Tag: triumph

Triumph Show Recap

Triumph’s 50th anniversary tour, the Rock and Roll Machine Reloaded. My first Triumph show in almost 40 years.

It was pretty cool. I must admit. Rik Emmett used to have the highest voice in the universe. He most definitely does not have the highest voice in the universe anymore. He’s 72 years old, that is expected. 

Back when I was in high school and playing in a cover band, two of the four band members were Triumph fans so naturally we wanted to play one of their songs. Emmett’s voice was so ridiculously high that no mere male mortal could ever pull them off. Fortunately, Triumph had two lead singers. Gil Moore, the drummer, sang lead on about half of the songs. None of the hits, mind you, but there was plenty to choose from. If we couldn’t sing the high voice songs, we could pull off the low voice songs, right?

Gil Moore’s voice was drastically deeper than Rik Emmett’s. That is a scientific fact. Unfortunately, there was some weird psycho-acoustic kind of thing going on where when you listened to the two of them singing side by side, Moore sounded like a normal range voice. However, when you removed Emmett’s voice from the equation you realized that Moore’s voice was also ridiculously high and very few mere male mortals could hit his high notes. He sounded normal in comparison but the truth was we couldn’t sing his songs either.

Now? 40 years later? Mr Moore’s voice is no longer ridiculously high. Suffice to say when either of the original band members were singing, the songs were played in lower keys and the melodies were adjusted so that the highest high notes were avoided. That’s just biology. It happens to all of us.

My issue was with the songs they didn’t sing. I was worried that with three new members on stage it was going to feel a little like a tribute band. For most of the show it did not, though watching Rik Emmett sit back and play rhythm guitar while Phil X absolutely shredded through a solo that was originally Rik’s… well that felt weird. Especially because it seems that Emmett’s guitar playing, unlike his voice, is every bit as good as it was 40 years ago. The dude was on fire all night. He just played nicely and let Phil X shine as well (not to imply that Rik’s singing wasn’t excellent, it was. It was just different, that’s all). 

When Phil X or Todd Kerns took a lead vocal though… that felt wrong. I would have an instant where my brain would think to itself, this isn’t what I signed up for, then I would get over myself and just enjoy the song. Both of them were excellent, even though they both often had to break into falsetto to hit the high notes. I’m trying to think if either of them sang an Emmett song… I’m not sure. They both song Moore songs. Huh… maybe they’ll release a live record down the road somewhere and I’ll be able to revisit it.

So there were tribute band-esque moments. Absolutely. On the whole though, it was a really fun show. No explosions on stage like the old days, but lots of cool visuals and lots of lights. 

The set list was pretty expansive too. When I saw them in 1986 that was my one complaint. There were no surprises other than not hitting the Never Surrender album at all, and leaving off a few songs that I thought would have been staples. That was not the case this time. I think every record except the crappy Surveillance album that was made after things came unglued and the 90’s attempt at a comeback, Edge of Excess, was represented. Let’s see…

Spoiler alert if you have tickets to one of the 2–3 remaining shows and don’t want to know what’s coming. Stop reading now. Otherwise…

They played Blinding Light show and one other thing from the first album. They played the Joe Walsh cover and the title song from Rock and Roll Machine. They played both of the hits from Just a Game, Lay it on the Line and Hold On. Must to my surprise, they played I Live for the Weekend, one of the two strong cuts from their not-so-good Progressions of Power record. They played the two obligatory songs from Allied Forces, Magic Power and Fight the Good Fight, as well as the title song. They played When the Lights go Down and Never Surrender from the Never Surrender album, two songs I sorely missed back in ’86. They played the two hits from Thunder Seven, Spellbound and Follow Your Heart. Side note, the video for Follow Your Heart was shot at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, RI and I’m pretty sure my future drummer, Bob from Break Even, was there. They played their biggest hit single, Somebody’s Out There from The Sport of Kings. Ironically it was the second song in the set and it was the second song in the set back in 1986. Silly, but I noticed. I’m sure I missed a song or two, but that’s most of what they played. Just don’t ask me to list them in order. 

All that’s left of note is the photos. I took my little point and shoot camera. The one Jen got me for xmas. I took it out during the opening band’s set to see how it would work and it crashed on me. It just died. I was zooming in and the lens just stopped moving and then the LCD screen when black and that was it. I kept trying to reboot but nothing I did had any effect. The camera was dead, Jim. I took a few pics with my iPhone and they came out fine. Strangely, as the show was ending I tried one more time to reboot the point and shoot and it worked. I guess 30th time was the charm? I haven’t tried to use it today to see if it will work. I’m too scared. Oh well. Here are a few iPhone pics.

