September 2, 2026 • 15 mins
The band’s return to the road follows a defining year honouring Triumph’s impact across generations. In June 2025, the band was celebrated with Magic Power: All-Star Tribute to Triumph (Round Hill Records, June 6, 2025), a 15-track tribute album featuring rock luminaries such as Phil X, Sebastian Bach, Slash, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Dee Snider, Lawrence Gowan, Deen Castronovo, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Keith, Mickey Thomas, and produced by the world-renowned Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake).Further solidifying their celebrated status, Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2025, a prestigious honour recognizing their enduring influence, masterful songwriting, and contributions to Canada’s cultural legacy. This induction adds to their long list of accolades, which includes membership in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame (2007), the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (2008), Canada’s Walk of Fame (2019) and Metal Hall of Fame (2021).TRIUMPH – ROCK & ROLL MACHINE RELOADED TOUR
LEG 2 – 2026 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
WITH SPECIAL GUEST APRIL WINE
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-view-from-the-writing-instrument--1023245/support.
LEG 2 – 2026 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
WITH SPECIAL GUEST APRIL WINE
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-view-from-the-writing-instrument--1023245/support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So have you been there yet? Arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net, a collection.
I'm talking 21 different podcasts to add to your day,
whether it's in the car, at work, or just out
doing you doing you. One of the big top features
is YA Authors Unplugged. I talk to the biggest names
in YA books. Why not share it with you before
(00:22):
you dive into that next book? YA Authors Unplugged, only
on Arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net. Enjoy your exploration. Good morning, Gil.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How are you doing, Arrow?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
I am doing absolutely fantastic. How about you, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Just great.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Dude, I have waited, I'm sure you're going to hear
this a million times, forever today to have a conversation
with you because I'm from the state of Montana. Triumph
was huge up there because we adopted Canadian music. When
everybody goes, oh, they're from Canada. No, they're from here.
What do you mean here? From this region. They're from here.
And that's what I've always loved about Triumph is that
you belong to everybody. And you guys have never said,
(01:01):
we're just a bunch of Canadians. It's like, no, you
belong to everybody. How do you feel from your edge?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Well, you know, I felt like when we crossed the
border into America, it was one of the greatest feelings.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
As a musician growing up in.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
The Toronto region, actually I'm in Mississauga, which is the
West End where I grew up with my folks. But,
you know, getting across the border and being accepted in
America just seemed like a huge badge that all the
musicians were trying to to achieve and you know when
we did and and we got really welcome with open
arms in america starting in texas and we spread it
(01:41):
through all the states uh i've never looked back on
that never changed my feelings about you know my love
for you know coming to the united states so this
tour coming up where we're playing all the shows.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
In the u.s it's still home to me whether we're
on the north.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Or south side of the border as you say it's
all it's all one one great group of people.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
You know, one of the things we're always taught as kids,
what came first, the chicken or the egg? I've got
to ask you, what came first, you or Neil Peart?
Because I think you're better than Neil. I've always said that.
I have stared at those posters my entire life. I'm
going to say it, 50 freaking years. And the thing is,
I've always, you know, when somebody told me that Neil
was part of Rush, I went, yeah, but you got
Gil over here at Triumph. What are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
You know what? I'm not actually sure. Like with Neil's
a bit older than me, maybe I'm thinking, but.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I could be I could be wrong. I guess you
could look that up. But I personally love Neil's playing.
I mean, that's a great compliment, but I really love
Neil's playing. I think he's one of the greatest of
all time. And and I love Rush for that matter.
You know, there are fellow countrymen and so on. And
they were they were part of that, you know, movement
(02:52):
across the border. So many Canadian bands weren't able to
achieve that. And, you know, Rush and Triumph were kind
of the exceptions to the to the rule.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Uh at that point in time and uh.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
I don't know the you know maybe because we had
drum sets that were big maybe that neil and i
definitely had.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Similar kit oversized drum kits.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So now when I've been in the studio, we've always
laid the drum tracks first. So that means you're the leader.
