Alex Lifeson And Geddy Lee Reveal How Long It Took New Drummer Anika Nilles To "Get It"

Things are going well as Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson incorporate new drummer Anika Nilles into the Rush fold, but being that they are both exacting musicians, taking on a new band member after 50 years with the legendary Neal Peart had to be difficult...right? In an interview with the UK's "Absolute Radio," Geddy and Alex explained that, no matter how technically proficient someone is (and Nilles is, having toured as the drummer for Jeff Beck, among her many accomplishments) there's more to sitting behind the Rush drum kit than skill. "She's a wonderful person. So that was half of the quest, can we find somebody that's gonna be really fun to be with? She's really a lovely person. She laughs easily. She felt immediately comfortable," Alex explained. But could she handle the drum parts of arguably the greatest percussionist in rock history? "

She worked really hard. She prepped for it. She had five songs, and we went through those songs. But by the fourth day...there was something that just wasn't there quite. And we talked to her about the importance of the feel that Neil had in his drum arrangements. And then on the fifth day, which was the final day that we rehearsed, bang! She just nailed all those songs. And that turned everything around." Geddy added, "But that was the moment that the final tumbler clicked into place. On that day he's describing, it was very much like that. We had all these questions, and that day those questions were erased."

Ozzy Osbourne To Recieve Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award At BRITs

Ozzy Osbourne is set to be posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2026 BRIT Awards ceremony. A tribute performance of "No More Tears" will also close the show, lead by Robbie Williams. Tommy Cluefetos and Adam Wakeman of Black Sabbath, Robert Trujillo of Metallica and Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society will also take part in the performance.The tribute is curated by Sharon Osbourne. The show takes place on February 28th in Manchester.

DAVE GROHL: Had No Idea His Daughter Signed a Deal

Dave Grohl claimed that he was so out of the loop on the album his daughter Violet Grohl was making that he didn't even know she'd signed a record deal. He told the U.K.'s Radio X, "I knew she was looking to sign a record deal, and she was like, ‘Hey dad, can I come over for dinner tonight?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, sure. What do you want me to make?’ And she came over and told me, like, ‘I signed my record deal today.’ I’m just like, ‘Oh my God!’ So, I’m totally uninvolved." He called her upcoming debut “amazing” and said that inspired him when making the new Foo Fighters album Your Favorite Toy. "The way that they made that record and the energy of it, I was like, ‘Oh, man. I’ve just been inspired by my daughter’s debut album.’ It’s cool."

VAN HALEN: Wolfgang Supports Alex's Project

When Alex Van Halen revealed that he's been working with Steve Lukather on unfinished material he recorded with his late brother Eddie Van Halen, he mentioned that his nephew

Wolfgang Van Halen played bass on those tracks. But that seems to be news to Wolf. The

Mammoth frontman was asked this week about this unreleased material and he said, "I haven't played anything yet. So, I'm not sure what Al is talking about in that respect. They could be older ideas that maybe we worked on 15 years ago or something, 'cause there was a couple of years where Dad, Al and I were just jamming in the studio for three years or something. "I really do think it's more of Al's thing to talk about. I'm really just here in a position of helping him with whatever he needs. If he needs bass on something, I'm there. If he needs anything else, I'm there. Whatever he needs. But it's definitely his thing to spearhead. And I am in a support position."

PAUL McCARTNEY: Enjoy The Man at Home This Weekend

The Paul McCartney documentary Man on the Run debuts on Amazon Prime this weekend.

Directed by Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning director Morgan Neville, it focuses on the aftermath of The Beatles’ breakup and the start of his new band, Wings. The film features archival footage and photos taken by his late wife Linda McCartney, plus interviews with Paul, Linda, their daughters Mary and Stella, members of Wings, Sean Lennon, Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde and others. In the You Gave Me the Answer column on his website, McCartney said, "There are parts that are embarrassing. I even asked Morgan Neville if we should take some of those bits out; like me doing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ with a red nose on, and the band in silly outfits. I thought maybe we didn’t need that. But he said, no, that it works, and that the ups and downs make the ending feel more earned. I think he’s right."

The film's soundtrack is also out this weekend. It includes three previously unreleased tracks -- "Live and Let Die (Rockshow)," "Gotta Sing Gotta Dance" and "Arrow Through Me (Rough Mix)." The soundtrack also has a demo take on "Silly Love Songs" and tracks from most of the albums McCartney and Wings released throughout the 1970s.

ROLLING STONES: A Storm Over "Shelter" in Melania

The use of The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" in Melania, the documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, has kicked up a wave of conflicting reports about how it got into the film about the first lady. In a Variety interview earlier this week the film's producer Marc Beckman said that Mick Jagger “was actually involved” and “gave his blessing” for the song to be licensed to the film. The Guardian followed that up by saying that unnamed source close to Jagger denied he was involved in the decision. And a U.K. rep for the band told the paper that the license “was made exclusively between rights holders ABKCO and Melania’s producers, and that the band had nothing to do with it." Meanwhile, Variety says that sources close to the film continue to assert that Jagger was directly involved in licensing the music.

It's not exactly what side is telling the truth. What is known is that ABKCO holds the rights to the Stones pre-1971 recordings and could license the song without the band's approval. But considering the band's battles with Donald Trump using their music at political rallies over the previous decade, it seems unlikely that ABKCO would do so and hurt a relationship with the Stones that has been rocky at points.

