Neil Peart Drum Solo/Rush Live In Frankfurt *REACTION* 

I say this without an atom of hyperbole, Neil Peart was a musical, percussive, lyrical, performance, genius. Mic drop!

His drumming was melodic, which too many drummers forget their instruments are capable of doing!

He's the god of the drums. There will never be anyone like him ever again.

He's the GOAT of drummers. RIP Neil, you left us too soon.

Neil suffered from tendinitis for a few decades. It got real bad at the end. Plus having a young daughter around five at the time that they retired in 2015, six months later he found out he had cancer. The man is not only a legend, but was a beast on the drums and a intellectual inspiration to me.

Neil played entire concerts with that intensity

Neil Peart wrote most of the Rush songs! An absolute genius, IQ 150+

Neil Peart passed legend status long ago, he now operates in God mode..💪🏽✌🏽

No debate needed. The greatest drummer ever.

He was truly the god of thunder and art.

Presenting. THE incomparable Neil Peart. ALL 4 limbs working independently

Neil Peart was definitely one of the greatest drummers of all time and my personal favorite. He plays both rhythmically and melodically. Most drummers are not able to utilize melody in the way that Neil was. When you listen to Rush songs his fills and grooves are very different from what you hear in most rock songs. Neil wasn't just a time keeper for the other musicians he utilized percussion to the fullest extent so that his parts accentuated the rest of the music melodically in a very unique way. He was a musical and lyrical genius and he is greatly missed. RIP Neil.

Definitely the GOAT you can’t call anyone other than the professor the GOAT

I'm a nobody. He enriched my life.

Neil was a percussionist, not just a "drummer". Arguably, the greatest rock "drummer" to ever sit behind the kit. RIP, professor.

I’ve watched this solo many times, and it always amazes me! That’s why they called him the professor! And they are 24k gold plated!

St Catherine's Ontario Canada is Neil Pearts home town. They are erecting a statue in Neil's honor. RIP Neil

Neil Peart, the greatest drummer EVER!

"Call out the cops for disturbing the peace." OMG that runs the clock back for me. Well played sir. Well played indeed.

Good reaction. Drummers use a Metronome to keep time. A Metronome uses Neil Peart to keep time. He does this in the middle of a 3-hour concert. Thanks for talking about the feet. Nobody else does.

Neil Peart was the drummer that other drummers idolized. I cannot figure out how drummers can keep both hands and a foot all going in different directions and never miss a beat. I've seen some excellent drummers but Neil Peart was miles above anyone else.

His brain is different than ours. 🙂

The GOAT without question. That is a xylophone. Left foot was the high hat cymbals. He also triggered the videos and music during this.

Bro. You are my favorite reaction to Neil to date. Loved seeing your genuine joy at his inventiveness.

RUSH LIVE……I was lucky enough to see one of the last shows before Neil died at SPAC N.Y. Simply the most talented three man band ever. Incredible performances every time. “In eight years I’ll be seventy one, I can play Charlie Watts drum parts when I’m seventy one, I can’t play Neil Peart’s drum parts when I’m seventy one” - Neil Peart at sixty

This solo was performed about the halfway point of a Rush concert. Neil had already played for about an hour and a half before this solo! Then he played this solo and had to start playing with Rush again for another hour and a half! Geddy and Alex got to take a break, but not Neil. He just powered on through. He was a tank. That instrument Neil is playing is called a Xylophone, or just bells.

This Mr Neil Peart the professor. Our three Canadian masters! Neil was in his 50's too. You got 45 yrs of awesome tunes to check out Cheers

Top 5 drummer all time in my book. Gone too soon RIP

Thank you for the honest great review! This is why he's called The Professor.

There will always be that discussion of 'the greatest' in a lot of things, but in my little corner of the world, this guy, this band are just that.

The Albert Einstein of drumming

😂he is, was, and always will be the greatest! #RIP NEP(aka The Professor)🤘🖖✌️🥁🥁🥁

So awesome to see the next generation listening to Rush! So much more for you to explore. Have fun, I have for over 40 years. Have fun🤘🤘🤘👽

He left none of those skins untouched. Pure genius!

My first concert was Rush in 1983. The first of 49 shows and never missed a tour from then on. I don’t believe in the “Greatest Ever” because they are all based on personal preference. But he was definitely one of the most influential . He had written that he wasn’t happy with this particular solo and the night before was much better. He would also travel solo on his motorcycle between shows - sometimes riding 300 miles on a show day and then playing the full show. This was a man who knew how to get the most out of a day. He truly deserves much better than he got in the end. But what a life lived. What a vapor trail to leave and what a humble, friendly anti-legend legend he was. RIP, sir. Generations to come have yet to discover your greatness.

Buddy Rich, Danny Carey, and Neil Pert are three of the worlds greatest!!!!

