Rush are touring in 2026!

richh

I got a decent ticket for the second London show, not cheap but it'll be a great show, and I've seen the quite a few time before at relatively low ticket prices, so it seems fair enough to me.  Probably a last chance to see them in any way, and certainly a lot cheaper than going on a trans Atlantic flight.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to it!

axisus

Haych said:

It's all a bit bollocks really.  Concerts by the rich, for the rich.  And yes, a good way to alienate your fans.

For two mid priced tickets plus travel, hotel and other expenses it would cost over £1000 for a few hours of entertainment and I'd likely still be stuck behind the neanderthal for the entire show.  Mrs Haych is only 4' 14 so she wouldn't see much of anything.

Arena shows are shit anyway.  Too many people, the sound is bollocks, the view is crap and everything from the entry price to food and drink is overpriced.

Better hope the show is phenomenal (and I have serious doubts about that) for the price they're expecting everyone to pay.

100% right on all counts. These bands really don't need the money

Haych

I don't begrudge them making money, but it just seems from a punter's perspective that as soon as a major band goes on tour everyone involved jumps on the bandwagon wanting a sizeable slice of the pie which just pushes the price up for the fans.

It's like a major tax is added because <insert big name> is going on tour.  Babymetal played the London O2 and had all the pyrotechnics and video screens etc and tickets were a fraction of the price of Rush tickets, and it's not like Babymetal are a small unknown band, either.

It's wrong. The punter is being fleeced for no other reason than promoters and everyone else in the chain knows that enough people will pay whatever price they want to charge.

Philly_Q

It's true, the prices are crazy, but if we want to see a band that's just what it costs now.  I went to one gig in 2024, one in 2025, for years prior to that I hadn't been to any.  I probably won't see anyone this year.  Next year I'll see Rush, unless I (or they) drop dead in the meantime.  There probably won't be another opportunity.

richh

I go to 2 or 3 small jazz gigs a month, usually £15 - £20 a ticket, but really good musicians.  

In the last couple of weeks I've seen PSA announcements here, and booked up for Pat Metheny at the Barbican - think it was about £65 which I thought was quite reasonable.  And this morning, I'd set myself a limit of £300 for the Rush gig - but ended up spending £350 which is by far the most I've ever spent on a ticket.

No regrets, but I certainly couldn't afford to go to these big gigs every week or month!  The bigger London gigs are a bit like booking a summer holiday abroad for me.  You slightly resent spending that much money, but you look forward to it and usually enjoy the memory afterwards.

Anyone else going to the Rush gigs?

Haych

Philly_Q said:

It's true, the prices are crazy, but if we want to see a band that's just what it costs now.  I went to one gig in 2024, one in 2025, for years prior to that I hadn't been to any.  I probably won't see anyone this year.  Next year I'll see Rush, unless I (or they) drop dead in the meantime.  There probably won't be another opportunity.

Going to have to disagree with you, soz, mate.  Plenty of bands are touring and playing similar sized venues - some of the same venues even, and are not charging a monthly mortgage payment for the privilege.  Concerts have become more expensive than they used to be but this is an edge case where fans are being scalped because promoters know they will still come out regardless of the cost.

richh said:

Anyone else going to the Rush gigs?

Not this time.  Apart from the price, which is the biggest contributory factor to me not even wanting to go, I really don't think they're going to be worth it this time.  I've seen them quite a few times before and still have those memories.  I'd rather remember them in their prime than recall the last show where they really weren't up to scratch.  I wish them the best and hope they have a great time, and I really hope it doesn't become known as the I wish they hadn't toured tour.

Besides, it's Rush, you can be sure they're already planning the live album and DVD!

Philly_Q

Haych said:

Philly_Q said:

It's true, the prices are crazy, but if we want to see a band that's just what it costs now.  I went to one gig in 2024, one in 2025, for years prior to that I hadn't been to any.  I probably won't see anyone this year.  Next year I'll see Rush, unless I (or they) drop dead in the meantime.  There probably won't be another opportunity.

