Words by Phil Rozier for MPM
Most Thursday’s, I finish work, and pop to the gym. Sometimes I might watch TV. I know, don’t all get jealous at once. It’s the heavy hitting lifestyle of a rock n roll journalist. But last night, I did something a bit different.
You too might have done something different to the norm, but did you play Bruce Dickinson’s piano, in a toilet, whilst listening to a preview of the upcoming Nickelback album, and drinking Iron Maiden’s Trooper beer all at the same time?
Me neither. Actually, yes I did!! As well tinkering with Bruce’s ivory’s, I hung out with Claire Sturgess and Mike Kroager. The gym is going to have to wait!
So, back the truck up. Let’s go again. What the absolute? So, come 6pm, I’m entering Karma Sanctum, in London’s Soho. For those that were not in the know, Karma Sanctum is a venture between reputable nightclub owners, and Rod Smallwood of Iron Maiden management. Hence, if you ever get the chance to go, you’ll note the concrete effect walls, the dimly lit rock vibe and splattering’s of Iron Maiden books, records, Eddie figures, and the aforementioned Bruce Dickinson owned piano in the basement toilet.
This evening marks the festivities that surround the release of multimillion record selling Canadian Rockers, Nickelback. With over 50 million records sold worldwide, and over 25 years under their belt, these hugely popular, and massively accessible rock titans, have another album up for grabs, and a new tour on the horizon.
What better way to spend the evening then, than founding bass player Mike Kroager, brother of front man and gravel voice himself, Chad Kroager, talking through the bands journey, and musical icons.
Curated by the PR wizards at Outside Organisation, and hosted by Claire Sturgess, the atmos was comfortable and light-hearted, assisted by the cushiony soft sofas and equally soft lighting. Very en vogue for such an event.
Sitting in a booth, myself and my bessie mate from school had the pleasure of having beers with the team from Total Rock, and participated in the World Cup of Rock. A simple and yet gloriously effective game, whereby audience whoops and cheers determined which band would go through to the next round.
With Mike himself casting some of the decision-making votes, he was an absolute gent of a fella. Calm and comical, this buff bassist clearly enjoyed engaging with the audience and the joy was reciprocated. The game started with 16 bands in the line-up. 8 of which Mike himself chose, a clear indicator as to some of his influences. With another 8 bands being proved by the audience, we saw the Beach Boys head up against the Beatles, and Metallica beating Nirvana.
Amongst other stories, one of my fav learnings was hearing about how Nickelback teamed up with guitar virtuoso, John 5, for their latest banger of a single, ‘Rattle The Cage’. A fan of both Nickelback, and the guitarist from Rob Zombie, Marylin Manson and more recently, Motley Crue, it wasn’t a pairing I’d expect. But, it turns out Chad is a pal of Tommy Lee. And after an intro or two, the Metal Country legend, 5, is rocking out thunderous riffage on the new album. Who would have thought?!
So Nickelback hit the road in 2027. Their new album ‘Everything Under The Sun’ is released later this month. With 4 absolute arena belters already released from the upcoming 12 track record, you’ve got to put it in your basket. Buy a record, buy a ticket. See you there!
PS. Black Sabbath won.