Of course I took most of the pics while Rik was playing a double neck. Is that a Dave Grohl signature that Phil is playing? I think so.
Gil and Rik. The double neck only came out for Blinding Light Show
Sparks
Gil and Rik
The whole back wall was one giant video screen

And there you have it, folks. My second Triumph concert and my first in almost 40 years. It was a really fun show. All that was missing was Mike Levine and my Uncle Johnny.

40 Years Later

I went to my first real concert on October 23, 1986. I went with my Uncle. It was Triumph at the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, MA. It had been rescheduled from an earlier date… I don’t remember what the original date was. I heard that guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett fell down a flight of stairs while getting off of a plane and screwed up his knee so they had to postpone a couple of dates while he recovered. I don’t know if that’s true or not, it’s just what I heard.

I was 15 back then and early in my sophomore year of high school. I was a big Triumph fan, but maybe not that big a fan. Certainly not as big a fan as I was of the other three-piece band from Toronto, Rush. Still, Thunder Seven, Allied Forces, and Just a Game were A-List albums in my book. Never Surrender and The Sport of Kings were both really good too. They were touring to support Sport of Kings when I saw them that night, and a couple of years later my first real band would cover a song from that record, Tears in the Rain. It often went over surprisingly well when we played it, even though the guys in the band were probably the only people in the room who were familiar with it. I wonder if anyone thought we’d written it? Probably not. It was WAY better than our handful of original tunes. I mean, WAY better.

I didn’t know it at the time but Triumph was just about reaching the point where they were falling apart. I recently read Rik Emmett’s memoir and he mentions that the first nail in the band’s coffin happened during the recording of Sport of Kings. They had planned to record a song written by an outside writer, a groovy little ballad called Just One Night. It was expected to be the album’s big single and the band had decided that drummer/vocalist Gil Moore would sing it. The guy who was originally hired to produce the record had spoken privately to Rik Emmett and said he should be singing that song instead of Moore and he wanted Emmett to break the news. Emmett did, on an airplane flying home to Toronto, and I guess Moore lost his shit (probably very politely, given that they are good Canadian boys after all) and that was the first step toward everything falling apart. It took a couple of years but eventually, in ’88, Emmett quit.

Moore and bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine eventually tired to bring it back from the dead. They hired guitarist Phil X, who these days is best known as Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist, and made one more record. I heard a song or two on the radio and it was pretty good, but not good enough to really reignite my interest. I had high hopes for Rik Emmett as a solo artist but his first record was a glossy poppy disappointment and that was that for me.

Fast forward to a few months ago and out of nowhere Triumph announced a 50th anniversary reunion tour. Rock and Roll Machine Reloaded (Rock and Roll Machine was the name of their second record in Canada and their first in the US). I think the reloaded part of the tour’s name sort of points to some lineup changes. Early on they reported to us that Mike Levine would not be playing at every show. He had a medical issue to deal with (something wrong with his hand, I think?) and he would join the band onstage whenever he felt up to it. I’m pretty sure the tour ends next week and the total number of appearances he’s made is equal to zero. That’s disappointing. 

Due to that, a second bass player, Todd Kerns, was added to the lineup. Additionally, Phil X would also join them. He wasn’t a member 50 years ago, but he was a member in the 90’s. That seems fitting. When I saw them in ’86 they did have a second guitarist on stage with them. His name was Rick… something. I forget. I do remember finding him a little annoying. Like, I wanted to see the trio. I was okay with the extra guy but maybe he could have stayed off to the side out of the way. I was an asshole. Sorry. As if two extra musicians weren’t enough, Gil Moore made it clear that he wanted to come out from behind the drums and sing a couple of songs from the front of the stage. That requires a second drummer. Brent Fitz was added. He’s a keyboard player as well so I guess he’ll also be covering some of Mike Levine’s parts.

So this Toronto trio is now a group of five or six (if Levine appears). I guess everyone sings so the vocal harmonies are going to be denser than they used to be. Also, Moore and Emmett are old now, both in their 70’s. Their vocal ranges are nowhere near what they used to be (especially Emmett, whose near-soprano days are long over) so the “new” guys are going to be singing lead on a some of the songs. That is… troubling to me. That sort of makes me fear that this is going to be a tribute band that just happens to have two original members. I don’t know how I feel about that, but I am choosing to ignore it and just enjoy having this long lost band back again.

