Primus’ Les Claypool ‘Learning’ From Rush Bassist Geddy Lee
As Primus prepare to launch their Rush tribute tour, frontman Les Claypool revealed that he’s been taking lessons from none other than Geddy Lee.
Claypool posted a picture to Instagram of the musicians working together. In the image (embedded below), both men are seen holding their respective bass guitars and leaning into frame for the pic. Claypool captioned the photo with a simple phrase: “Learning from the master.”
Officially dubbed the A Tribute to Kings tour, shows will see Primus running through a set of their own material before delving into Rush’s classic, platinum certified 1977 album A Farewell to Kings. The trek was originally supposed to take place in 2020 before being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time the tour was originally announced, Claypool admitted he’d gotten Lee’s permission before planning the Rush tribute trek.
"I texted with him — I keep in touch with Geddy — just to make sure we weren’t trodding on something weird," Claypool told Rolling Stone. "So I checked in with him to see what he thought of it, and he was excited about the notion. ... He thought it was a great idea."
Primus’ A Tribute to Kings tour kicks off Aug. 10 in Boise, Idaho with dates across the U.S. running through October.
Meanwhile, Rush are prepping a director's cut of their 2019 concert film, Cinema Strangiato. The flick chronicles the band’s final tour, 2015's R40 Live, and features interviews with fans including Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. The new cut -- including adjusted set list and the final recorded drum solo of late drummer Neil Peart -- will return to theaters for a one-night-only event on Sept. 9.