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All set to tour Australia on their No Fixed Address Tour, Billboard’s ‘Rock Group Of The Decade’ are headed ‘down south’ to support their eighth full-length studio album of the same name.
Nickelback have achieved phenomenal success with over 50 million albums worldwide, Hollywood soundtracks, and a plethora of awards despite the band being a systematic target of Internet trolls and negative meme’s declaring the band less than listen-worthy. Quite ironic given their success, and that they’re just all round decent Canadian guys!
Ryan Peake (guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist) spoke with Music Editor Dazz Hassan recently about this strange equation, and more importantly how they just get on with the business of music and have fun with it.
Nickelback have a distinctive, unmistakeable sound, with singer Chad Kroeger’s signature raspy vocals and the band’s alternative/grunge roots coming together to hone out a string of hits including This Is How You Remind Me, Photograph, Someday and Figured You Out. No Fixed Address though, is a little more adventurous and bold, taking them out of their comfort zones and stretching them artistically.
“It’s been received really well, and people have said it’s definitely more experimental than we’ve put out in the past and we’d agree with that. It’s what we were shooting for. There are a few different flavours on this album, which was initially nerve wracking but so far it’s been a great reception,” Peake says.
Nickelback have a solid fan base here in Australia, and have played to capacity crowds each time they’ve come. This time will be no exception, and extra dates have already been added despite tickets officially going on sale TODAY!
Peake loves this, and reflects on how Australian audiences make the band feel at home. “It’s almost eerie the similarity between Aussies and Canadians, we have this term here called ‘Hoser’, which is a good old beer drinkin’ Canadian boy who likes to have a good time. You Aussies fit this description perfectly; you’re always coming out and have a great time. It’s like our home away from home,” he says enthusiastically.
I can’t go past a Nickelback interview without quizzing Peake about why exactly a band this successful has copped an unrelenting tirade of negativity online. Without entertaining specifically any of the ubiquitous bad references to the band (Google them yourself), they’ve been unfairly targeted by trolls for several years but have taken the fight back to their abusers in ways other than engaging them.
“It’s an interesting thing and I don’t even know how to explain it other than when something gets out on the Internet and repeated and repeated, it takes on a life of its own. It can become hard to stop. I definitely know that the best way NOT to stop it is to sit there and engage with them online and be angry about it. We copped it and got thick-skinned, although we really didn’t sign up for that element of being in the public eye. We just take it with a grain of salt now, there’s no weight in it, and I just can’t let it bother me. BUT, if you got a GOOD joke about us then bring it on. We’ll laugh along with you.”
In the age of social media, and instant global communication it’s a two-edged sword that can either make or break you. Nickelback’s response has become almost non-existent now, which is the best way to deal with cowardly trolls who feel in a position of power by targeting others. For Nickelback, their phenomenal success has been the best revenge- and they have nothing more to prove! They play to people who love the band, and that’s all that matters.
Moving on from this, we talk about Nickelback’s music and Peake’s influences, which were Metallica and Megadeth. He say’s his favourite song to play live is
Burn It to The Ground. Peake says, “It’s a good crowd pleaser, and a great rock song. Someday’s also a favourite. People really seem to connect with it and sing along with it, that just pushes me over the edge.”
And if you played a cover, what would that be?
“I’d love to do (Queens’s) Bohemian Rhapsody. I can’t sing like Freddie though, so I’d have to work on my register.”
And a mustache, I promptly reply. He laughs.
Getting back to the songwriting, we talk about Photograph. It is a song that evokes memories of childhood, and despite some of the references, names, and places not aligning with every aspect of our own lives, the sentiment remains the same and takes you back to simpler times.
“Photograph was written by Chad (Kroeger), and I had done the chorus. He had the storyline about missing all the good things from our hometown, and it’s ALL genuine stuff from the country town where we grew up in Alberta, Canada. It’s great when you have a song that’s so genuine and honest, and the video goes with it perfectly. We shot it in our hometown and the weather was perfect, sun shining, green grass…..it must of known we were coming (laughs). It was such a great memento, that weekend. My family had a ranch out there and then moved away the weekend after we finished shooting it. Like the song says, it was a perfect ‘goodbye’ for us.”
We’re running out of time, but I have one more question for Peake and I ask him what the band’s mantra is, or what is it that keeps them all going?
“At this point, man, we’ve always said just to keep doing this until it’s not fun anymore. That’s why we got into it, definitely not to make money to begin with. It’s always been our mantra and yes, we’re still having a lot of fun.”
And making lot’s of money too no doubt!
I’ve enjoyed talking to Peake immensely, and feel even more determined to stay a loyal fan not only because they make great music, but because he and the rest of the band are just really nice guys. Perhaps the haters on the Internet should go see a Nickelback concert- it may just be what the poor trolls need!
Nickelback will hit Australia in May on their No Fixed Address tour, be sure to get in early to avoid disappointment. (Adelaide -May 18)
Interviewed by Dazz Hassan
Twitter: @DazzHassan
WIN TICKETS TO THE ADELAIDE NICKELBACK CONCERT HERE: http://woobox.com/65rvh6
*TICKETS ON SALE MIDDAY THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12
For complete tour and ticket information, visit www.nickelback.com & www.livenation.com.au
ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE FRIDAY MAY 15 & SATURDAY MAY 16 *NEW SHOW
ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ADELAIDE MONDAY MAY 18
ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BRISBANE WEDNESDAY MAY 20
ALLPHONES ARENA, SYDNEY FRIDAY MAY 22
ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, NEWCASTLE SATURDAY MAY 23 *NEW SHOW
PERTH ARENA, PERTH TUESDAY MAY 26
No Fixed Address out Now!
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