I got an interesting e-mail yesterday regarding the tour and thought I would pass along some of what I learned. The tour is being planned still with the venues out west,Canada, and the southeast. The schedule is leaving TBA's all over the place in spots around Michigan, L.A., Phoenix, and NYC. This leaving the likelihood that the band is setting up for 2 night stands in these areas. The 2nd leg will be announced in 3-4 weeks more than likely 3 weeks when all is locked up.
Tickets will go on sale for the 2nd leg the first week of June and the tour is scheduled to end in North America in November.
The band is leaving the option of 1 week to tour in South America in Dec/Jan and then 3-4 weeks in Jan-Feb with the tour ending then in early 2003. This is all pending on the success of the tour in North America and the response to the album sales worldwide. Hawaii and Alaska have been also on the table as well as a possible tour of Japan for the first time since 1984.
They plan to tour 2 weeks then take 1 week off through the entire cycle. Also there is talking going on that Neil will do select signings of Ghost Rider in NYC,Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, and L.A. on certain dates through the tour. This is still in discussion as Neil has hired a personal agent to handle his affairs for the first time outside of SRO.
Also I was told that the tour will bring back all of the Fear chapters in a special epic presentation for the shows including a screen show that will take your breath away and a special new state of the art system by Vari-Lite will be unveiled as well.
Color Kinetics and Targetti are also on board for the design of the show to bring something completely differnet than what has been seen at a Rush show being described to me so far as "On computer and paper this looks like Cirque du Soleil meets a rave."
Neil has still not ordered a new drum kit as of yet so the red sparkle drums remain so far and for the first time since 1984 he is considering dropping the electronics/ ddrums all together from his drumkit.He is also working on a new presentation for a drum solo as well.
This info comes way of a road crew member who worked on the TFE tour and will be working on the upcoming tour as well. I have known him for over 20+ years and his word is solid