Nickelback has tasted the hater-ade from the band鈥檚 zealous detractors 鈥� and is raising a toast to them.
In the new documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback, the Hanna, Alta., hitmakers take a step back from their massively successful career to wrestle with their complicated legacy.
On one hand, they鈥檝e delivered numerous hit singles and top-selling albums over their three-decade career, and on the other, they鈥檙e often called one of the most-hated rock acts of all time.
鈥淚t seems to be a real part of our history,鈥� acknowledged guitarist Ryan Peake on Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival where the film had its world premiere.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to talk about it because it鈥檚 weird if you don鈥檛.鈥�
Sitting alongside bassist Mike Kroeger 鈥� brother of frontman Chad Kroeger 鈥� the bandmates seem more comfortable than ever assessing how it feels to be the butt of an online joke or the target of a music critic. They are on a brief pause from their ongoing North American tour with the prospect of international dates on the horizon.
For years, Nickelback seemed to wince at the jabs. Lately they鈥檝e welcomed those so-called haters 鈥� if not with open arms, at least a pat on the back.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the story, whether anybody likes it or not,鈥� agrees Kroeger.
鈥淎nd you know, it turns out negativity sells. So, we鈥檙e going to ride that sucker all the way.鈥�
Hate to Love: Nickelback is directed by British documentarian Leigh Brooks, who was originally hired to capture behind-the-scenes moments and promotional interviews for the band鈥檚 2017 album 鈥淔eed the Machine.鈥�
When Peake saw early footage of the Vancouver shoot, he said he started thinking about the missing pieces of Nickelback鈥檚 story.
鈥淲e hadn鈥檛 done any kind of history of the band, (even) for ourselves 鈥� for our families, but I wasn鈥檛 thinking larger,鈥� he said.
And yet like many things Nickelback, what started as a small idea took on sizable ambitions.
After he convinced his bandmates that making a documentary was a good idea, the cameras began rolling on their lives, first for a couple of days and then for a few months.
鈥淣obody wants a camera in their face all of the time, but in the same breath, I was like, 鈥楯ust shoot everything,鈥欌�� Peake said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a weird feeling,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not the Kardashians.鈥�
Six years later, they had a movie that fleshed out Nickelback鈥檚 story in their own words.
Using interviews with friends and family, the documentary veers through the band鈥檚 history, making brief stops at memorable pop culture moments, such as Chad鈥檚 marriage to pop-punk singer Avril Lavigne and the inescapable success of How You Remind Me and Rockstar.
More time is dedicated to surprising new revelations, including the day Chad and Mike learned they had different fathers. They also invite their former drummer Ryan Vikedal to discuss his ouster from the band.
Some candid footage gives a clearer sense of how hostility towards Nickelback has personally affected Chad Kroeger. While he doesn鈥檛 entertain the subject much himself, Chad鈥檚 mother is among the people who offer insight into how he deals with it.
By the close of its 90-minute runtime, the production feels like a soft reset on how Nickelback wants to be seen: less as opponents to their position in music history and more as dudes with a sense of humour and a small-town spirit. Peake insists the intention wasn鈥檛 鈥渁bout controlling any kind of narrative.鈥�
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 like, 鈥楧o you want to hear our side? You want to hear how it鈥檚 been for us?鈥欌�� he posed.
It also suggests Nickelback is at a turning point in their careers where what lies ahead is anybody鈥檚 guess.
Late in the film, it鈥檚 revealed that Mike Kroeger suffered a stroke during the recording of Feed the Machine, a detail the band never publicly disclosed. The 51-year-old鈥檚 recovery slowed their lives down and could鈥檝e ended the band.
Kroeger acknowledged that anything could be around the corner, even the possibility that after this current tour Nickelback may be finished.
鈥淚 personally feel like I鈥檓 into bonus time, well into bonus time,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that we鈥檝e had a good run and a good ride. We will just see what we鈥檙e capable of next.鈥�
Hate to Love: Nickelback will also screen at TIFF on Saturday and Sept. 15.
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