Nickelback performing Animals from Live at Sturgis

Nickelback wins most MMVA awards

Nickelback took home the most hardware, but provocative electro diva Lady Gaga was the talk of the MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday.

Just a few months after dominating at the Juno Awards, Nickelback nabbed a leading three trophies in front of thousands of frenzied fans at an award show that also featured appearances from the Jonas Brothers, Black Eyed Peas and such teen-approved celebs as “Twilight” actors Taylor Lautner and Montreal’s Rachelle Lefevre.

But it was Gaga who stole the show.

Showing some serious imagination – even while clad in a studded one-piece that left little to it – Gaga performed a surreal medley of a remixed version of “LoveGame” and “Poker Face” during the indoor-outdoor streetside show.

Billed as a tribute to New York, Gaga began the performance trapped inside a fake subway car – which she later exploded with a stick of pyro dynamite – and followed with a raunchy setpiece that featured fake police officers (they later stripped), gyrating, leather-clad dancers and finished with Gaga posing with sparklers shooting from her bustier.

While the screeching throng outside MuchMusic headquarters on Queen Street West was clearly agog for Gaga, they also heaped plenty of love on the Jonas Brothers, who co-hosted, performed twice and won the “UR Fave” people’s choice award for international video of the year for “Burnin’ Up.”

Fans began lining up for the show as early as 6 a.m. ET on a hot, sticky Toronto day. By mid-afternoon, an imposing queue of determined teens went all the way around the block.

“This is crazy,” marvelled reigning “Canadian Idol” champ Theo Tams as he walked the red carpet. “I thought the Junos were crazy but this is madness!”

There were some typically over-the-top entrances.

Toronto R&B crooner Danny Fernandes cruised onto the red carpet on a shiny red motorcycle, while Vancouver pop-punk band Marianas Trench was preceded by a full marching band before arriving in a pickup truck adorned with pink and red balloons and streamers.

And while many guests honoured Father’s Day by giving thanks to their dads, Billy Talent took it a step further by bringing their fathers onto the red carpet.

“All the dads are here, we were trying to dress them up just like us today,” said drummer Aaron Solowoniuk, whose band took home the award for best international video for a Canadian group for “Rusted from the Rain.” “We’re making it into a family event.”

Otherwise, the usually splashy show mostly lacked a signature shocking moment – in other words, no one mooned the camera Avril Lavigne-style or zipped around on a stolen wheelchair a la Blur’s Damon Albarn.

In fact, Nickelback didn’t even flinch when they were presented with their first award moments after exiting a mammoth black SUV and stepping onto the red carpet.

“Just for showing up?” asked frontman Chad Kroeger, whose Hanna, Alta., band took home awards for best video, best rock video and best post-production for “Gotta Be Somebody.”

“This is great, I’ve never gotten out of a vehicle and had someone say: `Here you go.”‘

The Black Eyed Peas didn’t go home empty-handed either, winning for their ubiquitous electro-inflected anthem “Boom Boom Pow,” which they also performed.

Surrounded by dancers in skintight zebra-print costumes, the veteran group incited the crowd into a rousing singalong of the infectious chorus, while Kelly Clarkson’s powerful, no-frills performance of “My Life Would Suck Without You” stood as a reminder of why she was the first-ever winner of “American Idol.”

Regina pop-punk singer Shiloh started her performance in a red telephone booth, while St. Catharines, Ont., hardcore group Alexisonfire closed their performance by launching bright pyro into the crisp night sky.

Nickelback return to Australia and New Zealand

Nickelback announce 2009 Australia and New Zealand tour dates

Nov. 07 – Auckland, NZ – Vector Arena
Nov. 11 – Brisbane, AU – Entertainment Centre
Nov. 13 – Sydney, AU – Acer Arena
Nov. 16 – Melbourne, AU – Rod Laver Arena
Nov. 19 – Adelaide, AU – Entertainment Centre
Nov. 21 – Perth, AU – Burswood Dome

Featured Photos: Nickelback, Wheatland, CA – Aug. 31, 2009

Alberta, Canada based pop-rockers Nickelback Tickets aren’t likely to leave success to the odds. Far from taking a “coin-toss” approach, brothers Chad Kroeger (lead vocals, guitar) and Mike Kroeger (bass), along with guitarist Ryan Peake and drummer Daniel Adair, are more the hard-working types.

