Brits Reaction to Rush - Spirit Of Radio (Live)

[@wiseonelol25]

These guys are all master musicians who take their music seriously, but not themselves! The chicken is just another character to bring onstage for some comedy relief!

[@somecallmetim2112]

Decades ago, Geddy decided to pipe his bass, synths, and pedals (yes, he plays all three, and he sings, too!) through the house sound system. This left his half of the stage somewhat lacking compared to Alex's massive amp stacks. To compensate, they loaded Geddy's side with washing machines, popcorn machines, rotisseries, etc. Neil's drum kit is screwed into the riser boards, and the riser does, in fact, rotate. His kit has a primarily-electronic kit on one side (the one with the tiny kick drum), and a primarily-acoustic kit on the other, and the riser rotates depending on which kit wants facing the audience. I say primarily, because Neil has several electronic triggers built into custom drum shells sprinkled through the kit, as well as several discrete foot triggers. Prior to elecronic drums being very good, Neil frequently had a comprehensive percussion pit on stage, including bell tree, wind chimes, glockenspiel, and full set of orchestral bells. Check out the video for Xanadu (Live, 1981 Exit Stage Left tour) for a great exposition of each of their gear sets.

[@BritPopsReact]

@Some Call Me Tim Hello to you and thanks for all the great information. We appreciate it and thanks for taking the time to post it. Cheers

[@Tonyr0206]

I concur. Xanadu is a must listen. Exit...Stage Left version, for sure.

[@number9434]

Those chickens feed the crew. Yes they're actually cooking dinner on stage. Alex has a wall of speakers and Geddy just uses the PA system. To balance out Alex's wall they used Rotisseries. They have also used clothes driers.

[@mycroft16]

Which were also practical, doing the crew's laundry. A guy would come on and change the loads from time to time.

[@uroktim]

This is the number that got me hooked on Rush, 42 years ago. The very first song I heard. This one! They played Manchester England on April 30, 1979 at the Apollo.

[@andri553]

Guys, Rush! Best band ever! I was there at that concert in Rotterdam!

[@tchemmer]

Massive wall of sound, giant banks of speakers, supersonic guitar work, drummer surrounded by the drum kit, giant chicken, IT'S ROCK AND ROLL !!! It's surprising how often this song pops up on the radio, probably because of the title. It gets cold in Toronto in the winter, ya' gotta' rock hard to stay warm. Rock On !

[@RaymondBCrisp]

Rush had all sorts of things on stage with them. In addition to the roasting chickens (for the after show party), I've seen washers and dryers with them doing their clothes. There have been popcorn machines up there too.

[@obelisk21]

I listen to a lot of music of pretty much every genre and I personally think their performance of Xanadu from the tour "Exit Stage Left" may be one of the great live performances period. It was at a time when Neil Peart's drum kit was still fully acoustic and was loaded with orchestral percussion instruments like bell trees, wood blocks, a glockenspiel, and even orchestral chimes. Couple that with Alex playing a Gibson EDS-1275 (double-neck consisting of a 12 string and a 6 string) and Geddy playing a Rickenbacker 4080 (double-neck guitar with a 4 string bass and 12 string electric). There are actually more guitars played in this performance than members of the band.

[@apctest8359]

Something to pay attention is when the keyboards kick it, it's Geddy playing with foot pedals. They really do it all live

[@lvgelfling72]

For reals .... Watching that live is pretty amazing. Honestly, watching any one of them at any given time can leave you awestruck.

[@robertjakicic5878]

The reason for the props behind Geddy Lee like the rotisserie's or washer and dryers is because of the weight of the amps behind Alex Leftson to counterweight the stage.

[@greggirons2912]

It is a song about CFNY. A small independent radio station that broadcasted from a little yellow house in Brampton Ontario. All the on air talent were not beholden to corporate interests and played what they liked. It was a great time for listeners as they got exposed to new styles.

[@mycroft16]

About 9 or 10 years ago here in Salt Lake City one of the typical pop stations hired a new DJ from NY. He came in and it was a breath of utterly fresh air. Every Tuesday he picked some new album that had come across his radar from some no name or virtually unknown band and he played it in its entirety, track by track and commented briefly about the tracks and band between each track. It was AWESOME. I picked up so much new music from him. And it was always different and fresh and exciting. Sadly, the local populace seemed to only want more Britney Spears and repeatable tripe. :/ He was let go after 7 months.

