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Live Review
by SashaS
13-2-2002
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| Chad Kroeger of Nickelback |
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Live: Nickelback
Astoria, London
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Nickelback debut in London with a show low on star-egotism but high on music
Nickelback are a Canadian band that has seen its second album, ‘Silver Side Up’, notch 3 million sales in the US and its single spend Christmas and most of January atop the US charts, and they remain near it after 24 solid weeks. And yet, this is their maiden London show, at the end of a shortish Euro-tour. Still, their reputation has preceded them and the place is more attended than during any other gig during this series of the NME Carling Awards, with the possible exception of emo-rockers Travis.
High anticipation for a group very low on image and gimmicks – apart two three-feet-high mini-platforms at each end of the stage that members regularly use for emphasising their skills plus a banner depicting their album’s artwork – dressed down in faded blue jeans, plain T-shirts, cowboy boots and bassist’s white Stetson. That’s the clue, no trainers in sight, meaning – no nu-metal but music that is based on some traditional Hard Rocking values.
Their influences are of the ‘ol’ skool’, the Sabbath, Purple, Zeppelin and Bad Company variety, but definitely not of the nostalgia kind. Nickelback take the template of the past, infuse it with the huge sound of today without ignoring rock-ballads or solos. It is all done in a very contemporary manner, rocking heavy but with spaces, it is not as intense as in their more stressed-colleagues’ cases. They are confident onstage, playing with ease, spreading swell vibrations all around and without ego-tripping.
The solos they perform are economical and integral part of songs, without attempting to impress with individual mastery. After their debut album ‘The State’ they certainly played enough restroom-sized venues that taught them lessons in humility. Singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger addresses the public with little teases such as, “You, London-guys, have reputation of being hard-to-please audience but you look to me like any other audience in the world, out to have a good time!”
And how not to have a good time with songs such as ‘Leader Of Men’, ‘Never Again’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Too Bad’ and, the mega-hit, ‘How You Remind Me’?! The public is under their spell and when Kroeger asks the audience to scream for his digi-corder for ‘snap-vids’ – oh, so charmingly touristy! – the place erupts that seismographs in Ruislip should have registered its quake!
At one moment Kroeger goes ‘naughty’ and inquires about the quality of marijuana in our ‘hood. It’s as fine as your performance… “Fragrant, potent, fulfilling and a compulsory enjoyment,” observes a tattooed baldie looking over my shoulder at the notes taken.
SashaS
13-2-2002
Nickelback’s album ‘Silver Side Up’ is out now on Roadrunner Records
Nickelback’s single ‘How You Remind Me’ is released 25 February 2002 on Roadrunner Records
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