Neil Peart isn't entirely enthused about the possibility of hitting the road with Rush for an anniversary tour. The main reason behind the drummer's apprehension is not wanting to leave his family. Peart explained his side of things in a recent interview with Prog magazine, citing his 5-year-old daughter, Olivia, as the main motivator for him wanting to stay home.
"It's a true dilemma — there's no right answer," he said, Classic Rock notes. "People say to me, 'Are you still excited when you go on tour?' Should I be excited about leaving my family? No, and no one should. It's as simple as that. If you put aside the fantasy of it, it is what it is and has to be done. And that's fine and I pour my entire energy and enthusiasm into it, but of course, I'm of two minds about the whole idea."
Peart explained that he would be able to leave his daughter, and while he would miss her, the thought of the youngster missing him was more concerning.
"How can a small child process that?" he added. "And there's the guilt that comes with that — you feel guilty about it, of course. I'm causing pain."
The band was planning to hit the road at some point in 2015 to celebrate its 41st anniversary. Guitarist Alex Lifeson confirmed it with Rolling Stone last year before Geddy Lee added some uncertainty to the picture. If the band does decide to play some shows, Lifeson said that fans will have the opportunity to see some rare cuts.
"We want to try and play different material this time," he added. "I've always wanted to do some rarer Rush material, and this should be a good opportunity to do that. I also think it's going to be a long tour. We just need to stay healthy until then."
