City, and not one person passing by realized who it was. Just amazing." - Eddie Trunk Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

iDrum's Neil Peart Collection Competition

iDrum in association with DW drums, Sabian cymbals and ProMark sticks is offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to bag some hightly collectable, not to mention valuable products from rock drumming legend, Neil Peart. 

The competition to own a piece of drum history, including a complete Neil Peart Evolution Snare Collection (that's four snares in a road case!), a three piece set of Neil's Sabian Paragon cymbals, as well as a BRICK of Neil's custom designed signature ProMark sticks. 

To enter simply subscribe to iDrum (it's free!).

Neil Peart's Time Machine drum setup in pictures

Today MusicRadar.com posted the story "Neil Peart's Time Machine drum setup in pictures", a sneak peak of what will be included in the upcoming August issue of Rhythm:

"'It's been my life's tangent,' says Neil Peart on the subject of the pursuit of excellence. Since he joined Rush back in 1975, Neil has been the poster boy for prog - disciplined, metronomic and powerful. When you meet him in person it is easy to see where the power comes from - he's an imposing guy, a fact often obscured by the gargantuan drum kit that usually surrounds him.  Watching Rush onstage during their current Time Machine tour, it is clear that something fundamental has changed. The band known for meticulously recreating their studio recordings live on stage are jamming. More than 35 years since Neil joined the world’s foremost power trio, Rush are still pushing themselves and breaking new ground.  Rhythm Magazine met up with Neil and his drum tech Lorne Wheaton backstage at London’s O2 Arena to talk about his kit, technique, influences and constantly developing as a drummer."  Click here for more.

All The World's A Stage Update

As we anticipate the release of Rush's Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland, I have given the site a facelift to celebrate the upcoming 35th Anniversary of Rush's first live album, All The World's A Stage, released on September 29th, 1976.

"With 2112, we felt we had reached a first plateau. We had realized the goals we set for ourselves before the second album. Musically, it looked like a logical place to do a live album. We had four albums' worth of material honed down into a live show. And the record company was hot for a live album." - Neil Peart, Circus Magazine, November 25, 1976

"All the World's a Stage, where you opened up the cover and, wow, there were three pages of pictures of us in action on stage...." - Geddy Lee, Sounds, November 1981

"North Stars: Canada’s Top 10 Guitarists" - Gibson

Alex Lifeson tops the list of Gibson's "North Stars: Canada’s Top 10 Guitarists":

1. Alex Lifeson: It must be hard being Alex Lifeson sometimes. Despite the fame and money, imagine having to match the drum and bass skills of Neil Peart and Geddy Lee for 37 years? Lifeson has done it, though. An undeniably great riff writer, he is also one of rock’s most idiosyncratic soloists, blending strong melodies with neo-jazz flurries across a Rush catalog that has leapt from Zep-esque slammers to acoustic ballads, from reggae-inflected pop to instrumental prog rock. An advocate of blending raw tone with technology (see the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess), Lifeson remains one of rock guitar's relentless explorers of new sounds. And Rush have even become cool again. "I think that younger bands look at us as perhaps a model that you can do it your way. You can play the music that you want to play," Lifeson recently told Crawdaddy.com. "You can find your audience, you can grow." Lifeson continues to do so. - Gibson.com, July 28, 2011

Recording Session featuring Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey and Les Claypool

UPDATE: Last week Neil Peart made available a clip of this jam session on his website; dubbed "Count Drumula", the musicians, Danny Carey and Les Claypool, Stewart Copeland and Neil Peart are billing themselves as CCCP.  No news yet if this was a one time occurance or if more will follow...stay tuned.
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According to today's Tool newsletter, Neil Peart recently was part of a recording session with fellow drummers Danny Carey and Stuart Copeland as well as bassist Les Claypool:

"...recently DANNY got together for a drumming/recording session with NEIL PEART (RUSH) and STEWART COPELAND (THE POLICE). LES CLAYPOOL was also involved, but I'm not sure as to what capacity. Whether or not these guys will get together again, or anything will come from the initial 'session', I really don't know." - Toolband.com, April 29, 2011 - Thanks to Ed at Rushisaband for the headsup!

The Modern Guitar Rigs: The Tone Fanatic's Guide to Integrating Amps and Effects

Alex Lifeson is one of the artists featured in The Modern Guitar Rigs: The Tone Fanatic's Guide to Integrating Amps and Effects released this month by Hal Leonard Publishing.