Quoted on the band’s MySpace page, Chad Kroeger said, “I honestly think that with every song you release you have to keep winning your own fans over again…. I want every single song to be amazing.”

Since March, Nickelback has been touring North

Nickelback rocks to near-sellout crowd

Nickelback was already famous when they released a single about the desire to tour the world on “a new tour bus full of old guitars.”

Three years after “Rockstar” and another multi-platinum record later, the band and their shiny fleet of tour buses returned to Las Vegas, bringing their collection of old (and new, equally expensive) guitars with them.

Love them or hate them, the members of . . Nickelback are bonafide rockstars. And, as a near-sellout crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena witnessed on Sunday, the Canadian-based foursome puts on a bonafide rock show.

The performance made clear that frontman Chad Kroeger loves many things, including pyrotechnics, guitars, girls, f-bombs, and booze.

The swear-laced show started with a bang – three of them, in fact – just after 10 p.m., following performances by opening acts Papa Roach, Hinder and Saving Able.

The concussions set the tone for the next two hours, which featured plenty of fire and lights, along with the group’s distinct and formulaic brand of guitar-driven rock.

Still, there were several surprises at the show, including a cover song early into the set featuring openers on lead vocals.

Austin Winkler from Hinder and Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix took over from Kroeger during a fun and impressive rendition of AC/DC’s anthem, “Highway to Hell.”

Two Las Vegas residents also made onstage appearances during the set: Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul and comedian Carrot Top pitched in to help distribute cups of beer to the audience.

T-shirts were also launched into the screaming crowd, though it was hard to tell if it was the beer or the T-shirts that generated the bulk of the applause.

While most of the beer ended up on the audience rather than in any of their bellies, it could be argued that it was the thought that counts – and Kroeger definitely did a lot of thinking about drinking.

The thirsty singer ordered two bottles of vodka and a bottle of Patron to the stage, which he shared with the VIP audiences that flanked either side of the stage.

“Who’s thirsty?” he asked before serenading a woman in the front row with the chorus of Joe Nichols’ classic, “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.”

Meanwhile, he ordered himself a Jack Daniels and Coke and made frequent references to the party that he and his bandmates were going to throw after the show.

Nickelback joins Live Nation in global deal

 

Canadian rock band Nickelback has signed a global recording, touring and merchandising deal with concert promoter Live Nation Inc that an industry source said was worth between $50 million and $70 million.

Live Nation announced the contract on Tuesday but did not give financial details.

The Nickelback deal is the latest in a string of high profile, multifaceted deals that the Los Angeles-based company has signed with major artists including Madonna, Jay-Z, U2 and Shakira.

Nickelback, whose last album sold 10 million copies, signed a three-album/three-tour deal with Live Nation, and will let the company to handle all merchandising, licensing, sponsorship, secondary ticketing, endorsements, DVD and broadcast rights, fan club, web site and literary rights.

But the band, fronted by Chad Kroeger, still has two albums and a greatest hits package left to deliver to its longtime label Road Runner Records before it records any albums for Live Nation.

This could make the Nickelback deal seem expensive for Live Nation if the band’s subsequent album sales fail to come close to the numbers it has delivered to date.

“It’s kind of tough to say if an artist’s best years are behind them,” said David Joyce, an analyst at Miller Tabak who has a “buy” rating on Live Nation.

Joyce said Live Nation will profit from the rights to the rest of Nickelback’s business, while also distributing the band’s music, which has become less expensive with the growth of digital music sales.

The deal between Nickelback and Live Nation could raise questions about the value of a deal Warner Music Group struck in December 2006 to buy a majority stake in Road Runner Records for $73.5 million.

Though Road Runner also has hard rock names like Slipknot, Megadeath and Stone Sour on its roster, Nickelback is easily its best known band, having sold more than 26 million albums.

Live Nation said Nickelback’s last North American and Australian tour in 2006 and 2007 grossed more than $67 million.

The company hopes to benefit from more international growth for Nickelback, particularly in Europe, where it expects strong touring sales growth.

Nickelback’s single “Rockstar” is the second-biggest selling song of the year so far in Britain.

