Alex Lifeson
Birth : 1953-08-27, Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
History
Best known as the broadly-skilled guitarist for the rock group Rush, which also features drummer Neil Peart and bassist Geddy Lee. Rush is the most successful Canadian music group in history, and is the third most prolific seller of consecutive (American) Gold and Platinum Records and videos, behind only the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Lifeson's ability to pull double-duty as both a melodic rhythm-guitar player and a searing soloist has earned him a reputation similar to that of his bandmates. All three share the distinction of being among the most highly influential virtuosos in their crafts. Alex has a passion for studio production, and is the only member of Rush to compose and produce a television theme (Andromeda (2000)). But his live performances are where his spontaneous side really shows. During live performances, Alex deftly switches from rhythm guitar to soloing, while simultaneously triggering his own pre-recorded accompaniments. Being the soul of spontaneity in the band, Alex is the member of Rush who most frequently contributes comedy to the show. This side of Alex can be seen during the performances of "La Villa Strangiato" on two of Rush's concert videos, Rush in Rio (2003) and Rush: A Show of Hands (1989), and to an even greater degree on the documentary "The Boys In Brazil" (2003), part of the bonus material included with Rush in Rio (2003). Alex's prowess can be heard on a few non-Rush recordings, primarily his solo album, entitled simply "Victor" (1996), and the soundtrack album for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999). After their longest break from recording and touring, a highly successful 2002 tour brought Rush back to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to the great anticipation of fans. Rush ended their 2002 tour with their first-ever shows in Brazil, where they played to 125,000 fans in three nights. The final performance of the 2002 tour was captured on DVD as Rush in Rio (2003), which was certified double-platinum within weeks of its release. Alex has fostered several younger groups, such as The Dexters, who he often guests with during their live performances at The Orbit Room, a Toronto club that Alex owns in part.
Self
An all-star global music event live from London's Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert featuring the biggest names in music joining together in celebration of the life, music and love of Taylor Hawkins, one of modern music’s most beloved figures.
Self (Rush)
Trey Parker and Matt Stone celebrate South Park's 25th anniversary with a concert in Colorado, featuring Primus and Ween.
Himself
Following the success of Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut in movie theaters worldwide, Anthem Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing give Rush fans around the world the opportunity to experience it again – this time from the comfort of home. In celebration 40 years of Moving Pictures, this global streaming release features the “director’s cut” of 2019's R40+ event that was just shown in cinemas, giving audiences a special look into R40 LIVE, with a setlist including this year’s new additions of bonus tracks "One Little Victory" and “Red Barchetta” as well as "Cygnus X-1 / “The Story So Far” featuring Neil's final recorded drum solo masterpiece.
Himself
The Holy Trinity of Rock returns to the big screen on Wednesday, August 21, when the first "Annual Exercise in Fan Indulgence" Cinema Strangiato brings Rush fans together in movie theatres worldwide. Featuring R40+, this global fan event will give audiences a special look into some of the best performances from R40 LIVE.
Documentary follows the award-winning Canadian musician Randy Bachman as he creates his next hit song, featuring rarely seen footage, pictures and archived documents that had been stored in Ottawa for decades.
2112 40th Anniversary Edition's third disc is a DVD featuring a newly restored vintage 1976 Rush concert recorded at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ, plus bonus videos of the Grohl/Hawkins/Raskulinecz cover of "Overture" and Billy Talent cover of "A Passage to Bangkok", and "2112 - 40 Years Closer", a new 25+ minute interview featuring Alex Lifeson and longtime producer & engineer Terry Brown.
"Live from the Rabbit Hole 1990", included as a bonus feature on the band's "Time Stand Still" documentary home video release, is 61 minutes of previously unreleased footage from a Rush concert in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on March 8, 1990, during the band's "Presto" tour. Tracklist: Subdivisions; Superconductor; Show Don't Tell; The Pass; Closer to the Heart; Manhattan Project; Scars; War Paint; Tom Sawyer; 2112: Overture/La Villa Strangiato/In The Mood
This feature-length documentary film chronicles the final major tour for legendary rock band Rush. It is an intimate view 'under the hood' of a historic moment from the perspective of the band, their fans, crew, and management. Featuring interviews with the band throughout their sold-out 2015 40th Anniversary tour, the film also shows rarely seen backstage footage capturing the final moments of life on the road. Highlighted as well is the impact on the band's fans and the world that has been built around the beloved Canadian trio. This is the final touring chapter of a band that has meant so much to so many fans around the world. With narration by Paul Rudd. Feature run time: 1 hour 37 minutes; Bonus content: 67 minutes.
Himself on Guitars
Rush recorded and filmed R40 Live over two sold-out shows in the band’s hometown of Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on June 17 & 19, 2015 in the middle of their R40 Live 35-date North American tour. R40 Live had the trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, performing a career-spanning live retrospective, celebrating their 40+ years together. The epic live shows by the Rock Hall of Famers were captured with 14 cameras to present the band feature-film style.