[@jhc2093]

That keyboard your hear is being played by the bass player Geddy Lee with his feat on Taurus pedals which is a pedal synthesizer. The guitarist, Alex Lifeson also has a set and does the bass parts, the Geddy is playing synths. Three guys, all multi instrumentalist, making a sound completely unique to them. They sound like no one, and no one sounds like them, and that’s the point! They forged their own path and their own soundscape.

[@mycroft16]

And they were never afraid to try something new, or mix it up. They never really stagnated or got stuck in a sound.

[@CygnusKC]

The keyboard sound you paused to wonder about was coming from a foot pedal played by Geddy Lee (who is also singing and playing the bass. Yep. ) If you watch again, you can see he'll glance down here and there and also his stance gives away that he's doing something with his feet out of camera shot. No music is coming from offstage with these three guys. There might be an effect or sample in a song, but it's at least triggered by one of the guys onstage.

[@CygnusKC]

PS... you noticed the piano bit towards the end. That's a perfect example of the effect triggering. In other live videos for this song, you can see Geddy tap a foot pedal triggering those piano notes and then tapping a second pedal to end the sequence.

[@Thecincyclips]

Ok the story of the chickens roasting. At the point when they started putting the guitars direct to the sound board they no longer needed giant walls of speakers on the stage. But Alex still wanted speakers on his side. So Geddy said if you are going to have useless stuff on your side I'm putting stuff on my side. You will see tours like this with the chickens, you will also see ones with washers and dryers going, etc. On top of the immense talent, great song and lyrics these guys are also just great friends that like goofing around and having a great time on stage.

[@stevengoetz6773]

You're almost right... Geddy goes direct to the board, but Alex still needed his amps, so Geddy put the stuff on his side to even out the stage.

[@wonderwatchlisten]

Snakes and Arrows is the album from this live tour. I saw them live on this tour!

[@m.a.sperry3424]

Rush is legend here in CA, and with their fans all over the world. This was a radio-friendly track, whereas much of their music was complex and protracted, so was bypassed by radio stations. There are hours of great music to listen to. Neil Pea-rt, the drummer, was known as the Professor. He was their main lyricist. He died in 2020 of Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. A profound loss to many. The last song on their last album was "The Garden", written by Neil in 2016. I don't know if he knew then that he was sick, but it's almost his swan song, and a really beautiful song. I do hope you listen to it sometime. They are three amazing musicians, each in his own right.

[@chueysmama2622]

Preach it m.a. sperry! You know your Rush, I love it.

[@m.a.sperry3424]

@@chueysmama2622 Thanks. Just a little aside: A friend of ours was a music promoter here in Toronto, back in the day. Someone put him onto this new band, so he went to see them play. He came away saying "nah, they'll never make it, especially with that vocalist" Boy, did he regret that decision. It was RUSH.

[@thegman8968]

RUSH is the real deal! The band had a 40 + years run, and they seemed to improve with each new decade. Same 3 members except for their debut album, which featured John Rutsey on the drums. Tons of great music and a huge variety of styles. Literally something for every musical taste! You might enjoy an instrumental (they did quite a few) called "La Villa Strangiato", released in 1978. It is amazing!☮

[@imacmanx8562]

Arguably, the greatest rock drummer to sit behind the kit......and yes, a percussionist too. You mentioned The Who influences......in Neil's early career, he spent time in the UK looking for work, and WAS heavily influenced by Keith Moon, along with Bonzo, and Buddy Rich for his jazz influences.

[@iKvetch558]

"Is that a chicken?!" Yes...yes it is...these guys toured for 40 years, and they like to make each other laugh. The stage setup was filled with inside jokes and funny things from Rush's entire history by the time these three were done...so yeah, if you see something weird on stage, that will be why. 😁 Please Please PLEASE react to the song Xanadu...the live version from their live tour double album Exit Stage Left (1981)...you will not believe what you see.

