Rush's new drummer Anika Nilles says she has 'big shoes to fill'
She has also thanked Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Last updated 7th Oct 2025
New Rush drummer Anika Nilles says it’s “truly an honour” to be joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on their reunion tour in 2026.
On Monday (6th October), Geddy and Alex dropped the momentous news that Rush will be returning to the stage in North America next summer more than a decade on from the conclusion of the R40 Live Tour.
Playing drums on the Fifty Something Tour will be 42-year-old German musician Anika Nilles, who is perhaps best-known for performing with Jeff Beck on his final tour in 2022.
Sharing Rush’s announcement video on Instagram on Monday, Anika Nilles referenced the huge job she has following in the footsteps of the late-great Neil Peart.
“It’s truly an honour,” Anika said of joining Rush. “Big shoes to fill! Thank you, Geddy and Alex, for trusting me and welcoming me on this incredible journey with you!”
In an interview about the reunion at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Foster Theater in Cleveland, Ohio, Geddy Lee shed more light on how they recruited Anika.
"My bass tech Skully (John McIntosh) was working with Jeff Beck,” Geddy said. “He was on tour with him for a few years and on the last tour he was playing with this drummer named Anika Nilles — an incredible drummer.
“He would come home, he would rave about her, what a brilliant player she was and great person, and blah, blah, blah. I kind of looked her up and she's all over YouTube. She's fairly well known in her own world of music. And then we started talking about playing again.
“I said to Al, I said, 'Check her out. Maybe that's an interesting way to go.' One thing led to another, and when we made the decision we wanted to see if it would work, what's it like to play with another drummer, we'd had that experience, of course, at the Taylor Hawkins tributes (London and Los Angeles concerts in 2022).
“So we know how difficult it is - no matter who the drummer is, they all have their own perception of what it's like to play a Rush song, and they may not line up with the way we play Rush songs. So, whoever we were going to choose was going to be difficult and there's going to be like a translation.”
Geddy continued: “We very secretly brought Anika to Canada. It wasn't an audition because at that point we weren't really sure that we were going to tour. It was all an experiment. Anyway, I'm very happy to say that she is fantastic to play with. And we've had now a number of sessions with her and we are going to go on the road with her.
“I think she's a remarkable story, and she's much younger than us. I like that, that she came to Rush music without any preconceptions. It also made it very difficult, because we had to explain nuances and work on subtleties, and she had to really try to get into Neil's headspace and his feel. A lot of drummers can play Neil's drum fills, but to combine that with the feel of those songs, so that it feels the way you guys wanna hear those songs, that's work. That requires work, and she's winning."
Rush’s Fifty Something Tour dates:
JUNE 2026
Los Angeles Kia Forum – Sun 7th
Los Angeles Kia Forum – Tue 9th
Mexico City Palacio de los Deportes – Thu 18th
Fort Worth Dickies Arena – Wed 24th
Fort Worth Dickies Arena – Fri 26th
JULY 2026
Chicago United Center – Thu 16th
Chicago United Center – Sat 17th
New York Madison Square Garden – Tue 28th
New York Madison Square Garden – Thu 30th
AUGUST 2026
Toronto Scotiabank Arena – Fri 7th
Toronto Scotiabank Arena – Sun 9th
Cleveland Rocket Arena – Thu 17th
The real names of 100 rock stars, including Geddy Lee:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.