When the tour was announced, the final show was scheduled for June 6th in Boston and it sold out instantly. I tried to get a ticket but no luck. A couple of days after they went on sale I went to ticketbastard’s site just to see how it looked and there was a show on June 4th with almost no tickets sold. Huh? I Googled and sure enough they had booked a second Boston show and somehow didn’t really announce it. I grabbed a ticket in the back. I don’t want to say a cheap seat… how about a less crushingly expensive seat. 

Now here we are on June 4th and I am psyching myself up to go experience the Rock and Roll Machine in person for the first time in almost 40 years. I’m flying solo for this one. I didn’t want to subject anyone else to the 80’s of it all. I checked the venue’s camera policy and point and shoots are acceptable, so I am totally bringing one. We’ll see how it holds up to the lighting and the distance. I expect lots of blurry, shaky messes. Doors open at 7:00 and the show is supposed to start at 8:00. The opening act is April Wine. I’ve heard of them but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single note. I know they are another Canadian band so I expect them to be very polite and I will be equally polite as I wait for the headliner.

My Uncle passed away a long time ago. He’ll be with me in spirit though. I’ll be thinking of him. Especially if Rik plays the acoustic solo from the Thunder Seven record, Midsummer’s Daydream. Uncle Johnny was very impressed with that one.

Happy 50th anniversary to the first band I ever saw live. Here’s hoping for a good time at the old rock and roll show.

PS: I tried to find the set list from October 23, 1986. I failed. I did, however, find the set list from October 24, 1986. It is probably the same, and from what I remember it lines up.

  • Tears in the Rain
  • Somebody’s Out There
  • Allied Forces
  • Lay It on the Line
  • Midsummer’s Daydream
  • Follow Your Heart
  • Drum Solo
  • Take a Stand
  • Magic Power
  • Rock & Roll Machine
  • Guitar Solo
  • Spellbound
  • Rocky Mountain Way
  • Fight the Good Fight

If there was a difference, my show might have swapped the last two songs. I remember their Joe Walsh cover closing the encore, but maybe it closed the set and Fight the Good Fight (by far their best song… like by astronomical units) was the encore? Who can say.

Hey, Screw You Ticketmaster

I’m going to a concert next week. Triumph. I saw them in 1986. It was my first concert. My Uncle Johnny took me. I was 15. Now here we are 40 years later and out of nowhere the band announced a 50th anniversary tour and I got me a ticket. Uncle Johnny is no longer with us, but he’ll be going to the show with me in spirit, I am sure.

That’s not the story with this post though. Not directly at least. No, the point is that ticketmaster is an asshole and I want them to fuck right off.

Over the last week they have been sending me emails reminding me that I have a ticket to a conert. As if I would have forgotten, you know? Not bloody likely. Today though, they put a new spin on the spam. Today’s email reminded me that if I wanted to sell my ticket I can do so through their reseller option. 

Ah… no thank you, fuckwads. I do not want to sell the ticket to the show that I have been waiting 40 years for. Fuck you right the fuck off. To borrow a line or two from The Book of Mormon, fuck ticketmaster right in the eye and then fuck ticketmaster right in the other eye.

Another Day

Today is Wednesday and it is my third consecutive day in the office. The traffic was bad. I want to go home. It’s not even 9:00am yet and I already want to go home. I am going to have a super busy, super stressful work day today. I just don’t feel up to it. Ugh.

As I walked in this morning the guy who sits next to me said good morning. I said good morning in return, but the thought that went through my head was something like good morning apart from the usual soul crushing existential dread. Another day, another walk through the shadow of the valley of emotional wreckage. You know how it is. Of course I exaggerate a little, and I also… ya know… edited my thoughts… like you do.

That lead to another thought. A lyric from a Triumph song. “Another day, another dollar, another pretty face. Another chance to lose yourself in this endless race.” That’s from the song Hold On from the album Just a Game. It’s a good record.

I think I am feeling gloomy for a physical reason. Let me tell you all about it.

When I was a high school brat I had a period where I dealt with some pretty bad acne. Not as bad as some of my classmates, but for a little window of time there it was bad. Bad enough that we asked a doctor about it. They put me on some Retin A (or whatever it was called) and it helped a little. Mostly, just getting through puberty is what resolved the issue. Fast forward to yesterday and I felt like something was in my eye. Weird. My right eye kept getting watery and that would blur my vision just a tiny bit. I thought maybe it was the start of a little conjunctivitis. Yippee for me. This morning I discovered the truth. It’s not pink eye or anything like that. It’s a pimple… on my lower eye lid. No, let me rephrase… it’s a great big muther of a zit and it’s on my lower eye lid. What the hell?