The "Completist DVD" from the blu-ray edition of "Rush: R40" contains content originally found in the 2005 "R30" DVD release that was not included on the R30 Blu-Ray Edition. Part 1 - Interviews: 1979 Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton; 1981 Le Studio, Quebec; 1990 Artist of the Decade; 1994 Juno Hall of Fame Induction; 2002 Vapor Trails Tour Part 2: Rush Hits St. John's Part 3: Alex's Interview for Artist of the Decade. Part 4: The Anthem Vault - Anthem (Castle Session, 1975); Fly By Night (Castle Session, 1975); Finding My Way (mpeg1 from Rock Concert); In The Mood (mpeg1 from Rock Concert); Circumstances; La Villa Strangiato; A Farewell to Kings; Xanadu; The Spirit of Radio (Soundcheck, 1979 Ivor Wynne Stadium); Freewill (Toronto Rocks, 2003); Closer to the Heart (Canada For Asia, 2005) Part 5: Molson Amphitheatre, June 30, 1997 Toronto: Animate, Resist, Natural Science
R40 features 40 years of Rush live. Presented in a 52-page book on 6 Blu-rays, featuring rare band performance photos and an introduction by music journalist Martin Popoff. Over 2 hours of unreleased footage including: • Rare "2112" live performance in its entirety! • 8 songs from 1974 Laura Secord Secondary School performance with John Rutsey, featuring: - 2 never-before-heard songs "I've Been Runnin"' & "The Loser" - Unreleased cover of "Bad Boy" made famous by The Beatles • Closing tour film from Time Machine "I Still Love You Man" starring Rush with Paul Rudd & Jason Segel • 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Himself / Musician
This two hour unauthorized documentary details the formative history of the Canadian progressive rock band Rush, as well as their rise to fame. Archival interviews with band members, live footage and commentary from journalists and colleagues tell the band's story, album by album, up through their 1981 commercial breakthrough, "Moving Pictures."
Himself
Rush Clockwork Angels Tour captures the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers' 2012-2013 sold-out tour from a unique point-of-view approach to film-making utilizing distinct composition and a voyeuristic style that at varying moments puts the viewer on the stage, at the side of the stage, and throughout the arena. For the first time ever the legendary band was accompanied on this tour by an eight-piece string section!
Himself
BluRay with Digital Comic Book - experience the comic book formatted for widescreen televisions during playback of the album.
Rush's Time Machine shows in 2010 / 2011 were one of the most anticipated tours ever. Celebrating 30 years since the 1981 release of their classic bestselling album Moving Pictures the band performed the entire album live for the first time as the centrepiece of the concerts. The shows also featured favourite tracks from across their lengthy career and two new songs expected to feature on their next studio album.
Self
Rush's Time Machine shows in 2010 / 2011 were one of the most anticipated tours ever. Celebrating 30 years since the 1981 release of their classic bestselling album Moving Pictures the band performed the entire album live for the first time as the centrepiece of the concerts. The shows also featured favourite tracks from across their lengthy career and two new songs expected to feature on their next studio album.
Dr. Figg
ECSTASY is a dark romantic comedy, based on the controversial book, “Ecstasy”, by Irvine Welsh. “Ecstasy”, was translated into 20 languages and was a number one bestseller in over 20 countries. Mr. Welsh’s first book, “Trainspotting”, published in 1993, (and voted by Waterstone, Europe’s largest bookstore chain, as one of the Ten Best Books of the Century), sold over 1 million copies in the UK alone, and has its own Cinematic Cinderella success story.
Himself
Two Rush fans go backstage to meet the band in their dressing room. Once there, they start helping themselves to the refreshments for the band. Short film based on characters from the movie "I Love You, Man (2009)"
Self
2112 was the album that saw Rush break through to major chart success, going to No.1 in their native Canada and Top 75 in the USA where it would eventually be certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures opened them to a mass audience for the first time and remains the biggest selling album of their career. It also went to No.1 in Canada and went quadruple platinum there while hitting No.3 in both the UK and USA. Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart talk us through the making of the albums, together with original producer Terry Brown via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.
Himself
An in-depth look at the Canadian rock band Rush, chronicling the band's musical evolution from their progressive rock sound of the '70s to their current heavy rock style.
Himself
Rush's Working Men is the first-ever "greatest hits" live performance DVD compilation from the legendary rock trio. Inspired by the classic "Working Man" from Rush's first album and culled from their three most recently filmed DVD releases - Rush in Rio, R30 and Snakes & Arrows Live - Working Men features dynamic live versions of Rush's best known songs including "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight," "The Spirit of Radio" and "Closer to the Heart." A previously unreleased performance of "One Little Victory" is included. See and hear virtuosos Geddy Lee (bass, vocals), Alex Lifeson (guitars) and Neil Peart (drums) at their peak on the Working Men DVD and experience all of the excitement and power of Rush in concert!