Showing players how to take their sound beyond traditional tones and into the future, in this book Scott Kahn (editor in chief of Musicplayers.com) explores topics of interest to guitarists looking to build pro-level rigs whether they're playing clubs at the indie band level, getting set for a major tour, heading into the studio to record a new CD, or just searching for ultimate tone. The Modern Guitar Rig explores advanced topics including:

• Rack gear: Multi-effects and dedicated signal processors, switching systems, foot controllers, wireless systems, and more
• Amp setups: Rack-mounted tube preamps and power amps, stereo rigs, wet/dry/wet and other configurations
• Guitar options: Piezoelectric pickups and splitting guitar signals to multiple amps
• Tools for recording tube amps: power attenuators, dummy load simulators, direct recording options
• Virtual guitar rigs and modeled guitar amps in the studio and on stage Each section and chapter addresses a different set of tools while delivering rich detail, supported by scores of illustrations, and describing a range of popular products for the contemporary guitarist. Kahn also looks at the guitar rigs of pro players and analyzes how their rigs are wired, configured, and controlled.

Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

"Drummer Neil Peart's body is finely tuned instrument" - Los Angeles Times

In today's Los Angeles Times is the story "Drummer Neil Peart's body is finely tuned instrument".  Writer James S. Fell visited with Peart backstage before this month's Vancouver show to discuss the fine art of fitness:

"Drummer Neil Peart's body is finely tuned instrument" - Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2011

Cue Simpsons-Comic-Book-Store-Guy voice: Best. Band. Ever!

If you're a good drummer, it's a physically demanding job. To be the greatest, you must follow a training regimen that goes beyond the lighted stage.

A recent reader's poll in Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed my fellow Canadian Neil Peart of Rush to be the greatest living drummer, and I, many drum magazines and TV's "Family Guy" agree. Accordingly, I endeavored to snag an interview with a man who rarely gives interviews. I wanted to discover how a rocker — a career not known for promoting health or longevity — can keep his body a skin-smashing machine after 37 years in the same rock trio giving calorie-combusting concert performances that would blow the lumbar discs and ventricles of lesser men.

Steel Assassin Cover "Red Sector A" for New Album

"We are currently in the recording studio, recording our brand new album, WWII: Metal Of Honor. As you might gather from the title, all the brand new songs deal with battles / events surrounding WWII.

"In addition to the eight brand new original tunes on the record, we will also be covering the RUSH song, 'Red Sector A'. As of this message, we have the drums recorded, and we'll be going in periodically to add the bass, guitars, vocals.

"The record should be released this fall. High Roller Records will release a vinyl version. We are in negotiations with some labels for the CD version."- Bassist Phil Grasso, Bravewords.com, July 20, 2011 Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

Rush Tops Rolling Stone Readers Poll: The Best Prog Rock Bands of All Time

UPDATE: Even if Rolling Stone's writers can't get it right, at least their readers have a clue...  From today's Rollingstone.com:

Readers Poll: The Best Prog Rock Bands of All Time: "You chose Tool, Genesis, King Crimson...and a certain trio from Canada"

1. Rush: "Well, this poll wasn't even close. Rush won in a landslide – but this couldn't come as any surprise. The Canadian trio have perhaps the most intense and enthusiastic fan community in all of rock. The band deserves such commitment. While most of their peers have fallen apart due to greed or laziness, Rush has maintained the same line-up since 1975 and their concerts are as spellbinding as they ever were. It's also beyond dispute that Neil Peart is the greatest drummer on the planet. They just wrapped up an epic tour where they played Moving Pictures straight through, and are working on a new album. Here's hoping that they bust out 2112 the next time out. It's the only way to top that last tour." - Rollingstone.com, July 20, 2011 Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

From today's Rollingstone.com:

"Last week, we asked Rolling Stone readers to name their favorite dancing musicians of all time – and we compiled the votes into a top 10 list.  Our question for you this week is: What is the best prog rock band of all time?  You can vote here, on facebook.com/rollingstone or on Twitter with the #weekendrock hashtag." - Rollingstone.com, July 15, 2011 Thanks to Rushfanforever for the headsup!

Roll The Bones 24 KT Gold Disk By Audio Fidelity Now Available

As previously announced, Audio Fidelity's 24 karat gold remastered reissue of Roll The Bones hits store shelves July 19th.  This is sure to become a collectors item, so it you haven't done so already, click here to order.

