“When you feel like your hands aren’t doing well, and you’d like to take a day off, that’s the day you try and play more”: How Rik Emmett tackled the Triumph reunion tour, with added Phil X
Speaking ahead of their dates earlier this year, Emmett discussed how the group had defied the odds – and his own statements to the contrary – to reunite and hit the road
In the late ’70s and into the ’80s, Triumph proved to be a mighty force as a power trio. The Canadian band, which featured Gil Moore on drums and vocals, Mike Levine on bass and Rik Emmett on guitar and vocals, reeled off a string of memorable songs, including Lay It on the Line, Fight the Good Fight, Magic Power and World of Fantasy.
But, despite their sublime blend of hard rock, prog and fantasy-inspired vibes, they never quite reached the heights of Canada’s other beloved power trio, a little band called Rush.
For those reasons, combined with age and health, Emmett thought that – when it came to Triumph – that proverbial ship had sailed.
He was wrong. When Triumph announced their 2026 reunion tour last December, Emmett was shocked by the wave of love and adoration that came his way.
“I had no idea there would be this kind of hunger,” Emmett says. “There really is an appetite for nostalgia.”
But this version of Emmett’s band isn’t your father’s Triumph. The group is dropping the power-trio format and adding Toronto-born Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X – who played and recorded with Triumph in the early ’90s (becoming the only guitarist besides Emmett to do so) – to the mix.
Along for the ride are Slash solo-band veterans Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass/vocals). What’s more, word is that while Emmett and Moore will be full participants in the reunion, due to health issues, Levine’s participation will be extremely limited.
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“I think a lot of people are thinking, ‘Oh, my God, they’re defying reality,’” Emmett says. “They’re probably thinking, ‘Will Emmett make it to the end of the tour?’ I’m curious too! I’m kind of going, ‘We’ll see!’”
It’s fair to wonder about such things, given Emmett’s 2024 cancer diagnosis (a cancer he says he is free and clear of), not to mention arthritis in his hands.
“It might prove to be too much for a 72-year-old guy,” he says. “I feel like if I get myself in shape over the next few months and we get the script together the way I really like it, we’ll be fine. It’s a marriage of a rock band and technology now. We’ve got screens, lights, pyro, lasers and all this stuff. It takes a lot of coordination, and I think it’s going to be fun.”
Modern tech and light shows aside, Emmett also needs to grapple with adding three new musicians into the mix.
“The more you get involved with this stuff, the more it’s like getting a shot of whoop-de-doo juice every day,” he says with a laugh. “You go, ‘Maybe this is the secret – having a daily goal of having to sing, perform and play.’ But we’re gonna find out. I like the level of talent and experience these guys bring. I think it’s going to be something that rejuvenates me in a huge way.”
In the past, you’ve said you wouldn’t tour with Triumph again, but here we are.
I know I’ve said this would never happen, so I’m sitting around laughing at the fact that I’ve turned myself into a liar. [Laughs] I didn’t imagine it would happen, but it’s been kind of a circumstance of serendipity. They started playing Lay It On the Line at NHL events, and Gil Moore started making noise, saying, “I wanna put out a big tour, but it’s gonna be virtual…”
Virtual?
Yeah. He said, “Don’t worry, all you’ll have to do is show up for a day of filming on a green-screen set,” So there was that stuff, and we were asked, “Do you guys wanna come out and play in Edmonton?” So we played with the three guys – Phil X on guitar, Todd Kerns on bass and Brent Fitz on drums – and Gil played drums, too.
Did that spark the idea for this tour?
We played three songs to a plaza of hockey fans, and it was fun. We kind of went, “This could work, you know?” And then Live Nation is saying, “We think we could make this work. Do you wanna put some shows up for sale?” One thing led to another, and then we got into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and sat in with Phil X again [October 2025], and it was a riot.
Now you’ll be sharing guitar duties with Phil – who, in a sense, replaced you in the early Nineties.
