Drumming News :
Anika Nilles had plenty of reasons to be nervous before stepping behind the drum kit for Rush’s Fifty Something tour. She was taking over the role made legendary by Neil Peart, who died in 2020, and faced enormous expectations as the band’s first drummer to tour without him.
The German drummer, 43, was chosen by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson after a five-day audition. But learning Rush’s complex catalog was only part of the challenge. Nilles also had to manage the pressure of filling Peart’s seat.
During rehearsals, she said she coached herself to stay focused rather than think too much about the significance of the role.
Her approach changed as she studied Peart’s playing. She began lifting weights to develop the muscle power needed for a more direct delivery and gained a deeper appreciation for his compositional style.
“Now, I have a little bit of Neil in me,” Nilles told Rolling Stone, explaining that she learned from the way Peart continually built and developed his drum parts.
Then, before her first Rush show, Peart’s widow, Carrie Nuttall, sent Nilles a supportive message.
“I got a nice message from her, a really lovely message,” Nilles said. “It was really nice to hear that she is on board and looking forward to this whole journey.”
The message left Nilles feeling “really energized, and relieved” ahead of her debut.
After making it through her first performances, she summed up the experience with a laugh: “I made it through!”
Rush’s Fifty Something tour marks the band’s first tour since 2015 and its first without Peart. Nilles is now performing alongside Lee and Lifeson while bringing her own perspective to the band’s iconic catalog.