"Roll The Bones," Rush's fourteenth studio album, released in 1991, is a fantastic blend of tempos, ideas, and musical explorations. The album marks further transition from the band's 1980s style to their sound in the 1990s - it still has Rush's dark mystique but it is a more pop-oriented album.  There are four popular radio staples, "Bravado," "Ghost Of A Chance," "Roll the Bones" and "Dreamline" with the former reaching #1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, while "Where's My Thing" was Grammy nominated for Best Rock Instrumental.  The band reunited with producer Rupert Hine for his second Rush album and Roll the Bones became their first US Top 5 album since 1981 peaking at #3 on the Billboard Top 200. The album also won the Canadian band that country's 1992 Juno Award for best album cover design.  The album excels in the songwriting and the musicianship is first-rate: Geddy Lee's bass playing and vocals, Alex Lifeson's guitar work and Neil Peart continues his journey for the perfect drum sound.  Rush has been around for many years, and has gone though many musical phases, always willing to try new things  and to experiment musically, lyrically, and technologically. Roll The Bones lives up to its name, Rush took some chances... and still made a great record." - AudioFidelity.net

Roll The Bones is the first gold release by Audio Fidelity, with additional Rush gold releases are expected to follow in the near future.  Rush's previous gold releases, 2112, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and Signals were released by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, who announced in 2008:

"After literally months of examination and discussions with the artists, due to the age and fragility of most of original first-generation analog masters to classic Rush titles, we've had to cancel plans to release the titles we had planned. They have deemed that the original masters should not be used for any future re-mastering, and we have to respect that decision. We apparently lucked out big-time with Permanent Waves as it was in pristine condition. Sorry for the bad news but we're not feeling so hot about it ourselves. I believe another indie label is now looking into releasing some Rush titles in the future but mastered from copy tapes." - Michael Grantham, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, March 2008

Rush ICON Enhanced 2CD Now Available

The "enhanced" version of Rush ICON is also now available.  Hitting shelves July 19th, ICON is now a 2CD set, the first disc is the same as last year's ICON release, and a second disk has been added to include live versions of various songs culled from All The World's A Stage, Exit Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure Live and A Show of Hands.  Buy now!

• Disc 1: Working Man; Fly Be Night; The Necromancer; The Twilight Zone; Closer To the Heart; Circumstances; Freewill; Limelight; The Analog Kid; Red Sector A; Marathon; Force Ten
• Disc 2: Bastille Day Live; 2112 Live; The Spirit of Radio Live; Tom Sawyer Live; La Villa Strangiato Live; Closer To the Heart Live; New World Man Live; Vital Signs Live; The Big Money Live; Mystic Rhythms Live; Time Stand Still Live

"In August 2010, as part of the launch of its successful ICON Series, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) released the single disc, 12-song collection Rush ICON featuring tracks from their first 12 Mercury studio albums. With songs including "Working Man" off their 1974 debut, the title track of 1975's Fly By Night, "Closer To The Heart" from 1977's A Farewell To Kings, "Freewill" from 1980's Permanent Waves, the hit "Limelight" from 1981's quadruple platinum-selling album Moving Pictures and "Red Sector A" from their 1984 release Grace Under, Rush ICON is now available as part of this specially priced, two-disc set. Disc 2 of Rush: Icon 2 is the first-ever compilation of highlights from the band's four Mercury live albums. Kicking off disc two is the hard-hitting classic "Bastille Day" and their opus "2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx" from the 1976 platinum-selling All The World's A Stage which marked their first Top 40 album in the U.S.  Also included are live recordings of the No. 4 hit single "The Spirit Of The Radio," "La Villa Strangiato" and the Top 10 hit "Tom Sawyer," taken from 1981's Exit…Stage Left which reached Top 10 on the Billboard 200.   Also included are live versions of the No. 4 hit "The Big Money," "Mystic Rhythms" and "Time Stands Still," taken from 1989's Top 50 live album A Show of Hands, and "Closer To The Heart," "New World Man" and "Vital Signs" taken from Grace Under Pressure Tour 1984." - Rush: Icon 2 Compilation to Include Highlights From Their Four Mercury Live Albums, PRNewswire.com, July 18, 2011

Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - July 2011

Neil Peart has updated his website with the July 2011 edition of News, Weather and Sports.  In "The Frying Pan and the Freezer", Neil recounts biking through Big Bend National Park in Texas on the hottest ride he had ever taken, 112 degrees, making a "Civil Rights" tour through Alabama, looping down the Mississippi, then west to the coast and then north into the Pacific Northwest for the final show of the Time Machine Tour at The Gorge:

"Added to the forty-four shows and more than 23,000 miles of motorcycling from summer 2010, my bandmates and I had now performed a total of eighty-one shows, before almost one million people. With riding partners Michael and Brutus, I had ridden 36,729 motorcycle miles, covering North America, South America, and Europe."