[@mycroft16]

Also, by the time the show was done, the tear down crew had fresh, warm, rotisserie chicken to eat while tearing down and loading the truck sup for the next tour spot. Works out well. :D

[@blobbyploppers8013]

Check out Rush - What's that Smell? for all your chicken answers... sort of.

[@debbieplato5107]

Thanks for doing more Rush! Neil Peart and yes you said his name right 😀 is considered one of the best drummers in rock. He was also the main lyrist. They also have a great sense of humour. Snakes and Arrows is a later album this tour was for. Spirit of Radio was from their Permanent Waves album. Other Songs Red Barchetta from Exit Stage Left YYZ live in Rio Working man live in Cleveland. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@hardtackbeans9790]

Normally I don't care for guys singing in higher register but I loved when Rush - Spirit of Radio came on in the car radio.

[@JohnBrooking4]

My wife still dislikes Geddy’s voice. She says he sounds like an angry elf. 🤨

[@diedregerick1438]

That's one of my favorite songs by them and that song is so true if you listen to the lyrics.

[@shawnmcinnes565]

2112 will knock your socks off. This could be a movie.

[@briguy677]

As I heard, the chicken being cooked was for the stage crew's dinner after the concert.

[@paulmorris8762]

for drum solo it's hard to top Neil's solo live in Frankfurt - drum critics have their minds blown

[@michaelkeller6223]

Rush On!

[@chueysmama2622]

I love Rush, I went to the Moving Pictures concert and it was amazing to see them live! Chuey LOVES all your professional expert comments on the songs. Geddy Lee is one of the best bassists out there and I love his vocals and all that Rush has to offer. Good one Gentlemen.

[@neilludlam8055]

RUSH IN RIO LIVE OR Xanadu live. Cheers.

[@uroktim]

Xanadu from their Moving Pictures tour. 1981.

[@lidlett9883]

I first found Rush in 1978. In my opinion you simply cannot find band that produces more complex music and lyrics. This song was about the death of FM radio. At the time FM had been low budget radio stations. Where the music was the focus. But rock was growing and that meant ad revenue. Which meant glittering prizes. And compromises for bands to make radio songs.

[@surfeit5910]

One key part of the puzzle you're both missing - LYRICS. Neil was just as masterful a wordsmith as he was a percussionist. Unlike other bands, the lyrics are a huge part of their appeal; without those, you're only enjoying half the song!

[@bobhope3716]

Glad you guys are in to Rush but I wish you had done the performance from the Maple Leaf Gardens concert,1984. Try the song Freewill from the Exit Stage Left concert next !

[@markstromberg1148]

If you want to continue your deep dive into Rush, I might suggest that you check out "La Villa Strangiato," an instrumental from the 1978 album "Hemispheres" or the live performance of "Xanadu" from the Exit Stage Left tour in Montreal 1981.

[@KelliViti]

The Chicken. Basting chicken. Was their rather inventive way of feeding Roadies / staff. At nights end. It would cook during the concert. To be eaten after the last instrument / piece of equipment. Was packed away. On this tour, at least. This night it was chicken.

[@forcefeedingbbjsalad7933]

The difference between Rush and the Killers, is that Rush is actually good. 😊

[@williamdemerchant7295]

The Snakes and Arrows album tour which would have been in 2007 or 08. I only saw Rush once, in 1980 just after this song was released. An incredible live band. In the studio recording Geddy Lee has his younger and punchier vocals. Xanadu - Exit Stage Left (1981) video, 2112 - Animated video and Working Man - Live in Cleveland. 3 Must sees, for reaction.🎸🎸🥁🔥

[@thegman8968]

Here is a small list of songs from RUSH that you must react to: "Subdivisions" "A Farewell To Kings" "Free Will" "Half The World" "Mission" "Witch Hunt" "Driven" I could go on, but these will do for starters! 😊☮

[@williamdemerchant7295]

Limelight - (1981) Live Another one.

[@lordlockdown64]

I know a bit about Rush and they're not too bad, the drummer is a massive part of their performance he was a bit of a beast, cheers!

[@pavelsuvorov5036]

Good song, great band.Thank you, friends.Wonderful reaction!🔥👍🇷🇺

[@emmettdwyer7584]

welcome to the rabbit hole

[@firefighterchick]

Rush was a great brand. Lots of creativity missing from 99% of artists now.

