Snakes & Arrows Live

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Linernotes - Video News Archive

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Directed by PIERRE & FRANCOIS LAMOUREUX
Executive Producers PEGI CECCONI, RAY DANNIELS
Producer ALLAN WEINRIB
Co-Producers PIERRE & FRANCOIS LAMOUREUX
Director of Photography EUGENE O'CONNOR
Lighting Director/Designer HOWARD UNGERLEIDER
Edited by MARK MORTON
Music Mixed by RICHARD CHYCKI & ALEX LlFESON
Music Recorded by FRANCOIS LAMOUREUX
Line Producer GAVIN PIGOTT

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Senior Production Engineer BENJAMIN VAUGHN
Remote Recording Facilities B&R MEDIENTECHNIK
Senior Recording Engineer BERND KUGLER
Recording Engineers BRIAN MERCIER, MARC LENZ, TIMO OSTERMANN, REMI ROMAGNY, JAN WREDE
Video Recording Facilities, OUTSIDE BROADCAST
Representative TIMO KOCH
Project Manager DIRK DE BLOCK
Senior Video Engineer BERT HAENTJENS
Communications Engineer YVES LEENDERS
Communications Assistant TOM VAN DE VELDE
VTR Operator BART THIRON
Shaders/CCU DAVID BUYLE, GREG FARAVEL, SVEN HENDRICKX, YVO VAN SOEST
Vision Mixer MIEKE DE PRETER
Camera Operators MAARTEN CELEN, IVANO DE NOTARPIETRO, JONAS DEWILDE, HERMAN HEIRSTRATE, FREDERIK KNAPEN, LOUIS MULVEY, BRETT TURNBULL
Camera Assistants MARCO CHRISOSTOMOU, KENNY DE THAEY, OLIVER VAN DEN BROECK, JOEY VAN KERCKHOVE
Jib Operators KENNY COECK, PIET DENUL, Dolly Operators, ROEL THUS, RIK DE WILDE
Junior Dolly Camera Operator FRANK DE SWAEF
Junior Dolly Grip VISSER WOUTER
Robotic Camera Operators DIETER DE JAEGHERE, KONRAD WIDELSKI
Techno Crane Camera Operator PETER SMOUT
Techno Crane Grips AJ DEKKER, BRAM KINSBERGEN
Tower Cam Operator CARlEN DIJKSTRA
Production Assistants MATHIEU GRAINGER, MIKE COLLET
Assistants JELLE ECTOR, ALEXANDER GARCIA, VINCENT MATIHIJS, BERTO OUDE VELDHUIS, ERNST ROUSEL, HANS SCHUEREMANS, WOUTER VISSER, UDO VLASSELAERTS
Drivers/Riggers JOERI DONCKERS, DAVID VAN HOLST
Key Lighting Supplier FLASHLIGHT RENTAL
Project Manager STEVEN POST
Lighting Crew JAN HOEFNAGELS, CHRIS SABELLECK, ANCO STIELSTRA, ERWIN VAN EMPEL, JOHANNES VERSLOOT
Hair and Makeup ELISABETH ANNICAERT
Local Promoter ROB TROMMELEN, MOJO CONCERTS A LIVE NATION COMPANY
Venue AHOY, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Senior Venue Production Manager OTGER VERMEULEN
Venue Production Manager GUUS HOGENES
Runners ARJEN GROOT, BOBBY PRONK, CARNITA SCHURMAN

POST-PRODUCTION

Post-Production Supervisor LISA MELANSON, FOGOLABS, Montreal
DVD Project Manager RYAN DECARLONIS, FOGO LABS, Montreal
Offline Editing Facility SCHOOL EDITING, Toronto
Assistant Editor JACKIE RODA
Post-Production Facility FOGOLABS, Montreal
Online Video Editor YANNICK GAMACHE
Video Assistant NICOLAS MERCIER
Audio Post-Production Facilites MIXLAND MUSIC & DVD, Toronto; LERXST SOUND, Toronto
Adrian Zivojinovich - Studio Destruction Engineer
Audio Mastering ANDY VanDETTE, MASTERDISK, New York
DVD Authoring FOGO LABS, Montreal
Menu Production & Menu Transitions BEN KIM, LABTESTED, New York
Programming & Encoding BROADNESS, New York

