GIL MOORE On TRIUMPH's Reunion Performance In Edmonton: 'It Was A Lot Of Fun'

In a new interview with Lana Teramae of Metal Express Radio, TRIUMPH drummer and vocalist Gil Moore once again spoke about ongoing plans for the legendary Canadian rockers to develop a high-tech concept that would bring their music back to the stage. Referencing TRIUMPH's June 6 three-song reunion performance at the Rogers Festival At The Final in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where Moore and TRIUMPH guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett were joined by guitarist Phil X, drummer and keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns, Gil said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "One of the reasons we did that [performance in Edmonton] was to get Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz on stage with Phil and Rik and myself and see how it went, and do some rehearsing together and stuff. It went extremely well. And we have a great plan, I believe, that I've been working on for about five years now with a gentleman named Paul Dexter, who is our great lighting designer from Los Angeles, at Masterworks Lighting. And the plan was to try to conceive of a show that utilized a lot of technology and allowed an older band to… Like in our case where we've had fans saying, 'Please tour, please tour, please tour, which isn't always possible,' for musicians to be able to combine virtual elements with the physical, bring new musicians into the band. So in this case, we went back, of course, to Phil because he was part of TRIUMPH, our last guitar player after Rik had left, and say, 'We'd like to get Rik and Phil on the same stage. That might be a double barrel shotgun. Let's try that.' And so it was a lot of fun. And I know Rik and Phil had a great time playing together. I had a great time with Brent. He's an awesome drummer. Todd Kerns, a super-great singer and bass player."

Moore continued: "We're going to combine, the elements, I think, from that band with the mixed reality elements that Paul has been working on with me in the conceptual sense. And we're trying to create a narrative that really tells the story of TRIUMPH within a show. And it'll come right back to what you mentioned about 'follow your heart.' We've sort of determined that we think that the message that we wanna send is the positivity in music. So positivity in music is something that can really be impactful if it's delivered right. So this show, the idea would be to take some of the elements, the 'Never Surrender' elements and the 'Fight The Good Fight' elements that are leading people towards positive outcomes and using music as a lever to do that and have that come through the show. I know that kind of sounds like a lot, and maybe we're overreaching a little bit, but I think sometimes if you don't try things, well, then you know what's gonna happen — nothing's gonna happen. In our case, there's no certainty to this, but it's an experiment that we're working on and we're gonna take it forward. This was a great first step, playing in Edmonton. And yeah, so there will be some forthcoming announcements about, I think, where we're gonna take it next."

Bassist Mike Levine did not take part in the Edmonton reunion performance because he had a doctor's appointment on that day that he could not reschedule.

Prior to the Edmonton set, TRIUMPH's last performance took place at an invite-only event in November 2019 in front of a couple of hundred "superfans" at MetalWorks studio in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto),Ontario, Canada where Moore, Emmett and Levine played a three-song set consisting of "When The Lights Go Down", "Lay It On The Line" and "Magic Power". It marked TRIUMPH's first performance in 11 years, as well as its first as a pure three-piece power trio in 31 years. Portions of the performance were included in TRIUMPH's 2021 documentary "Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine", which was produced by Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli.

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.

TRIUMPH is a celebrated Canadian rock power trio that rose to prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s with a blend of hard rock anthems and spectacular live performances. Formed in 1975 in Toronto by Emmett, Levine and Moore, TRIUMPH has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and earned 18 gold and nine platinum certifications in Canada and the United States. Its sound — marked by Emmett's virtuoso guitar work and the group's soaring vocals — produced classic rock staples like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight", helping define arena rock for a generation.

By the early 1980s, TRIUMPH was headlining arenas on international tours, renowned for its elaborate, high-tech live shows featuring state-of-the-art lighting, lasers, and pyrotechnics. After a decade and a half of relentless success, the band's legacy grew in the ensuing years, and earned the band some of Canada's highest honors. Among their numerous awards, TRIUMPH was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame in 2007, into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 2008, and into Canada's Walk Of Fame in 2019. Today, TRIUMPH continues to inspire new generations of fans around the world. From humble origins in the '70s to sold-out arenas and hall of fame accolades, TRIUMPH's career is a true rock and roll success story — a triumph in every sense of the word.