Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, you have done to censure.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Fore Wow for you young.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Ahead. This this is the Pipe Man here on the
Adventures Pipe NW four c Y Radio. And I'm very
excited about our next guest and we have some killer
news we're going to talk about. So let's welcome to
the show. Gil from Triumph, How are you Heyden? Nice
to be here, Hey night, Nice to have you. You know,
(00:47):
you guys are kicking off your first tour in thirty years.
You're gonna headline the twenty third annual Celebration Exotic Car
Festival and it's to benefit Make a Wish, which is
personal to me, which we'll talk about. But the last
time I saw your band live was at the nineteen
(01:09):
eighty three US festival.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Wow, you were there.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I was there?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Cool?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
I mean like it. I'm so glad that I was there.
What an experience too. I think I was like sixteen
and I just told my dad, I'm like, see you later.
I'm leaving for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
And you survived it?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Oh that I drove me and three of my friends there,
And it is fight that you should say survive because
it was definitely an experience. First of all, in the
morning waiting there as the cattle call as we all
ran to the front, and then at the end of
the night, it took me like nine hours to find
my car after it was over.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
God, I believe it. I mean it was like a city,
wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Oh my god? It was like to this day, it's
one of my favorite experiences. I've gotten the like thousands
of shows, but it was just so epic, and especially
the day you guys played on three hundred thousand people, Like,
I couldn't imagine being on stage for that and see
(02:17):
like you wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
There's no end, honestly, Like when you looked out from
the stage, you know, you kind of go to the
you know, the front house consoles and stuff, and then
you go to the delay towers you know that are
actually behind front of house, and then it.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Looks like, you know, an amphitheater that kind of just
goes into outer space right to the mountains and then
into the sky. Like it's just kind of crazy.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
It was. It was wild and you guys, man, you
killed it, and it's like fight. I have a good
question for you. If they had another Heavy Metal Day
festival at today, do you think Triumph would be on
that bill?
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Well, you know, it's a good question because now you know,
we've got the band back together and into a performing
entity and we're going to tour, so and eating's kind
of possible. Now. If you'd asked me that a year ago,
I would have said, not a chance. But the way
this all came together was a lot of kind of
fun circumstances and it you know, it's like, oh, sometimes
(03:24):
you hit it in the woods that bounces back in
the fairway sometimes result. It was kind of wild how
this came together, but it's become a really, really a
fun thing that I never anticipated was going to happen
again in my life. But I got to say, my
kids were so enthused by this whole thing. It's like,
(03:44):
how do you say no to your kids?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
That's pretty cool. See. I think that's what's different about
today because I think back in the eighties, your kids
at this age would be like, come on, dad, okay,
like leave that in the past.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Oh yeah, no, It's like, all my kids want to
come on the tour. It's it's it's wild. Even my
eldest daughter is bringing my granddaughter and my son in law.
They're driving like literally, I think two thirds of the tour.
Maybe three quarters of the tour, my younger daughter is
coming out and doing all our social media from the
you know, from backstage, from the tour bus. The whole
(04:23):
ball of axe. Looks like my son's going to come
and work the stage and be one of the drum techs.
It's a family affair, right.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
It's so cool, especially because that's what I do love
about music today is there's like no line between the generations.
You know. It's like I go on tour and I
do radio coverage at music festivals all over US, UK
and Europe, and I bring my grandkids sometimes to help
me do interviews, you know, and I bring my kids
(04:51):
and you know, and it's like really cool because if
my dad ever invited me to go to a festival
with them, I would have been, yeah, no thanks.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It's a it's a just a it's a great time
for music, and what a great time to kick this off. Now,
what's the story behind how it all led to this?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Oh my god, Well, it's it's a it's a bouncing ball.
And I'm trying to make it not too long, but
it really is hard to explain it. It starts with, uh,
you know, our lighting director and I we had talked
begetting so many, so many requests or I guess just
social media being what it is, uh, you know, uh communications.
(05:37):
Let's just say from fans that are that some of
them are extremely heart wrenching and just kind of pleading, well,
you guys, please tour one more time before I've gone,
Please tour one more time.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And you know.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
So with that, with that in mind, and I had
no intention of touring, So I got a lot going
on that other interests that I have up here in
things I'm doing, and I thought, okay, maybe we can
do this in in a you know, a virtual format,
let's call it. So Paul Dexter and I are lighting director.
He was He did Ronnie James Dio's hologram from After Sabbath,
(06:14):
and he did Frank Zappus as well, and he said,
come out and see Frank and see what you think.
