Why Anika Nilles absolutely smashed it
Those who have followed me on Wave Your Arms, or elsewhere, will know that I have a thing for drummers. In particular, Neil Peart of Rush, who died in 2020. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time, Peart was much more than a musician. He was an accomplished writer, lyricist and, in many ways, the creative force behind much of what Rush produced over four decades.
When Rush decided to reform and tour again in 2026, there was understandable excitement among fans. There was also considerable surprise. Rather than recruiting one of the established names routinely mentioned in discussions of great rock drummers, Rush chose Anika Nilles, a German drummer known within drumming circles and for her work with Jeff Beck, but hardly a household name.
Many expected the role to go to someone such as Danny Carey, Mike Portnoy or Chad Smith. Instead, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson went in a different direction. As Lee explained:
“We’re not replacing Neil Peart. We’re finding a great musician who can help us play this music honestly.”
It is a remarkable statement when you think about it. Rather than searching for the closest possible replica of Peart, they searched for someone who could bring the music to life while respecting what made it special in the first place. After months of planning and weeks of rehearsal, Rush returned to the stage with a new keyboard player and Nilles behind the drum kit. Her performance was, by all accounts, sensational.
One of the great tests was always going to be Tom Sawyer. Among Rush fans, there has long been a belief that no one could play it quite like Peart. Even Peart himself described aspects of the song as exceptionally demanding. The track contains a famous, almost chaotic sequence of fills and breaks following Alex Lifeson’s guitar solo — a passage that has challenged drummers for more than forty years.
For many fans, it had become almost untouchable. A musical benchmark against which all others would inevitably fall short.
Perhaps no one could ever play it exactly as Neil Peart did.
But Anika Nilles - on night one of the tour - just proved that was never the point.