Classic Rock
New Rush drummer Anika Niles talks about Neil Peart’s technique
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