Everybody has to keep up with you, Gil, because I mean,
the way you go at those drums, my God, I mean,
it's like I find myself. I realize we've got great
guitar work and great vocals. But when you hear those
drums and you experience them, I want to know what
the first steps in that studio were all about.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, you're right.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I mean, we would usually rehearse the songs, you know,
live off the floor. So we'd be playing everything, singing,
playing at the same time. But then when it comes
time to cut the tracks, usually we would just cut drums.
And what we would do there is we generally have
Mike playing along, not being recorded, but would be in
(04:02):
the monitor mix. Sometimes Rick as well, sometimes just Mike playing. And, uh,
trying to get the drums in the pocket. I mean,
obviously as a drummer, uh, you know, rhythm to me
is a super important element of all music. Doesn't matter
what kind of rock or any other kind of music
and try to find that, that pocket, it sets up
(04:24):
the track for, for all, all the guitars and all
the vocals and everything else. So we work hard on
that groove.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yes, and you're one of those bands that I always
try to tell people, you've got to listen beyond the
lyrics because there's a lot going on back there. And
your band is exactly that. It's almost like there's hidden
Easter eggs. And every time you keep going back to
a Triumph song, it's like, damn, why didn't I pick
that up 10 years ago?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Well, you know, it's hard not to make sort of
generic music and make it boring. And I think every
band has that. You know how bands release greatest hits
or the record labels release greatest hits package, you know, after,
you know, a decade or more of releasing albums. You know,
I think bands should release worst songs ever. compilations of
(05:12):
the songs they hate that they recorded because.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Every band's got them.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I've never met a musician who thought everything they turned
out on their albums was great. The ones that are
hits and the ones that get, even if they aren't hits,
even if the fans just really embrace the songs but
they were never radio hits, it feels great and those
ones stand the test of time. And, you know, the
ones that don't, I mean, the greatest bands in the world,
(05:38):
the Beatles and the Stones, they've got songs that.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
They wish they could take back.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Those, those would be, that'd be a funny album instead
of a best of a worst of would be a
nice concept.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I think I discovered something here. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
It was Randy Bachman that told me, he says, stop
looking at my hits and start looking at my strikeouts.
And that woke me up when he told me that,
because all of a sudden every song on the album
had a true honest to God purpose.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, it's like, you know, hard to it's it's it's
really hard to get a collection of songs as well.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
That's the other thing, because you tend.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
To get into a writing groove. And, you know, then
the next thing you know, songs are starting to sound
the same. And that's OK. Are we better to keep,
you know, sounding sort of like a cohesive unit?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And there's a lot of.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Similarities between our tracks or are we becoming really kind
of boring and and you know one-dimensional and what we
really need to do is you know put more spice
into what we're doing and have more variance in the
instrumentation the vocals and the tracks always a challenge in
the studio.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Please do not move there's more with gilmore from triumph
coming up next The 50th anniversary tour, the rock and
roll machine reloaded. We are back with Gilmore from Triumph.
Don't you love the way that where we are in
music today? I realize that we don't have the music
stores and even Walmart is slowing down on record sales
and things. But the fact of the matter is, is
(07:05):
that people are discovering new music every day. And I
love the fact that you guys are going out on
the road because I would love to see Generation Alpha
and Beta get out there and go, you know, Triumph
is my favorite band of all time. Dude, let's talk.
Let's go through the entire emotional journey we've all had
with Triumph.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, we're getting that now. I mean, at our shows,
it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Like there's, you know, multiple generations that are there, families
and so on.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Of course, we never had that back in the day.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
It was all everyone. Well, they were all young kids and,
you know, we were young, too. And so it's it's
really nice to see that. You know, we never adopted
our parents music like the kids I grew up with.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
I mean, it was like, are you kidding me, Benny Goodman?
