Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson recently discussed their high-stakes reunion rehearsals with new drummer Anika Nilles. The band conducted a five-day trial with Nilles to determine if she would be the right fit for their comeback.
When asked if the experiment would have ended had things not worked out, Lifeson responded cautiously: “Who knows? I mean, it’s impossible to say.” Geddy Lee then elaborated on their contingency plans. The band had identified backup candidates before the audition.
“My gut tells me we would have regrouped and looked elsewhere, but I’m very happy we didn’t have to do that,” Lee said. “We’re really lucky.”
Lee also discussed keyboardist Loren Gold, whom he met in 2014 during a charity show with members of The Who in London for their 50th anniversary. “We kind of hit it off. Again, he was one of those names that just stuck in the back of my mind. And when we talked about adding a keyboard player, his was the first name that came to mind.”
Both Nilles and Gold were top choices who had been on the band’s radar for some time. “We’re very fortunate that the two people who were top of our minds both have worked out really, really well. That’s a little bit of a blessing from above, I think. Someone’s looking after us there,” Lee said.
The successful auditions mark a significant milestone for Rush as they move forward with their reunion plans.
