This performance was for Triumph’s induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 2025 LEGENDS, held at the Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto Canada on October 17, 2025. Rik Emmett is Triumph's original guitarist and Phil X took his place in 1992 (after Emmett left in 1988). Triumph's recently announced 2026 reunion will have Phil X joining as a supporting musician.
This performance sort of highlights how both will compliment each other during that tour; Rik has definitely lost that high end vocal range for this song but Phil is able to cover a good part of it in his own way. Emmett's guitar was also definitely lower for the solo in this live mix, but his guitar playing still sounds true to form even after being in retirement for several years now along with the arthritis in his hands (not bad for someone who is 72 years old and beat his 2024 announced prostate cancer). Watching this gave me goosebumps for sure.
Rare live version of Never Say Never from a 1988 spring break concert held at Isla Blana Park (South Padre Island in Texas). Video was ML enhanced and audio tweaked a little (the quality is what it is). That tour for their Surveillance release had only 4 more shows; the final one in September 1988 would be guitarist Rik Emmett's last with the band until they reunited 20 years later for the two shows in 2008; Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma.
The fact this footage exists is incredible since back then, this was around the time when digital cameras (both photo and video) were just coming on to the scene; this was around the time of the analog 8mm camcorders (like the Canon ES-series and Sony Handycam); not very small handheld camcorders which was held to shoot this entire show (no pro shot recordings exist for any of the 1988 shows). I'm slowly "re-mastering" the entire footage but did this one section first given how rare this live version is.
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (video source from the 80's is much more difficult to upscale since it really is garbage in, garbage out territory). From Surveillance (released in November 1987), the original official music video was released on July 27, 1987. This (a progressive rock tune with a guitar instrumental prologue entitled "Prologue: Into The Forever") was also one of my favorite Triumph tunes (the melody, the lyrics, the guitar riffs and solo). I still crank the volume on this one. Surveillance would also be the last release with Rik Emmett who left the group in 1988.
ML upscaled/enhanced to 1080p60 (video source from the 80's is much more difficult to upscale since it really is garbage in, garbage out territory). From The Sport of Kings (released in August 1986), the original official music video was released on September 11, 1986. This (a pop rock tune laden with synths and guitars) was also the bands biggest hit (27th place in the Billboard 100 over the course of 15 weeks).
ML enhanced to 720p. Legendary performance of Lay It On The Line at the US Festival in 1983. Personally consider myself lucky that I saw Triumph live during their Allied Forces, Never Surrender, and Thunder Seven tours. The tune saw a renewed (viral) revival in Canada when a sample of the song was used in promotions for the Stanley Cup Finals in Edmonton (Triumph themselves are from Ontario, Canada). This live was sans their usual laser light and pyrotechnic show.
ML enhanced the video/tweaked the audio (both as best as possible) from the digitized VHS tape recordings of this concert. I was in high school at the time and remembered listening to the concert in my car (stereo blasting). This was simulcast on both Westwood One to FM stations around the US and an MTV special live; whatever that evening show was that used to show concerts (it was re-broadcast a few times). Finding a stereo recording (from that FM broadcast) is something that has never popped up unfortunately (and most of the VHS recordings were mono plus very grainy quality).
Setlist:
- 1. Tear The Roof Off
- 2. American Girls
- 3. Lay It On The Line
- 4. Allied Forces
- 5. Fight the Good Fight
- 6. Rock & Roll Machine
- 7. Petite Etude
- 8. Guitar Solo
- 9. Nature's Child
- 10. Drum Solo
- 11. Magic Power
- 12. Allied Forces (Improvised outro)
- EN. Hot Time In This City