Greatest drummer of all time from the greatest rock band of all time. May his soul rest in peace after two heartbreaking tragedies that killed his happiness. Great human being for his comeback to give us incredible music to listen to and make us think which btw Neil wrote most of the songs during the 40 years of production

You are the only one that noticed and mentions when he is hitting that one little pad and not even looking at it when doing so. Right on man.

Long live Neil Peart ❤️

Neil had the flu doing this!!!! Legend RIP. He was tapping on a xylophone.

Mr. Peart was one a kind innovator. He set the bar for percussionist.

What’s cool is Neil Peart is doing different rythmns with each hand as well as each foot. He was one of the best drummers in history. Died January 2020 of brain cancer! RIP Professor

Truly a Masterclass! That, and this was mid way into a three hour concert! R.I.P. Sir.

That was a Xylophone that you asked about and in the past he had a gong and tubular bells but you can bet that if he had a drum or another percussion instrument in his stage kit he hit it at least once and he hit it hard. Neil is by far the greatest rock drummer of all time and his lyrics of RUSH's songs were phenomenal. He retired from drumming in 2015 and sadly he passed away 2 years ago

Genius has no barriers! I was fortunate enough to see Rush every time they came home to Toronto from '77 -81 . Greetings from YYZ 🇨🇦

Greatest drummer ever....and there's been a lot of great drummers over the years. (I say that as a drummer myself....62yo)

That instrument he is playing is technically called a percussion controller. It’s a synthesizer for drummers that you play like a xylophone. Since it’s a synth controller you can make it sound like anything you want. In this solo he has a marimba or xylophone patch loaded (those instruments have wooden keys), and I believe he triggers the gong sound at the end on it. His drum kit has a number of electronic “pads” that have programmable sounds. Some of them look like drums, some are the black cymbals, and he has foot triggers, too. Kinda like Guitar Hero drum pads, but professional-grade. He is actually triggering the horn sounds at the end with various pads and pedals. The only pre-recorded loop was the jazz song at the very end. In the early days Neil used a real glockenspiel, but the versatility of the programmable pads teplaved it with this thing in the early 80’s. PS - A lot of people confuse xylophones (wood keys) with glockenspiels (metal keys). It’s because the toy companies lied to us as kids, man!!! That thing you had with the colorful metal keys was NOT a xylophone - it’s a glockenspiel! Some sort of conspiracy among the toy makers, lol.

Now imagine doing this at the halfway point of a three hour concert at 50 plus years of age which he is 52 here, but he was playing in pain well into 62 when he retired.

It's a Xylophone. I'm late watching. Great reaction!!

That drummer is amazing. He's tapping on a xylophone.

I’m a bass player, so I know how great it is when you play with a great drummer. I just wish I was a drummer so I could fully appreciate just how amazing this man’s playing was. I know he’s one of the greatest drummers ever, but I just don’t have the knowledge to fully appreciate the genius of Neil Peart.

Neil was a master tactician on the drums. You asked the question, how does he remember where everything is. Simple answer, lots and lots of practice. What you are seeing, has been thirty years in the making. Neil is a compositional drummer. Meaning all of this was thought out in advance. There are small pockets of improvisation, but for the most part it's always the same. Back in the nineties, Neil perfected the waltz with his feet. The ching ching noise you asked about, was his hi-hat. But the pattern is, 123,123. And through anatomic Independence, he's able to play that part with his feet, and play something totally different with his hands. He was from the generation of drummers that looked up to Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and the likes. The crossover sticking you saw from above, and the blisteringl use of the hi-hat, we're all things he learned from big band drummers. He also uses a mallet KAT PRO trigger to get the sounds of a xylophone, marimba, and glockenspiel, or bells as most people know them. And you can't go wrong when he's goofing on the cowbells. Neil's nickname was the Professor. And rightly so, because he would give you a schooling on the drums. And in most drumming circles, he is the GOAT! I hope this helps to answer all your questions.

It is great to watch GODS blessing.

I started playing drums in junior high band and my first concert was Rush when I was a sophomore, that night changed me forever. R.I.P. Neil, gone but never forgotten.😢

Neil is the human drum machine

His drum kit was huge! He collected them his whole career. He would play with no sticks causing his hands to bled from hitting the rims. His idols were, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupper, thus the big band sound in the closing number.

Its widely said that Neil Peart is your favorite drummer's favorite drummer'.

He was called the Professor for good reason!

Solos give the drummer a chance to shine, and showcase their talents. The thing you asked about, was a type of drum pad synthesizer, set for a Xylophone sound. Thanks for your reaction.

hi Greg, love your reaction. welcome to the rush family

You have to be in control of both sides of your brain at once and WOW! He's awesome!

