Nickelback long on gimmicks, short on inspiration

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When in doubt, blow something up. Nickelback's show Thursday at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim was rife with explosions, fireworks and shooting flames, as the Canadian band trotted out every arena-rock cliche possible, except for lasers. Was this 2006 or 1996 or 1986? To the all-ages audience, it didn't seem to matter as they followed the script, too.

Since Nickelback struck gold with the ballad "How You Remind Me," a string of similar hits have followed, generating top 10 albums, including its latest, "All the Right Reasons."

The band's faster pseudo-metal melodrama seemed to be space filler between what has now become its stock in trade: a formula of bittersweet midtempo songs filled with rising choruses and minor-key harmonies.

The kitschy, sentimental "Photograph" was accompanied by a slideshow from what looked like family scrapbooks of the band members. Other sound-alike tunes included "Far Away," predictably dedicated to "all the ladies," and the crowd sing-along "Someday."

Sandpaper-voiced singer-guitarist

Chad Kroeger ranged from attempts at rumbling darkness to his hit-making sensitive-guy persona. His boisterous banter between numbers almost parodied a standard-issue rocker frontman; his gruff shouts and constant references to partying contrasted the band's mostly moping songs.

Kroeger grinned with pride about being a redneck just before yet another gimmick, which he described as his idea of fun: four small air cannons shooting T-shirts into the audience. The group kept relying on spikes of fire and explosives to deliver the excitement the music apparently wasn't able to create on its own.

For most of the night it was business above inspiration. One of the few sincere moments came with an intense, hammering tribute to slain Pantera/Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. But even that segment was undermined when it was followed by an indulgent drum solo from new stickman Daniel Adair.

Every era has its wildly popular bands that are held in critical disdain while the public buys into every calculated contrivance. All these pyrotechnics and such surely have been seen before by a good part of the audience. Still, there were quite a few parents with early teenage and younger boys in tow, so it all could've been new to the kids. But that only makes Nickelback's music entry-level rock at most, with little depth and no long-term vision. While the group has secured its spot in Joel Whitburn's Billboard chart books, don't bet on that Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Second-billed Hoobastank also is reaping similar spoils of pandering power balladry thanks to its 2003 hit "The Reason," and Thursday night the group unleashed staccato emoting and often-directionless flailing. Also on the bill were Chevelle and Hinder.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter