MEMORIES OF NEIL
Lorne ‘Gump’ Wheaton (Neil’s drum tech)
“It was in 2000 that I got a call from Rush’s then-tour manager, Liam [Birt], to see if I’d be able to help them make a record. Neil was coming back after the tragic loss of his wife and daughter, and because I could cover everything in the studio, I was going to be the only tech for the whole session. For me, it was like going back to family... I’d known Geddy [Lee] and Alex [Lifeson] since high school in Toronto, and, after Neil joined, had toured with them while I was working with Max Webster. I actually have Geddy to thank for my nickname, ‘Gump’!
“I’m so proud to have helped them singlehandedly with Vapor Trails – it was an incredible process to be part of – and working for Neil was wonderful from the off. He trusted me to be his ears in the control room when it came to drum sounds on that record, and it was great to see him starting to enjoy the whole process again. Alex and Geddy were so happy to see Neil comfortable in his ‘office’ doing what he did best: experimenting, creating and writing lyrics. His brain worked like no other drummer I have ever known, and the parts he came up over the course of his career are just incredible.
“While we were in the