So went out. I said, no, it's not going to
work for a rock man. I've said it's a great hologram,
but I said, no, that's not where it's at. So
we went down this path that's lasted like until where
we're at right now looking up mixed reality as a concept.
(06:38):
But as that was happening and Paul and I were
doing that in the background, you know, the documentary came
along and then the feedback from the fans of what
the documentary was overwhelmed. Then after the documentary, our record
label they put their hand up and they said, oh,
we got to do a tribute album. If you guys
aren't going to tour, then we got to do a
tribute album. So we went, okay, you know, how are
you going to do that? Well, they hire Mike Klank,
(07:00):
the best producer in rock in the world, and he
does an unbelievable job during COVID putting this together with
the best voices and the best guitarists and the best
drummers and so on in rock from our era. The
tribute album gets a ton of action when it comes out,
an interest and again it kind of stokes the fire
(07:22):
we keep doing, you know, Hall of Fame stuff that
keeps pub of the metal Hall of Fame, the songwriters
Hall of Fame, all these things are happening. So it's
all this, you know, kind of going around us. And
then the last thing that happened that was really was
what flipped. It was up here in Canada and the
Stanley Cup playoffs. Roger Sports that which is the big big,
(07:42):
you know, hockey broadcaster, national broadcaster, biggest media company in Canada.
They decided, and the NHL decided. I guess the triumph
was the hockey band because we had inspirational lyrics, right nice,
and they decided to drive it home with Triumph songs
on so many commercials and so many you know, timeouts
between plays and things like that. And then they finally
(08:05):
topped it off by saying, would you come to the finals,
like the Edmonton Panthers finals and actually play? How do
you say no to that? I mean, I was a
hockey player as a kid. I wanted I didn't want
to be a drummer. I wanted to be a left winger.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
You know, then you ask, you know, you're you know,
we're initially we're kind of like, no, no, no, we're not
going to do that. And of course you didn't ask
your kids, and they go, oh, dad, yeah, yeah, we're
going to do that. We're going to do that. So
I called Rick and I said what do you think?
And he goes, I don't know, And Mike was already
doing Eddie trunk and he was he had had an
appointment in Toronto, so he couldn't come. So we called
Phil and then you know, Phil called Breton Todd, you know,
(08:41):
and all of a sudden we had what we needed.
So we go out there and then the thing you
can't explain, honestly, is it, you know, the magic that
just happens, like when you get musicians together. Sometimes it's like,
you know, no, this is not working. Other times you
get musicians together and you go it's like getting the
right chefs in the kitchen and so you know, you're
(09:02):
you're cheffing up the food and it's all that's what happened.
It just was that kind of magic of getting together.
And the live nation could see this happening right before
the rise, so they just all of a sudden, we're like,
let's tour, boys, let's tour. Like they were, you know, insistent,
and of course, like I said, then our families ganged
(09:23):
up on us, and it's like, all of a sudden
we said, okay, let's make it into a thing. So
back in the gym, back on the drum kit, back
rehearsing vocals, let's do it. And it's been it's been
a ton of fun. That's all I can say.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
That's the kid.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
At the same time, we're gonna be ready, so I'm
not worried about anything.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Well, you know, that's the magic power of triumph right there.
But the fun part, that's the part right there, because
it's like, in this business, if you're not having fun,
why do it? Like that's that's part of being in
this industry and being an artist is having fun, I think, right.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
And I think you know, you're lucky to have spent
your life in music. I'm lucky to have spent my
life in music. And you know, especially today, when you
see all the stuff that's going on in the world
and you look at music and you go, man, oh man,
there's one thing you could point to that does a
lot of good and brings people together and should always
should always be there to make people laugh, clap, dance, shout,
(10:28):
you know, all of that, just having a blast. That
should be what music's about, or moving them emotionally and
taking to a good.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Place, you know, absolutely, And I've said for a while now,
with all the stuff going on in the world, what
we need is one big music festival for the whole world.
And they're all required to attend and then we'll work
out all our problems, because that's where we truly unite
and get some therapy and work things out. Live music
(10:57):
is like to me, the ultimate healer for all of us.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
That was my friend Steve Oisiac, my dear friend, Steve Wisniac.
