Rush Live In London, Ont - 12 Sept 07

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   Here's a short review from my friend and long-term Rush fan Brian McGrath who attended in London Ontario. He's originally from Bolton, UK but has lived in Canada for a while now.

The average age for this gig was definitely around 40.  It was amazing to see people who looked well into their fifties, wandering around the floor.  Rush have got the tour thing down to a fine art.  They can fill an arena with Gen X'ers and a few Baby Boomers; all with tons of cash to soothe their need for nostalgia, in much the same way as the Stones.  The line-up for the $40 T-shirts was only outshone by the line-up for the Men's toilets.  All those dodgy prostate glands in one location could have spelled disaster, but they "assumed control" in time for the show, and I'm only glad that I have a three pint bladder.

It's amazing to see how popular the Band remains after all this time.  I recall being mesmerized by Peart's drum solo back in 1981 at Bingley Hall in Staffordshire, some 26 years prior.  He was that good then, but he's had over a quarter of a century to perfect his skills since, which has really left him untouchable in my humble opinion.  The same goes for the other guys, but for different reasons.  Geddy can still sing very convincingly for most of the evening.  I found myself being more amazed at his range than remotely disappointed.  Although "Bangkok" was a bit of a struggle, he'd earned his crust by then.  Let's see Sting or Plant do the same...not bloody likely.  Alex Lifeson's work has been notoriously muffled when performed live over the years (I've seen Rush 12 times), but it was pleasantly surprising last night.  He spent far less time goofing around than usual, leaving it to the video stuff, in which he featured predominantly ("Your mother ski's hard in Vale").

They played much of the new album, which was appreciated for once since this is an excellent piece of work in its entirety.  All three instrumental pieces from that album featured, plus YYZ.  

The only disappointment was the drum solo.  I'm not sure if the electronic kit was malfunctioning, but it sounded horrible.  The whole thing seemed quite short too, which makes me wonder if there were technical problems.  It started out fine though.  Peart elected to use a protracted jazz section, which was less than spectacular.    He looked like he was playing the same two drums for about 2 minutes.  The snippet we got during the Vapor Trails tour was far more effective.  Otherwise, he was absolutely first class for the rest of the night.  

Favourite songs from last night:  Dreamline, Mission, Subdivisions, The Larger Bowl, Entre Nous, Circumstances and Digital Man.  The whole catalogue was great, but these songs really shone for me.

A great night.

B. McGrath

picture courtesy of "snaked" at the Counterparts Rush Forum.

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Tony R Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: July 16 2004 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 11979	Topic: Rush Live In London, Ont - 12 Sept 07 Posted: September 13 2007 at 11:06
	Here's a short review from my friend and long-term Rush fan Brian McGrath who attended in London Ontario. He's originally from Bolton, UK but has lived in Canada for a while now. The average age for this gig was definitely around 40. It was amazing to see people who looked well into their fifties, wandering around the floor. Rush have got the tour thing down to a fine art. They can fill an arena with Gen X'ers and a few Baby Boomers; all with tons of cash to soothe their need for nostalgia, in much the same way as the Stones. The line-up for the $40 T-shirts was only outshone by the line-up for the Men's toilets. All those dodgy prostate glands in one location could have spelled disaster, but they "assumed control" in time for the show, and I'm only glad that I have a three pint bladder. It's amazing to see how popular the Band remains after all this time. I recall being mesmerized by Peart's drum solo back in 1981 at Bingley Hall in Staffordshire, some 26 years prior. He was that good then, but he's had over a quarter of a century to perfect his skills since, which has really left him untouchable in my humble opinion. The same goes for the other guys, but for different reasons. Geddy can still sing very convincingly for most of the evening. I found myself being more amazed at his range than remotely disappointed. Although "Bangkok" was a bit of a struggle, he'd earned his crust by then. Let's see Sting or Plant do the same...not bloody likely. Alex Lifeson's work has been notoriously muffled when performed live over the years (I've seen Rush 12 times), but it was pleasantly surprising last night. He spent far less time goofing around than usual, leaving it to the video stuff, in which he featured predominantly ("Your mother ski's hard in Vale"). They played much of the new album, which was appreciated for once since this is an excellent piece of work in its entirety. All three instrumental pieces from that album featured, plus YYZ. The only disappointment was the drum solo. I'm not sure if the electronic kit was malfunctioning, but it sounded horrible. The whole thing seemed quite short too, which makes me wonder if there were technical problems. It started out fine though. Peart elected to use a protracted jazz section, which was less than spectacular. He looked like he was playing the same two drums for about 2 minutes. The snippet we got during the Vapor Trails tour was far more effective. Otherwise, he was absolutely first class for the rest of the night. Favourite songs from last night: Dreamline, Mission, Subdivisions, The Larger Bowl, Entre Nous, Circumstances and Digital Man. The whole catalogue was great, but these songs really shone for me. A great night. B. McGrath picture courtesy of "snaked" at the Counterparts Rush Forum.