RUSH TOUR PERSONNEL

Tour Manager LIAM BIRT
Road Manager DONOVAN LUNDSTROM
Artist Liaison SHELLEY NOTT
Production Manager CRAIG BLAZIER
Production Assistant KARIN BLAZIER
Tour Accountant KEITH KELLER
Concert Sound Engineer BRAD MADIX
Lighting Director HOWARD UNGERLEIDER
Keyboard Technician TONY GERANIOS
Drum Technician LORNE WHEATON
Bass Technician RUSS RYAN
Guitar Technician BOBBY HUCK
Security MICHAEL MOSBACH, KEVIN RIPA
Stage Manager/Carpenter GEORGE STEINERT
Nutritionist BRUCE FRENCH
Audio Crew Chief JO RAVITCH
Stage Monitor Engineer BRENT CARPENTER
Audio Technicians ANSON MOORE, DANIEL TAAKE
Lighting Crew Chief GREG HAYGOOD
Master Electrician RANDY GARRETT
Lighting Technicians MATTHEW TUCKER, GREG SZABO
Head Rigger JOHN FLETCHER
Rigger CHRIS SORENSEN
Motion Control RAFFAELE BUONO
Video Director DAVID DAVIDIAN
Video Engineer BOB LARKIN
Camera Operator NICK STRAND
Led Engineer BILL QUINN
Laser Technician ANDREW SEABECK
Pyro Technician JOHN ARROWSMITH
Merchandser PATRICK McLOUGHLIN for SHOWTECH
Motorcycle Guru PHIL MACMULLIN
Caterers TONI LEEN, HUGH MACFARLANE, SIMON GREENFIELD, VIVIEN DALE
Bus Drivers MARK BAD DAMS, GEOFF PARNABY, DAVE GOOD, ANDREW FORSTER, UWE SCHOLZ
Truck Drivers MATT KENWARD, GARY WORKMAN, ANDY GODDARD, NIGEL WEBBER, MARC COLEMAN, DANNY MACINTOSH, STEVE BERRY, ANDREW MELLOR, STEVE SPILLMAN, ADRIAN GREEN

RUSH TOUR REAR SCREEN CREDITS

Executive Producer ALLAN WEINRIB

Set One Introduction Film Animation and VFX by SPIN
Creative Director/ Animator MIKE SPICER
Executive Producer LISA HEMEON
Designer/ Animator RODRIGO SANTAS
Live action segments IMPORTED ARTISTS
Director DALE HESLIP
Producer JILL WATERS
Editor MARK PAIVA

Circumstances, Mission, Secret Touch, Between the Wheels, The Main Monkey Business, Spindrift, Witch Hunt, Natural Science by DERIVATIVE
RACHEL VILLUENS, MARKUS HECKMANN, GREG HERMANOVIC, GEOFF MARSHALL

Set Two Introduction Film Animation and VFX by SPIN
Creative Director COLIN DAVIES
Executive Producer LISA HEMEON
Flame Artist STEVE LOWRY
3D Artist KYE YONG PECK

Live action segments
IMPORTED ARTISTS
Director DALE HESLIP
Producer JILL WATERS
Editor MARK PAIVA

Far Cry
Animation and VFX by SPIN
V.P./ Director/ Inferno Artist STEVEN LEWIS
Creative Director COLIN DAVIES
Executive Producer LISA HEMEON
3D Artist KYE YANG PECK
Assistant Designer SEAN LEWIS

Armor and Sword
Visuals by CHRISTOPHER MILLS

Workin' Them Angels
LEWIS HINE photos courtesy of George Eastman Kodak and U.S. Photo Archives
Illustrations by HUGH SYME
Editorial by MARK PAIVA/ School Editorial

