Rush News

Rush Awarded the 2017 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award

As was previously announced, last night Rush were awarded the 2017 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award for their achievements and longstanding career in the music industry, social activism and support of humanitarian causes.  Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were on hand to accept the award, which was presented by Toronto Mayor John Tory who was wearing a Moving Pictures t-shirt. 

Leading up to the event, Billboard.com posted Why Rush Might Be the Most Generous Band In the World:
On April 20, Rush will receive the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award for its social activism and support of humanitarian causes, as well as for recognition of its remarkable music career. The award will be presented during the annual Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards gala dinner in Toronto, an event during Canadian Music Week.

"They're giving us an award for doing what everyone should do," Geddy Lee tells Billboard. "It should be a part of everyone's upbringing and routine of life: You share when you've been blessed with good fortune. The world needs a lot of work, and there are not enough workers. We try to help where we can."

Alex Lifeson talks Rush's future and A Farewell to Kings 40th Anniversary Release

In a brand new interview with SiriusXM's "Debatable", conducted at last week's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in New York, the arthritis-stricken Lifeson stated about RUSH's current status: "I would say that it's unlikely that we'll tour again as RUSH. Really, we toured for forty-one years, and I have to say that first year off, I felt like I was grieving for my career and the band, but truly, forty-one years of touring the way we toured, I shouldn't feel badly about that."

RUSH recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its landmark 1976 album "2112" with a deluxe reissue featuring rare live and previously unreleased material, and, according to Lifeson, "right now there's some work being done on a similar thing with [1977's] 'A Farewell To Kings'." He said: "We're not really involved in that so much; it's a record-company thing, or a publisher thing. We like to be slightly involved, in just giving approvals and make sure that everything's done in a way that we would like to see it."

Even though there are no plans for RUSH to regroup in the foreseeable future, Lifeson revealed that "Ged and I will probably do something together. He's been really busy. He's working on his own little book project. He's become quite a bass guitar collector, and he wants to do a little thing on the history of the instrument. So that's keeping him super busy." As for Peart, Lifeson said: "I'm not sure what Neil's doing these days. He's on the West Coast. He's always got something going on."

Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/alex-lifeson-says-its-unlikely-rush-will-ever-tour-again/#O5BJOlu1aZsTbi0T.99

In the Limelight: the Alex Lifeson ES-Les Paul

Gibson guitars have announced the release of Gibson Memphis’s Limited Edition Alex Lifeson ES-Les Paul.  "It’s built in association with Rush legend Lifeson, and you can see why he loves it. Visually, it echoes the ES-355 he played for much the 1970s on classic Rush album such as 2112 and A Farewell To Kings. This new ES-model has that visual appeal, but in the more compact Les Paul format he’s favored for Rush’s recent years. Indeed, Gibson’s ES-Les Paul design itself could have been built with Lifeson in mind – it’s versatile and full of different tones. In this finish, it’s just right for him... and anyone who likes a stunningly different guitar."  For more visit Gibson.com