I know this is more of a science/tech type board, but it’s also a board that can answer any question however obscure[/flattery]. So it’s really a result of your own success that I post this non-technical question…
Did Neil Pert ever march in a Canadian drum corps? Which ones, what years?
I’ve looked through several fan pages on the web, but they usually start with his biography when he was 18 and went to England for a while. If he marched it probably would’ve been before that.
I’ve also tried some drum corps sites (dci.org) but can’t seem to reach anyone who knows anything about this.
It is strongly rumored to be true that he marched (especially among drum corps people from Canada), however nobody knows where or when. It strikes me as an urban legend.
I seem to remember my brother telling me he read an interview with some famous drummer who marched drum corps as a kid, but I can’t remember if it was Neil Pert or somebody else. I’ll email him and ask if he still has the magazine with this in it, and if he still checks his email, maybe I’ll get a reply. Of course, if the interview was with someone else, the answer is just “I don’t know.” Sorry.
On the other hand, my name’s Neil, but not Neil Pert, and I marched corps, but not a Canadian one. So you’re at least one-fourth accurate.
I have the authorized Rush biography at home (Rush Visions:The Offical Biography by Bill Banasiewicz), and I don’t recall any mention of Neil’s ever being in a drum corps.
I can check tonight to make sure, but I think he was “self taught” at home.
BTW… Neil’s last name is spelled Peart, and it rhymes with “near”.