Why Biff Byford refused Rush ride

Saxon frontman Biff Byford still regrets turning down an invitation from Rush to travel with them on their tour bus.

Geddy Lee and co extended the offer while the bands were playing across the US together in the early 1980s.

And if he’d accepted, Byford would almost certainly have got to know Rush far better than he’d come to during their string of concerts.

He tells Songfacts of Saxon’s first-ever US trip: “It was great since we’re huge Rush fans.

“We ate with them and we said hello a lot – but we didn’t really have to much to do with them. They were a little bit untouchable in those days.

“They once invited me on the bus to travel with them, but I didn’t think it was fair that the rest of the guys wouldn’t be on it. I sort of kick myself on that; I should have gone on it!”

Byford believes Saxon have gone back to their roots with recent album Sacrifice, and the thinks younger bands could still learn a trick or two from his outfit.

He says: “We did go back to those days of playing fast, aggressive riffs. I think a lot of Metallica and Megadeth were influenced by our early fast stuff. I think bands should go back to that – release some aggression. Try to play things as fast as you can.”

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.