Mike Portnoy praises Rush’s decision to 'go out on top'
Rush superfan and stalwart of the turquoise beard, Mike Portnoy, says he’s “sad” to see Rush go but believes they have made the right decision.
In an article for Globe and Mail this week, Alex Lifeson seemingly spelled the end for the iconic Canadian band, writing: “It's been a little over two years since Rush last toured. We have no plans to tour or record any more. We're basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough.”
Alex’s comments came two years after drummer Neil Peart announced his retirement having been blighted by chronic tendinitis on Rush’s 40th anniversary tour.
Speaking to The Chainsaw Symphony, Dream Theater and Sons of Apollo lynchpin Mike Portnoy explained that Rush’s decision is admirable and by calling it a day on top they’re not going to be the kind of band who become “a memory of what they used to be.”
Portnoy said: "I grew up with them (Rush) and I went through a huge Rush phase in the mid-'80s, early '80s when I was a teenager.
"Neil (Peart) was always my hero back then, and since then I'm honoured that we've become good friends and I cherish that relationship. And I've stayed a Rush fan through all these years.”
He continued: "It's sad to see it end, but you've got to respect that because if they can't deliver, and if they are in physical pain and they can't deliver what fans wanna see, I respect that they would go out on top.
"I don't like when I see bands that are just a memory of what they used to be, and there's a few out there that I've seen recently that are still touring… I'm not gonna name them, but some of the members can barely play their parts, and then they have a lot of other members that weren't even originally in the band.
“I would rather see a band like Rush go out on top and have all the good memories of what they're capable of."
In an exclusive video interview for Planet Rock last October, Portnoy described Rush’s ‘La Villa Strangiato’ as the benchmark of prog rock instrumentals.
“The first instrumental that truly blew my mind was ‘La Villa Strangiato’ by Rush,” Portnoy explains. “To me that was the benchmark of virtuoso playing and extreme writing.”