Forget it. Elvis seemed like an old guy.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
But rock and roll, after Elvis, and of course the
Beatles took over the world, that music has stayed with us,
but it's also been passed forward. I have three kids,
and their musical tastes are right up to date, but
they go right back.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Uh to the you.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Know i'll call it the roots of rock and roll
maybe not to the bill bill haley era but certainly
or the elvis era but but certainly to the stones
and the beatles.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well you know you made an impact on people because
look at magic power that album that all-star tribute my
god i mean it seems like everybody came out of
the woodwork to help out with that that had to
have been a brilliant feeling in the band's soul.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
You know, the thing about that tribute album is we
were just, you know, we were in we're not worthy
phase because you just feel like, you just feel like,
holy crap, like all these people that we admire are actually,
you know, saluting us by participating. I have to say
(08:58):
Mike Klink, the producer, you know, obviously one of the
most famous guys in rock and roll from being behind
the big board. That gave them a lot of confidence
in the quality of the album and the quality of
the studios that would be used. Mike used not only
the best musicians, but he used all the best studios
(09:19):
as well. Um, but geez, you, you go down there, whether,
whether it's, you know, the, the singers from Mickey Thomas to, uh,
you know, to, to Dee Snider and Joey Belladonna and
just so many of Nancy Wilson from heart, like so
many of them, it's, it just goes on and on.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I can't even mention them all guitar players. And it's
the same thing. Drummers. It's out of sight. Um, every
one of the Tommy Aldridge, one of my idols, Brent Fitz,
who I'm playing with now, um.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Fantastic, fantastic tracks, you know, and some of the comments
they made to, you know, like Dean Castronovo from Journey.
What a phenomenal drummer. What a phenomenal singer. And just
did a masterful vocal.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
On the record.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
But, you know, if you read the comments that he
made about us, I mean, it's like, gee whiz. It's
really it's humbling.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
It is. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I want to know where you're getting the tickets to
get the best seat in the house every single night.
Is it from Live Nation, Ticketmaster? Where are you getting that?
Because every night you're there in that seat. I'm going,
how the hell did he get that seat again? He
keeps getting up there and you've got the best seat
in the whole damn house, dude.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, I think sitting where Brent and I sit on
those risers, you're right. We're dead center. How you get
the dead center tickets in the house would be great
because it's funny. We're getting ready to do the second
phase and everybody's like, can we get a video so
we can actually see what the audience sees? And we realized,
(10:49):
despite all the, you know, camera work that was going on,
because we always had like six or eight cameras flying,
we never had a camera from front of house. So
I never got to see what it's like, like facing
the drum risers or facing center stage. All I got
to see is looking at the back of my bandmates
heads and out towards the front of house consoles and
(11:11):
stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
See, I was the dude that was always to the
corner of the stage because I wanted to see what
you were doing on those drums. And that was the
closest I could get to see what you were doing
with your feet. Because that's the thing about it. Being
behind that trap set, I mean, it's like I can't
see the full body like I can see Rick.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
That's got to be a drummer's thing because I did
exactly the same thing when I was a kid. And
I'll tell you one story that's incredible. So I had
a piano teacher. When I was growing up, my mother
was a very, very good pianist. And two of her sisters,
my aunts, were professionals. So my mom insisted I have
piano lessons, which I didn't really want to do. But anyway,
(11:48):
I went along with the piano lessons. And I had
a great piano teacher named Peter Goddard. And Peter was
also a writer for the for the Globe and Mail.
He was a music reviewer. So Led Zeppelin were playing
the rock pile in Toronto's first time they ever played
in Toronto. And I was hanging around outside the venue
because I didn't have a ticket or didn't have the
money to get in. And Peter saw me and he said, Gil,
(12:11):
what are you doing here? And I said, well, you know,
Led Zeppelin's here. I want to see John Bonham. But,
you know, I don't have a ticket and I don't have,
you know, money to get in or anything. He says,
come on with me. So he just kind of grabbed me. And,
you know, security wasn't that good back then. And he
had a press pass and he walked me right into
the stage. And he said, go just sort of cower
(12:31):
down over there in the wings. And you're a little guy.
No one will see you, you know. And at the time,
you know, here I am, you know, I don't know,
12 or something. And I'm like not really realizing what
I mean. But I've just gotten to say I was really,
you know, sneaked through the back door and And there's
(12:51):
Robert Plant, and there's Bono and Abonzo, and I'm watching
the whole thing. As you say, and I can see
what he's doing with his kick pedal and stuff. And
I had my first set of drums at that point.
