Yes and Peter Banks

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:16 pm

Neil is very guarded about his privacy. If you know that when attempting to meet him, it might serve you well. I think he really prefers to be alone and / or with a close circle of old friends.

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:34 pm

Too bad he's in show biz, then, ain't it.

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:37 pm

Good point Alan. He got the money, the fame, the girl. Now deal with the fans.

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:56 pm

Obviously, there's a lot of people who really dislike Neil. I really don't understand why; it's perfectly reasonable to want to "be alone and/or with a close circle of friends" despite being a musician, which I would differentiate from "show business". Just because you're a rock star doesn't mean you have to be nice to people who are disrespectful to you. You'd think that fans would care enough to respect his wishes (i.e. if he doesn't want to meet with people, then DON'T try to meet with him). It's not his responsibility (nor any other musicians') to cater to his fans. Not everyone can be Steven Tyler.

Also, once again, it's MY OPINION that Neil is the greatest rock drummer. I didn't ask to be ridiculed, so please don't.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 11:57 pm

Neil is a GOD! Best living drummer.. cuz I'd have to say Buddy Rich is the best dead one.

I've heard that he's not allowed to talk to fans anymore. He's tried to commit suicide after his wife and daughter died. Now he has police escort him from his drum kit to the car to the hotel. They don't want him trying again. So he's not allowed to do the meet and greet.. but that's just what I've heard.. I could be completely wrong.

If I am wrong.. please correct me!

Leave him be. What's wrong with being alone?

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:24 am

If one doesn't want to be bothered by the fans, one shouldn't put himself in the public spotlight/limelight. If he hates people so much or is some sort of agoraphobe, he should stay at home and record albums and never ever tour. That way he'll be left alone.

Yup, you're entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. I think he's a great drummer, but not the best.

relayer · Post by **relayer** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:43 am

I don't think Peart's ever said he specifically doesn't want to meet fans (i.e. being snotty about it). He *has* commented that he finds it a little odd that complete strangers (which is what they are) come up to him and tell him that they have so much in common with him, they know him, etc. He's right when he says they can't truly make those statements because they *don't* really know him - they only think they do because they know his body of work so well. As for the suicide/police escort thing - that sounds more like L.A. rock stardom, it certainly doesn't sound the members of Rush. Don't forget, Lee & Lifeson let Peart decide for himself when he'd be ready to work with the band again, and he did. He decided he wasn't ready for meet 'n' greets (which is a relatively new thing for Rush anyway), and particularly press meetings simply because he was ready to have his personal tragedy dredged up day after day after day. IIRC, he did a show in Canada (Pamela Wallin Show, a 1 on 1 interview show) where he addressed the death of his daughter and wife and how it affected him etc. Why would he need to rehash the same painful story over and over again?

edit - forgot to address this:

[Remember that a lot of these prog bands, much as I might respect and enjoy their work, were rich kids to begin with. Genesis was a great band (once upon a time), but they all met at an exclusive private boys' school in London. I didn't get to mess with no mellotrons when I was in high school.]

Some of the prog bands that I don't know much about might've been, but even though Genesis formed at Charterhouse private school, as a band they were anything but well off.

There's a story that they brought a record exec to the cottage they were all staying at, and they basically fed him the turkey that was to be their food for a week. They were always stressed because they could never afford strings, cords etc. Yes were the same way until after The Yes Album.

bob_the_bass · Post by **bob_the_bass** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:29 am

If any of us had gone through the personal trauma that Neil went through after losing his daughter & only child (car accident) then his wife (cancer) ten months later, perhaps we would shy away from personal contact. He has come to terms with his grief & is back playing & recording with Rush, which I think is great.

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:47 am

He was like that before the bad stuff happened.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:20 am

Interesting to mention Buddy Rich along with Neil Peart in this context, as Buddy was one of the biggest pr*cks in show biz...

Both of them are great drummers I'd hate to play with, for a number of reasons...primarily because of (dare I say it?): over-playing. To Buddy's credit, however, he never featured himself a lyricist...

I'll grant you, Relayer, that some of the prog bands weren't rich kids to begin with, but not many...and I'll stick by my citing Genesis as an example. I once lived in a ****** little band house trying to eke out an existence too, but we weren't rich kids playing at being starving artists...we were starving. Well, okay...the guitar player was a rich kid. He was also a pain in the *** who never spent money on anything but his car and his girlfriend...

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:40 am

Dane, maybe you should have tried being his side-honey. hehe

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:51 am

No thanks...I prefer being the band's 'bottom end' in the traditional bass-playing sense...

Besides, like Derek Smalls, I know what my role as bass player is: 'Lukewarm Water'...

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:13 pm

I mention Buddy Rich because Neil is a big fan. The end of O Baterista on Rush in Rio with the big band section.. that's the Buddy Rich band. Neil can do Buddy's solos perfectly. But Buddy is better.. he can do what Neil can, but with less drums.

I don't consider Neil's style as overplaying. Sure, he does it now and then, but his fills are pretty cool. And his solos are Godlike.

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:55 pm

Artists should not be expected to be perfectly amicable all the time simply because they are famous. That's idiotic. Fans expect artists to do that because fans are fans; they want some sort of acknowledgement from the artist(s) they love so much. If I could meet Neil (or any of my favorite musicians for that matter), I would do so in a heartbeat, but if didn't want to meet with people, then I would respect that and not be an *** about it. It's not his responsibility to meet with me just because he makes music.

Also, having money doesn't make you a jerk. And being poor doesn't make you humble. It might tend a little toward that, but it's really not the fault of someone that they start out able to buy better (or more) equipment than another person. I also don't see how Genesis were rich kids "playing" at being starving. Just because my parents are well-off doesn't mean that I'm going to have money out the wazoo if I decide to become a musician. You don't just bring that money with you.

relayer · Post by **relayer** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:08 am

[I'll grant you, Relayer, that some of the prog bands weren't rich kids to begin with, but not many...and I'll stick by my citing Genesis as an example.]

Sorry, you have it wrong. As far as Genesis they may have been well off *before* they got together as a band, but not after (which is what we're talking about}. For Yes, Bruford & a little less so, Squire came from somewhat middle class backgrounds, but they both got what they did completely on their own.

I'll make it easier on both of us - if you are really interested in Genesis' true history, read Armando Gallo's excellent book (I Know What I Like).