Phil is unbelievable. I love the guy and his energy. I can’t wait to get on the road and get my ass kicked by these guys. [Laughs] It’ll be fun. But will it be fun for just the first week, and then I’ll go, “I’ve had enough! I wish I hadn’t agreed to 24 dates in 60 days.” [Laughs]
You’ve been dealing with a cancer diagnosis as well as arthritis. Are you feeling strong as far as your playing is concerned, all things considered?
I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out! I’m cancer-free, which is lovely. And the medication I take for my arthritis seems to be holding it in check. But arthritis is a weird thing. If you know anybody who has had it, you’ll know you have good days and bad.
What’s the trick to keep yourself in playing shape?
On a bad day, if you force yourself to work out, do your routines and push yourself, it actually makes it better. It seems counterintuitive when you feel like your hands aren’t doing well, and you’d like to take a day off, but that’s the day you try and play more.
![Triumph; [from left] Mike Levine, Gil Moore and Rik Emmett](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4RCxSyuprRwQ4zmNL6jsf-1200-80.jpg.webp)
You play through the pain.
Yes! That seems to be working. But here’s the test; I’m sitting here in December, and the tour doesn’t start until April. So how disciplined is Rik Emmett going to be in January, February and March? [Laughs] Then, when we get to March and April, how disciplined is Rik going to be?
Since Phil, Brent and Todd are part of the line-up, a lot of people are wondering if Mike and Gil will be participating.
I don’t count on Mike necessarily being there much. He might show up on some of the dates that are within driving distance, but I don’t expect him to get up and play much of the set.
He might play a song or two, and we’re definitely gonna get him to play some keyboards and have him show up on the screens because he’s part of the history of the band. But we’ve got these three other guys, so we’ve got every base covered.
Have you worked out exactly how Phil, Brent and Todd will fit into the line-up with you and Gil, who will presumably be playing?
An excellent question – and I don’t have the full answer. [Laughs] I can only tell you we’ve been sitting around working on things, like which songs, running order and special effects. And with what songs, like Gil said, “I wanna do No Surrender,” and I’m like, “Fuck, I can’t sing it in that key anymore.” [Laughs]
We used to use E minor concert pitch, but now the guitars are gonna be down a full step, and we’ll do that in B minor. And then there’s Magic Power, which used to be in concert D, but now it’s going to be in concert A, which works great.
You can really “Pete Townshend” it up in that key. So I’ve been on the phone with my D’Addario guy, saying, “I think I’m gonna have to move my string gauges up, like, two or three; send me some sets for drop D.” [Laughs]
Is the plan to have Todd and Phil sing some songs as well?
We’re figuring it out. I think there will be songs where I might sing the first verse and then look over at Todd or Phil and go, “Take it from here.”
With the guitars detuned, it’s great, and the bending is so much easier. I think, “Why didn’t I do this a long time ago?”
I can still play the guitar parts, so that won’t be an issue. And with the guitars detuned, it’s great, and the bending is so much easier. I think, “Why didn’t I do this a long time ago?” But singing? Who knows? There might be songs assigned to Todd, Phil or Gil.
In Triumph’s heyday, you were the only guitarist. It must be a load off to have Phil around.
It’s pretty great to contemplate, isn’t it? The sky is the limit. There are things that exist from youth, like Wishbone Ash and Judas Priest, who had harmony guitars, and with Phil, there’s unlimited potential. But he’s a different kind of player; I’m from a different era – more of a prog guy, you know, Steve Howe, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.
Phil is more from the Eddie Van Halen school. He can do the tapping, sweep picking and all those things that aren’t really my bag. Imagine the luxury, if you will, of the guy who recorded Rock & Roll Machine being able to start a solo and then go, “Ladies and gentlemen, here’s Phil X.” It’s interstellar.
What gear will you be bringing on tour?
I just tried my double-neck the other day for more than 10 minutes, and I went, “It’s too heavy.” I said, “What’s plan B?” But I’ve just got a new electric acoustic from Godin, and it’s phenomenal. So I’ll maybe use that 12-string for the intro of Magic Power, Fight the Good Fight and maybe Never Surrender. And I tend to be very old-school, so I’m happy with my Line 6 Pod Go; I don’t run it with a giant rig.
