There are drum challenges — and then there’s 2112. RUSH’s 20-minute prog-rock epic isn’t just a song; it’s a mountain, a multi-movement suite that demands physical endurance, split-second precision, and the kind of rhythmic imagination that made Neil Peart a legend. For most drummers, tackling it is the kind of goal you plan for months. For Nic Collins, it was something he was handed… the same day.
A Challenge Out of Nowhere
Nic Collins — drummer, solo artist, and son of rock icon Phil Collins — was in the studio when the idea was pitched. A producer approached him with a grin and said, “How about we make you sweat today?”
They dropped the 2112 drum charts in front of him. No warm-up, no lead-in, no “let’s just try the overture.” The task was clear: learn the entire suite from scratch and perform it in one sitting.
“I’d heard the song, sure,” Nic later admitted, “but I’d never played it, and definitely not the full thing. When they told me I had less than three hours to get it down, I thought they were joking.”
The Neil Peart Factor
For drummers, Neil Peart is more than an influence — he’s a rite of passage. His complex patterns, odd time signatures, and meticulous phrasing have set the bar for rock percussion for decades.
“Neil’s drumming is so precise, it’s almost like playing a second lead guitar,” Nic said. “You’re not just keeping time, you’re telling a parallel story through the kit.”
The pressure wasn’t just about playing the notes — it was about honoring Peart’s legacy while making the performance his own.
Into the Practice Room
The clock started ticking. Nic sat down with the track, headphones on, eyes darting between the sheet music and his drum kit. The first run-through was rough — missed cues, awkward fills, and a couple of sections that felt like they were in another galaxy.
“The overture is already tricky, but once you get into ‘The Temples of Syrinx,’ the pace just doesn’t let up,” he recalled. “It’s like a marathon where the first mile is uphill.”
But as the minutes turned into hours, the mistakes got fewer, the fills got sharper, and the transitions started to click.
The Final Take
Three hours after first seeing the charts, Nic was ready. Cameras rolled, and the suite began. Twenty minutes later, he hit the final crash cymbal and let the sound fade.
The room was silent for a beat — then erupted in applause. Not only had he played it straight through without stopping, but he’d injected it with his own energy and style, all while respecting Peart’s original blueprint.
“By the halfway point, I wasn’t thinking about the time limit anymore,” Nic said. “I was just in the song — feeling it the way RUSH must have felt it back in ’76.”
Passing the Torch
For fans of both RUSH and Phil Collins, the performance felt symbolic. Here was Nic, carrying the rhythmic DNA of his father, taking on one of rock’s most revered drum challenges.
“My dad’s always told me, ‘Play the song, not the drums.’ I think that’s what helped me here. Even though ‘2112’ is this massive drum workout, you still have to serve the music first.”
The Fans React
Once the performance was posted online, the comments poured in.
One viewer wrote: “Neil would be proud — this wasn’t just copying, it was channeling.”
Another added: “Three hours to learn ‘2112’? That’s like learning to climb Everest in an afternoon — and actually reaching the summit.”
What’s Next for Nic
Nic has been carving out his own path for years, touring with Phil Collins’ band, working on solo projects, and collaborating with artists across genres. But he admits that tackling 2112 has opened up a new kind of challenge for him.
“I want to do more of these big, scary pieces — the ones that make you go, ‘Am I crazy for trying this?’” he laughed.
As for whether he’d take on more RUSH material, Nic didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely. If you can survive ‘2112,’ you can take on anything.”
More Than Just a Drum Cover
In the end, this wasn’t about speed-learning a piece for bragging rights. It was about honoring a lineage — from Neil Peart’s unmatched precision, to Phil Collins’ emotive power behind the kit, to Nic’s own emerging voice as a drummer.
It was about pushing past the point of comfort, taking on something that seemed impossible, and proving that music is as much about courage as it is about talent.
And maybe, just maybe, it was about showing that the torch doesn’t just get passed — sometimes, it’s carried forward at full volume.
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