The Larger Bowl
STEVE MYKOLYN & MELDMEDIA INC.
Art Director KEN REDDICK
Producer MICHAEL DOBELL
Motion Graphics Artists KEN REDDICK, JAMES HACKETT, MAT DEN BOER, MILICA STEFANCIC, SEBASTIAN GREBING

The Way the Wind Blows
ELECTRIC COMPANY
Visuals by CRANKBUNNY

The Main Monkey Business
ANDREW MacNAUGHTAN & SCHOOL EDITING
Editor MARK PAIVA

Swingin' Serpents
TANDEM DIGITAL
Creative Direction & Design, Motion Graphics GREG RUSSELL
Motion Graphics NICK CHOMICKI

A Passage to Bangkok
SCHOOL EDITING
Editor MARK PAIVA

Head in a Suitcase
Animation and VFX by SPIN
Designer/ Animator STEVE LOWRY
Live action IMPORTED ARTISTS
Director DALE HESLIP
Producer MELANIE LECKIE
Editor MARK MORTON

Rear Screen Audio Mix WANTED! SP, MIKE ROWLAND, JOHN "YJ" CAREY
"Bollywood" Limelight performed by JOHN "YJ" CAREY
European Touring Company NEIL WARNOCK, THE AGENCY GROUP, London
Lighting Supplied by PREMIER GLOBAL PRODUCTIONS, Nashville
Sound Supplied by MD-CLAIR BROTHERS, Nashville
Projection System Supplied by BCC SCREENWORKS, Westlake Village
Lasers Supplied by PRODUCTION DESIGN, Markham
Pyrotechnics Supplied by PYROTEK, Markham
Buses Supplied by BEAT THE STREET, Tirol
Trucking Supplied by STAGE TRUCK, Middlesex
Aircraft Charter Supplied by CHARTERMADESIMPLE, W. Sussex
Customs Brokers BARRY ZEAGMAN, B. ZEE BROKERAGE, Mississauga; SOUND MOVES UK LTD., Middlesex
Generators Provided by G.E. ENERGY RENTALS, SHOWPOWER
Catering UPBEAT FOOD, Kent
RUSH/ Anthem Entertainment Consigliere ROBERT A. FARMER
Management Ray Danniels for SRO MANAGEMENT INC.

Thanks to our Technical Suppliers:

For Alex:
Hughes & Kettner Amplification
Gibson Guitars
Dean Markley Strings
Dunlop Manufacturing

For Geddy:
Saved by Technology
Fender
Tech 21/Sansamp
Rotosound Strings

For Neil:
DW Drums
Sabian Cymbals
Promark Drumsticks
Remo Drumheads
Roland V-Drums

At SRO/Anthem Ray Danniels, Pegi Cecconi, Sheila Posner, Anna LeCoche, Andy Curran, Cynthia Barry, Rayanne Lepieszo, Bob Farmer and Randy Rolfe.
A very special thank you to our great friend John Virant for his continuing support.
Art Direction, Illustration and Design by Hugh Syme
Photographer Andrew MacNaughtan
Characters from South Park used courtesy of Comedy Central © 2008

Oh, Atlanta! The Authorized Bootlegs
Directed and produced by PIERRE & FRANCOIS LAMOUREUX
Lighting Director/ Designer HOWARD UNGER LEIDER
Edited by YVES DION
Music Mixed by RICHARD CHYCKI & ALEX LlFESON
Recorded by BRAD MADIX
Local Promoter LIVE 360
Venue VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE, Atlanta
Venue Production Manager ERIC MILBY

All songs Lee/Lifeson/Peart except:
"The Main Monkey Business"/"Malignant Narcissism" Lee/Lifeson
"De Slagwerker" Peart
"Hope" Lifeson
"Tom Sawyer" Lee/Lifeson/Peart/Dubois
"YYZ" Lee/Peart

All songs published by Core Music Publishing (SOCAN world excluding USA/SESAC USA)

© 2008 Core Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
© 2008 Anthem Entertainment/All Rights Reserved
® 2008 Anthem Film & Television/All Rights Reserved.

www.rush.com
www.rounder.com

In loving memory of our own Miss Shelley Nott -- you will be with us always.