Live Nation shares rose 11 cents, or 1 percent, to $10.00 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Dark Horse rides into H-Town

 

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion became a jamming powerhouse Saturday when . Nickelback and Papa Roach took the stage.

Saturday’s performance concluded the U.S. Dark Horse Tour, which included Hinder and Saving Abel. This also manifested the long anticipated return of high-energy band Papa Roach to Houston. 

Papa Roach stole the show, and the concert wouldn’t have been worth attending without their presence. The band showed the crowd no mercy as vocalist Jacoby Shaddix climbed off the stage to rock out with the audience.

Collaboration was a theme of the night. Saving Abel and Hinder fused their opening acts into a dual-jam session. Austin Winkler from Hinder, Chad Kroeger from Nickelback and Shaddix united on stage to rock out to AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” 

The musicians’ hardcore image was softened as they casted their egos aside and patted each other on the back.

Pyrotechnics and explosive fireworks provided a noisy entrance and exit for Nickelback’s performance. A set full of pipes along the stage heated and elevated for the drummer, Daniel Adair. 

Nickelback’s setlist was emotional for audience members, from their nostalgic performance of “Photograph” to their first single “How you Remind Me.” Pictures of some of Houston’s memorable trademarks, such as the Houston Texans and Astros, appealed to Houstonians in the crowd.  “Everything is big in Texas,” Nickelback’s Chad Kroger said. 

However, Chad’s relaxed style and comedy made it seem as if the show would never end. Chad ordered drinks for the VIP guests and the crew played target practice with canon shooters, giving trinket items to audience members. 

Houston enjoyed the big, live party on the lawn that wrapped up Nickelback’s tour. It’s now all a part of the history of the multi-platinum album-selling powerhouse.

Nickelback Sweeps Canada’s Muchmusic Video Awards

 

Alberta rockers Nickelback swept the MuchMusic Video Awards Sunday night, as their hit “Gotta Be Somebody” won for best video, best rock video and best postproduction.

The awards, which aired on MuchMusic, a division of Canadian broadcaster CTV, also gave R&B artist Danny Fernandes the best pop video trophy for “Private Dancer.”

Nickelback and Fernandes came into the Muchmusic Video Awards with a field-leading five nominations each.

The Canadian awards show, hosted by the Jonas Brothers, also gave New Yorker Lady Gaga the best international video artist award for “Poker Face,” while the Black Eyed Peas earned the best international video group award for their hit “Boom Boom Pow.”

And the best international video award for a Canadian artist went to Billy Talent for “Rusted From The Rain,” while rapper Classified picked up the best hip hop video for “Anybody Listening,” and the best director trophy went to Vancouver rockers Marianas Trench for “Cross My Heart.”

Other winners in Toronto included Bedouin Soundclash winning for best cinematography for “Until We Burn Into the Sun,” The Midway State earning the best indie video award for “Never Again,” and the most watched video trophy going Girlicious for “Like Me.”

Nickelbacks Monday, August 17th performance at the Verizon Wireless Music Center- Birmingham has been rescheduled for tomorrow night, Tuesday, August 18th due to the storms expected in the area accompanying tropical depression Claudette

Nickelback‘s Monday, August 17th performance at the Verizon Wireless Music Center- Birmingham has been rescheduled for tomorrow night, Tuesday, August 18th due to the storms expected in the area accompanying tropical depression Claudette.

Nickelback Tickets for the originally scheduled August 17th show will be honored for the rescheduled August 18th concert date.

Nickelback Awards and Nominations

Award	Wins	Nominations
American Music Awards	2	6
Billboard Music Awards	3	5
Grammy Awards	0	5
Juno Awards	12	26
MuchMusic Video Awards	7	13
Totals
Awards won	24
Nominations	55

Nickelback is a Juno Award-winning Canadian post-grunge group shaped in Hanna, Alberta by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake, and then-drummer Brandon Kroeger (who has since been replaced by Daniel Adair). The group has released six studio albums: Curb (1996), The State (2000), Silver Side Up (2001), The Long Road (2003), All the Right Reasons (2005), and Dark Horse (2008). “How You Remind Me”, the first single from the band’s third album Silver Side Up, is Nickelback’s highest charting single; it peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, Hot Modern Rock Tracks, and Canadian Hot 100 music charts