Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
You have to make a choice: honesty or loyalty”. It was a striking and emotional moment, as the Rush singer and bass player spoke about the request by his ailing friend Neil Peart to keep the drummer’s diagnosis of cancer secret from the rest of the world. Of course, Geddy Lee chose the latter but along with all the rest of the laughter and stories in this evening as part of his book tour, this spoke more about the bond between the band members than anything else.
Fifty-five years after first forming and eight years after the band was dissolved, Rush still hold a huge place in the hearts of their global legions of fans, their unique brand of progressive hard rock appealing both to hearts and minds alongside the visceral thrill of their twisting heavy duty tunes. With the fascination remaining sky high for the trio, the chance to peek into their complex world is an irresistible one and who better to tell the tale than Lee, his book ‘My Effin’ Life’ so much more than an autobiography and more an insight into the workings of one of the biggest acts in the world. Barring the three shows done last year that saw Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson reunite for a show with Primus and the two Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts, a book tour to promote the tone was a welcome chance to see Lee as halls and theatres filled to witness the musician back on stage.
With a different guest host each night for the first half, this evening’s interviewer was revealed as writer David Baddiel, who admitted that whilst he liked Rush, he’d brought brother Ivor along who was a huge fan of the trio. With each host bringing their own flavour to proceedings, Baddiel dug deeply into Lee’s Jewish heritage and upbringing, the story of his parent’s love affair started in the concentration camp at Auschwitz deeply moving and an extraordinary look into the family that shaped the young man.
Whilst music was something not spoken about much in the household, the shock revelation that Lee’s father had been a musician before they came to America and the purchase of a guitar by his mother after being widowed showed the two distinct sides of their family life. Further to this, his mother was upset about the length of Lee’s hair prior to his bar mitzvah and had a portrait painted, rather than a photographic record of the event. Initially somewhat dismissive of his choice of career, things changed dramatically when the band started appearing on television, his mother proudly declaring “my son’s in showbusiness!”.
All this was said with much warmth, the tales of the band’s growth and the respect for artists as diverse as Tool, Queens of the Stone Age and Bjork a fascinating insight into their workings. Inspired by the playing of Jack Bruce and John Entwistle, these first hesitant steps with the ringing phrase “no-one wants to be a bass player” going around his head, shaped the man known to millions across the globe as he followed the advice he’s given to other musicians since of “hang on to your dreams”. With an extraordinary vocal style once described as “a Guinea pig with an amphetamine habit”, nothing was going to stop Lee from achieving his goals.
The second half of the evening started with a reading from the book, praising his old friend Lifeson and with a knowing glint in his eye, Lee introduced the guitarist as a special guest for the night, the roar from the packed auditorium almost deafening. Joining the pair, journalist Phil Wilding acted as question master, putting queries to them from members of the audience.
Along with the mixed blessings of punk entering the music world, the pair explored their rich history and covered subjects such as their most under-rated tracks, how KISS, UFO and Primus were the best touring partners and Aerosmith were bottom of the list (the Bostonian’s famously not letting Rush soundcheck for any of the forty dates the band opened for them). Amongst tales of occasional drug use, Paul McCartney’s offer to manage them, watching Open University whilst recording at Rockfield in Wales and Lifeson’s creativity with making elaborate joint of marijuana whilst touring with Hawkwind, there was time for reflection about their fallen comrade.
Done with great respect and obvious affection, the pair spoke about the bond the three had for decades, giving an insight into the inner workings of the Rush machine and how the tragic losses to Peart and his eventual passing affected them both. With great candor, Lifeson admitted that their final R40 tour was the first time any schisms appeared with the band, he and Lee wanting to carry on but Peart set on retiring and intractable in this aim. With the drummer’s cancer diagnosis changing things seismically, the relationship between the trio and the band inexorably reaching a conclusion but the love for each other and the pride in the Rush back catalogue something immutable.
One of the biggest joys of the evening was the obvious spark between Lee and Lifeson, the two as much a comedy act as world class musicians, their warmth for each other practically radiating from the stage. It was a wonderful thing to witness.
Whilst the two had spoken briefly about working together on film or television soundtracks as a potential plan for the future, the elephant in the room about the possibility of the two going out on tour together to play Rush songs was left unmentioned. Whether this ever happens or not, this evening, the book and their past history of recording and touring was enough for fans to hold the roaring flame of love they have for the trio in their hearts for many, many years to come. Geddy Lee, an extraordinary man and an extraordinary effin’ life.