That was his goal, and people don't that wasn't widely
publicized when he called it the US Festival. Some people
thought it was the US Festival and the concept because
I got to know Steve really well and we're still
good friends. But us for him was exactly what you
just said. It was bringing us together. He had a
(11:25):
whole idea about satellite broadcasting, so far ahead of his
time to get it around the world, to bring everyone
kind of into it in a virtual sense. He was
so far ahead of everyone else's. He still is ahead
of everybody else, but a fantastic idea. And you know,
to this day, like we from my personal passion project
(11:45):
up here in Canada, I started a charity called soundsy
Unite Canada, which is about free music education and music
wellness for young people and yeah, and to give kids
access because we're seeing the two things. My humble opinion
the two things kids need most sports and music in school.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yes, yes, so.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Important, right, not just for the physical side of it,
the cognitive development, you know, learning how to work with
people and communicate the whole thing. And seeing the boards
of education like cut back in those areas, Like I think,
it's just it's terrible, it's very unfortunate. So we built
Sounds Unite as a way to be not to replace
(12:29):
public education, but as an adjunct for music teachers who
we support. You know, we work with a Coalition for
Music Education up here in Canada, which is represents seventeen
hundred music teachers across the country and try to promote
you know, music in the schools and Sounds Nite has
(12:49):
a wellness app as well that helps people use music
as a therapeutic tool. So yeah, very excited about that.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I love that because here in the US we're trying
to get rid of the arts, you know. I love
that you're doing something to keep it because I think
every child needs, like you said, both sports and the arts,
and like that's also what keeps them out of trouble
and when they're young or teenagers, and you know, because
(13:21):
you have to have something to do.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
And I have to learn too.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
And sports, yeah, right, it's it's if it's a physical
sport like football or something or hockey, it's physical, but
you're learning these skills, right, So it's that's that's working
a part.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Of your noggin up here that otherwise potentially going to
be idle. And it's the same thing like I have
a friend up here as one of the chief neuroscience
scientists at a dementia hospital here in Canada, and she
took up drums. And when we met and I said, well,
why did you take up drums? And I started with
(13:58):
all my drummers jokes, but she said, gil it fires
more neural pathways and other instruments. So and I thought
about that for a while, and I thought about, this
is part of my learning process now when I'm approaching
drums again, I want to learn like a kid. I
don't want to be Gilmore figuring out what I did.
I want to be Gilmore, the kid who's taking this
(14:20):
first lesson. I love it realizing that you know, we're
all kind of we're given this gift from a mother's
heartbeat when we're in the womb and we hear that
foam that helps us, right, that gives us the ability
to let's say, sleep or develop. That's the very first
rhythm that we hear in our lives, and we carry
(14:40):
rhythms with us all we can dance. Animals can't dance,
only humans. So yeah, I guess it gets a little
up to some of these concepts, but I really do
believe that the that the rhythm that we find in
music is integral to people feeling a sense of wellness.
(15:03):
If I can't imagine a wedding and a DJ going, well,
get up and dance with no music instead.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Of right the gang, you know, the I know, right
and listen, what's the most famous words music soothes the
savage beast? Like that says it all right there, you know,
And yeah, that's how do people reach out to your
(15:30):
cause and help and you know, become a part of it.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Just go to Sounds Night dot com and it's one.
It's uh just like it's spells just like it sounds
Sounds Unite and uh yeah, we're hoping. Uh it's in
Canada right now, but we're hoping to get a partner
in the States and launch in America as well. So
it's a passion project for me.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
So I'll be I love it, and I love what
you said about playing the drums because okay, so when
I was a kid, I played the drums for nine years.
I sucked, but you know, I think it was something great.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Then.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
It's a great memory. But even now, like last year,
I was doing media coverage on ship Rock and they
had these electronic drums there, and at first I was like,
those look like practice pads. And that's why I stopped
playing drums, because I hated playing those practice pads. But
then I got out of it. I put the headphones of, like,
holy shit, this is cool. I want to buy one
(16:32):
of these, put them in my place. I could sit
there and put these headphones on and no neighbors will complain,
and I could bang the hell out of it and
learn how to play again.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
You know, indeed, everyone sucks when they start. I mean
that's right, right, everyone sucks.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
The first time you ever step on the ice to
play hockey, you know your ankles fold in. You know,
it's no different as soon as you pick up drumsticks.
You hit them a few times. Oh that sounds fun,
but I don't know what to do. So you know,
that's where education you know kicks in. I. I listen
when interview the other day. I don't know when Ringo
recorded it, but you know, somebody said to him, what
(17:10):
when did you learn to play drums? Says well, I
never learned.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
I think I heard that, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
I'm like, I'm like it. It really struck a chord
with me because I'm like, okay, well I copied you
and you never learned, So what does that say about me?
And I realized that, you know, education with technology, we've
passed through this, you know, kind of a golden era
of sharing, let's call it, you know, and it's got
(17:37):
its bad sides. And what AI is doing now like
coffee and stuff forgetting all that just and holding out
over here for a second, several of the good things.
