Geddy Lee says he felt bad play again at Rush’s final show venue

The Rush co-founder, bassist, keyboardist and vocalist Geddy Lee is currently promoting his autobiography “My Effin Life” and in an interview with Rolling Stone he recalled how hard it was for him to play again at The Forum in Inglewood, California in 2022 at the Taylor Hawkins’ tribute.

He performed Rush songs alongside his bandmate Alex Lifeson there for the first time since 2015 when the final Rush show happened at the same place. However, this time they didn’t had their longtime drummer and main lyricist Neil Peart who passed away in 2020 at the age of 67 after years battling cancer.

Lee said that he didn’t feel good during that show because of all the emotion and memories about Neil and the final Rush show with him seven years before.

Geddy Lee says he felt bad play again at Rush’s final show venue

“I didn’t realize at the time. It was only in retrospect because I was so off at the L.A. show. I wasn’t myself. At the London show, the Wembley show, I was celebratory. I was honoring Taylor at the same time I was playing, again, songs I loved, and playing with new people. The atmosphere at that gig was just magic. There was so much love.”

“I know it sounds corny, but there really was so much love in that building at Wembley. It was the most special gig I think I’ve ever done in my life, in that regard. Every artist, even artists I didn’t know, was there for the same reason. There was no ego, no hint of competitiveness. And I found it really rejuvenating. It filled me up. I realized, I’ve missed this. I miss playing. I love being in this atmosphere where every musician is rooting for the other musician.”

He continued:

“But when I got to L.A., I didn’t feel the same. There was something about being in that building that was really disturbing me, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I couldn’t figure it out until I walked on stage and realized that this was returning to the scene of the crime.”

“Yeah. And it all fell together and I realized, OK, this is the end of this period for me. The grief has to end, and something else has to replace it. What do you replace it with? Remembrance, respect, and homage,” Geddy Lee said.

Formed in Canada in the late 60s, Rush became in the following decades one of the biggest cult-following bands in the world. Although they sold an estimated amount of more than 40 million records worldwide, they always had a huge audience anywhere they went. Although it seemed like the band was over after Neil passed away, Lee said that there is still a possibility that they can go back together in a near future.