"Well, how about Rush at 999 Queen Street. I don't believe it's there anymore, but for years 999 Queen Street was an insane asylum. The guys belonged to the musician's union, and there was an older guard of people who ran the union and its elections. I was never there, but John used to keep me updated. Anyway, there was a big to-do because the guys who held the key to the ballot box and counted the votes were also the guys running for office, which kind of stunk. There were a couple of loud meetings that ended up as the 'rock guys' against those 'older guys'. As 'punishment' for John [Rustey] speaking up, Rush was obligated to do a 'trust fund' gig (for the one and only time) at this insane asylum. The union could assign you a gig for which you were only paid 'scale' (which I think was around $125 for three musicians).
"So, Liam Birt [ed: Rush's second roadie, Birt still works for the band today as Tour Manager] and I drive to the hospital and report in at the desk. I remember sitting there and a patient goes stalking by like a big bird, out the front door he goes, and we were like 'Is anybody going to stop this guy?!'. Anyway, they take us by these ten foot high barricaded doors, and you're thinking 'Who the heck is kept in there?' We get to a padded & locked door, knock on it, and a slot opens so they can eyeball us before opening it. As they open it, a guy who looked like half of his head has been melted tries to get out, and they tackle him to the ground. Ok, so we get to this room, and I then make the mistake of asking where we should set up. Four different guys came up and all of them point in a different spot. Liam and I looked at each other, and made our own decision. The band gets there and the 'crowd' is led in - maybe 60 people, including one who thought he was Elvis. The most pathetic were about seven old ladies who they put right in front of the P.A. speakers, and they sat there unblinking and almost catatonic, and seemed totally unaware. I couldn't help thinking that these were probably somebody's mom, and what a sad way to end up. Anyway, the band plays and some of these folks dance. At the time, Rush was doing a version of the old Wilbur Harrison song 'Kansas City'. They get to the line 'they got some crazy little women there and I'm gonna get me one', and the five of us (band and crew) are trying not to laugh too much as Geddy skips over the word 'crazy'.
"It wasn't that big a deal, but anytime the subject of 'weird gigs' came up we held the trump card with 999 Queen. No one in Toronto could ever top that one." - Ian Grandy, Guitar International, September 16, 2009