GUESS WHO: Are Coming to America

The Guess Who, the latest incarnation with just Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings from the original lineup, will soon be announcing a U.S. summer tour. Performing this week aboard the Rock Legends Cruise, Bachman said they'll follow up their Canadian tour in May and June with amphitheaters in June and July and special guest Don Felder through August 23rd in Vancouver, Canada. After that, it's back to their other projects, which for Bachman is another tour as Bachman-Turner Overdrive minus Fred Turner, who has retired from touring. Bachman says "I'm in two bands this year. It's like Paul McCartney and Wings and The Beatles. Not that I'm Paul McCartney, but I'm spreading it out to two bands." The Guess Who will do their first U.S. date this Sunday in Hollywood, Florida before touring Canada starting on May 26th in Moncton.

Heart Debut Album "Dreamboat Annie" To Get Special 50th Anniversary Reissue

Heart's classic debut album "Dreamboat Annie" is getting a special 50th anniversary reissue through UMe's Vinylphle series. There will only be three-thousand copies of the new edition available. The record features hits like "Crazy on You" and "Magic "Man."The exclusive Vinulphyle edition of "Dreamboat Annie" is available to preorder on the U Discover Music website. It'll ship out on March 3rd.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith Surprises Drum Students As Substitute Teacher

Chad Smith is sharing his music knowledge with the youth. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer teamed up with Drumeo to surprise a handful of drum students by showing up as their substitute teacher for a day. Throughout his lessons he jams with students and gives them tips, eventually meeting the drum teacher who he filled in for, telling him "keep up the good work."A full video of Smith surprising the drum students is available to watch on YouTube under the title "Chad Smith Surprises Drum Students (Chaos Ensue)."

Iron Maiden Taking All Of 2027 Off

Iron Maiden is planning ahead...way ahead. They've announced two shows in Japan November 24th and 25th, but after that, they plan on taking some time off. A whole year. The break is understandable; the Japan shows are the last of a two-year tour. The band says that after the "Run For Your Life" tour, it's taking 2027 off, but plan on getting back at it in 2028.

UFO To Reissue "The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent"

UFO's 1981 album "The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent" is getting an expansive reissue.

Chrysalis Records has announced the album (newly remastered from the original tape transfers) will be reissued on 3 LP tri-fold sleeve 180-gram vinyl and 2 CD digipak. This deluxe edition also includes a new mix of the previously unreleased "Live at the Hammersmith Odeon," recorded on January 29th, 1981. The album comes out May 1.

IN OTHER NEWS

Ozzy Osbourne will be posthumously honored at this Saturday's Brit Awards -- the U K's Grammys -- with a Lifetime Achievement award. There will also be a performance of his 1991 song "No More Tears" featuring UK singer Robbie Williams backed by Ozzy bandmembers Tommy Clufetos on drums, Zakk Wylde on guitar, Adam Wakeman on keyboards, and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo.

Rod Stewart and Ron Wood will be among the performers at The King’s Trust 50th anniversary concert on May 11th at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Iron Maiden have added two Japan shows to their Run for Your Lives tour in November, and announced that they will be taking all of 2027 off from the road.

The Beach Boys have added a summer leg to the 60 Years of Pet Sounds tour. It starts May 29th in Atlantic City, New Jersey and wraps up August 16th in West Allis, Wisconsin. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday).

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes posted on the band's Instagram account that “Rich and I are beyond excited and thrilled to be nominated again for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s a great honor to be included with such talented artists.”

On This Day

· in 1827, the first Mardi-Gras celebration was held in New Orleans.

· In 1967 - Pink Floyd laid down tracks for their first single, "Arnold Layne," written by Syd Barrett. It made it to No. 1 in the U.K. but had no impact whatsoever in the U.S. The song tells the story of a cross-dresser who procures his ladies' clothing by stealing from laundry lines.

· In 1970 - Members of Jefferson Airplane were fined $1,000 for using profane language during a concert in Oklahoma City.

· In 1971 - Janis Joplin's Pearl hit No. 1 in the U.S., where it stayed for nine weeks. Joplin died of a heroin overdose three months before the album was released.

· In 1972 - More than 25,000 attended a Led Zeppelin concert in Sydney, Australia. Jimmy Page appeared clean shaven, having shaved off the beard he had been growing since the summer of 1970.

· In 1977 - Keith Richards' Toronto hotel suite was raided by Royal Canadian Mounted Police while he was sleeping. Police seized 22 grams of heroin and five grams of cocaine as well as narcotics paraphernalia. Richards was arrested and charged with possession of heroin with intent to traffic, and with possession of cocaine.

· In 1981 - The Who release "You Better You Bet," their first single since the death of their drummer, Keith Moon, in 1978. The new stickman is Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces.

· In 1984 - Queen released their 11th album, The Works. It features “Radio Ga Ga” and “I Want to Break Free.”

· In 2001 - Carlos Santana returned to the Mexican town where he grew up, Autlan De Navarro, for the first time in 46 years. A statue in honor of Carlos and his father, mariachi player Jose Santana, was unveiled.

Corey Rotic