I had been mowing grass and shoveling snow the winter
before to save up to buy a set of lousy drums, actually,
but that's what I could get. And, yeah, that side
(13:12):
stage thing for drummers is very cool because that's how
you learn. And that's what I was doing. I was
trying to figure out what's what's what's John Bonham doing?
What what what is it? What is that beat? What
is that movies making?
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Oh, my God. You live jukebox hero from foreigner.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Oh, my.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
That one guitar. I mean, you got in, though, where
that kid did not get in.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah. Yeah. We all start there, right? I mean, it's
like from the bottom started at the bottom, like Drake said.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Oh my God. So, and you guys are touring around
once again, I'm from Montana. Canadian music was my lifestyle.
April wine. You guys are with, are you kidding me?
Come on. This is exactly what I had in my life.
I mean, it just blows me away. The two of
you on the same ticket.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
April Wine's a great band, and Miles Goodwin, God rest
his soul, is one of my best friends. I met
Miles through golf, actually, not through music so much, but
he did spend a lot of time at Metalworks Studios.
We did a lot of mastering, actually, on April Wine
albums and stuff at our studios, but love those guys.
(14:15):
They've been awesome on the road, and they're going over
like gangbusters every night.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
People love them.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Where can people go to find out more about you, Gil?
Because I want them to really dive into this and
experience triumph as a whole, even if it means getting
on Alexa and just sitting there and listening to your
deep cuts. It is the ultimate experience.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Well, what's going on with the tour is on our website,
which is triumphmusic.com.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Obviously, Ticketmaster and Live Nation, they're hosting the entire tour.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
So all the shows are Live Nation shows.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think Ticketmaster is probably the ticketing agency for the
whole tour or most of it. Uh, but as far as,
you know, deep cuts and stuff, like I'm amazed with,
with Spotify. Like I love using voice control because what
I do when I'm, uh, a lot of times when I'm,
when I'm listening to, to streaming is I go back
(15:08):
and I just pick one song from all sorts of
different albums and sort of paste it together as I'm
driving somewhere.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So, you know, that, that's kind of a, that's kind
of a cool thing.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
If you want to look at Triumph from that point
of view, there's a way to sort of dive into
the back catalog.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, you got to come back to this show anytime
in the future, dude. The door is always going to
be open for you.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I sure appreciate that, Aaron. It's been a lot of
fun chatting.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Well, you be brilliant today, okay?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Okay, man. All the best.
So have you been there yet? Arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net, a collection.
I'm talking 21 different podcasts to add to your day,
whether it's in the car, at work, or just out
doing you doing you. One of the big top features
is YA Authors Unplugged. I talk to the biggest names
in YA books. Why not share it with you before
(00:22):
you dive into that next book? YA Authors Unplugged, only
on Arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net. Enjoy your exploration. Good morning, Gil.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How are you doing, Arrow?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
I am doing absolutely fantastic. How about you, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Just great.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Dude, I have waited, I'm sure you're going to hear
this a million times, forever today to have a conversation
with you because I'm from the state of Montana. Triumph
was huge up there because we adopted Canadian music. When
everybody goes, oh, they're from Canada. No, they're from here.
What do you mean here? From this region. They're from here.
And that's what I've always loved about Triumph is that
you belong to everybody. And you guys have never said,
(01:01):
we're just a bunch of Canadians. It's like, no, you
belong to everybody. How do you feel from your edge?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Well, you know, I felt like when we crossed the
border into America, it was one of the greatest feelings.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
As a musician growing up in.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
The Toronto region, actually I'm in Mississauga, which is the
West End where I grew up with my folks. But,
you know, getting across the border and being accepted in
America just seemed like a huge badge that all the
musicians were trying to to achieve and you know when
we did and and we got really welcome with open
arms in america starting in texas and we spread it
(01:41):
through all the states uh i've never looked back on
that never changed my feelings about you know my love
for you know coming to the united states so this
tour coming up where we're playing all the shows.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
In the u.s it's still home to me whether we're
on the north.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Or south side of the border as you say it's
all it's all one one great group of people.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
You know, one of the things we're always taught as kids,
what came first, the chicken or the egg? I've got
to ask you, what came first, you or Neil Peart?
