I have been a fan of the band Rush since way back in 1978. My first gig was at London Wembley Arena on the Moving Pictures tour in 1980. Rush's drummer Neil Peart was and is my idol. As a teenager, I spent countless hours learning to play the drum parts of "Free Will," "YYZ," and "La Villa Strangiato," on a shitty glittery jazz kit in my bedroom (my parents had complaints from over half a mile away). Even after all that effort, I still never came close to getting it right. Peart was a master who was almost impossible to emulate but an inspiration to try anyway. Today we learned that Neil tragically passed away earlier this week. It may sound trite but I feel like I have lost a childhood friend. I can only imagine what Geddy, Alex and Neil's family are going through and they have my deepest condolences. This photo is of one of a pair of limited edition sets of Neil Peart ProMark drum sticks that I bought on the R30 tour in 2004, and the photo from the album "Permanent Waves" that I had pinned to my bedroom wall all those years ago. RIP Neil, you will be missed. …see more