Total run time 221 minutes
DVD & Blu-Ray, November 24, 2008

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Snakes & Arrows Live News Archive

• Snakes & Arrows Live debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Music Video chart, selling 25,000 units the first week. Released November 24th, 2008, Snakes & Arrows Live is RUSH's first concert film to be released on Blu-ray, as well as a 3 DVD set.
• In a complete reverse of decisions originally made with the R30 video release (when eight tracks were omitted from the original DVD release), the complete concert is featured on both the Blu-Ray and DVD editions; in addition, footage filmed in Atlanta during the 2008 leg has been included, thereby adding additional tracks not performed during the 2007 leg of the tour (click here for the video tracklist). It is worthy of note that this is the first live release to include either "Circumstances", "Entre Nous" or "Digital Man". A CD version of the show was released April 15th, 2008, just before the band began the 2008 leg of the tour. To learn how to find the only known Easter Egg click here.

• Click here for the Snakes & Arrows Live Transcript Archive

In Their Own Words...

"The Snakes & Arrows Live DVD was filmed with 21 High Definition cameras in 16x9 widescreen format, over two nights in October 2007 at the Netherlands' Ahoy Rotterdam arena during the renowned rock trio's lengthy world tour. Additional SD footage was filmed in Atlanta this past July. The five month trek supporting Rush's critically acclaimed 2007 studio release, Snakes & Arrows, which includes the Grammy® Award-nominated track, 'Malignant Narcissism,' topped Pollstar's Top 100 2007 Tours list at #12......While previous DVD releases showcase different sides of the band, this DVD offers fans a rare and close up look at the prodigious musicianship for which the band is renown. Cameras follow bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart, closely, capturing not only their playing, note for note, 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. Featuring collector's quality packaging and a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound or PCM Stereo for a superior audio experience, the DVD was mixed by frequent collaborator Richard Chycki (Aerosmith, Mick Jagger). Total running time is 221 minutes." - Snakes & Arrows Live Press Release, Rush.com, September 22, 2008

Winner of the 2009 International Digital Media Alliance Excellence in Disc Audio (Blu Ray Disc) Award: "Snakes & Arrows Live was directed by Pierre and François Lamoureux of FogoLabs. A full service production company based out of both Montreal and New York City, FogoLabs is not new to the IMDA/DVDA awards having won 8 Excellence Awards over the years, this their 9th, including 'Facility of The Year' two years running. "I always have a great time recording Rush. They play so well that it makes life easier even though you have 80 odd tracks for 3 musicians! Kudos go out to Rich Chycki and Alex Lifeson who mixed the music, to Andy VanDette who mastered the mixes and to Denis Normandeau, my audio partner of 9 years, who encoded the music to DTS-HDMA for the Blu-Ray here at FogoLabs." said François Lamoureux, president of FogoLabs after receiving the good news." - Marketwire.com, June 25, 2009

"The CD came out just prior to us going back out on the road - it gave us a little boost I think, in terms of making everybody aware that we were going back out for the second half of the tour. But these things take a while. To do the 5.1 mix is always time-consuming. So, we were able to get a stereo mix out quite easily." - Alex Lifeson, UGO.com, December 11, 2008

"It really came out well, I thought. It looks great, the camera angles are great, and having 2 days [to shoot two shows] really made a big difference in terms of the variety of shots that we had to work with." - Alex Lifeson, Sound & Vision, July 2009