Border Guard
The film follows a petty rock band called the Winners, consisting of vocalist Joey Winner, bassist Jennifer, guitarist Tyler, drummer Sam, and French-Canadian roadie Hugo, along with their sleazy manager Jeff, as they tour across Canada and the USA after Jennifer is turned into a vampire by Queeny. Meanwhile, a vampire hunter who is afraid of the dark named Eddie Van Helsing quickly chases them down.
Himself - Rush
Peter Klaven is a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey, discovers, to his dismay and chagrin, that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter immediately sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward "man-dates."
The DVD component of the Rush: Retrospective 3 CD/DVD edition, gathering together the band's 10 stunning music videos produced during Rush's Atlantic years, including fan favorites such as "The Pass," "Roll The Bones," "Stick It Out," "Driven," and the Grammy Award-nominated "Malignant Narcissism." What's more, the collection includes a trio of live videos filmed in Frankfurt, Germany during Rush's 2004 "R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour," highlighted by a masterful performance of The Who's classic "The Seeker" (originally recorded by Rush for 2004's "Feedback"). As an added bonus, the band has included a rare televised performance of the classic "Tom Sawyer" and an on-camera interview featuring all three members on "The Colbert Report."
Guitars
"Snakes & Arrows Live" was filmed with 21 High Definition cameras in 16x9 widescreen format, over two nights in October 2007 at the Netherlands' Ahoy Rotterdam arena. Offering fans a rare and close up look at the prodigious musicianship for which the band is renown, cameras follow the band closely, capturing not only their playing but also the intimacy they share on stage. The diverse track list includes many new songs from Snakes & Arrows as well as old favorites like 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Freewill' plus an explosive rendition of 'Between the Wheels.' Among the hidden gems and numerous special tour moments included as extras is the fan coveted "What's That Smell" vignette and outtakes, a skit used to intro the second set, which capitalizes on the still emerging comedic talents of both Alex and Geddy who excel (and revel) in their roles as wild characters.
An intimate look at the making of "Snakes & Arrows", from the album's Musical Video Interactive (MVI) edition released June 26, 2007.
Cop 2
The boys get arrested for robbing an ATM machine and spend 18 months in jail. When the get out, they decide to pull off "The Big Dirty" which is to steal a large amount of coins because they are untraceable and quit their life of crime forever
Guitars
R30 captures the band's $21-million grossing, sell-out 30th Anniversary World Tour and was filmed with 14 hi-definition cameras in 16x9 widescreen format at the Festhalle, Frankfurt Germany on September 24, 2004. The set list spans the band's diverse 30-year career, and includes fan favorites "Xanadu," "The Spirit of Radio," "Working Man," "Tom Sawyer," "Subdivisions," "Earthshine," "2112," "Limelight," "Between the Wheels," which hasn't been performed live in 20 years as well as tracks from 2004's covers EP Feedback, including "Summertime Blues" and "Crossroads." Most of all eighteen studio albums are well represented through a non-stop energetic set of 22 electrifying songs.
Documentary included with the DVD Rush in Rio (2003). Provides an almost hour-long look at the band and its crew during the final dates of their 2002 Vapor Trails Tour, specifically their first-ever Brazilian shows in Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. Behind the scenes footage shows the band weathering the rigors of a sometimes comically catastrophic tour, with their innate humor and grace. This documentary, by longtime Rush photographer Andrew MacNaughtan, shows the band and crew at their most light-hearted, though still thoughtful. We see the band's arrival in Brazil, to the unexpected onslaught of Brazillian fans boiled over in the culmination of a lifetime's anticipation. Following this are insights from the band and their crew, which provide a view into their longevity as well as ample evidence of the individual strengths and varied senses of humor that helped them achieve it.
Guitars
First concert DVD ever from legendary rock trio Rush. Double-DVD set, containing 28 Rush songs. Recorded and filmed at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the final night of the band's 2002 tour, in front of 40,000 fans. Bonus features include the tour documentary "The Boys In Brazil," a film by Andrew MacNaughtan, multi-angle viewing options for certain songs, and behind-the-scenes footage.
Self
Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto was a benefit rock concert that was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2003. It was also known as "Toronto Rocks,""Stars 4 SARS," "SARSStock,","SARSfest," "SARS-a-palooza," the "SARS concert," or, more descriptively, "The Rolling Stones SARS Benefit Concert." Estimated to have between 450,000 and 500,000 people attending the concert, it is the largest outdoor ticketed event in Canadian history, and one of the largest in North American history.
Musician
When the four boys see an R-rated movie featuring Canadians Terrance and Philip, they are pronounced "corrupted", and their parents pressure the United States to wage war against Canada.
