by Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid has criticized Rush for failing to acknowledge their new drummer, Anika Niles, in promotional materials. He called out the band’s approach in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Reid’s comments focused on a radio advertisement for Rush concert tickets that only mentioned founding members Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. The ad made no reference to Niles, who has taken on the monumental task of filling the late Neil Peart’s role.
“I heard a radio style add for Rush tix going on sale, that only mentions Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. No mention of Anika Niles at all,” Reid said. “I found this disturbing given the sheer enormity of the grace under pressure she has to possess. An ‘introducing Anika Niles’ would have been cool.”
Reid went further to criticize how this approach contradicts the band’s legacy.
“It runs counter to what the band has stood for, for years, in not say her name,” he continued. “The fact that Rush is playing at all fairly demands that the drummer in Neil’s stead, not be treated as an anonymous cog in a cash-grabbing machine. Their legacy deserves better than that. Neil’s does.”
Reid’s criticism comes as Rush prepares for their highly anticipated return to touring, marking their first performances since the death of Neil Peart in 2020.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Rush decided to return to touring in 2026 following Peart’s death. Peart had retired from touring after their 2015 R40 tour due to physical issues and a perfectionist attitude toward performance quality. The band announced in October 2025 that German drummer Anika Nilles would be joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson for the reunion tour.
Wikipedia notes that Nilles is a highly skilled German drummer, composer, and educator who began drumming at age six in a family of drummers. She launched her career on YouTube in the early 2010s. Before dedicating herself to music full-time, she worked as a preschool teacher and studied popular music formally at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
The Economic Times revealed that Geddy Lee learned of Nilles through his bass technician, who had toured with Jeff Beck, where Nilles had also performed. Lee and Lifeson invited her to rehearsals and were impressed by her performance.
Lee and Lifeson described feeling the classic Rush songs “felt alive” again once she played with them. This led to confidence in resuming their touring career. As of now, there has been no direct response from Rush, Alex Lifeson, or Geddy Lee addressing Reid’s criticism.
The statement has sparked discussion about how legacy bands acknowledge new members stepping into iconic roles, particularly when replacing musicians as legendary as Neil Peart.
