Review by Sheri Bicheno for MPM
If you’re well in your 30’s as I am, you’ll appreciate that Nickelback flying the flag for modern rock has been a pretty substantial momentum since the morning age of your teens.
I am not about elitism, I loved Silver Side Up upon it’s release – in fact I overplayed it every morning on the way to school for some time and every Thursday evening at the local youth center with the bunch of skaters and metalheads i shyly made friends with, some of whom are still extremely close to me to this day… and mostly because we bonded over the love of the same music.
Followed by The Long Road, All The Right Reasons and Dark Horse in the coming years, arguably. Nickelback have well and truly made their mark as one of the most successful rock bands for the last 20 years at least.
Now in tow with UK’s Mancunian indie band The Lottery Winners, they return for a mega date tour!
At the O2 Arena in London, it’s lashing it down on a Tuesday evening but that doesn’t halt the absolute masses of people hurrying along to North Greenwich to witness this comeback.
I get to the O2 a little late thanks to trains and tubes but already The Lottery Winners are in full swing.
The stage is lit up beautifully and bright in reds and pinks and finding a perfect spot, i;m in time for You’re Not Alone.
Huge airy upbeat guitars fill the space and a really down to earth atmosphere is in the air. The melodies are so contagious here and really outline the encouraging message of the song.
Frontman Thom Rylance has such a huge and present voice that injects so much feeling into the track over the rhythm with bassist Katie Lloyd providing siren-like vocals over the top for a fusion of energy.
There’s a huge sense of fun and feeling within their performance as Burning House serves as the close to their set. This track has some modern indie pop twists with chant rap bridges and fast beats that make you want to two step around the place frantically.
The track itself has a concept of the inability to have mental stability in the face of feeling like things are a bit mad around you – perhaps touching upon anxiety and addressing the mechanisms behind suffering with those feelings.
It’s an upbeat track with a more pop style tone that really represents the colourful and raw style that The Lottery Winners emit.
Opening a dark stage roars out Pantera’s “Walk” and honestly, you can feel the anticipation in every atom of the room.
A screen displays the Get Rollin’ yellow bus chased by police to London and then a huge roar of applause erupts.
The stage lights up and Nickelback are there as if by pure magic. Huge riffs wind out from where they stand and immediately we’re thrown into San Quentin.
A catchy start from one of the more recent albums and OH MY the huge energy from the guys on stage is like a wave crashing over the O2.
The upbeat and heavier tone to this track is a track to move along to. Guitar solo’s are very present here and the beats are infectious.
“We made it back!!” Frontman Chad Kroeger addresses the Arena with the biggest smile on his face and is met with an answer of the audience roaring back intensely.
Bringing out tech guitar Rob, we’re taken back to All The Right Reasons with Savin’ Me… a really heartfelt first track of the night from that album.
There’s honestly, some of the most humble vibes coming from the guys on stage and this song is beautifully anthemic in it’s live setting.
Next though, one of my most favourite tracks from waaaaay back on The Long Road shone through with it’s beautiful harmony guitars softly sweeping through the crowd. Far Away reminds me of home and the people around it and it really hits me here.
Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake duo on vocals and guitars and it is such a heartfelt track full of love and longing.
Mike Kroeger is on bass (in a cowboy hat) and strums in gently along the steady pace of Daniel Adair’s kit. This track sends me over the edge, i adore this for so many reasons.
On screen, the Get Rollin’ bus is still making it’s way through storms and desertscapes and gets into a halt with a phoenix style eagle before a killer drum solo shows the skills of sticksman Daniel and rolls right into the powerful vocals of Chad on Someday.
Another favourite old Nickelback song of mine, this one hits i think anyone who’s been through hard times with a loved one – past or present.
Leading up to the chorus a energy surge of guitars injects that heart filling release of stunning tones and rainfall of beautiful vocals and cathartic drum beats.
I played this so many times back when it was released, finding a connection to it’s lyrics and the musicianship behind it – pretty damning for such a young soul at the time but ultimately, there are songs that stick with you as you grow and show you how to channel your emotions and mentality behind the interpretations it presents.
