Dear Jman !
OK, how to start ? First of all, you won´t need to test your echo anymore with that much feedback on your great site?
Well, here´s a German RUSH addict who´s still orbiting in deep rush space because of
listening...seeing...inhaling...admiring...(no words for)
a R30-show in Stuttgart/Germany on 09-19. I´ve just read your Toronto Experience and I can imagine, what kind of feelings one can get, how exciting one can be ... goose bumps included. What is to say for a german fan like me, waiting 12 (in words: twelve) years for another show ?
The music of Rush is like a true companion for me since 1981 (at the age of 15), when I first listened
on the radio to "Tom Sawyer" and I immediately liked those mixture of Geddy´s singing, the changing rhythms of
Neil´s drumming and the full sound of Alex´s guitar playing. Every song is a work of art, especially "vital signs"
and "red barchetta" were (and still are, 23 years later) very impressive for me. So it was like meeting a good old friend when they played "red barchetta" at the stuttgart show.
I missed unfortunately the concert in 1982 but got the first live experience in 1983 (only a few days earlier than you)
at the signals tour show in Böblingen (it´s the ö not the o !!) on may, the 6 th. I travelled to Stuttgart
as well in 1992 during the rtb-tour and waited 2 hours just to be one of the first to rush (that fits !) into
the arena and managed to get a place in the front row. After Primus beeing an exciting opener and a little break
the lights went down and I was happy to be eye-to-eye with Geddy. And once I even thought
he would notice me singing along every word of those lyrics, that keep spinning round and round in my head since 1981.
To keep the spark alive I´ve been very successful to inspire my 12-year-old son with rush music.
Now and then playing those songs, especially the moving pictures / signals / roll the bones / counterparts albums
he asked me "sounds good, who´s this... ?" Now he´s got the whole cd collection !!!
Dear Jman, I would again like to thank you very very much for your great site, for the possibility to share your feelings and those of so many other fans. Your site is - going through many many rush links - in my opinion
the most personal approach to a living musical legend. To speak of time and money you spend on your work
(as done in the Toronto story), let me quote Rush here: "we will pay the price, but we will not count the cost..."
If you like, you can have a look at my collected tickets (although it´s a rather small collection).
I wish you and your friends and all people who appreciate the music of rush worldwide all the best !!!
Special thanks to Neil Peart, because his thoughts are so positive and impressive and with putting them down
in lyrics they go around the world and reach so many people ... thoughts can change the world !
Thanks also to the guys of CERN for bringing the world together by starting the w-w-w !!!
Thomas