“He never rated himself as highly as everyone else did": New documentary in the pipeline about Rush’s Neil Peart

Drummer Neil Peart from Canadian band Rush performs live on stage at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois during their All The World's a Stage tour on 20th May 1977
(Image credit: Fin Costello/Getty)

More good news for Rush fans. There’s a documentary on the way, specifically about the band’s drummer and lyricist, the late Neil Peart, who died in 2020.

Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple will debut on Canada’s CBC network on September 23 and will no doubt follow on to networks and streaming platforms around the world soon after. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have been interviewed as part of the doc, as have a number of high-profile drummers about Peart’s influence.

Among those are Tool’s Danny Carey, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stewart Copeland. The Police drummer has always been a vocal fan of the Peart. “He never rated himself as highly as everyone else did,” he told Rolling Stone in 2020. “But he did very much feel the responsibility that he carried to be the God of drums. Kind of a burden, actually.”

Latest Videos FromMusicRadar
Rush - Tom Sawyer (Live From The Montreal Forum / 1981) - YouTube Rush - Tom Sawyer (Live From The Montreal Forum / 1981) - YouTube
Watch On

Peart himself can be heard in the documentary via archive clips. “I think it matters for me to play better all the time, and to play my best all the time,” he says at one point, “to keep it fresh and changing. It’s kind of my responsibility, I see it, as a drummer.”

Lee and Lifeson are, of course, currently out on the road with new drummer Anika Nilles, on their 50 Something tour which will take them through to April 2027. After that there has been much speculation about a Rush residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, though nothing has been confirmed as yet.

TOPICS
Beth Simpson
News and features writer

Beth Simpson is a freelance music expert whose work has appeared in Classic Rock, Classic Pop, Guitarist and Total Guitar magazine. She is the author of 'Freedom Through Football: Inside Britain's Most Intrepid Sports Club' and her second book 'An American Cricket Odyssey' was published in 2025.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.