In conclusion, Neil thanks the roadcrew, their families back home, and briefly touches on the thrill of a sublime performance:

"...these days an exceptional night is often apparent in our improvised sections-Geddy on his bass in the outro of 'Leave That Thing Alone,' Alex in the frenetic solo section of 'Working Man,' and for me, the first half of my solo. When the three of us are at the top of our individual games, we are able to elevate the whole to a sublime synergy."

"Limelight" makes Guitar World's "100 Greatest Classic Rock Guitar Songs"

The August 2011 issue of Guitar World includes their list of the 100 Greatest Classic Rock Guitar Songs of All Time", "complete with stories from the bands that made them". Coming in at #25 is:

"Limelight"
Artist: Rush (Moving Pictures, 1980 [sic])
Recorded: Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec: October-November 1980
Guitarist: Alex Lifeson
Gear: Stratocaster with Bill Lawrence L-5000 in the bridge and a Floyd Rose vibrato, Marshall 4140 Club & Country Combo
Background: "'Limelight' is about being under the microscopic scrutiny of the public, and the need for privacy-trying to separate the two and not always being successful at it," guitarist Alex Lifeson says. "Because we've never been a high-profile band, we've managed to retain a lot of our privacy. But we've had to work at it."  For the recording, Lifeson used a modified Strat with a heavier and denser body. "We set up a couple of amps outside of the studio as well as inside," he recalls, "so we got a nice long repeat from the sound echoing in the surrounding mountains. The approach on that solo was tro try to make it as fluid as possible. There was a lot of bending with lots of long delay repeats and reverb, so notes falling off would overlap with notes coming up. I spent a fair amount of time on that to get the character, but once we locked in on the sound, it came easily." Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Space Shuttle Songs: The Music Astronauts Wake Up To

Marking the final launch of NASA's historic Shuttle Program, Spinner Canada counts down their top ten wake-up songs. Coming in at #1 is "Countdown":

"Canada brought more to the Shuttle Program than the Canadarm, and it came in the form of a Rush song. The iconic Canuck prog-rockers' 1982 single 'Countdown' was wholly inspired by Columbia's first trip in 1981, the first of the Shuttle Program. The song even samples audio from this launch and was played to wake up the crew on Columbia's 27th flight in 2002, on the day the shuttle landed back on Earth for the last time. So it's a pretty perfect pick to complete our wake-up song countdown as NASA's space shuttle program enters T-Minus Zero." - Spinner.ca, June 8, 2011 Thanks to Rushfanforever for the headsup!

Rush Makes The Guinness Book of World Records

Rush is included in the 2011 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition for the "Longest Song Featured In A Rhythm Game:

Holder: "2112" (Rush, 1976)
The prize for the longest commercially released song to be featured in a rhythm game goes to veteran Canadian rockers Rush, whose 20-min 23-sec 1976 track "2112" features as the final number in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision, 2010). - Thanks To RushIsABand for the headsup!

Alex Lifeson To Record With Andrew Cole

Toronto born musician Andrew Cole is currently working on his follow-up to last year's Why We Wonder.  Cole is working with Tom Cochrane on two new songs slated for release this fall, which will include a guest appearance by Alex Lifeson, as well as members of Jane's Addiction and Paul McCartney's band:

"Nobody knows about that, it's the first time I've said it. We wanted to get it out for the summer, but they're all on tour; it was really hard to get everyone," said Cole. "To have all these people on one song is strange because you don't know how it’s going to work out. It could be absolutely brilliant or could be a disaster." - InsideHalton.com, June 30, 2011

Chill Magazine's 144 reasons to be a proud Canadian

Celebrating Canada Day on July 1st, the latest issue of Canada's Chill magazine includes 144 reasons to be a proud Canadian.  Coming in at #21 is Rush:

"This Canadian rock and roll trio is known for its complex compositions, its lyrical mastership and being on the cover of issue 43 of Chill Magazine." - Chill, July/August 2011 Thanks to Frank Panacci for the headsup!

