Rush is a Band

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Neil Peart, Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

Fri, Mar 29, 2024

New Neil Peart news update at NeilPeart.net: BubbaGram #5

Wed, Mar 16, 2016@4:20PM | comments

UPDATE - 3/17@10:24AM: Here's video of Neil Peart's drum solo from the Pittsburgh show he references in his news update (thanks Greg N).

Neil Peart has just updated the news page on his website with the fifth installment in his BubbaGram series. If you recall from his first BubbaGram update back in September, Neil indicated that he'd be working on a book to chronicle the R40 Live tour. In his last installment he revealed that the title of this book is Far and Wide: Bring That Horizon to Me!, and that it is tentatively slated for release this Fall (you can pre-order it here). So in lieu of his regular news updates over the next year or so he is instead periodically posting a BubbaGram where he posts a couple photos from his travels along with a few paragraphs describing the photos. In this latest Bubbagram, Neil talks about a motorcycle accident he had back in September, 2010 during the Time Machine Tour which he describes as "the worst crash I ever had". Luckily his heavy boots and gloves, and full-face helmet did their job, and he escaped serious injury. Neil also explains why he waited over five years to tell the tale:

... Michael, Dave, and I agreed not to tell anyone else until after the Pittsburgh show-until I knew I could play. My journal note in all-caps advised myself: "PLEASE-TRY NOT TO TELL THIS STORY. FOR ALL GOOD REASONS." Because I knew I would want to write about it-for equally good reasons. Michael also chimed in and said I should never write about that crash. He shook his finger and said, "They'll take away your fun license." We were both talking about, of all things, insurance-referring to the medical affidavit each band member had to sign to insure the tour against . . . any interruption to the flow of commerce. That affidavit included this question: "Do you participate in any hazardous activities or pastimes (e.g. motor racing, flying other than as a fare-paying passenger, hang-gliding etc.)?" The list did not yet include motorcycling, ... So I kept it quiet and repaired the totaled motorcycle at my own expense. ... That night in Pittsburgh I got through the show okay, limping on and off stage but able to play "properly," so that no one else would know. A few days later I shared the story with the Guys at Work, but still, for the next five years I kept my resolve never to write about that crash. Until the time might come when I no longer worried about anybody taking away my "fun license."

You can read the entire update here.

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