Because I think you're better than Neil. I've always said that.
I have stared at those posters my entire life. I'm
going to say it, 50 freaking years. And the thing is,
I've always, you know, when somebody told me that Neil
was part of Rush, I went, yeah, but you got
Gil over here at Triumph. What are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
You know what? I'm not actually sure. Like with Neil's
a bit older than me, maybe I'm thinking, but.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I could be I could be wrong. I guess you
could look that up. But I personally love Neil's playing.
I mean, that's a great compliment, but I really love
Neil's playing. I think he's one of the greatest of
all time. And and I love Rush for that matter.
You know, there are fellow countrymen and so on. And
they were they were part of that, you know, movement
(02:52):
across the border. So many Canadian bands weren't able to
achieve that. And, you know, Rush and Triumph were kind
of the exceptions to the to the rule.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Uh at that point in time and uh.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
I don't know the you know maybe because we had
drum sets that were big maybe that neil and i
definitely had.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Similar kit oversized drum kits.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So now when I've been in the studio, we've always
laid the drum tracks first. So that means you're the leader.
Everybody has to keep up with you, Gil, because I mean,
the way you go at those drums, my God, I mean,
it's like I find myself. I realize we've got great
guitar work and great vocals. But when you hear those
drums and you experience them, I want to know what
the first steps in that studio were all about.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, you're right.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I mean, we would usually rehearse the songs, you know,
live off the floor. So we'd be playing everything, singing,
playing at the same time. But then when it comes
time to cut the tracks, usually we would just cut drums.
And what we would do there is we generally have
Mike playing along, not being recorded, but would be in
(04:02):
the monitor mix. Sometimes Rick as well, sometimes just Mike playing. And, uh,
trying to get the drums in the pocket. I mean,
obviously as a drummer, uh, you know, rhythm to me
is a super important element of all music. Doesn't matter
what kind of rock or any other kind of music
and try to find that, that pocket, it sets up
(04:24):
the track for, for all, all the guitars and all
the vocals and everything else. So we work hard on
that groove.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yes, and you're one of those bands that I always
try to tell people, you've got to listen beyond the
lyrics because there's a lot going on back there. And
your band is exactly that. It's almost like there's hidden
Easter eggs. And every time you keep going back to
a Triumph song, it's like, damn, why didn't I pick
that up 10 years ago?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Well, you know, it's hard not to make sort of
generic music and make it boring. And I think every
band has that. You know how bands release greatest hits
or the record labels release greatest hits package, you know, after,
you know, a decade or more of releasing albums. You know,
I think bands should release worst songs ever. compilations of
(05:12):
the songs they hate that they recorded because.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Every band's got them.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I've never met a musician who thought everything they turned
out on their albums was great. The ones that are
hits and the ones that get, even if they aren't hits,
even if the fans just really embrace the songs but
they were never radio hits, it feels great and those
ones stand the test of time. And, you know, the
ones that don't, I mean, the greatest bands in the world,
(05:38):
the Beatles and the Stones, they've got songs that.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
They wish they could take back.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Those, those would be, that'd be a funny album instead
of a best of a worst of would be a
nice concept.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I think I discovered something here. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
It was Randy Bachman that told me, he says, stop
looking at my hits and start looking at my strikeouts.
And that woke me up when he told me that,
because all of a sudden every song on the album
had a true honest to God purpose.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, it's like, you know, hard to it's it's it's
really hard to get a collection of songs as well.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
That's the other thing, because you tend.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
To get into a writing groove. And, you know, then
the next thing you know, songs are starting to sound
the same. And that's OK. Are we better to keep,
you know, sounding sort of like a cohesive unit?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And there's a lot of.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Similarities between our tracks or are we becoming really kind
of boring and and you know one-dimensional and what we
really need to do is you know put more spice
into what we're doing and have more variance in the
instrumentation the vocals and the tracks always a challenge in
the studio.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Please do not move there's more with gilmore from triumph
coming up next The 50th anniversary tour, the rock and
roll machine reloaded. We are back with Gilmore from Triumph.
