Triumph Rocks Sweden and Oklahoma
By Alex Andronache (MWI Faculty)

A reunited Triumph performed a one-off show at what will arguably turn out to be one of the largest classic rock festivals of the year. For four days in June, the little south coast hamlet of Norje in Sweden watched its population swell from 600 to 135,000 avid rock fans eager to catch up on their favourite 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s rockers. And what a rock feast it was with Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Blue Oyster Cult, Electric Light Orchestra, Ratt, Joe Satriani, Ministry, Disturbed, Coheed & Cambria, Saxon, Sebastian Bach, Tesla, and at least 50 others strutting their stuff in perfect summer weather on the Baltic Coast of Sweden. Ripped jeans, black tee-shirts and pink fishnet stockings were the uniform of a new generation who came to pay homage to some of the great founders of hard rock & heavy metal.

Triumph co-headlined the last day of Swedenrock (June 7th), and performed on the largest of the four stages. After an absence of nearly 20 years, this was the return of the original line-up featuring Rik Emmett, Mike Levine, and our very own Gil Moore, (with the current addition of multi-talented guitarist/background vocalist Dave Dunlop).

Two huge IMAG screens displayed Triumph’s virtual ‘laser’ man; a thunderous recorded voice introduction ended with “….rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated so get ready Sweden for tonight is your night of ….TRIUUUUMMMPPHHH!!!!....and the moment of truth had arrived. The audience of 34,000 cheered wildly as Gil Moore broke into the first verse of When The Lights Go Down. Rik Emmett followed with a blistering version of Lay It On The Line, the photographers were cleared out of the pit, the exploding pyro cues signaled the first screaming chords of Allied Forces, and the audience was completely theirs. With rousing renditions of Never Surrender, I Live for the Weekend, Blinding Light Show and Triumph’s signature version of Joe Walsh’s Rocky Mountain Way, the band further solidified their position on this vast foreign stage. The well-known Magic Power and last song Rock ‘n’ Roll Machine, complete with Rik Emmett’s tour-de-force guitar solo, caused the audience to erupt in one of the most melodic on-going chants ever witnessed at a rock show anywhere. In their own European way, the ecstatic fans refused to let the band leave the stage. More than willing to please, Triumph came back out and ended the night with what to these ears was the best damn version of Fight the Good Fight that they have ever performed live on any stage.

The specialized in-your-face lighting effects; the continuous haze of the smoke machines, peppered with concussion mortars, flash pots, fountains of sparkles, and incredible video and audio effects; all helped to enhance the power of the music and truly make this a night of Triumph.

The reunited Triumph later ventured across the border to perform at the Rocklahoma festival, taking the stage for the first time in 21 years on American soil. Into their third day of extreme heat and rain at the outdoor festival in Pryor, Oklahoma (just 45 minutes east of Tulsa) the audience of 24,000 had just been treated to great sets by Extreme and Night Ranger and were more than ready for the anxiously anticipated return of Canada’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Machine’.

They were not to be denied, as Triumph put on a blistering 75 minute set replete with lasers, pyro, over the top production, and at one point a 24 bomb salute! Similar in content to the set at Sweden Rock, but with the addition of an acoustic version of ‘Hold On’, the wily Canucks seemed more sure of themselves on this, their second reunion date of the summer, and hammered the exuberant audience with measured doses of classic rock ‘n’ roll.