His drums were just an extention of him 🙂💞

I recommend RUSH in RIO drum Solo. My all time favorite Drummer Live. 5x

Good for you ... genuinely only the 2nd reaction I've seen that mentioned his feet keeping rhythm while his hands are going nuts. ... in different times. That section puts him one of the best

I think its called an Xylophone. I remember having one when I was a kid. 😁

4:05 He's the "GOAT." He's so great; he could probably be like Helen Keller and still kill it! Well he can't now; RIP Neil Peart! And 7:58; it's called an a electronic xylophone.

Nicely played Brother 👍👍 The end of the solo with a Big Band kinda feel...is a nod to Freddie Gruber a drumming legend, who Neil went to for lessons late in his career 😳 Spread the love 🐶😎🇺🇸

This is why he was known as the Professor... RIP

In the section when you said he didn't miss a beat, your observation was correct on how difficult that section is. Many people just pay attention to his hands and think he's randomly hitting drums, and think it's cool. But his feet are constantly playing in 3/4 time while his hands are playing numerous other time signatures. I believe many reactors miss that, but you did not! He worked hard for years to achieve limb independence, and I've seen/read interviews with him saying as much, but I've never seen him say whether he believed he had achieved it or not. Great reaction!

Your some kind of fun! Its fun to witness

The instrument he was playing that you asked about is a MIDI Marimba - a set of programmable triggers capable of sounding like anything.

The King.

Neil Peart did this every night during a three hour Rush concert……he was the G.O.A.T! R.I.P. Neil.

just the size of the drum set!!!!!

Geddy Lee from Rush once described Neil Peart as a "fukin monster musician". All 3 of them, Geddy, Alex and Neil are masters of their craft. Sadly Neil is no longer with us but his artistry lives on.

Yep took the people round the world with this solo.. differnent generes an didnt stick to just one! Just an example drums isn't just about double base and snare Best drum solo I haver ever heard being a metal fan! Wish he would have been in my band

Drummers use metronomes to keep the beat, metronomes use NP! The Professor RiP.

Most people don't catch the fact that his hands are playing in one time signature and his feet are playing in another

And this is after 30 years of being in Rush and playing.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Neil Peart is considered one of the best drummers in rock. All the horns at the end were triggered by him from his drum kit. Neil could play one time signature with his hands and another with his feet. Unfortunately he passed away from brain cancer in January of 2020.

Great reaction, and, you are one of the few that mentions that his right hand is making that tapping sound, plus his feet working independently from his hands. Great job. 👍

Cool on how you picked up him playing the MalletKat 1:37! He also plays the trumpet section with his feet using foot triggers and also on his drum pads.And yes you are correct, he is not even breathing hard...so many drummers conk out and take breaks during solos or slow down. Peart prided himself in being in the best shape before touring...the man was an athlete! No lactic acid buildup in his muscles and the lungs of a long distance runner....he was a BEAST! To play 3 hours a night as hard as he used to play would bring younger drummers in their 20's to their knees.

KAT percussion MalletKat, also playing Roland V-drums for the first section, the section where Neil is cross-sticking, freaking insane

* The first time I saw RUSH, Neil's set rotated around him on command. You must now also react to: Danny Carey | "Pneuma" by TOOL*

New sub here. Loving the reactions! Peart is a Canadian legend. One of the best drummers of all time. So many great musicians and talent out of Canada.

Genius.RIP❤️

As usual, loved your reaction! Rush, and Neil Peart particularly (RIP), is one of my favorite acts. I've missed your Tom MacDonald reactions. I usually don't consider it an official T-Mac drop till I hear from Greg.

And he was under the weather during this performance.

Jesus LOVE 2 U!!! :) ♥

And he wrote the words to 90% of RUSH songs

The professor at work

Neil was a big fan of Buddy Rich and jazz music.

As a drummer of over 50 years I think I can answer your question with regards to stamina. A band will usually rehearse for 4 - 8 hours straight many times a week to get everything perfect and tight. So a 3 - 4 hour gig is not that much of a physical strain. The other thing is using the natural bounce of the drum heads takes a lot of effort out of fast drum rolls, so unless you're trying to smash the sticks through the heads you don't hold the sticks too tightly and you let them rebound freely. You don't really use your arms so much as your rist so carpal tunnel strain can be quite common in percussionists. You need pretty good core strength as you spend a lot of time balancing on the drum stool with both legs lifted up at the same time. Apart from that, it's all about practice, coordination and technique. Simple really. I think every drummer wishes they were as brilliant as Niel, including myself. We all miss him very much. ✌️❤️🇬🇧

Rest in Peace, Professor ❤

8:10 That's a xylophone.

Great reaction and analysis 👏. His solos are truly amazing, but hearing him do these things, within the context of a song, just leave you speechless. If you are interested in hearing more from him and the band, Rush, you should check out Tom Sawyer and Spirit of Radio. They're amazing songs. See what you think.

Rush would not be rush without Neil Peart

Rush played for 2:40 to 3 hr shows! Towards the end of their careers! This solo was in the middle! For a man who was in his mid to late 50’s?

Drummers use metronomes, metronomes use Neil Peart!