Rush at the O2

Expectations are stratospheric for the messianic arrival of prog power trio Rush. Can the band deliver? Well... to invoke the immortal football phrase, ‘this was a gig of two halves, Bill.’
A comedic filmic intro segues into ‘The Spirit Of Radio’ but something doesn’t feel right. That the playing is superb is a given, yet it’s a strangely unmoving experience devoid of personality and emotional connection. All the more disappointing, given the moments of wonder that now and then bubble to the surface. The crunching riff of ‘Stick It Out’ finds the band finally hitting a groove. ‘Leave That Thing Alone’ sees Alex Lifeson’s guitar conjure other-worldly cosmic spaces that leave vapour trails for the snakes and arrows of Geddy Lee’s funk freak bass to blip over.
A short intermission ensues, followed by the 1981 album Moving Pictures played in its entirety. Must have been some half-time team-talk. The reconvened performance is energetic and emotive. ‘YYZ’ gets the crowd moving; ‘Limelight’ induces a mass sing-a-long. The stormbringer-cometh riffing of ‘Far Cry’ is accompanied by fireworks and explosions. Oh, and in the midst of all this, that oft-feared prog staple: the drum solo. However, it’s a different bag of bongos when the sticks are in the hands of Neil Peart, whose sticksmanship resembles a tantric thump from a lost Amazonian tribe found on Pluto. ‘2112 Part 1’ and ‘Part 2’ and a scorching ‘La Villa Strangiato’ bring proceedings to a close. Sometimes, less really is more.