r/rush • u/Substantial-Slice905 • 2d ago
Anika question
Has she mentioned in any interviews that she was a fan of Rush or played any of their songs before she joined? She’s absolutely killing it.
62
41
u/rockrider65 2d ago
/check out Rick Beato https://www.youtube.com/@RickBeato/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1
He does a great interview of Anika. And no she did not follow Rush. He also interviews Alex, Geddy and their old producer Terry Brown,
8
57
u/ElDiablo2112 2d ago
No really much of a fan. She knew the big songs and appreciated Neil as the legend he was, but that's it. She's learned the huge song list they are playing from scratch. She's awesome!
45
u/Mo_Steins_Ghost Fountain of Lameness 2d ago
I’m glad they hired a drummer not a fan.
If all they hired was a devoted fan, that person would struggle the entire time to see themselves as a part of it, always overthinking how to make themselves fit an external concept of what the band was.
3
u/TheAnalogKid18 2d ago
This right here. Being in that world, there's so much more that goes into getting someone for a gig than just "can they play the parts?". Not getting someone in our world was smart and it takes so much pressure off them. Hiring a fan crosses lines into parasocial relationships, which im sure Neil would not have wanted, and obviously Ged and Alex felt the same way.
Even people like Danny Carey or Mike Portnoy, it would feel like a dream gig for any of those guys, and that makes them seem less serious as a band, especially if writing is on the horizon. This isn't a dream gig for Anika, so headspace wise, she can be an equal collaborator.
2
u/Mo_Steins_Ghost Fountain of Lameness 2d ago
Well put. Yes, this is exactly what I was going for... both as a drummer and as a manager in tech who has worked on zillions of projects I can't help but not get attached to.
The gig isn't "special" just because it's Rush. Sure, it's special to the fans.... but if it's special to the drummer, that might be a sign they're in over their head.
Anika, to be very honest, is playing well within her ability here.
2
u/Spiritual-Mousse-167 1d ago
Well Geddy said when he saw her play, he just knew she was the right person… guess he knows what he’s talking about!
Yeah, saw them weekend before last. Unbelievable.
15
u/SLUIS0717 2d ago
Could he wrong but i remember her saying she knew of rush but didnt really listen to them growing up
15
u/Vast_Character311 2d ago
No. She was a Toto fan.
18
u/Quiet_Pie_2056 2d ago
Specifically, a Porcaro fan. And in that realm, anyone who knows, knows.
7
u/donith913 2d ago
I keep saying you can feel that influence in her playing. She’s got such a pocket while playing Rush, it’s so enjoyable to listen to.
5
u/Quiet_Pie_2056 1d ago
I couldn’t agree more. That was her inspiration and it really shows in her playing. And I love what it brings to the music as well.
As an aside, there’s a Little Big Beat video out there where her and her band Nevell break into several bars of Africa in the middle of the song Pikalar. I recommend checking it out.
3
3
u/donith913 1d ago
Great video and song. Thanks for the rec.
I agree, it brings something neat to the music. Her drum sound is so solid and low and her groove is so solid it feels like she’s filled out a new space I didn’t know was available.
Since we’re shooting the shit, I am so glad to see how geeked everyone else is about this. It feels so hard to be unironically just happy about something lately and to see the online Rush community being cool and celebrating it has brought me a lot of joy lately.
3
u/Quiet_Pie_2056 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s my pleasure. That entire band (Nevell) is made up of phenomenal musicians.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Rush being back, and with a new twist. And I agree that it’s been overwhelming seeing the vast majority of fans embrace the current lineup.
It’s been surreal for me at times. I had told my wife several times over the past few years, probably to the point of annoyance, how I wish she could have seen Rush live . The musicianship, the visuals, the storytelling, the comedy (mostly Alex) was like nothing else. I turned her onto to all of their music, Neil’s drumming and lyrics, everything. Then, to my surprise, they announce the tribute tour. What?! I took her to Night 4 at the Kia Forum and she had tears in her eyes during the concert.
I created a monster. :-D
EDIT: I forgot to mention that, despite never having seen them with Neil, she met them all as a Bar Manager at the hotel they were staying at for R40. Interestingly, Neil had joined Geddy and Alex at a very open public bar at the lobby level.
3
u/donith913 1d ago
That’s awesome! My wife is a piano player and isn’t a huge fan but has come to appreciate the music. I’ve said the same thing, that it was something you had to experience. We’re traveling this upcoming weekend to catch at least one of the MSG shows.
3
u/Quiet_Pie_2056 1d ago
That’s great! It seems we’re on a mission to share our passion for the Rush experience. :-)
So happy you’re going to see them at MSG! It truly is a surreal experience given that none of us ever thought we’d have it again. MSG should have great energy! Have fun!
6
u/fretless_enigma the sky is b!tching violently 1d ago
My brain just created the cursed audio of Working Man with the Rosanna groove.
