The new Rush touring drummer Anika Nilles, who has the difficult task of replacing the band’s late legendary drummer Neil Peart on their upcoming tour, has spoken in an interview with Classic Rock about the musician’s technique and the challenge of playing his songs. New Rush drummer Anika Niles talks about Neil Peart's technique "His playing was very energetic, and I really like that. That’s something I feel very comfortable with. I also love playing in a very energetic way. That’s the first thing that comes to mind, and something I really appreciate about his playing. He also had an incredible range of tonal colours. He had a very melodic approach to drumming and used a wide variety of sounds to achieve that. That set him apart and made him stand out to many drummers, for whom he was – and still is – a role model. He had a very distinctive way of playing the ride cymbal. When you listen to the music, that cymbal always stands out prominently. He had a very distinctive snare sound as well. There are certain signature sounds that come directly from his playing – not from the equipment, but from him. You recognise him immediately. Adapting to his way of playing is a challenge. Neil rarely repeated himself. He kept bringing something new into the song. Even if a section repeated in terms of songwriting, his drumming the second time was different from the first. That makes it exciting and is part of what gives the songs their identity. At the same time, it’s a challenge to remember all those details, because they’re important. It’s a composition; you can’t just ignore certain parts, they’re all essential and have to be played. That’s challenging," Anika Niles said. Rush 2026 tour dates June 7 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum 9 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum 11 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum 18 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes 24 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena 26 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena 28 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena 30 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena July 16 – Chicago, IL – United Center 18 – Chicago, IL – United Center 20 – Chicago, IL – United Center 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center 28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden August 1 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 3 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 7 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 9 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 13 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena 26 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena September 2 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden 17 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena 19 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena 23 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center October 5 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena 10 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena 15 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center 25 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena 30 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena November 5 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Live 9 – Tampa, FL – Benchmark Arena 20 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena December 1 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena 10 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena Rush 2027 tour dates January 15 – Buenos Aires, AR – Movistar Arena 22 – Curitiba, BR – Arena da Baixada 24 – São Paulo, BR – Allianz Parque 30 – Rio de Janeiro, BR – Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos (Engenhão) February 1 – Belo Horizonte, BR – Estádio Mineirão 4 – Brasília, BR – Arena BRB Mané Garrincha 19 – Paris, FR – La Défense Arena 21 – Berlin, DE – Uber Arena 23 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome 25 – Munich, DE – Olympiahalle 28 – Cologne, DE – LANXESS Arena March 2 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena 4 – Stuttgart, DE – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle 8 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro 12 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live 16 – London, UK – O2 Arena 18 – London, UK – O2 Arena 27 – Kraków, PL – TAURON Arena Kraków 30 – Milan, IT – Unipol Dome April 1 – Basel, CH – St. Jakobshalle 4 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena 6 – Oslo, NO – Unity Arena 8 – Stockholm, SE – Avicii Arena 10 – Helsinki, FI – Veikkaus Arena https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVw-4L59Tw0&pp=ygUJcnVzaCAyMDI2
