Peart - would you hang out with him?

Now there's an odd question. I'd hang out with anyone until they gave me a reason not to. I try not to pre-judge anyone and if Neil invited me for a beer and run around his kit(s) I'd bite his arm off!

:D
 
I think he would be a fascinating hang, but I also suspect that unless introduced by a mutual close friend, the likelihood of that hang is infinitesimal. I appreciate his contribution to the art but also understand his desire for privacy. I think he's earned his retirement.

Having said that, should he ever invite me, I'd probably drop everything at short notice.
 
I was a fan as a kid in the 80s, but I've drifted away from Rush and Peart since then, so I really don't know that much about him anymore. However, I still remember some stuff I read in Modern Drummer interviews all those years ago.

One thing I recall is that he found it off-putting how so many people approach him to discuss...drumming. I know it seems like an obvious topic to broach with a famous pro drummer, but at a certain point it's got to be maddening. I totally understand this. I think he said he'd rather discuss sailing or something, so I'd be cool with going sailing with him and not discussing drumming at all, because I like sailing too!
 
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Had the pleasure meeting him very briefly many years ago. I said my hello and that I really enjoyed their show...etc.

However, others were all over the guy. Heaping praise on him and calling him the best of the best of the best. He looked uncomfortable, but was very gracious. He's said in many interviews that he doesn't believe any of those things about himself, so it's got to make him uncomfortable to hear it from people over and over. Especially when they do it in a drooling sycophant kinda way.
 
I'd enjoy hitting the road for a motorcycle trip with him. The guy knows how to travel!
 
I would add that anyone who has been in the game that long probably has a TON of crazy and fascinating stories from touring and the music industry in general, so hanging with any such person could be interesting from that standpoint. A friend of mine ended up seated on a plane next to the road manager for The Spinners. He summed up the conversation this way:

"The topics ranged from first hand accounts of Berry Gordy, Aretha Franklin, James Jamerson, Rick James, the mob, the Detroit PD, picking up blondes in 1960s Mississippi, shady promoters, Detroit street justice, growing old, the nature of humanity."

As I said, fascinating, and a bit of a lesson too. The support crew for these bands have a wealth of information and stories themselves, and they are likely much more approachable than the performers. So yeah, I'd totally be into hanging with Peart's drum tech!
 
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Are you asking because you think he's a jerk? He probably doesn't like talking to fans because he doesn't want to hear about his deceased family members every single day. On the other hand, he might not want to talk drums, but that's the reason why people connect with him. So, uh, God...see any good movies lately?
 
Are you asking because you think he's a jerk? He probably doesn't like talking to fans because he doesn't want to hear about his deceased family members every single day. On the other hand, he might not want to talk drums, but that's the reason why people connect with him. So, uh, God...see any good movies lately?

No, not at all, quite the opposite. I've read all his books and seen almost all of his interviews.

In his travels, he was simply a human being on a destination, a regular guy. I think you could talk to him about anything from that perspective or of the many interests you may have in common.
 
Having read his books and such, and knowing that, for the most part, he doesn't enjoy hanging out with "fans" if, given the opportunity to do so, I would, because it's not something he would normally do.

Of course, out of respect, I'd keep questions about drums and Rush to a minimum.
 
of course I would. I would talk about anything he wanted to talk about. Would love to share that I first saw him on the Fly By Night tour and that my son is a big fan and that my granddaughter has a Tom Sawyer lullaby!
 
I got to briefly chat with Neil at the Boston Garden in ... I think it was 2012 .

Ray Danniels and I share a mutual friend ... Alvan Long owner of Curve of the Earth records and the recording studio New Alliance in Boston

I was out at New Alliance tracking a record and Alvan popped in and asked if I would like to go watch Rush soundcheck

I'm no huge Rush fan.... but I'm no idiot either

so I put the session on hold and rolled over to the Garden with Alvan

we watched them check .... then had a short chat with the boys..

I talked to Neil briefly about his gear he seemed nice enough.... kind of quiet .... but not this dick that everyone makes him out to be

I snapped this pic with my phone right when we got there when they were still putting up cymbals

IMG_1928.jpg
 
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Question is, would he want to hang out with me? That's a bigger deal ;)
 
I'd hang with him. And I wouldn't say word one about drums.

When you make your living doing something, you get utterly sick of talking about it. I make beer for a living. I brew in a brewpub, with no separation between my brewery and the main floor.* Beer nerds are as enthusiastic as drum nerds. I assure you.

I mean, I love my job. I love beer. I enjoy talking about beer. But sometimes enough is enough, you know? I'm no superstar encumbered by a never-ending stream of drooling sycophants, and I get sick of people pestering me about what I do for money. I can only imagine how utterly tired someone like Peart gets of it. If his demeanor when his patience runs out is anything like mine, I'm surprised he hasn't killed someone by stabbing them in the ear with a broken stick.

So yeah, I'd talk about whatever he wanted to talk about. Provided it wasn't beer.

* Well, okay, there's a waist-high wall. But that's it.
 
I'd certainly sit and drink a dram of The Macallan with him but I definitely wouldn't want to talk drums. I'd be more interested in talking traveling.
 
Wow, that is so cool! That would have been Peart's first Rush tour, yes? Those guys were just young whippersnappers back then! What was the show like?


Also very cool.

Actually, second. Although Neil didn't play on their first album, he did play on the tour for the 1st album.
 
When I was a kid, Neil was my idol. I would have killed to meet him. I probably would have fit the "drooling sycophant" label at that time.

Today? Of course I would. I would be honored. I don't sit around idolizing Rush anymore, but that music is still a huge part of my life, and so was Neil's influence. I already have tickets to their upcoming tour stop in Detroit.

Naturally, Ants has already met him. What thing I want to do in life has he NOT already done yet?? One of these days I'm going to show up at my mom and dad's house to find it empty and learn they've moved to New Jersey to spend more time with "this wonderful young man who is like a son and an amazing drummer."
 
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