Triumph

TRIUMPH: 5 Minutes With Mike Levine

FEATURE

by Tom Lounges

Want to win a copy of the classic rock DVD that critics and fans everywhere are talking about? Of course you do!

Five Midwest BEAT readers [Print Edition Only] will win a copy of the “Triumph: Live At The US Festival” DVD just by filling out the entry form at the end of this article and mailing it to us. A raffle, drawn from all entry forms returned to us by the January 20 deadline, will determine which five folks get the DVD.

You can also win the Canadian rock trio’s new DVD by tuning in XROCK 103.9 to the mid-day drive program (9am to 1pm) hosted by Fendrick between December 15 and January 2.

When you hear Fendrick play the “XROCK Insider” segment featuring sections of my interview with Triumph bassist Mike Levine, just be the designated caller.

But enough shameless promotion. Let’s see just what Levine had to say when he called to chat from the Great White North!

BEAT: Any chance we’ll ever get to see Triumph play live again? I have heard you and Gil Moore have tried to get a reunion tour together a few times, but Rik Emmitt refuses. What’s up with that?

MIKE LEVINE: You'd have to ask Rik that question. Promoters have tried and we would be willing but once it gets to Rik, nothing ever seems to come of it. It’s rather unfortunate he feels that way really.

BEAT: You and Gil did an album called Edge Of Excess in 1992 with a new guitarist named Phil. What happened with that CD and that line-up.

M.L.: In hindsight, I still like that album a lot. It was rather unfortunate that the label, Victory Records, went out of business right after the album’s first single was released. Phil was fun to play with and did a great job, but it just wasn’t the same for me and I think Gil felt the same.

BEAT: What happened that originally made Rik leave the band in 1988?

M.L.: Truthfully, none of us were extremely happy with the way things were going at that time. We were having trouble writing songs, we were having trouble making records, things were just getting out of control about the time we were making the Sport of Kings.

It was a case of steady deterioration of all of our enthusiasms. We all were not feeling great about where the band was going. Somebody had to go first. Rik just made that choice.

BEAT: I’ve heard that in addition to this newly polished up DVD of the US Festival, that you may be releasing some other Triumph product in the near future. What have you got?

M.L.: Yeah, we’re putting out another couple of DVDs over the next 18 months. One of them is an indoor show and it has all the bells and whistles that the US Festival performance didn’t have. And there is also talk of a ‘Greatest Hits’ package too. There has never been a hits video or anything on Triumph.”

BEAT: With US Festival DVD, is that the entire live performance that you guys gave that day?

M.L.: I would say ‘Yes’ to that, but would be a little bit wrong. A fan pointed out that a little 30 second guitar/drum war between Rik and Gil was on the VHS of the show when it originally came out on MCA Home Video, but that it’s not on the DVD. I talked to Gil about it and we just don’t know what happened to it. Other than that, yes it’s the whole show.”

BEAT: Looking back on this show are you surprised how great that show went, considering you were playing by the seat of your pants on strange backline and without having had a sound check?

M.L.: Yeah! I guess those kind of situations bring out the best in a band. I honestly think we all played great that day. The CD (companion piece to the DVD) just blows me away. I mean the audio here on the CD and the DVD is just incredible. For example, I know we never played ‘Never Surrender’ better than we did that day. It was tight, tight, tight! I’m very proud of this performance and happy it’s finally out on DVD.”

For more information on the Live At US Festival release, other upcoming reissue projects and all things Triumph, log on at www.triumphmusic.com

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