Don't you love the way that where we are in
music today? I realize that we don't have the music
stores and even Walmart is slowing down on record sales
and things. But the fact of the matter is, is
(07:05):
that people are discovering new music every day. And I
love the fact that you guys are going out on
the road because I would love to see Generation Alpha
and Beta get out there and go, you know, Triumph
is my favorite band of all time. Dude, let's talk.
Let's go through the entire emotional journey we've all had
with Triumph.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, we're getting that now. I mean, at our shows,
it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Like there's, you know, multiple generations that are there, families
and so on.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Of course, we never had that back in the day.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
It was all everyone. Well, they were all young kids and,
you know, we were young, too. And so it's it's
really nice to see that. You know, we never adopted
our parents music like the kids I grew up with.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
I mean, it was like, are you kidding me, Benny Goodman?
Forget it. Elvis seemed like an old guy.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
But rock and roll, after Elvis, and of course the
Beatles took over the world, that music has stayed with us,
but it's also been passed forward. I have three kids,
and their musical tastes are right up to date, but
they go right back.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Uh to the you.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Know i'll call it the roots of rock and roll
maybe not to the bill bill haley era but certainly
or the elvis era but but certainly to the stones
and the beatles.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well you know you made an impact on people because
look at magic power that album that all-star tribute my
god i mean it seems like everybody came out of
the woodwork to help out with that that had to
have been a brilliant feeling in the band's soul.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
You know, the thing about that tribute album is we
were just, you know, we were in we're not worthy
phase because you just feel like, you just feel like,
holy crap, like all these people that we admire are actually,
you know, saluting us by participating. I have to say
(08:58):
Mike Klink, the producer, you know, obviously one of the
most famous guys in rock and roll from being behind
the big board. That gave them a lot of confidence
in the quality of the album and the quality of
the studios that would be used. Mike used not only
the best musicians, but he used all the best studios
(09:19):
as well. Um, but geez, you, you go down there, whether,
whether it's, you know, the, the singers from Mickey Thomas to, uh,
you know, to, to Dee Snider and Joey Belladonna and
just so many of Nancy Wilson from heart, like so
many of them, it's, it just goes on and on.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I can't even mention them all guitar players. And it's
the same thing. Drummers. It's out of sight. Um, every
one of the Tommy Aldridge, one of my idols, Brent Fitz,
who I'm playing with now, um.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Fantastic, fantastic tracks, you know, and some of the comments
they made to, you know, like Dean Castronovo from Journey.
What a phenomenal drummer. What a phenomenal singer. And just
did a masterful vocal.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
On the record.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
But, you know, if you read the comments that he
made about us, I mean, it's like, gee whiz. It's
really it's humbling.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
It is. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I want to know where you're getting the tickets to
get the best seat in the house every single night.
Is it from Live Nation, Ticketmaster? Where are you getting that?
Because every night you're there in that seat. I'm going,
how the hell did he get that seat again? He
keeps getting up there and you've got the best seat
in the whole damn house, dude.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, I think sitting where Brent and I sit on
those risers, you're right. We're dead center. How you get
the dead center tickets in the house would be great
because it's funny. We're getting ready to do the second
phase and everybody's like, can we get a video so
we can actually see what the audience sees? And we realized,
(10:49):
despite all the, you know, camera work that was going on,
because we always had like six or eight cameras flying,
we never had a camera from front of house. So
I never got to see what it's like, like facing
the drum risers or facing center stage. All I got
to see is looking at the back of my bandmates
heads and out towards the front of house consoles and
(11:11):
stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
See, I was the dude that was always to the
corner of the stage because I wanted to see what
you were doing on those drums. And that was the
closest I could get to see what you were doing
with your feet. Because that's the thing about it. Being
behind that trap set, I mean, it's like I can't
see the full body like I can see Rick.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
That's got to be a drummer's thing because I did
exactly the same thing when I was a kid. And
I'll tell you one story that's incredible. So I had
a piano teacher. When I was growing up, my mother
was a very, very good pianist. And two of her sisters,
my aunts, were professionals. So my mom insisted I have
piano lessons, which I didn't really want to do. But anyway,
(11:48):
I went along with the piano lessons. And I had
a great piano teacher named Peter Goddard. And Peter was
also a writer for the for the Globe and Mail.