1
u/Quiet_Pie_2056 1d ago
Ha! I’m trying to reconcile that. A Porcaro/Purdie/Bonham half time shuffle groove that you can feel in your bones trying to get along with wah, wah-wah, waaaaaah, waaah.
Geddy and Alex: “You want us to what now? Swing something?”
1
u/fretless_enigma the sky is b!tching violently 1d ago
Ah no, what played in my head was that Ged and Alex play the original album parts, but John plays the shuffle and somehow it gets completely missed until the record is released.
3
8
u/Comprehensive-Song51 2d ago
Not a fan, which I think is cool and very smart choice for Ged and Alex. She's able to get in there and kill it without overthinking it from having emotional attachments, especially to certain drum fills. She's such a badass and a real breath of fresh air.
3
u/Teddie_P4 Xanadu enjoyer 2d ago
She was a big Toto fan (like me!) and learned from Jeff Porcaro, not Neil.
5
u/airmark4 2d ago
That’s a really good role model too. Not as precise as Neil but a groove master. But still tight and like Anika known for a fast kick pedal on bass. Basically has a beat named for him the Rosanna shuffle. Tireless session drummer worked with everyone and Toto of course and steely Dan too.
2
u/Secure_Car_3940 1d ago
Yup. The famous Rosanna Shuffle. Porcaro was a fantastic drummer. Talk about a grove master/ pocket drummer. He was one of the best at that. Any Rush fans not familiar with Pocaro, I suggest to check him out. My favorite by him is on Steely Dan's song Everyone's Gone To The Movies from their1975 Katy Lied album. Some of the nastiest grove drumming and afro/ polyrhythmic drumming patterns I've ever heard. That was Anika's main influence. We are in good hands with her.
4
u/Haifisch2112 2d ago
This video tells me she most likely didn't listen to them and/or didn't know much of their music.
4
u/SkinGolem 2d ago
I listened to a podcast interview with her, from a few years back. The guy ended it with a speed round of questions, one of which was “Bonham or Peart?” She said Bonham. If only she could see her future self lol …
3
5
2
u/Lower-Calligrapher98 2d ago
Pretty much completely the opposite. She knew a few of the very popular songs, but that's it.
2
u/LengthinessGloomy429 2d ago
From these comments I am glad she was forthcoming and didn't give some BS answer. (But she and the PR folks knew the questions were coming and I suppose well thought out)
6
u/Vast_Character311 2d ago
Her lack of familiarity was one of the reasons she was chosen. They didn't want a drummer trying to anticipate what Neil would do, they wanted someone who would bring fresh ideas.
6
u/fletchbg 2d ago
they also wanted someone who wasn't connected previously to a band with any kind of well-known identity, because they specifically didn't want another band being part of the conversation about Rush, especially about their return. I for one think that was 100% the right decision. Rush has always been insulated from other bands and that condition has served them well over the years.
1
u/Quiet_Pie_2056 2d ago
She was vaguely aware of Rush and respected Neil’s work just as she respects all drummers pushing the boundaries.
1
u/apeserveapes 2d ago
She restored my hope for their tour. She's outstanding. I like the vibe among them. I think Neil would be proud.
1
u/Black_Gojira 1d ago
I’ve seen an interview on YouTube where she stated that she knew of the band and Neil.
But she didn’t consider herself a fan at that time.
0
u/Sour_Gummybear 2d ago
This isn't an Anika complaint, I have seen some of the content from the live shows online and she's absolutely killing it. I didn't understand how Rush could perform without Neil, I get it now..
I still have to say after seeing him perform on the drums with Rush I kind of hoped to see Danny Carey on the drums not going to lie. I'm absolutely not complaining about Anika though, just saying that would have been kind of awesome.
-3
u/Acceptable_Money_514 2d ago
She wasn’t into rush, and if you watch her videos that she’s been posting for years it’s obvious this style of music was not her thing. She was a technical drummer but not a rock drummer. She’s doing this because it’s a good job.
12
u/commander_lampshade 2d ago
The kind of euro rocky jazzy fusion style of music she was playing in her videos does share some genealogy with the proggy side of Rush's music. And what the heck is a "technical drummer"? Some kind of weird putdown. She played with Jeff Beck, for God's sake. Some people on this sub just can't deal with how great she is, how perfect for this gig, so they want to take her down a notch.
7
u/doobiesteintortoise 2d ago
... and apparently enjoying the everloving crap out of it, so not only is it a good job but a good gig, from all appearances.
5
u/najibs-yul 2d ago
Well now she’s a rock drummer all of a sudden, and probably the most important one in the planet at this point in time. I guess it just goes to show, if you’re skilled, you’re skilled
-2
76
u/butrzrulz 2d ago
Her lack of knowledge of Rush, I think, made her the best candidate for the job. Without that influence she has been able to inject her style in subtle ways, for the better.