Legendary Mississauga rockers reunite for North American tour

What started as a few guys jamming in a Mississauga basement turned into a mega-group that filled concert stadiums around the world, and now, 50 years later, they have returned to rock North America.

Triumph, the power trio that hasn’t performed together in 30 years, have announced they will hit the road again spring, which will see them play major markets in both the U.S. and Canada, with stops intended in Toronto and Hamilton.

“Our fans have always been the heart of Triumph. Their energy, their belief, and the way they embraced the positivity in our music have carried us for fifty years,” reads a statement by the band in announcing the tour. “We’ve always said these songs were meant to bring people together — and that’s exactly why we’re coming back now. We knew there was still a chapter left to write. This tour is our chance to do it, together with the people who made the Triumph journey possible.”

The classic lineup of drummer Gil Moore, singer and guitarist Rik Emmett, and bass player Mike Levine will hit the road starting April 22 in Sault Ste. Marie and will be at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on April 24 and the TD Coliseum in Hamilton on April 25.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (Dec. 12) at 10 a.m. at livenation.com. A two-day presale begins tomorrow.

Formed in 1975 when the trio got together for the first time in the basement of Moore’s Mississauga home, Triumph went on to headline shows around the world and scored hits with albums Rock & Roll Machine, Just A Game, Allied Forces and others throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The band splintered by the 1990s, with Moore concentrating on the operation of Metalworks Studio in Mississauga and the other band members taking on other projects.

Along the way, permanent reunions were attempted, and even though there were a few performances, some acrimony between the members persisted, but time has healed the wounds, and Triumph is ready to hit the road again. They will be supported on the tour by another legendary Canadian band, April Wine.

And the connection to Mississauga remains strong as Metalworks remains a recording studio but has evolved into a learning centre for students who want to enter the music business.

As well, the band has a street named after them in Mississauga and is part of the city’s Legend Row of notable residents.

They will be joined on the tour by guitarist Phil X (Xenidis), another deep-rooted Mississaugan, who has performed with the band in the past.