NICKELBACK play Verizon Amphitheatre Jun 26
Regardless of any Internet vendetta against Nickelback, their popularity is an ever-growing presence in the music industry and they’re ready to rock Southern California on Jun. 26 at the Verizon Amphitheatre.
The “No Fixed Address Tour” was born out of a new realm of recording as a means of revamping the sound, as well as revamping the band’s excitement about performing.
“We wanted to try recording in a different way than we’ve done in the past (where you just sort of post up in a studio and don’t come out until it’s done),” Mike Kroeger (bass) said. “That is a way of doing it, for sure, but it can get a little stale and when you run into those writing blocks or creativity slows down, it’s nice to be able to freshen it up.
“So we decided to try recording in multiple locations around the world… it just kept it really fresh. One day you’re in LA and a few weeks later you’re in Hawaii or we did some stuff on our tour last year and we were working in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, France — just wherever we happened to be. It was really good for keeping the vibes fresh — in a different climate, in a different environment — all of it was pretty cool.”
With members Chad Kroeger (lead vocals / guitars), Ryan Peake (guitars / backing vocals), Mike Kroeger (bass) and Daniel Adair (drums), the band has upheld a strong, recognizable, face in music that will be touring almost nonstop until mid Dec.
Although their new work holds on to the traditional sound (Chad Kroeger’s distinct rock’n’roll growl and classic riffs, to be specific), Nickelback has modernized their sound with more technical sounds and a more pop-vibe (especially present in newer videos, such as “She Keeps Me Up”).
“Million Miles An Hour” continues the hard rock theme fused with slight techno undertones, while “Edge of a Revolution” gives the nostalgic remembrance of their earlier albums.
“It’s hard to know a favorite song,” Mike said. “They all have a different sort of feeling or a different sort of place in your heart. It’s hard to choose one… I feel bad saying one’s my favorite; it’s like choosing a favorite kid and giving up on the rest of them.”
Even with an appreciation for all of their songs, the band recognizes the staple for each set list; including “Photograph”, “Rockstar” and “How You Remind Me”.
“There’s a few that we just have to play and we oblige,” Mike said. “We’ve had so many singles that when you go through a list of songs and you just isolate the singles you should play because most people have heard them, there isn’t a lot of room for anything else unless you want to go up there and play for four hours. It’s difficult to cut and choose the songs to play because you want to play the deep cuts for the hardcore fans, but there’s just not enough time.”
Amidst picking a setlist to truly give the fans the “Nickelback experience”, the band has their pre-performance traditions to ensure an unforgettable night.
“It used to be that we did a shot of Jagermeister before we go up on stage, but then over the course of a few years — we’re not fast learners — we kind of realized that Jagermeister doesn’t taste very good,” Mike said. “Most of what I like to do beforehand now, I like to just be by myself and get my head ready to go up there and do my thing. It’d be like somebody who does sports. You’ve got to get your mind ready so your body can do the work. It’s less rock’n’roll and more yoga.”
NICKELBACK play Verizon Amphitheatre Jun 26