"Fly By Night" one of Toronto's Top 50 Rock Songs Of All Time

Toronto's Post City has scoured the archives to come up with their list of the top 50 rock songs in Toronto history. The only limitation is one song per artist or band.  Included in the list is "Fly By Night":

"Fly by Night” - "it all began with the hiring of legendary drummer Neil Peart, who replaced John Rutsey for the band’s second album and helped take the Willowdale group to dizzying heights of musical complexity."

In addition to the above article, two additional articles were included in today's issue written by the Rheostatic's Dave Bidini, regarding the influence of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on today's music. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Neil Peart on CBC's "Strombo" Now Online

Neil Peart appeared on CBC's Strombo with host George Stroumboulopoulos this past Friday night.  The episode is now online here. 

In addition, on Thursday Rush tweeted an excerpt of the interview, where Neil discusses...drumming:

"The drummer and lyricist for Rush on how his relationship with drumming has changed over the years - and the evolution of his monster drum solo. 'I get lost in it ... and I do challenge myself,' he says of his largely improvised solo. 'There are no consequences. There's no mistake. If I do something weird, play it twice and it's a new part.'" - "Neil Peart on Drumming", Strombo, June 16, 2011

Previously Strombo posted "Moving Pictures, track-by-track":

"The Rush drummer breaks down the band's classic album Moving Pictures, track-by- track...'That was an important time musically and a great time for the three of us in terms of having a good time and sharing our goals and making music,' he says about the recording of the album, originally released in 1981. 'There was nothing self-indulgent or so-called pretentious about it. It was true boyish enthusiasm that was involved in creating all those things. We were progressing and learning and developing taste at the same time...We still like to play these songs,' says Peart, 'and we're still proud of them.'" - "Neil Peart On 'Moving Pictures': Track-By-Track", Strombo, June 3, 2011

Neil Peart's appearance on Strombo was filmed Monday March 21st.

Rush Fan Amy Poehler

In this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly, comedienne Amy Poehler discusses her first album: Signals:

"I grew up with classic rock: Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, Led Zeppelin. That was cool music. With Signals, I just have been 10 or 11. The Grease double album may have been earlier, but I was one of those girls who actually like Rush. Still am." - Amy Poehler, Entertainment Weekly, June 24 2011 issue Thanks to Stephen Humphries and James Dagel for the headsup!

Rush Voted The #1 Greatest Live Act In The World

The readers of MusicRadar.com have voted The 30 Greatest Live Acts In The World Today; guess who comes in at #1?

"RUSH: So there we have it. The greatest live act in the world today is a Canadian trio who have been taking their hugely popular brand of progressive rock on the road for nigh-on four decades.  Rush are still selling out arenas across the globe and anyone who attended the recent Time Machine shows in the UK will confirm that they were nothing short of captivating for three and a half hours. Geddy, Alex and Neil, we salute you." - MusicRadar.com, June 16, 2011 Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for the headsup!

Neil Peart On the Late Show with David Letterman

Neil Peart appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman last night as part of "Drum Solos Week".  Neil performed a scaled down version of his Time Machine tour solo, coming in at just over four minutes.  The complete episode is available at CBS.com.

Before making his appearance on the Late Show, Neil Peart sat down with MusicRadar to talk about the art of the drum solo - his own, those of his heroes, and improvisation, as well as performing on the Late Show:

"Peart admits that when he was approached to be part of Drum Solos Week, his initial reaction was, 'I don't know...it's not really my thing. But then I thought, Hey, a drum solo on TV - sounds great! I'd be very honored to be the ambassador to drum solos.'  Only now there's the TV time factor, and it's got Peart's fertile mind running in circles. The show's producers have asked the renowned sticksman to keep the razzle-dazzle down to 'three, maybe four minutes,' says Peart.  'My regular live drum solo is about eight and a half minutes, so I decided I'd have to do a mental edit, accelerate the changes and minimize the improvisational parts and so on. At the rehearsal, during my first attempt, I had it down to about four minutes and 50 seconds, and the producers were giving me these worrisome looks.' Peart's second run-through was more acceptable: 'I got it down to about four minutes and two seconds...So all I have to do tonight is play that four-minute-and-two-second version of the solo, settle down and play the tempo and the end properly, and I'll be happy.'" - MusicRadar.com, June 7, 2011 Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Last night's (June 9th) episode was filmed the afternoon of Monday, June 6th.  Long time fan Bill Banasiewicz (B-man) was in attendance, and reported after the audience left the theater, he could hear the drum solo being performed a second time, perhaps for close up camera shots without obstructing the audience's view, etc.

