# Rush @ Bluesfest



## Guest (Jul 12, 2010)

Anyone else there last night? Made a last minute decision to head down and check it out. Glad I did. They were on FIRE! But their age is also showing. An intermission and well, they're just looking their age. I wouldn't be surprised if that's their last tour. What they do up their can't be easy at any age. Peart in particular.

The set covered just about everything I could have possibly wanted to hear them play. Only song missing that I would have liked to hear was Roll The Bones. I think I'm in the minority of Rush fans who like that album and song though.

The entire Moving Pictures album was played it was AWESOME. Tom Sawyer was huge on the live system and YYZ was just...perfect. Honestly I don't know how they do it, it was just flawlessly tight and driving.

Peart's drum kit was crazy cool. It was finished in a copper finish to match the whole "Time Machine" theme. With the cymbals sporting these cool gear logos on them.

Lifeson's rig was done up crazy by Hughes & Kettner. Instead of the usually 3 full stacks it was three...umm...hard to explain. I guess: giant sized old television sets. He was sporting a ton of Les Pauls...most with Floyd's. A hard tail with a dual pickup system for acoustic work. I only saw one PRS: a very early, black CE-24. And for the first time ever I saw him play a Telecaster live.

Here's a GP video where Alex talks about the custom rig:

[youtube]urNih6vLAQc[/youtube]

I was wondering who would get some of their stage props at the end of the tour. There was a TON of stuff behind them. It'd be cool to scoop some of that up. Even something like one of their mic stand emblems.

Lifeson seems to do most, if not all, of his effects switching. And his interaction with the crowd, while covering crazy odd meter passages, is cool to watch. He was having an ongoing conversation with someone up front that was cracking him up during Tom Sawyer.

No washing machines on stage. But the television sets in the guitar and bass rigs occasionally showed laundry rotating. Simu-washing machine?

The back screen to the show was really cool. Live video for shows is amazing now. Multiple camera feeds composited on moving backgrounds all sync'ed to the music. Wild to watch.

Oh yea: fire! And fireworks! They had tons of flame throwers for the Moving Pictures part of the show. And fireworks near the end.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Actually, Roll The Bones has been pretty consistent on the set list the last several years and tours. Probably got bumped due to the Moving Pictures set


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Sounds like a great show!

What song did they open with?

For what song did Alex play a tele?


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

just watched the video - that was cool......couldn't help but think though how difficult it would be for a hobby guitarist to even come close to Lifeson's sound......


oh - and Roll the Bones - one of my fav Rush tunes


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Was there too. Great show, probably the best one so far. I was surprised to see Alex Lifeson with the LPs, specially with the floyds on them. Last time I saw them at the Test For Echo tour, he played PRS guitars exclusively. Last night, he even played a tele, as already mentioned by Ian, as well as a white 335 for the last 2 songs of the night. I don't know, LPs and floyd rose doesn't seem to compute in my brain.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2010)

NB_Terry said:


> Sounds like a great show!
> 
> What song did they open with?


Spirit of the Radio! And it was HUGE! 



> For what song did Alex play a tele?


It was mid-second set so around Witch Hunt or Camera Eye or Vital Signs.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2010)

Chito said:


> Was there too. Great show, probably the best one so far. I was surprised to see Alex Lifeson with the LPs, specially with the floyds on them. Last time I saw them at the Test For Echo tour, he played PRS guitars exclusively. Last night, he even played a tele, as already mentioned by Ian, as well as a white 335 for the last 2 songs of the night. I don't know, LPs and floyd rose doesn't seem to compute in my brain.


So there was an interview with Geddy Lee in GP a few years ago and he was talking about the whole PRS vs. Gibson thing. Apparently Lifeson switched to PRS because, on tour, the Lesters were never stable. The PRS (as anyone who's owned one can attest to) are just rock solid through all kinds of weather and climates. Gibson woo'ed him back around about the Snakes and Arrows tour -- built him some custom shops with Floyds (because Lifeson really likes the PRS trem) and made him happy enough to take them out on tour again.

I covet a LP with a Floyd. Big time. Short scale with a Floyd would be hella fun.

Here's a great video where Alex goes through is guitar lineup from the Snakes and Arrows tour:

[youtube]pUxkWM_qtyk[/youtube]

FWIW Geddy, in that GP interview, said he preferred Alex's sound with a 335 or Les Paul -- that was "his" sound.

Edit: Chito -- did you see Test for Echo in Montreal? I was at the show in Montreal. LASERS! Kind of wished there was lasers last night but I understand why they can't use the outdoors.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2010)

lbrown1 said:


> just watched the video - that was cool......couldn't help but think though how difficult it would be for a hobby guitarist to even come close to Lifeson's sound......


AxeFx. 



> oh - and Roll the Bones - one of my fav Rush tunes


Yea. That whole album and then Counterparts where my introduction to Rush. I went backwards from there.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

Chito said:


> I don't know, LPs and floyd rose doesn't seem to compute in my brain.


i would agree...i can't even imagine how much "butchering" would have been required to make it work...but...when you've got money...


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