So the information on for example, you started, you had
nine years in you said, I suck. Well it's because
you didn't. You didn't have the help that you needed
to say, Hey, here's what I need you to do now,
and go work on this and then come back to
(17:59):
me when you're finished. That building blocks because education, right
like that pedagogical ladder that everyone needs to learn anything,
whether it's drums or mathematics, it needs to be there,
and when we started in music, we didn't have that,
so you're kind of just emulating things that you think
you're seeing or hearing versus actually learning it, you know,
(18:22):
a technique and from which you can develop your own
style and so on. So now that information is shared broadly,
so the younger the guitarists and the drummers and the
vocalists and so on that are coming up now, so
many of them are so phenomenally advanced, and I really
think it's because they're they're students of the game.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Well that no better words could be said, because I
feel that about everything you know, music, sports, whatever you do,
you know, And I love when you're talking about hockey
because hockey and music are two of my favorite things.
And I live in Florida and I was rooting for Edmonton,
just saying really, well, I'm an old school Devils fan
(19:09):
from when Jacques Lamire was the coach, you know. So
it's like it was funny. I remember, you know, I
lived in Jersey. I went up to Montreal one time
and I was wearing my Devil's ski jacket and everybody
was giving me all these compliments. Wearing Jersey. It was
more like Devils, suck, Rangers, Islanders, flyers, blah blah blah,
(19:32):
and I had to go out of my country to
Canada to be respected for wearing a devil's jacket because
there's Jacques Lamire. So I am deaf and Canadians like listen,
they are the hockey players though, so you. I just
think I think of the great One, and I think
of the Oilers. I don't think of him as the
(19:53):
Kings or the Rangers. I think of him as the Oilers.
And I don't know, having hot a hockey champion in
an eighty nine degree weather is weird to me.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Like, I can't say I disagree with you, you know.
I mean, it was the sixteen NHL chorus at one time,
but things change over time, and you know, it's it's
a heck of a great sport, and you know, back
to you know, kids need access to it. I just
can't believe how expensive it is now. And I'm my god,
(20:30):
there shouldn't be a barrier, Like just like I'm saying,
what why what sounds? You know, we want to see
there shouldn't be a barrier.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
To entry to be it's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Or to benefit from the cognitive side of it, or
to benefit from the i'll call it the uh, you know,
the medicinal side of it. Really the feelings of wellness
that you can derive from certain types of sounds and
music and so on. It's the same thing with sports.
Why would you deny a young person access to all sports? Right?
Speaker 1 (21:05):
I coached both roller hockey and ice hockey for my son,
and like, I don't even know how most parents do
it because it was super expensive to have him in hockey, man,
you know, and it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be super
expensive to get your kids into productive things that make them,
(21:26):
you know, learn things and be productive instead of out
there doing dumb shit to be funny.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Just as a community, right, we need to embrace what
it is that's that's the great fertilizer for those young
people to live and grow and be healthy. And you know,
I think that's the role of adults in society. I
really do. I think that our role is to be teachers,
(21:53):
not in the formal sense of the word, but on
a sort of a mentoring level, try to make a
little bit better. I don't mean to get all you know,
you know, Mamsey, Pamsey on you here, but uh, you know,
I mean about kids.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
It's all good kids are in the future, which is
why too. I'm really I love that you're headlining this
festival because it benefits Make a Wish, another great, you
know charity that I actually it's close to my heart
because my one of my daughters actually got a Make
(22:29):
a Wish and they are the most incredible organization. I
can't say enough good things about them.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
I couldn't agree with you more. Make a Wish is
one of those Uh. I've been actually researching it a
little bit and finding out how you know, actually a
state trooper in Arizona, you know, started this many many
years ago, and the Make a Wish people in Florida
are phenomenal, phenomenal group doing phenomenal work and helping kids
(22:58):
that really needed And yeah, you know, we couldn't be
more thrilled honestly to help with that fundraising and we're
going to do everything we can to help them knock
it out of the park in Orlando and down in
Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood as well. And yeah, what a
(23:20):
great organization, what a great mission.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Well, I'm looking forward to it. April tenth, you'll be
at the hard Rock Live in Orlando and the you know,
the whole Exotic Car charity event is from April tenth
to the fourteenth. Since twenty third year and looking forward
to your first tour in thirty years. You got so
(23:44):
much going on, it's absolutely amazing. I love it and
you know, thank you for giving us some magic power
once again.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Well thanks for having me Ondena, it's been a blast.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Hey, thanks for being on the Adventures a Pipe Man.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Hi, this is Gil Moore from Triumph and you're listening
to the Pipemin on W four c Y Radio.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemin on
W for CUI Radio.