In the crowd, down by the barrier, a fan has a sign that gets the attention of the band and it reads that it’s her 90th show and asks to steal away the unsuspecting Ryan Peakes – and though there is so much lighthearted banter between the band over this, I love that Nickelback are a band that make their shows fun and interact with their fans.
Peaks sweeps down off stage and hugs the lady with the sign – 90 shows is pretty damn impressive and receiving recognition and thanks for it from the band directly is really heartwarming to watch.
Chad attempts to offer his brother Mike off to her though as Mrs Peakes is somewhere backstage – shirts are offered to come off.
Which then ties in nicely with one of Nickelback’s most intense tracks to hammer right on queue…
Figured You Out comes along as a choppy and heavier number with some references to denying being in a relationship that’s portrayed as toxic in many ways.
Bringing out the tshirt cannons that are fired into the crowd, Chad tells us “I need a shot! Im at a rock concert too, you know!” And continues to take a swig – this is another signal to me that Nickelback love to interact with their fans as banter is quite strong tonight with the odd joke and dark humour thrown in.
The next track is introduced by Ryan who says that his wife Treana is a huge part of the next song as she made the video for it – and whilst When We Stand Together is played, the video appears on screen that promotes Obbaki, a foundation that supports refugees and preserving cultures around the world.
Every £1 for every ticket ever purchased for Nickelback is put into the foundation so continues to keep this flourishing.
https://obakki.com/pages/our-founder
A song that wasnt anticipated into the setlist tonight was played on a whim and having never heard that it’s made it onto setlists in recent times, Because Of You was delivered in a heavier rock style with grating guitars and winding bassnotes entwining with the heavier beats behind the kit.
The vocals here are a lot harsher and instead of a ballad style, both Chad and Ryan take on higher screams and gruffer tones that hit harder.
The bus appears back on screen in a meteor shower and goes through phases of changes in flash motion pictures including an animated mirroring of Ghostbusters Ectomobile.
Chad then addresses the crowd and says that the next track wouldnt be without The Lottery Winners who are invited on stage to join for an absolutely jaw dropping cover of Oasis track “Dont Look Back In Anger” which – by all accounts – will stay with me for as long as I live.
Embracing British Pop culture and having The Lottery Winners come out on stage to sing this had the ENTIRE Arena shouting all the lyrics back to the stage – so much so that they very almost drowned out the band,
People were stood up, arms in the air, shouting to the top of their lungs. THAT… was an experience to behold.
Chad then talks to us of two different generations that know of the next song and jokes that one generation refers to it as a meme – “LOOK AT THIS GRAPH” – there is soooo much laughter at this.
“We have the internet too, people!”
And then the lights are let down low, the Arena audience lights up their phones and lighters before the soft strumming sets across the crowd.
Photograph rings out and is so encapsulating with a feelgood mood, the lights dotted around the audience waving in the dark.
The audience sing along to this and can be heard over the band, the aura in here is totally mindblowing with such a wonderful atmosphere!!
Chad and Ryan talk about getting a karaoke song going and choose a random person from the crowd to get on stage to sing with them.
A guy named Craig is affectionately referred to as “Tattoo Guy” as he’s shirtless and covered completely in tattoos – which prompts Mike to wander off stage for a brief moment and come back with low and behold… no shirt!
And right here with this vibe, Rockstar is hammered out and absolutely slayed by Craig. What a moment that dude must have felt he was in!! Killer to witness and everyone singing along to this track and YOU KNOW they feel that swag feeling the track kicks out.
Saving the best for last, How You Remind Me is one of the first songs I ever heard from Nickelback and right there in that moment, I re-lived my early teens singing and shouting along to this track with the band right in front of me.
The guitars were positively shimmering in this track and with the crowd singing back the lyrics, the energy that filled the arena… was pretty inexplicable. The applause was deafening and Encore including Gotta Be Somebody was the perfect upbeat and feelgood end credits to what has to be one of the best modern rock concerts i’ve ever experienced.
Nickelback – what a surprise this show was. I came away with such a great feeling after immersing myself in the positive energy they put into their show and that’s saying something!!
Photography by Adrian Hextall