I used to use a backline where the backline company would provide me with a Fender combo, like a Deluxe, but it could be anything because I was gonna set it up and run it flat, clean. And then I’d let my pedalboard be the thing that gave me different [sounds].
But in the Pod, you’ve got Marshalls – you can do anything! I tend to like that sound because in the old days, I used a Marshall plexi, a 50-watt head that didn’t even have a master. But it was souped up and had power tubes.
Will you be using Godin guitars across the board?
I have a relationship with Godin, and they’re making a Rik Emmett model, which is gonna be called the 24/7. It looks like the Godin Stadium ’59, so I’m sort of using that body design, which is like a Fender Telecaster that has Gibson SG sculpting around the edges, and with a belly cut.
Mine is going to have 24.75 scaling, so it’s like a Les Paul scale length with a higher bridge. It’s taking a Tele and a Les Paul and creating a hybrid between the two. They’re also making me – from their Montreal Premiere Supreme – one that I call Soupy, which is the first incarnation of that guitar.
Will that be a one-off or a signature production model?
They’re making me a custom one, so it’s a one-off. They’re not gonna introduce it as a retail line item. It’s gonna be white, but semi-acoustic, so it’s very much like a Gibson ES-335, except the Godin folks are good at coming up with their own ideas. It’s got a block in the middle, but it’s arched so it’s very acoustic and can give jazz-guitar sounds.
I like those guitars because when you turn them up, it’s like the old days when Ted Nugent used to use a [Gibson] Byrdland or Steve Howe would have a [Gibson ES-5] Switchmaster or ES-175. Back in the day, I had the Ackerman and a Framus, which had blocks in them, but they looked like a Les Paul with a thyroid condition or an ES-175 that had been in the dryer for too long.
Do you see yourself breaking out a Les Paul?
I like the idea of hybrid, semi-acoustic guitars. I have a feeling I’ll be using the Godin quite a lot. They’re only 6.5 lbs. With that and the 12-string, I think I’ve covered the spectrum. But there’s bound to be a Les Paul or two. I have two Gibsons with ’60s necks, and they’re chambered.
I think they’re from 2006 or 2009; Gibson gave me a couple of those back in the day. I’ve bought three or four of those, so there will probably be a Les Paul, like when we play Rock & Roll Machine. I think I’ve gotta play that on a Les Paul!
Are you open to more dates, or do you see this as Triumph’s last hurrah?
I’m kind of philosophical right now. I’m bemused by all of this. I never imagined the reaction would be as positive as it’s been. Live Nation is so happy with the ticket sales, and I’m going, “They’re gonna wanna add more shows.”
We’re playing a 4,000-seat venue in Chicago, and it sold out in one day. They added another day, and I think by the time we finish this call, that’ll be sold out, too.
The metaphor I’ve been using is it’s like a game of golf. I’m just gonna hit the thing and then go find it and play it where it lies. Whatever happens next is what happens next. It’s a philosophical thing. From this vantage point, I’m just gonna enjoy it. I think it’s gonna be fun, and playing with these younger musicians is gonna be a challenging kick in the ass. You know, a can of whoop-ass kinda fun.
From this vantage point, I’m just gonna enjoy it. I think it’s gonna be fun, and playing with these younger musicians is gonna be a challenging kick in the ass
But I don’t know; I could get out there and think, “I think I hate this guy,” you know? Or I could get out there and go, “I think these guys should just do it, and I should just stay home because my arthritis is flaring up, and this isn’t fun anymore.” I don’t know!
The outpouring of love has to be energizing, considering the underrated nature of Triumph.
I used to think of myself as a glass-half-empty kind of guy when it came to projecting into the future. And a huge surprise to me is, apparently, no – at 72, my glass is half-full.
I didn’t think this would happen. I didn’t think I'd enjoy all the tour prep, working out every day and doing interviews every half hour, but I am. I’m recapturing some of the energy of my younger days. The answer to it all is, I don’t know. But I think I’m going to like it.
- This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.
Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Bass Player, Guitar Player, Guitarist, and MusicRadar. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Morello, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.
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