Chad Kroeger Stops Nickelback Gig Mid-Song To Apologise To Crowd

8 August 2023 | 3:44 pm | Mary Varvaris
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"I cannot, in good conscience, stand up here and sing these f*ckin’ songs and have my voice crack and everything sound like sh*t."

Nickelback in Melbourne

Nickelback in Melbourne (Credit: Jaz Meadows)

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Chad Kroeger abruptly paused a Nickelback gig at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Missouri last Thursday (3 August) after encountering vocal issues.

Stopping at the fourth song in the set, Animals, Kroeger indicated for the rest of the band to halt and addressed the audience by saying, “I can’t do this,” per fan-captured footage and Consequence Of Sound.

He added, “I cannot sit here with a fucking absolutely destroyed throat and try to make it through this show and pretend like there’s nothing fucking wrong and take your fucking money, ’cause that is wrong. I’m having a hard time hittin’ fuckin’ notes.”

Kroeger went on to tell the audience that before the show, his doctor “stabbed” him with the anti-inflammatory agent, prednisone, to supposedly help with his singing that night.

“I cannot, in good conscience, stand up here and sing these fuckin’ songs and have my voice crack and everything sound like shit,” Kroeger said after telling the crowd that he’d crossed his fingers and hoped the vocal issues would cease.

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“It’s driving me fucking nuts. So, I’ll tell you what. I could give it my best. I could keep just trying, and we could just pull this fucker out if you want to.”

Kroeger went on for the remainder of the concert, shortened to 15 songs that included a cover of Steve Earle’s Copperhead Road, Hero, How You Remind Me, and many more.

Nickelback also restarted Animals after all, with the Rockstar singer saying “fuck it” and that he’d give the track “all I’ve got”. You can watch the video footage of Animals below.

Last week, Kill Your Stereo reported on the new authorised documentary film on the band, Hate To Love: Nickelback, which dropped its premiere trailer and release date.

“Nobody picks up a guitar to be the most hated band in the world,” guitarist Ryan Peake said in the trailer. Kroeger added candidly, “We try to laugh it off. You can laugh off about 90 per cent of it. Some of it… it hurts.”

Hate To Love: Nickelback was directed by British filmmaker Leigh Brooks and will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from 7-17 September.