"With this one we wanted to focus on the playing. So a lot of the camera work features the interaction between Neil (Peart), Alex (Lifeson) and myself, a lot of the details that you don't normally cover in a DVD performance. So for fans of the music who love to see what everybody's fingers are doing and how we interact back and forth with each other, that became the overriding focus on this one." - Geddy Lee, Billboard.com, November 18, 2008

"It was a very relaxed night - which is unusual, for that kind of 'pressure' night. Whenever we're recording, there's always a sense of tension on stage. But we were really relaxed that night, and I think it was because we had the two nights. We were in the European portion - halfway through it - and we really enjoy traveling through Europe, so we were all in a pretty good headspace and relaxed. And I think it shows - there are moments throughout the DVD where there is interplay between the three of us and the audience - and you sense that we're having fun." - Alex Lifeson, UGO.com, December 11, 2008

"Those two gigs were pretty consistent gigs. I thought we played well both of those nights. It was at the end of the tour, and by that point in the tour we're pretty set with all of our tempos. Neil has a metronome on his drums that gives him a tempo reference at the beginning of a song. It's just a light that pulses, and it gives him a tempo reference. He's very solid...he used to play to a click for some stuff where we needed to sync with film, but we haven't done that in years. There's just no need for it anymore. He's just so locked in and so tight. You know, the difficulty is if you're playing a song with a quick tempo, and then you've got to pull it back for the next song, and sometimes it's hard to just shift your brain from something fast to something mid-tempo. So, that gives him a chance to catch his breath. He looks at the pulse, he gets that tempo into his head, he turns it off, and then he starts the song." - Alex Lifeson, GuitarInternational.com, January 23, 2009

"There are the outtakes from where we were doing the 'What's That Smell' thing with Harry Satchel, and I was the border guard, and I'm stopping Geddy at the border and asking him where he's going. We did a whole bunch of takes of that, and there were some takes that were good takes. But, we couldn't use them because the director was by the camera, and so close by, and he couldn't stop laughing. It ruined the audio of the take! So, I thought that was a pretty good sign, when you've got the director laughing so hard that you can't use a good take." - Alex Lifeson, ModernGuitars.com, January 23, 2009

"I used to feel like a 'slave to the technology' in the olden days because I would have to find a place to put those gigantic instruments where I could still reach them, then figure out how to change mallets in the middle of a song, for example, to play those various chimes, bells, and blocks. It was a nightmare of choreography, not to mention mike placement and mixing. And in fact, I would often have to miss certain notes, just to make those stick and mallet changes in time. These days, with the pads, foot triggers, and MIDI-marimba, I can just hit or step on a trigger, and the required sound is there, loud and clear. For those 'effects' purposes, electronic triggers are much more flexible and useful than all that junk used to be. Of course, they are no replacement for acoustic instruments. A real, trained percussionist - as opposed to an over-reaching drum set player - is never going to be happy with samples of timpani or chimes. Likewise, I have never given up a single one of my acoustic drums, because they have subtleties that I don't believe electronic drums will ever replicate. But when it comes to simply producing a sound, triggers and samples are a wonderful tool." - Neil Peart, "Thus Spoke Neil" Drum Magazine, June 2009

"In deciding to bring ['Natural Science'] back into our live set a few years ago, after not playing it for a while, we made some arrangement changes that we probably would have done at the time it was recorded in 1979 if that long, complex, multi-part suite hadn't been written and recorded in about two days! In most cases, we are happy to play our songs as they were recorded because we remain contented enough with them that way, but other times we can't resist reconsidering. We have done that with a few other older songs, where we felt it simply would have been better without a certain part, or as with 'Entre Nous' last tour, where it would have been better to repeat a certain passage." - Neil Peart on dropping the the second solo from "Natural Science", "Thus Spoke Neil" Drum Magazine, June 2009

"Filmed in Rotterdam, Holland in late 2007, this has every Rush song you could want on it and the Blu-ray disc is a nice step up from the DVD. If you're a Rush fan, do not deny yourself." - 25 best concert Blu-ray discs, CNET.com, May 7, 2010