A zit on my eye that is big enough to cause my eye to water a little and I can just about almost see it. Again I ask, what the hell?

So if you’re wondering why I am in a weird funky mood today, that is probably it. Chalk it up to teenage acne coming back for another round of fun in my 50’s and punching me right in the freakin’ eye. Stupid zit. Stupid, stupid zit.

Triumph Doc

Triumph was the first band I ever saw in concert. I think it was early 1986 (maybe late 1985) at the Worcester Centrum. My Uncle Johnny took me. It would have been better had it been the other three piece band from Toronto, but this was pretty awesome anyway. It was only a couple of years after that show that they were gone. I thought I would be able to keep following the guitarist’s solo career but… well… it wasn’t very good, at least not at first, and he lost me. The other two guys came back after a while with a new guitar player and again… not that good. Better, but still not good enough for me. Also, the 80’s had become the 90’s by then and my tastes had changed. So maybe not bad, more like too late. Whatever.

When I listen back to them now some of it stands up. Some of it… not so much. They were a killer 70’s band that sat at the point where the 70’s morphed into the 80’s and at first they handled it, but the glossier and cheesier (and hairier) it got the less it worked. Even if it isn’t as good now as it was then, “Fight the Good Fight” is still one of the best rock songs ever written.

This documentary is made by the same team that made Rush Beyond the Lighted Stage which was fan-friggin’-tastic. My only complaint about that doc, and based on this trailer I’ll have the same complaint about this one, is the effin’ clown from the band Skid Row. I really don’t give the faintest shit about what that guy thinks about anything. Other than that… bring it on.

It’s debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival soon. This week, I think. The first showing is going to be in a drive in because of Covid and I don’t know about the rest of you, but that sounds absolutely awesome to me.

Triumph

You can blame this one on my former band mate, Steve. He posted something about the band Triumph on Facebook the other day, and now I can’t stop listening to them.

They were the first band I ever saw live. My uncle took me. It was 1985, I think. It might have been 1986. They were, of course, the other three piece band from Toronto with a singer whose voice was so high only dogs could hear it. The difference between Triumph and Rush was that Rush seemed completely uninterested in the mainstream, while Triumph pretty much lived there. In the 70’s they were one of an infinite number of straight ahead heavy rock bands, but in the 80’s they got steadily slicker and more radio friendly. Back when I was in junior high and high school, I thought Thunder Seven (from 1984) and Allied Forces (from 1981) were the best records. I still think that’s true, but we can throw in Just a Game (from… ummm… was it ’78?) in there too. I think those records, mostly, still stand up. I was never into their first US record, Rock and Roll Machine. That was actually a compilation of their first two Canadian records. It just didn’t sound very good and at that time the recording quality meant a ton to me. Today, I give it a listen and think it’s okay and then put Thunder Seven back on. Never Surrender was another big one for them, but it seems to be a little weak to me today. The Sport of Kings (the album the were touring when I saw them) is just way too glossy 80’s for me now. There are a few good songs, but most of it sounds like the sort of thing Journey would have been pleased with. I can’t even listen to the last album they made, Surveillance I think it was called, but I couldn’t stomach it back when it came out either. Progressions of Power was from… 1980 maybe? That one seemed weak back then, and it still seems weak today. It’s not that bad, it just seems like a step down.

Here’s a video from the US Festival back in 1983. As I watch this, I recall that they had a stage show that was so huge you kind of imagine Pink Floyd looking at them and thinking, we got some work to do. I remember lasers and explosions and a flying drum set and all sorts of crazy arena rock stuff that Nirvana and Pearl Jam thankfully flushed down the toilet. At the time it was okay, I guess, but it took so much attention away from the music that I never missed that sort of thing. In this clip though, it’s a festival and they didn’t have their own stage show. They just played the music. Novel thought, eh? I remember Rik Emmett being one of the guys who wore his guitar up very high. That is actually the correct way to hold a guitar, even though it’s not nearly as cool as slinging it down by your waist. I don’t remember the way his hands were positioned though. His left hand seems to be holding the guitar WAY out in front of his body, and his right hand is almost coming at the strings from underneath. It looks weird and uncomfortable to me, but I can’t argue with the way he plays. Lightning fast and impeccably clean. Then there’s Gil Moore (was it Gil or Gill? Can’t remember. I think it was Gil). He also looks weird as he plays. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s almost like he’s seven feet tall and the drums are down below his knees. As for Mike Levine, he’s exactly as I remember him. He often looks like he’s going to fall over backward, but that’s just a good old fashioned 70’s rock posing for you.

Triumph – Fight the Good Fight at the US Festival in ’83.