Geddy Lee Shares The Led Zeppelin Show That Changed His Life

To suggest that Rush weren’t influenced by one of England’s greatest hard-rock heroes, Led Zeppelin, would be a stretch. It’s easy to identify the English band’s influence on Canadian rockers – the hard-hitting percussion from Neil Peart, throbbing basslines from Geddy Lee, and the wondrous guitar riffs from Alex Lifeson are what make them icons of today.

In an interview, Geddy Lee recalled the momentous time he went to see a Led Zeppelin concert in his hometown, Canada. “Led Zeppelin came to Toronto. I remember staying up all night to get tickets. I think I am right in saying that this album [the band’s debut] had only just been released, and we went to see them. We were very young and, as such, a little bit on edge and eager to sample anything.”

He continued: “Then I heard ‘Communication Breakdown’, and a trigger went off in my head. That was my punk rock, really. The surge of power was something I had never experienced before. This was just the kind of explosion you can only really enjoy when you are young.”

He also recalled seeing the band in a small place called Rockpile and gave a set that totally blew the young Lee’s mind.  “We got into the second row, and I remember when they came out on the stage, they started with a song called ‘Train Kept On Rollin”, which is an old kind of Blues standard.”

He added: “They literally tore that house down because there were bits of plaster falling from the ceiling that night. To young guys, young musicians, that was just kind of a magical night. One of my favorite concert memories too.”

It’s evident that Lee was a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, and the latter began to influence the sound that Rush would eventually partake in the years of their career.