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After the first shock wave had subsided that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will go on tour as a rush in the coming year, most fans addressed their attention to the question, who would replace the deceased Neil Peart on drums.
The answer: German virtuoso Anika Nilles. “We couldn’t be enthusiastic to present them to our loyal and committed rush fans,” said Lee in a statement. “We know that you will give her every chance to do justice to this almost impossible role.” In a video for the tour of the tour, Lee explained how he came into contact with Nilles. “How do you replace someone who is irreplaceable?” He asked.
“I had heard of Scully, my bass technician, who had been on tour with Jeff Beck. [Alex] And I got new swing through the interaction with her. We heard our songs awakened to life again. Only after these successful rehearsals with her did I have the feeling: ‘Yes, we can do it. We can do justice. And that will be fun. ‘”
Nilles has long been a term for real drum lovers. On her YouTube channel, you will follow 225,000 subscribers, where she shows her impressive skill and jammt with greats like the guitarist Joshua de la Victoria and drummer KAZ Rodriquez. However, most rock fans are still unknown – even if they saw them on the side of Jeff Beck in 2022. Nilles has played drums since childhood and developed a deep connection to her instrument early on. “The drums are a very physical instrument,” she told 15 quests. “It is about coordinating the limbs and having a clear idea of the rhythms and sounds that you want to create. For me, playing drums often feels like yoga – there is only me and drums, and everything else disappears for a while. That is really liberating.”
From kindergarten to the world stage
At the age of 16, Nilles explained to her parents that she wanted to make a living with playing drums. “No, no, no!” She said, she remembered in 2023 in conversation with “The Beat”. “‘You have to do something serious first.’ So I studied social work for five years. It was only at the end of twenty that she quit to devote herself to the music. “I always knew that I wasn’t really happy in this job,” she told Modern Drummer in 2017. “But if you earn money and are safe, it is not easy to quit.”
After her exit, Nilles wrote down at the Baden-Württemberg pop academy in Mannheim. “When I practiced at the university, I closed the doors and covered the windows so that nobody could see who played,” she said Drumeo. “I hated the idea that people could hear me fail. But at some point I realized that I made real progress – mentally and musically.” In 2013 Nilles published her first song “Wild Boy” online. Videos of her spread quickly and led to international tours and teaching orders. In 2017 she followed her debut album Pikalar, and in 2022 she played on the last tour of the guitar god Jeff Beck.
A new chapter for Rush
Haven’t accepted a new member since the obligation of Neil Peart in 1974. Even when they expanded their sound with keyboards, they refrained from bringing more musicians onto the stage. Instead, Lee found paths to sing, play bass at the same time and take over the keyboard parts. These times are now over. “There is another decision,” says Lee in the announcement video. “I think the idea is great, too [Lifeson] And to be able to go over to the drummer and just to be a bassist. I think we will expand the band by another member, maybe a keyboardist. What do you think of this idea? ” “I think it’s great,” says Lifeson. “I think it will be a lot of fun spending a little time together on the stage.”
Meanwhile, Nilles will appreciate the work of Neil Peart behind the stage and one of the greatest prog bands in history will help a new, unexpected triumph. Your life will never be the same as before.