Himself
The band performs a show at The Palace of Auburn Hills on their Counterparts tour, March 22, 1994.
Guitars
Whilst Rush have always been considered one of Rock's greatest hidden treasures, with complex, intricate musicianship, it can never be said that Music Video was their forté. With this collection of 'hit' videos from Rush we can see why. Almost befittingly, Rush's best videos appear to be those that simply demonstrate their playing. Studio footage of Rush is rare and welcomed on this DVD.
Guitars
For a band with high standards, a perfect show is impossible, and an excellent show is rare. You hope that the norm is "good". To deliver a really exceptional, comfortable performance before a recording truck or film crew has been our unfulfilled dream of many years. Always it seemed that as soon as the machines started rolling, we forgot how to play and our equipment forgot how to work. But for these two nights, the gods smile. And the film becomes not just a concert, but a symbol - for the band a scrapbook, an autobiography, an era frozen in glacial clarity. For the audience, it can be an enduring souvenir, and if it can't quite capture what it was like to be there, it is a way of seeing through many pairs of eyes, of shifting one's vantage-point around and above the players in a way no mortal could. Hands perform, and hands respond. Hands gesture, and hands respond. A show of ears and eyes, a show of hearts and minds. A Show of Hands. - Neil Peart
Music Score Producer
Red Sector A was a paradise...for man's machines. The domed city was home to the last of the human race, where they lived in comfort, served by their robotic servants. Until one day a mysterious force turns the robots against their masters, and the machines cast the people out of Red Sector A into the wastelands outside. Years later, the robots have collapsed into dust without human maintenance, leaving two young people - Woody and Andrea - to live in the city. But the city is on the verge of a exploding as the shield generator approaches meltdown. Andrea and Woody have a few hours to escape Red Sector A, but the unknown force that caused the revolution is still present, and has it's own plans for them.
Through the Camera Eye is a videocassette/laserdisc release by the Canadian band Rush. It was released in 1985 by PolyGram Records. It contains promotional videos issued for the band's albums Moving Pictures (1981), Signals (1982) and Grace Under Pressure (1984). Absent from the collection were the videos for Limelight and the album version of Tom Sawyer, both filmed at Le Studio (the same locale as the Vital Signs video). The live version of "Tom Sawyer" comes from the concert video Exit... Stage Left (1982). No DVD re-issue was released.
Guitars
By 1984, Rush were becoming the world's most popular 'underground' band. The world was also in a sombre mood, perhaps reflecting on George Orwell's 1984 thoughts. Rush's music from the Grace Under Pressure album captured this mood well, and their footage of the Maple Leaf Gardens concert in their home town Toronto on 21 September 1984 covers many of the stunning tracks from that album.
Guitars
Exit...Stage Left was filmed in Montreal Canada during Rush's 1981 World Tour that encompassed Canada, the United States and Europe and reached a total audience in excess of one million people. The footage incorporated the output of five separate 16mm cameras, both hand-held and stationary, which operated in front of the stage behind a barricade, and in various strategic onstage locations. During the performance at the Montreal forum, the audio was recorded by Le Mobile, with Terry Brown and Guy Charbonneau at the controls. The audio was then digitally mixed at Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec, where Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, and Signals were recorded and mixed. The result, the Exit...Stage Left movie (a different performance than that found on the live Exit...Stage Left album), represents one hour of highlights from Rush's two hour stage show, visualizing material from their albums Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, Hemispheres, and A Farewell to Kings.
Himself
Five boys and five girls ages 13 to 19 live on a farm for ten weeks, to be filmed, and to see what might emerge for each of them personally.
Hemispheres, Rush’s sixth studio album, was originally released in October 1978, and it built upon the adventurous sonic template the band established on its acclaimed 1977 effort, A Farewell To Kings. The album’s first track, “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres,” encompassed the entirety of Side 1 on the original release and was the logical, heady continuation of the epic album-ending Kings track, “Cygnus X-1.” Side 2 commenced with the hard-driving commentary on English culture “Circumstances,” followed by the socially aware and environmentally conscious FM radio hit “The Trees,” and concluded with the instrumental tour de force and longtime concert favorite, “La Villa Strangiato.”
The Super Deluxe package features an elaborate 40th anniversary cover treatment by longtime Rush creative director Hugh Syme, who has created a new artwork for each of the album's six songs, and an extensive 12,000-word essay by Rock historian Rob Bowman. Also included are several exclusive items: a unique King's Ring (with custom velvet pouch and neck chain); two lithographs with original artwork by Hugh Syme; a special 12-inch turntable mat (with distinctive artwork by Hugh Syme); a reproduction of the 1978 A Farewell To Kings tour programme.
Highlights from the Molson Amphitheater during the "Test For Echo" tour
