Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took the stage at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre on Wednesday night and spoke shortly before the world premiere of «Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple» at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The screening, in the VISA Screening Room, was attended by both Rush members along with Chad Smith, the lineup’s current drummer Anika Nilles and directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. Lee introduced the film to the audience: «Tonight you’ll see a very interesting look at a person you think you know, you’ll see the depth of his musical legacy and you’ll learn about friendship and how it works in both directions». Lifeson added: «There’s a whole side of him that many of you don’t really know. He was very funny, a sweet friend and extremely loyal».
On the red carpet, Lifeson was asked how Peart would react to a film about himself: «I think he’d find it a little embarrassing, he didn’t like a lot of attention. But at the same time he’d feel very warm about all the comments from his friends». Lee added: «He was one third of this band. We worked together, sweated together, failed together, triumphed together».
The film pairs Lee and Lifeson with four drummers, who take turns behind the kit for live performances of Rush songs: Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stewart Copeland of the Police, Danny Carey of Tool and Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree and King Crimson. McFadyen and Dunn made «Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage» in 2010, along with «Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey» and «Iron Maiden: Flight 666». It’s a CBC production from their Toronto company Banger Films with Elevation Pictures, while rights outside Canada belong to Republic Pictures. The running time is listed at 96 minutes, although Billboard has spoken of a 106-minute version.
Peart died on January 7, 2020 in Santa Monica, after three years with glioblastoma, at the age of 67. The timing left little room for a public goodbye: the band hadn’t performed since 2015 and a few weeks later the world shut down. Lee has explained the difference between Peart’s decision to stop and his own reasons for returning: «Coming back at this age you’re afraid you won’t be able to do it anymore… That’s why Neil retired. He retired because he refused to publicly show anything less than his best». On the «Fifty Something» tour, which opened on June 7 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles — the same building where Peart played his last show with the band on August 1, 2015 — Lifeson said: «The tour is going well, it’s a different tour. We have moments where we pay tribute to him, we think about him the whole time and Geddy talks about him throughout the show». The touring lineup includes Lee, Lifeson, German drummer Anika Nilles and Loren Gold on keyboards. A second TIFF screening takes place on September 19, with the festival wrapping up on the 20th, and the TV premiere is on September 23, on CBC and CBC Gem.
See also: Rush: The first tour in 11 years has begun | Dream Theater – Parasomnia
Source: https://metal-stop.com/geddy-lee-and-alex-lifeson-introduce-neil-peart-documentary-at-toronto-premiere-video/
