RUSH drummer Neil Peart has issued a rather lengthy new update titled, Where Words Fail, Music Speaks. An excerpt follows:

It was the evening of April 11, 2012, at the Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. The occasion was the Revolver Magazine Golden Gods Awards, at which Rush was presented with the Ronnie James Dio Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement.

(Photo by Chris Stankee)

Earlier in the year, we were asked about attending the ceremony in Los Angeles in April. The admirable Jack Black and his Tenacious D bandmate, Kyle Gass, said they would present the award, if at least one of us showed up to accept it. Geddy said he couldn’t be there because he would be in Japan, and I said I couldn’t be there... because I’m me.

Never comfortable amid crowds of people, especially if they’re making a fuss about me—plus facing up to public speaking, and public praise—I just feel tense and embarrassed. Anyone acquainted with me knows I try to avoid such situations whenever I can. (Of course it’s different when I am drumming—that is a more-or-less natural environment for me.)

So Alex manfully volunteered to appear on our behalf and accept the award. However, just days before, Alex had a personal situation at home in Toronto that wouldn’t allow him to travel to Los Angeles for the event. Discussing it all on the phone with our manager, Ray, he started to say, “I don’t suppose you would consider—”

I cut him off, “No possible way—are you serious? You know I don’t do that kind of thing. And it’s my moving day!”

That was true, but in the same breath that was saying “no,” my mind echoed with the true answer, “yes.”

Clearly I would have to do it, that’s all there was to it—it was the right thing to do. The only thing to do. Obstacles would have to be surmounted. Or ignored.

Alex felt terrible about disappointing everyone, and I felt a loyal obligation to bail him out. And besides, it would be too rude for none of us to show up. We are Canadians, after all.

So... the day my family moved from one overcrowded house where we had lived—and collected junk—for eight years, to another house that was soon overcrowded with boxes to be unpacked and organized, I had to duck into a shower that worked, find some decent clothes to wear (leather crew jacket from our Snakes and Arrows tour—the closest I have to “rock clothes”), and go say a few words that I hoped would be courteous, appreciative, and gracious.

To read Neil's update in its entirety, click here.

As previously reported, Rush will release their new album, Clockwork Angels, on June 12th. It will contain the following 12 songs:

'Caravan'

'BU2B'

'Clockwork Angels'

'The Anarchist'

'Carnies'

'Halo Effect'

'Seven Cities Of Gold'

'The Wreckers'

'Headlong Flight'

'BU2B2'

'Wish Them Well'

'The Garden'