GIL MOORE On TRIUMPH's 2026 Tour: 'It Couldn't Have Worked Out Better If We Scripted It'

During an appearance on the June 3 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", TRIUMPH singer/guitarist Rik Emmett and drummer/vocalist Gil Moore spoke about the legendary Canadian rockers' recently launched first tour in more than 30 years. For the 2026 trek, TRIUMPH's original members Emmett and Moore are being joined by guitarist Phil X, drummer and keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. Phil X, whose real name is Theofilos Xenidis, is a member of BON JOVI and a former member of TRIUMPH, while Fitz and Kerns are both members of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS. Original TRIUMPH bassist Mike Levine is not taking part in most of the 2026 tour dates after revealing in December that he has "a problem" with his hand that "precludes" him "from being able to really play well."

Asked how the TRIUMPH reunion tour has gone so far, Rik said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's going great. It's been a tremendous surprise to Gil and I that it's gone as good as it has, because we were both a little skeptical coming in. We're a couple of old farts, so we weren't sure that the young guys were gonna be able to carry us, but it's worked. It's worked a charm."

Moore chimed in: "When we finally made the decision to do it, it was just kind of like jumping in the swimming pool. There's no real preparation for it when you haven't done it for a while. I shouldn't say that — I mean, I practiced like crazy to get ready, both singing and drumming — but I guess what I mean is you're not prepared mentally for something you haven't done for a long while. But it's been a great surprise. It's been a blast, and playing every night has been fantastic. The audiences have been outrageously good. Yeah, it couldn't have worked out better if we scripted it."

Asked if it's fair to say that the TRIUMPH show is getting better with each gig and that the bandmembers are feeling more comfortable with the new five-piece format, Rik said: "For sure. Just like Gil said about jumping in the pool, you get in there and then you realize these other guys that you're swimming with, they're old pros and they're really good at it. And this reinvention, this reloading of TRIUMPH is a thing where we picked up these guys that can sing harmonies, but they can be rock stars and they can play guitar solos that are light years beyond me. And I go, 'Well, that's okay. That's great.' There's a respect that exists between us that has sort of made the band a stronger entity than it ever was. I mean, there's a regret — we regret that Mike's not out here with us and getting to share in this, because the feeling of it, and I'm talking a physical thing, a psychological kind of a thing. You just kind of feel younger and stronger and braver. It's like the Winnie-The-Pooh thing — I'm braver than I thought and I'm stronger than I thought and I'm smarter than I thought. The band makes me feel like Winnie-The-Pooh. That's the bottom line."

On the topic of Levine's health and whether Mike will be able to work with his longtime bandmates in any capacity going forward, Gil said: "We sure hope so. I mean, his son Matthew is here. He's right outside our dressing room. Matthew's been at a bunch of the shows, and he's brought Mike's grandkids as well. I talked to him for a long time on his birthday. He's doing better. He's been out and around. He's getting out of the house and so on, but he's still got some physio that he's working on, so it wouldn't have been a wise idea to have him over the cumbersome things, like airports and stages and all that sort of stuff. So we had hoped he was gonna make it for some of this tour. It turns out he hasn't, but there's always tomorrow."

Asked if there are plans for TRIUMPH to play more shows after the completion of the current tour, which is scheduled to end on June 10 in Laval, Quebec, Canada, Gil said: "Well, I can tell you from my point of view, now that we're getting all this publicity, if I ever get a job, I'm asking my boss for a raise on the first day. I don't know about Rik."

Added Rik: "I told everybody that I wanted to get to the end of this and then just sort of see how my body was and mentally where I'm at. But I sat down at breakfast with Gil about a week ago and I said, 'Look, I'm feeling really good. And I'm so psychologically pumped by all of this that I can't see myself saying no. But I still don't wanna say yes yet.' I wanna see… Yeah, let's ask Live Nation for a raise. [Laughs]"

After host Eddie Trunk noted that it sounds like TRIUMPH is not ruling out playing more dates in the future, Rik concurred. "That's about the truth of it," he said. "If there was any way we could drag Mike out too, that would be a really sweet thing. My friend Dave Dunlop, who played with TRIUMPH when we did Sweden [Rock Festival] and Rocklahoma back in, whatever, 2007, 2008, he said he was going out for coffee with Mike today. So that means Mike's out walking in the neighborhood, 'cause they live kind of close together. So that was really nice news. And I don't know. Even if he only could sit at a keyboard and play some… 'Cause he used to do that for us. So, whatever. That would be a pretty sweet thing and a nice reason to come into your neck of the woods and play some gigs."

TRIUMPH kicked off its 2026 tour on April 10 in Orlando, Florida.

TRIUMPH's 2026 North American run of shows are celebrating the band's 50th anniversary, and feature support from APRIL WINE. The 2026 trek continued with a series of dates in Canada, beginning April 22 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and running through a May 8 show in Calgary, Alberta. From there, the band hit the U.S. starting May 13 in Rosemont, Illinois, and wrapping up June 10 in Laval.

Formed in Mississauga in 1975, TRIUMPH rose from playing high school auditoriums and rock 'n' roll bars to selling out iconic arenas, from Toronto's famed Maple Leaf Gardens to Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. Their virtuosic musicianship, soaring vocals, and dazzling, high-production live shows helped define an era of arena rock. Blending hard rock power with progressive ambition, TRIUMPH has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and earned multiple gold and platinum certifications, building a global following through headline tours and landmark festival performances, including the 1983 US Festival before 500,000 fans. With hits like "Lay It on The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" — combined with pioneering stage productions featuring pyrotechnics, laser lighting, and theatrical flair — TRIUMPH became arena rock legends, securing a permanent place in Canadian and international rock history.

The band's return to the road follows a defining year honoring TRIUMPH's impact across generations. In June 2025, the band was celebrated with "Magic Power: All-Star Tribute To Triumph" (Round Hill Records, June 6, 2025),a 15-track tribute album featuring rock luminaries such as Phil X, Sebastian Bach, Slash, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Dee Snider, Lawrence Gowan, Deen Castronovo, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Keith, Mickey Thomas and produced by the world-renowned Mike Clink (GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE, WHITESNAKE).

Further solidifying their celebrated status, TRIUMPH was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame in October, a prestigious honor recognizing their enduring influence, masterful songwriting, and contributions to Canada's cultural legacy. This induction adds to their long list of accolades, which includes membership in the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame (2007),the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame (2008),and Canada's Walk Of Fame (2019).

Emmett, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.