TRIUMPH drummer Gil Moore says he still hopes original member Mike Levine can join the legendary Canadian band on their reunion tour.
Speaking on Sirius XM, Moore gave an update on Levine’s health – without actually revealing what is wrong with the bassist.
Original members Rik Emmett (vocals/guitar) and Moore are joined by Phil X (guitar), Brent Fitz (keyboards) and bassist Todd Kerns in a reconstituted Triumph that is about to finish the first run of their tour in North America.
“We sure hope so,”: said Emmett when asked by host Eddie Trunk if Levine would eventually join the tour. “His son Matthew is here, he’s right outside our dressing room.
“Matthew’s been at a bunch of the shows and he’s brought Mike’s grandkids as well.
“I talked to him for a long time on his birthday. He’s doing better. He’s getting around, he’s getting out of the house and so-on.
“But he’s still got some physio that he’s working on so it wouldn’t have been a wise idea to have him over the the cumbersome things of airports and stages and all that sorts of stuff,.
“We had hoped he was going to make it for some of this tour. It turns out he hasn’t. But there’s always tomorrow.”
Emmett said: “Even if he only could only sit at keyboard and play … he used to do that for us live … whatever, that would be pretty nice.”
Hand and breathing issues have been mentioned in relation to Levine, 77 but they have never been fully exchanged.
During the interview on the Trunk Nation program, Emmett and Moore said they would be open to adding more shows to the current run which concludes on June 10 in Laval.
Emmett said: “I don’t think I’d say no but I still don’t want to say yes yet. Let’s ask Live Nation for a raise.”
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