For those of you gearing up for the show that might be unfamiliar with Canada’s favorite hard-rocking sons, Pulse presents a quick reference guide to the finer points of Nickelback’s multiplatinum career.

Lineup:

Chad Kroeger – Vocals, Guitar

Ryan Peake – Guitar, Vocals

Mike Kroeger – Bass

Daniel Adair – Drums

– Roadrunner Records.com

Bio: Canada’s Nickelback started life as a cover band in Hanna, 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary. Eventually, they tired of playing other people’s songs and singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger put together a bunch of original songs, borrowed $4,000 from his stepfather, and went to big city Vancouver to record them in a friend’s studio. Based on the results, Kroeger’s guitarist brother Mike and pal bassist Ryan Vikedal all relocated to Vancouver in 1996. That same year, they recorded the full-length “Curb” independently and embarked on a series of cross-country tours.

“The State” was released independently in January 2000. Nickelback toured ceaselessly for “The State” and 200 shows later, the band had gone from virtual unknowns to playing in front of over a million people alongside the likes of Creed, 3 Doors Down, Fuel and more. The band’s post-grunge commercial appeal wasn’t lost on the record industry and “The State” was snapped up by Roadrunner/Island, Def Jam in the United States, and EMI in Canada. It eventually sold an impressive 500,000 copies.

Many of the songs that comprised the next album, “Silver Side Up,” were written even before “The State” was released in America and road-tested in front of eager audiences on cross-country treks. The more polished “The Long Road” arrived in 2003. Despite the naysayers, the album went on to sell five million copies worldwide and was supported by another successful international tour. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and the late Dimebag Darrel from Pantera were guests on “All the Right Reasons” which saw release in October of 2005.

Source: Allmusic.com

Discography:

“Curb” (independent 1996, Re-issued by Roadrunner in 2002)

“The State” (Roadrunner 2000)

“Silver Side Up” (Roadrunner 2001)

“The Long Road” (Roadrunner 2003)

“All The Right Reasons” (Roadrunner 2005)

Source: Allmusic.com

– Compiled by Joshua Haun