June 10, 2026
Triumph headline
Tonight, Triumph finally found their way to Place Bell. Triumph were originally scheduled to play Laval last month, but in true Quebecois style, that show was postponed because the venue was needed for playoff hockey.
So instead, Triumph and April Wine kept on truckin’ along with the rest of their tour dates, to Quebec City and into the Maritimes and have circled back to us tonight, to perform that rescheduled date. With the Montreal Victoire now PWHL champions, while the Laval Rocket and the Montreal Canadiens eventually saw their post-seasons come to an end, the lack of hockey meant all obstacles in Triumph’s way were now gone.
See Also: The Guess Who at Place Bell, Laval
In fact, tonight’s show now serves as the final show of the tour, or as — of Triumph put it, “until Live Nation get greedy again.” So I’m wondering, does that mean a new tour is going to be announced next week? Get it?? Eh? Eh? Get it? Anyway!
April Wine
There isn’t a single original member of April Wine currently in April Wine. Doesn’t matter. Some say that fact makes April Wine a cover band but the wise ones among us say April Wine is playing tonight.
Admittedly, the first few bars from vocalist Marc Parent showed signs of fatigue, which is pretty normal for the final night of tour, and anyway, starting off with I Like To Rock and one of the most iconic baselines in rock n’ roll masked all of that anyway, and Parent soon recovered, his voice and was brilliant from that moment on.
I Like To Rock was a perfect starting point to warm this eager crowd up. They were certainly ready to rock, by the loud response. More and more people were on their feet now as the set flowed into a sing-along. Oowatanite, which was sung by the guitarist Brian Greenway, the most original member who had joined in nineteen seventy-seven. While the newest addition, Marc Parent, took over the lead for the rest.
They limited space to move, as they were squished up front to make way for Triumph’s massive stage setup. Churning out hit after hit, I was just coming to terms, like with Triumph’s songs, how much I knew of their repertoire. Say Hello, Enough Is Enough, and Sign Of The Gypsy Queen were fan favorites, getting the biggest response.
I was surrounded by older fans and some younger ones, who were discovering them live for the first time. I think I saw them when I was too young to remember. My parents took me to all the free shows, while I was still in my stroller.
You Could’ve Been a Lady was a fun Hot Chocolate cover that I thought was their original song for the longest time. Saving Roller for the finale was a solid finish for the allotted time. April Wine’s set tonight was a tad short, but every track was a certified classic song. I can’t imagine anybody that has ever enjoyed the catalog of these Canadian rock legends was disappointed – I certainly was in my element and enjoying every second of it.
Triumph
Triumph’s return to the stage was described as the younger generation discovering them through songs played at the Edmonton Oilers hockey playoff games. The stage tonight reflected the epic comeback, turning this touring version into a six-piece. Founding members including lead guitarist Rik Emmett, drummer Gil Moore, and Mike Levine for occasional bass and keyboard duties. Phil X, current guitarist of Bon Jovi and a former nineties touring member of Triumph’s lineup. Two members of Slash’s band, drummer Brent Fitz, bassist Todd Kerns, and some extra help from guitarist Derek Sharp.
Starting with a trio of epic titles; When The Lights Go Down, Somebody’s Out There and Spellbound. It all made sense now, to have so many members taking over certain duties. Respectively, the original members Emmett and Moore, now in their seventies, needed the extra help to make sure they could play a longer set. Moore was absent from many songs and not behind his custom drums for a good part of the show.
Interchanging vocals was happening, Phil X or Kerns would take over songs that normally Moore or Gil would have sung. It worked, though they were still as intense without just sounding like a cover, and the crowd was excited by this dynamic. Certain songs resonated, and hearing Hold On with the double drums and mix of vocals was one of those flashback moments of times when I was little, belting out the lyrics as it blared out my speakers.
Now it was time for all the epic guitar and drum solos packed into a solid block. In time for people to make a beer or bathroom run. Allied Forces, Rock & Roll Machine and then a Joe Walsh cover, Rocky Mountain Way, took up a huge portion of the set.
Never Surrender built the momentum up for one of my favorite songs of the evening – Lay It On Line. Follow Your Heart and Magic Power. Also, my second favorite of the evening. A song that had everyone singing – I’m young, I’m wild, and I’m free. Got the magic power of music in me. Summing up how a comeback, at any age, is possible with the magic of music bringing us together collectively.
Even though this show had been postponed to a Wednesday, I Live For The Weekend kept the energy as if it were a rocking Saturday evening. Making people forget for a second that they had to go back to work the next day (those that aren’t retired, anyway). Last but not least at all, Fight The Good Fight brought us to the end of this nostalgic experience.
People wanted more; normally, the rush to get out of Place Bell happens before it’s even over. This time, the crowd cheered for more, Ole! Ole! chants began, but that was all the band had to give this time. I hope touring like this continues, and we get to see them again.
Read More:
>> Triumph at Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
>> Holly Humberstone at Beanfield Theatre, Montreal
>> Helloween at L’Olympia, Montreal
The worst part of the evening, was walking out into the falling rain, but given that the rain was minimal where thundershowers had been promised, that really wasn’t much to bitch about.
That means, the worst bit of the night is that the Cage Au Sports bar inside Place Bell had closed by the time we showed.
Ces’t la calisse de vie!
