While the three members of Rush had hinted that their most recent "R40" tour could be their last, this week drummer Neil Peart appeared to confirm in a new interview that he had "retired," sending fans of the Canadian progressive rock trio into a tizzy and prompting bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee to clarify his bandmate's remarks.
Peart said his daughter Olivia "has been introducing me to new friends at school as 'My dad - he's a retired drummer.' True to say - funny to hear. And it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to ... take yourself out of the game," he told Drumhead Magazine, according to the CBC.
Peart, however, "was merely confirming that he could no longer commit to lengthy tours," reported Prog magazine, citing Lee.
"There's really nothing to say," Lee told Prog. "I think Neil is just explaining his reasons for not wanting to tour, with the toll that it's taking on his body. That's all I would care to comment on it.
"We'll get together eventually and chat about things. But in my view, there is certainly nothing surprising in what he said. Neil just feels that he has to explain with all the thousands of people asking, 'Why no more tours?' He needs to explain his side of it."
Speaking to the BBC, Lee described the final show of the "R40" tour at The Forum in Los Angeles as "emotional."
"I hope it's not our last one but - if it is - we sure went out with a bang," Lee told the BBC, which added that the bassist and vocalist felt "optimistic" that Rush would play live again.
Rush - Lee, Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson - has enjoyed popularity among its dedicated fanbase for more than 40 years, but in recent years the band has experienced a massive resurgence in mainstream exposure, including the 2010 documentary "Beyond The Lighted Stage," a 2013 induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the band's first Rolling Stone cover story earlier this year.
On Nov. 29, the band released "R40 Live," an album and concert film documenting what could end up having been Rush's final tour.
Check out Rush performing "Subdivisions" from the DVD below:
