Neil Peart’s Iconic Drum Kit Going Up For Auction
The Slingerland kit, which the legendary Rush drummer used between 1974 and 1977, is expected to fetch around $100,000.
The drum kit played by Rush‘s Neil Peart between 1974-1977 is expected to fetch more than $100,000 (£75,000) at auction in the coming weeks.
Peart’s iconic chrome Slingerland set, which he used for recordings and live performances, will go under the hammer between November 23 and December 9 as part of Bonhams’ Music Memorabilia auction. The auction house expects the drum kit will sell for approximately $104,000 (£77,695) to $157,000 (£117,290).
The coveted kit features dual blue heads printed with Rush’s logo and Neil Peart’s name, as well as chrome-wrapped Tom-toms with an original head signed by Peart himself.
As the Bonhams listing explains, the kit was purchased by Peart in 1974 from Toronto’s Long & McQuade music store shortly after he joined the iconic band.
Peart used the kit for his first performance with the band on August 14, 1974 and it acted as his main drum set until 1977. Albums such as Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel and 2112 were all recorded with the kit, alongside the band’s first live album All The World’s A Stage during Rush’s three-night residency at Toronto’s Massey Hall.
Bonham’s said, “All the World’s a Stage marked the end of Rush’s first chapter and Peart’s Slingerland drum kit was soon afterward retired. Rush had gone from Led Zeppelin wannabes to a US Top-40 charting band with a distinctive sound poised to win fans the world over. The Slingerland kit had been on the road for 5 consecutive US and Canadian tours and was seen by thousands of fans from 1974 through 1977. Neil retired the kit at that time and placed it in storage where it sat until it was brought out a decade later as a prize in Modern Drummer’s “Neil Peart Drumset Giveaway.”
Peart, who was widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers of all time, passed away in January after a lengthy battle with brain cancer.
Leading tributes from famous fans, Dave Grohl called Peart “a kind, thoughtful, brilliant man.”
“Today, the world lost a true giant in the history of rock and roll,” he said. “An inspiration to millions with an unmistakable sound who spawned generations of musicians – like myself – to pick up two sticks and chase a dream. A kind, thoughtful, brilliant man who ruled our radios and turntables not only with his drumming, but also his beautiful words.”
Grohl added: “I still vividly remember my first listen of 2112 when I was young. It was the first time I really listened to a drummer. And since that day, music has never been the same. His power, precision, and composition was incomparable. He was called ‘The Professor’ for a reason: We all learned from him.”
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