[@2112boomsoon]

Nice reaction...glad you're enjoying my favorite band...to answer some of your questions...this is from the Snakes and Arrows tour but the song is from the album Permanent Waves...and yes those are rotisserie chickens behind Geddy(lead singer/bassist/keyboards)...it's an ongoing joke between him and Alex(guitarist)...with modern technology there's no reason for Alex to have a massive stack of amps behind him anymore but he didn't want to give them up so to balance the stage Geddy first put Dryers behind him but through the years it evolved to the chickens...vending machines and the like...hope you guys do more Rush songs!!!

[@sketchbook1]

As good as they may have been live, the best version to really hear the song is the studio recording.

[@uroktim]

You are right. To appreciate the clarity of their genius, check out the studio albums first.

[@madrobotfan]

So disappointing when reaction videos play live versions, especially much later versions like this. The studio version so much better than this.

[@TBCreek]

You guys need to react to "YYZ" live in Rio

[@thatsnice99]

This is there best song but never done better than the studio version…

[@winstonlane708]

🎸🥁🎸

[@lisak1928]

It has probably already been mention a 100x, La Villa Strangiato.

[@winstonlane708]

🎼🐐🐐🐐🎶 🎙

[@johnkominar8417]

6:35 The Who - Baba O'riley The Who Zeppelin Sabbath big influences on Rush as they were to many bands

[@robertsonsid]

Now Subdivisions or Limelight or Time Stand Still

[@BabyVapor]

Changing channels on the radio. Most of the time Geddy will change the Candace in the live version.

[@thatsnice99]

This IS their best song…..

[@richieyyz]

This is one of their more successful commercial song that got a lot of air play, but for me their best songs are 2112, La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu, The Necromancer, Fountain of Lamneth and Bastille Day.. but all of the Moving Pictures album is awesome.

[@thatsnice99]

@@richieyyz spirit of radio has no weak points throughout. It’s a perfect song. 2112 would have been the best if if ended after the Temple of Syrinx. Xanadu is way overrated with Bytor (I and II only) 1000x better. La Villa is great but too long with Alex fking it up with his long boring solo. A better instrumental is leave that thing alone, YYZ and malignant Narcissism. Anthem is another great song…. Once again SPIRIT OF RADIO is flawless…..

[@benredmond6636]

Great reaction, guys! Please check out Subdivisions live or Xanadu live next

[@petermedhurst6089]

2112 blow your minds

[@lvgelfling72]

Why are you afraid to rush fans,lol?? We are and informative group, so you were aware going forward. I don't believe anyone would say anything because they were offended we're just full of knowledge and we love to share about our favorite band

[@vizzini589]

Really, Kings of Leon?, you're joking right. They weren't even a spit in their daddy's eye when Rush were on the road 250 days a year.

[@winstonlane708]

🧖🧖🏻‍♂️🧖🏻

[@thatsnice99]

Spirit of radio never sounds better than the studio. It’s likely the only song Rush can improve on outside of the studio….

[@jackteppo9633]

Would be nice to see them play without the big letters over it!

[@BritPopsReact]

@jack teppo Hi, We had to put the text over the video as it was blocked. We never know which videos will be blocked until we upload them. Hope that helps

[@madrobotfan]

Always better to do the original studio versions. NOT the best way to discover this song or any new Rush.

[@thatsnice99]

Ouch; you paused and spoke at the best parts of the songs …..

[@johnedieter739]

Something not quite right with this video - other than the big word RUSH blocking the view. It sounds slower, or lower register than is normal. Otherwise, your reaction is great!

[@tundiel]

I really tried to like this, but it's not for me. There were a few bits that I liked a little bit, but not enough to listen to it again... I tried, though!

[@DanaClarkDana]

Studio version is nicer

[@peterrichards7387]

RUSH is one band that I could never get away with mainly because of the vocals. I have their "A Farewell to Kings" album on vinyl. Don't get me wrong I like their music just not the vocalist. For me the vocals just don't sound right for their type of music. Everyone to their own I suppose. BP2 if you'd like this album for your vinyl collection, you can have it, I'll send it to you.

[@paul.etedder2439]

You talk through the most impressive part of the song .👎