He was a music reviewer. So Led Zeppelin were playing
the rock pile in Toronto's first time they ever played
in Toronto. And I was hanging around outside the venue
because I didn't have a ticket or didn't have the
money to get in. And Peter saw me and he said, Gil,
(12:11):
what are you doing here? And I said, well, you know,
Led Zeppelin's here. I want to see John Bonham. But,
you know, I don't have a ticket and I don't have,
you know, money to get in or anything. He says,
come on with me. So he just kind of grabbed me. And,
you know, security wasn't that good back then. And he
had a press pass and he walked me right into
the stage. And he said, go just sort of cower
(12:31):
down over there in the wings. And you're a little guy.
No one will see you, you know. And at the time,
you know, here I am, you know, I don't know,
12 or something. And I'm like not really realizing what
I mean. But I've just gotten to say I was really,
you know, sneaked through the back door and And there's
(12:51):
Robert Plant, and there's Bono and Abonzo, and I'm watching
the whole thing. As you say, and I can see
what he's doing with his kick pedal and stuff. And
I had my first set of drums at that point.
I had been mowing grass and shoveling snow the winter
before to save up to buy a set of lousy drums, actually,
but that's what I could get. And, yeah, that side
(13:12):
stage thing for drummers is very cool because that's how
you learn. And that's what I was doing. I was
trying to figure out what's what's what's John Bonham doing?
What what what is it? What is that beat? What
is that movies making?
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Oh, my God. You live jukebox hero from foreigner.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Oh, my.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
That one guitar. I mean, you got in, though, where
that kid did not get in.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Yeah. Yeah. We all start there, right? I mean, it's
like from the bottom started at the bottom, like Drake said.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Oh my God. So, and you guys are touring around
once again, I'm from Montana. Canadian music was my lifestyle.
April wine. You guys are with, are you kidding me?
Come on. This is exactly what I had in my life.
I mean, it just blows me away. The two of
you on the same ticket.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
April Wine's a great band, and Miles Goodwin, God rest
his soul, is one of my best friends. I met
Miles through golf, actually, not through music so much, but
he did spend a lot of time at Metalworks Studios.
We did a lot of mastering, actually, on April Wine
albums and stuff at our studios, but love those guys.
(14:15):
They've been awesome on the road, and they're going over
like gangbusters every night.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
People love them.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Where can people go to find out more about you, Gil?
Because I want them to really dive into this and
experience triumph as a whole, even if it means getting
on Alexa and just sitting there and listening to your
deep cuts. It is the ultimate experience.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Well, what's going on with the tour is on our website,
which is triumphmusic.com.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Obviously, Ticketmaster and Live Nation, they're hosting the entire tour.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
So all the shows are Live Nation shows.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I think Ticketmaster is probably the ticketing agency for the
whole tour or most of it. Uh, but as far as,
you know, deep cuts and stuff, like I'm amazed with,
with Spotify. Like I love using voice control because what
I do when I'm, uh, a lot of times when I'm,
when I'm listening to, to streaming is I go back
(15:08):
and I just pick one song from all sorts of
different albums and sort of paste it together as I'm
driving somewhere.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So, you know, that, that's kind of a, that's kind
of a cool thing.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
If you want to look at Triumph from that point
of view, there's a way to sort of dive into
the back catalog.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, you got to come back to this show anytime
in the future, dude. The door is always going to
be open for you.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I sure appreciate that, Aaron. It's been a lot of
fun chatting.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Well, you be brilliant today, okay?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Okay, man. All the best.
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