Modern Rock Review's Feature On Rush

The Modern Rock Review has published an extensive feature on Rush.   Included are two multi-part articles, two editorial articles, and a discography. - Thanks to Ric Albano at Modern Rock Review for the headsup!

Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - June 2011

Neil Peart has updated his website with the June edition of News, Weather and Sports.  Titled "Singletrack Minds in the Sceptered Isle" Neil recounts riding the single lane roads of Britain during the UK leg of the Time Machine Tour.  Neil gives commentary on the roads, the riders, the foliage, the history, and a glimpse of shows:

"After the initial shows in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Malmo, Sweden, we played that first-ever show in Ireland, in Dublin, and that was a thrill. (In the comic movie that opens our Time Machine shows, I have a minor role as an Irish cop named O'Malley, and I was delighted when the audience cheered when O'Malley said, 'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—sounds like the damned howling in Hades,' and they cheered again when Alex’s 'Slobovich' mentioned the name 'O'Malley.') Then came some good shows in Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, and finally London. Rotterdam and Frankfurt would follow, and I always explain that every show is important to a dedicated professional, but somehow London, like Toronto, is always 'a big one' for me—a kind of home-town show." - Neil Peart, "News Weather and Sports", June 2011

Crawdaddy's Look at the Music Biz for 2011

Crawdaddy! Magazine has posted a short feature on their website taking a look at the music business in 2011.  Included is a nice paragraph on Rush:

"Meanwhile, Rush is quietly packing amphitheatres for another go-around of their very successful Time Machine Tour. They’re getting very little PR from their label, because they don’t really need it. Rush, in spite of recent mainstream success, remains at their core a cult band. Besides, we Rush fans probably know what they’re doing before their label does. At least it feels that way. In spite of the show being exactly the same as the one from last year, they are still selling them out, or nearly so. Rush’s 2010 Time Machine Tour grossed almost 19 million dollars and sold over a quarter of a million tickets, making it number one on Billboard’s Hot Tours for 2010, right behind my arch-nemesis Toby Marie Keith (yep, his middle name is Marie. Also, Pinkie Pie is his favorite My Little Pony)." - Crawdaddy.com, June 3, 2011 Thanks to Kevin Rossi for the headsup!

Les Claypool discusses performing for Rush's Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction

In a new story discussing Primus' first studio album in 11 years, Les Claypool discusses performing during Rush's Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony early last year:

"And it’s funny, because I don’t get nervous really. The things I get nervous about are strange things, like hanging out at my kid’s school with all the parents. But that Rush thing I was really nervous about — we played 'Spirit Of Radio' with cello, vibraphone and marimba, and I said a little speech, and I actually kinda croaked a bit during the speech. And that’s just not like me. But it was certainly strange playing in front of what looked like a society crowd. And the Rush guys! It was like everyone was wearing a monocle or something!" - Les Claypool, San Francisco Examiner, June 6, 2011

Alex Lifeson To Appear In "Ecstasy"

Toronto independent filmmaker Rob Heydon has shot a feature adaptation of Scottish author Irvine Welsh's book Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance. The film, Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy, which wrapped production in January in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, includes the popular up and coming actor and sometimes guitarist, Alex Lifeson. Lifeson plays Dr. Figg, who works in a mental hospital and commits Billy Boyd's character for a breakdown after consuming too much Ecstasy; click here for a video clip.

With a budget of $5 million, Heydon started shooting about a month ago and is aiming to debut the project at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. - Yahoo News Canada, December 31, 2010

"News out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is that the latest Irvine Welsh film adaptation should be a treat for music fans. Based on a story by the Trainspotting author, Ecstasy is being helmed by director Rob Heydon and shot in the Canadian city. The Sault Star reports that the film has several musical connections. Chief among those connections is a killer soundtrack, featuring Arcade Fire, Brian Eno, Paul Oakenfold, Aphex Twin, Deadmau5 and Primal Scream. According to Heydon, Welsh’s prior success helped pave the way to some of the music rights. 'I think based on the success of Trainspotting it was easier to get the music than the average Canadian film,' he said. 'It'll surprise a lot of people.' Sharp-eyed viewers will also catch a glimpse of a Canadian musical legend in the film’s cast. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson reportedly plays an 'unconventional physician' in the movie." - "Ecstasy to Feature All-Star Soundtrack, Rush Cameo", Gibson.com, June 6, 2011