Going to have to disagree with you, soz, mate.  Plenty of bands are touring and playing similar sized venues - some of the same venues even, and are not charging a monthly mortgage payment for the privilege.  Concerts have become more expensive than they used to be but this is an edge case where fans are being scalped because promoters know they will still come out regardless of the cost.

I can't argue, because as I say I don't really go to gigs anymore.  On the rare occasions I do go, the tickets are a hell of a lot more than I used to pay 30 years ago, but I don't have a sense of a "typical" ticket price for a big act at a big  venue - whether that's £100, £200, £300, I really don't know.  I assumed these Rush tickets weren't an outlier.

Haych said:

Besides, it's Rush, you can be sure they're already planning the live album and DVD!

Yeah, and I've already got all of those!  This time I wanted to actually see them.

Whitecat

Sadly I'm declaring myself out unless I win the Euromillions in the interim. I was pretty disappointed to see the UK prices be so much higher than mainland Europe, but that's capitalism I guess. Fair enough to the band and their management/promoters... and f*** Ticketmaster and their stupid "dynamic pricing". Can't wait until that's illegal.

Still hope it sells out and they haven't made an error in judgment. There are LOT of unsold seats for their second shows and additional dates in North America. They may have made a bad call on how that was all marketed.

Anyway, the only gig I'm going to this year so far is my bloody valentine at the RAH, and I got exceptional seats for that for a few pence more than £95/ticket after fees. That's about my ceiling these days.

jeztone2

I’ve seen Rush 8 times in the last 38 years. From 1988-2013. It’s nice that they’ve decided to do this. But…

To be honest. I wish them well. But to my mind they peaked on the Snakes & Arrows tour in 2007. I saw them several times after that and they felt older and more fragile. I’m sure it’ll be a great gig. But they will be 73 years old by the time March comes around. So I’m not sure it’ll be worth the price of a weekend break in Europe. I think for those that have never seen them live it’ll be great. But again, I have a pure memory of them. So I think unless I can snag an affordable European ticket. I’m probably not going. 

Musicwolf

I saw them twice, in 1981 (Bingley Hall) and 1983 (NEC).  Great gigs but, to quote L.P. Hartley, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there".  Let Geddy and Alex enjoy a last hurrah, but I won't be trying to turn back the clock.

bacchanalian

I just got tickets for Manchester about 1/3 of the way back. £125.  Tickets ranged from £77.10 to £203. There are VIP packages but I did not look at those although it would be nice to meet Geddy and Alex and have them sign my bobbleheads.

Gassage

London secured. Dallas in June 26 too. I absolutely cannot wait.

Basher

Only saw them the once, in 1981 which I suppose some would say was their peak. 

Tickets for this tour would have cost way too much of my (very limited) disposable income. As far as the big shows go, I'm voting with my feet.

It's the odd jazz gig for me these days* while any spare funds go on music gear. 


* Although I couldn't afford Pat Metheny either!

bacchanalian

Rush have put on another date in Manchester on Sunday 14th March.

Gassage

Apparently- the 40 songs are:

1. Finding My Way
2. Tom Sawyer
3. Limelight
4. The Spirit of Radio
5. YYZ
6. Closer to the Heart
7. Subdivisions
8. Red Barchetta
9. Working Man
10. 2112
11. La Villa Strangiato
12. Freewill
13. Distant Early Warning
14. New World Man
15. Roll the Bones
16. Natural Science
17. The Camera Eye
18. Between the Wheels
19. Jacob’s Ladder
20. Xanadu
21. Cygnus X-1
22. One Little Victory
23. Headlong Flight
24. The Anarchist
25. Far Cry
26. Armor and Sword
27. The Wreckers
28. Losing It
29. Time Stand Still
30. Afterimage
31. Marathon
32. The Pass
33. Bastille Day
34. Anthem
35. What You’re Doing
36. A Passage to Bangkok
37. Red Sector A
38. Force Ten
39. Animate
40. Test for Echo

oh_pollo

New 4001 for Geddy for the tour.