UPDATE: Neil Peart’s drumkit from the 70s has been sold at auction for BIG $$$.
After successfully auditioning for Rush in the summer of 1974, Neil Peart went to a local Long & McQuade and bought a silver Slingerland double-bass kit. Starting with a show in Pittsburgh on August 14, 1974, when Rush opened for Manfred Man and Uriah Heep, Neil hauled that kit around with the band until 1977, something that included the sessions for the albums Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, and 2112 plus the All the World’s a Stage live set.
That kit is now up for auction. If you’ve ever air-drummed to the “2112 Overture,” this is the kit you pretended to be playing.
- 2 x 22″ bass drums
- 6″ tom
- 8″ tom
- 10″ tom
- 12″ tom (These four toms may have been added in 1977 and were not part of the original 1974. Still, they’re here.)
- 2 x 13″ toms
- 14″ tom
- 16″ floor tom
- 14″ snare
- 8 x Zildjian cymbals (8-22 inches)
- 3 x cowbells
- 5 x temple blocks
- 2 x Ludwig pedals
- a whole whack of hardware
The kit was put in storage in 1977 and stayed there until it was offered as a prize in a 1987 Modern Drummer contest which was won by Mark Feldman of New York. He later then sold it to its current owner. It’s now back on the market.
UPDATE: Bonhams auctions took care of the sale yesterday (December 10). The expected selling price was between $100,000-160,000 (US$80,000-120,000) but it actually sold for US$500,312/$638,285 CAD. (Thanks to Jeff and everyone else who alerted me.)
Omg I am a very big rush fan especially Neil Peart I have been for years somebody loan me some money I would love to have that set I have a signed guitar and his drumsticks fantastic great to see them
100-160K? Really? Ain’t gonna happen.
60-80K, tops.
More like 250 k really
Beautiful drums kit…historic stuff…
I would buy it and re wrap it. Just kidding. It belongs in a museum!
Some rich guy will get it to grace his living room.
I’d rather see it go to someone in some type of contest with proceeds going to a good cause like brain cancer research. Or put it in a museum or something.
If I got it I would play the fuck out of that thing live in a Rush cover band….sweet as hell.
Alan Cross should know better…..local L&M? Back then there was only 1 L&M, and it wasn’t local to Neil (who lived in my hood) but it was in downtown TO on Bloor ST.
Donate it to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Or a music school for gifted kids.