Anika Nilles had plenty of reasons to feel nervous before stepping behind the drum kit for Rush’s first tour without Neil Peart. But a message from Peart’s widow, Carrie Nuttall, helped give the drummer some much-needed reassurance.
Nilles, 43, the German drummer chosen by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to join Rush for the band’s Fifty Something tour, recently opened up about the pressure of taking on Peart’s role. She underwent a five-day audition before Lee, 73, and Lifeson, 72, selected her for the job.
Learning Rush’s music was only part of the challenge. Nilles also had to contend with the weight of replacing one of rock’s most revered drummers.
During rehearsals, she said she had to coach herself not to become overwhelmed by thinking about the significance of the position she was filling.
“I have a little bit of Neil in me,” Nilles told Rolling Stone, explaining that she learned from Peart’s compositional approach and the way he continually developed his drum parts.
Then, ahead of her first Rush performance, Nilles received a message from Nuttall, 62, Peart’s widow.
Nilles described the message as “really lovely,” saying it was meaningful to know that Nuttall was supportive and looking forward to the journey ahead. The reassurance helped Nilles feel “really energized and relieved” as she prepared to make her debut.
Rush’s Fifty Something tour marks the band’s first live outing since 2015 and its first without Peart, who died in 2020. Nilles is now performing alongside Lee and Lifeson as the group revisits its extensive catalog on the reunion tour.
After making it through her first performances, Nilles summed up the experience with a simple reaction: “I made it through!”
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This story was originally published by Parade on Aug 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.