Rush – London O2 Arena – 24^th May 2013

View: A vertiginous perch up on the side, stage right.

Rush are past masters at providing epic, spectacular rock shows, and tonight was no exception. In keeping with their current Clockwork Angels album, the gig is prefaced by a short steampunk-inspired film, whilst the stage is decorated in a steampunk style.

Notwithstanding these nods to Clockwork Angels, the set commences with Subdivisions from 1982’s Signals album. Indeed, for this first half of the gig we are very firmly returned to the 1980s, with amongst others Big Money, Grand Designs, Red Lenses and The Analogue Kid being essayed. Personally this era featured too much keyboard work for my taste. However, when Geddy Lee escapes from behind his keyboards, he produces some great bass runs, and proves that he hasn’t lost any of his agility by performing the odd Pete Townshend-style leap. Alex Lifeson displays his usual understated sartorial taste with what appear to be electric blue – possibly suede – shoes.

Strange things do happen during Rush gigs. Somebody dressed as a chicken walks across the stage, seemingly repeatedly dropping a giant banana skin. What precisely this signifies I don’t know, but it does prompt Neil Peart to commence a drum solo which ends the first half of the show.  

Like the first set, the second begins with a short film in which Rush unmercifully send themselves up. Virtuosi they may be, but let it not be said that they take themselves too seriously! For this part of the show they are joined by a string octet. This is unexpected. However, the octet rock out like they’ve partaken of some particularly powerful chemical amusement. The fact that they’re accompanied by LOADS of pyro probably helps!

The emphasis for this half is Clockwork Angels, which is a splendidly riff-driven beast. The material is superb. There is spectacle, bombast, humour and irony. Friends, almost all human life is here. At the risk of being accused of heresy, in my opinion Clockwork Angels is better than a great deal of the 1980s material played in the first half. There: I’ve done it now.

We don’t get all of the new album however. We return to the 1980s for Manhattan Project, which is followed by another drum solo which is accompanied by a great animation of Neil Peart as a robot! The main set ends with a vicious version of YYZ followed by Spirit Of Radio. The band aren’t gone for long though, returning for Tom Sawyer and a shortened (and ecstatically received) 2112. We’re sent on our way by another humourously self-mocking film.

The key feeling that I took away from this gig was a feeling of fun. Rush aren’t too self-important to have fun with their back catalogue. Their music is cerebral and complex but they are able to override that. More importantly they’re not predictable. The audience never quite knows what they’re going to get. Long may that continue.