Possibly one of the few bands to be so hugely influential, and at the same time so widely reviled, Canda’s Rush occupy a unique place in rock history. 40 years down the line, and still releasing new material, the documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage finally tells the story of rock’s ‘biggest cult band’.
It’s amazing to see through this film how much the band have changed stylistically over the years – incorporating rock, heavy metal, progressive and synthesiser directions – and yet, still maintaining a signature sound that is definitively Rush, comparable to nothing else out there.
Produced by Scot McFayden and Sam Dunn (the same team that brought us the acclaimed Iron Maiden: Flight 666 last year), the story is told in linear chapters akin to the bands multi-sectioned epics of the late 70’s, and peppered with unlikely musical luminaries being outed as Rush fans. I won’t spoil it by giving the full list here, but suffice to say Sebastian Bach telling how he was ‘turned on’ to obscure literature by Neil Peart’s complex lyrics at the age of 12 is absolutely hilarious.
The fact remains that despite at one point being termed ‘terminally unhip’ (even their own families admit here to not liking their music), the band’s ground-breaking and accomplished catalogue of work over 18 studio albums, has given the band a devoted fanbase of millions worldwide.
Beyond The Lighted Stage is released in selected cinemas across Europe for one night only on June 7th – full listings available at through the links below – and is released on DVD on June 28th.
