Hudson Music Releases Archival Footage of Neil Peart’s Live Performance Preparation

Hudson Music released an archival video showing late Rush drummer Neil Peart's drum kit assembly and pre-show warmup at a live concert. The footage captures an isolated drum part from a Rush track and backstage preparation routines.

This video belongs to the Taking Center Stage collection. It pairs with a book and instructional materials. The book holds note-for-note transcriptions of 17 songs from the Taking Center Stage DVD, documenting how Peart tackled each performance.

Songs in the collection span "Tom Sawyer," "YYZ," "The Spirit of Radio," "Free Will," "Subdivisions," "Time Stand Still," "Marathon," "La Villa Strangiato," "The Trees," "Caravan," "BU2B," and "Far Cry." These transcriptions appear only in this book and come straight from DVD performances.

The book is split into chapters for each Rush tour from when Peart joined in 1975 through his final performances. Each chapter discusses the band's approach at that time, the construction of drum parts, and setup details.

Diagrams of each drum kit appear throughout the book. These were created after research into the exact instruments used on every tour. Photos from the past 30 years and reproductions of drum company advertisements featuring Peart complete the package.

The Taking Center Stage video was filmed in various locations over a year during Rush's 2010-11 Time Machine Tour. The footage starts with pre-tour rehearsals and then moves backstage to show drum kit assembly, soundcheck, and warm-up routines.

Peart breaks down key grooves and fills in interview segments with Hudson's Joe Bergamini. Each discussion includes full-speed and slow-motion demonstrations with PDF icons for practice patterns.

Concert footage shows performances from the perspective of drum cameras with a custom audio mix featuring louder drums than standard concert videos. This material includes rehearsal footage, backstage scenes, and interview segments filmed in Death Valley National Park, California.

Bonus features include two live performances from the 2008 Snakes and Arrows Tour, an educational segment on "Bravado," a PDF eBook, photo gallery, and an interview with drum technician Lorne Wheaton.

The collection is available through Hudson Music's website.