By John Johnson
[ Triumph: The Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded Tour
April Wine & Triumph
Sun. May 24th – 8PM MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tickets www.ticketmaster.com]
I’ve done a lot of interviews since starting at TBMN a few years back, but not many start with me accidentally inventing a fictional guitar brand called “Heper Form.” That’s what happens when you’re running on caffeine, adrenoline, and the realization that you’re talking to Brian Greenway from April Wine, one of my very favorite bands from the 80’s. You see, in my email that I received from PR, there were topics to discuss and a bio attached. And somehow in the bio, next to his name and what he does, it read Heper Forms Guitars. Not realizing it was a typo or glitch, I assumed it was a brand of guitars made in Canada that he plays, a brand that I wasn’t aware of, so I was looking forward to discussing that with him.
Brian, thankfully, found it hilarious.
“Heper Forms?” he laughed after I pointed out that it was a reverse truncated version of “he performs guitars.” “I’ll take that. Performs guitars!”
And just like that, the conversation turned into exactly what you’d hope a chat with a veteran rock guitarist would be, relaxed, funny and full of cool musician stories.
Calling from Montreal while snow still covered half his yard, Brian sounded perfectly at ease preparing to head south for the upcoming tour with Canadian brothers, Triumph. Meanwhile, I was sitting in Florida trying to explain that I only like snow when it’s attached to skis and a lodge bar. “Yeah, the snow’s melting,” he said casually. “Half the yard’s snow, half the yard’s not.” As a Florida native, I found that horrifying, as I have shoveled snow ONCE at my in-laws in New York, and that was one time too many.
What really struck me, though, was how excited he seemed about this current version of April Wine. After the loss of longtime leader Miles Goodwyn in 2023, there could’ve easily been a sense of heaviness hanging over the band. Instead, Brian talked about the new lineup with genuine enthusiasm. “I like this lineup a lot,” he told me. “It’s the best lineup we’ve had since the late ’70s.” That’s not a casual statement from a guy who’s lived through the band’s biggest years. He spoke highly of newer member Marc Parent, laughing about how the singer “automatically became the youngest man in the band.” “That used to be my job,” Brian joked. But apparently Parent checked every box: the voice, the guitar chops, the stage presence, and conveniently, he also lives in Montreal. Brian also stated that Miles himself had really liked him before his passing, which gave the choice even more meaning.
And yes, the famous twin guitars are still alive and well. “We do guitar battles,” Brian said. “Well… not battles. We don’t really jam off too much.” That led naturally into one of my favorite moments of the interview, hearing the origin story behind the legendary “I Like to Rock” guitar mashup where April Wine blends The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” with The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” Even way back when I was a teen I realized how unique what they were doing was. Overlapping licks wasn’t rare obviously, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the like did it ad nauseam. But recognizable riffs over one another in the same cadence was fresh to my young ears and it was “badass”.
Turns out the whole thing started in some bar band he played with in the mid-’70s featuring three guitar players and two drummers. “We were bored one night,” Brian said. “One guy started playing ‘Day Tripper,’ another started playing ‘Satisfaction,’ and the audience was like, ‘What the fuck?’” Honestly, that reaction still feels appropriate. By the time the idea made its way into April Wine a few years later, it became one of those signature moments that fans still talk about decades on. I admitted hearing it as a kid absolutely melted my brain. “No way,” I remembered thinking back then. “They can DO that?” Brian laughed knowingly. He’s probably been hearing that reaction since 1979.
One thing we bonded over immediately was how long I’d waited to see the band again. The first, and only, time I saw April Wine was in Atlanta in 1981 on the Nature of the Beast tour. Brian seemed genuinely surprised Florida fans still remembered that era so vividly. Whenever I wear my old Nature of the Beast shirt, middle-aged rock dudes still walk up to me like they’ve discovered buried treasure. “Dude… APRIL WINE! That’s awesome.”
Brian approved. “Perfect.” I felt vindicated but joked that I was miffed that I had to drive to Atlanta to see them, and asked why it seemed they avoided Florida back then. He graciously explained why Florida hadn’t seen much April Wine over the years. “There were always lowball offers,” he admitted. “Too many bands wanted to play there. And Miles would never, never accept those (offers).” As a Floridian, and a long time April Wine devotee, I offered a formal apology on behalf of my state.
We also got into the strange realities of modern concerts, especially the dreaded “VIP Zombies” in the front row. “You get people paying high money for tickets and they just stand there,” Brian said. “Or they turn around and take selfies with you in the background.” You could hear the disbelief in his voice as we both chuckled. Meanwhile, he’d clearly prefer the lunatics in the cheap seats. “Put the crazy fans up front,” he laughed. “They deserve it.” That’s when I promised him I’d absolutely be screaming every lyric when I see them in Tampa Sunday. “We need people like you there,” he replied. As far as April Wine goes, I’ve been saying this exact thing since 1981.
The conversation wandered all over the place after that, touring Europe with Uriah Heep, playing with Florida’s own Molly Hatchet, Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick randomly running across the stage during an outdoor show, and even a hurricane-interrupted golf game with Triumph’s Gil Moore that Brian described as “a scene out of Caddyshack.” “The green was just a sheet of water,” he said. “You couldn’t even tell where the hole was.” Not an avid golfer myself, but was well aware of the movie reference. Brian laughed when I confided that, to this day, when something frustrates me, I blurt out “Rat Fart!”
Somehow, even after all these years, Brian still comes across less like a rock star and more like a cool guy you’d accidentally sit next to at a local pub. No ego. No rehearsed answers. Just stories, laughs, and a genuine appreciation for the fans who’ve stuck around for decades. Present company included, as stated a few times in our conversation which led him to tell me about a fan in Germany holding up a sign that read: “I waited 43 years for this. Please don’t make me wait another 43.”
Brian chuckled a bit remembering it. “He gave me that sign,” he said. “I gave him a pick.”
That pretty much sums up the whole conversation for me. After 50-plus years of music, Brian Greenway still understands exactly what these songs mean to people. And honestly? That connection feels just as strong now as it probably did back in 1981 when I first saw him light up a stage in Atlanta.
Only this time, being an artist, if I make a sign for the show, I hope it’ll earn me at least two picks. Thanks for a great chat Brian and I look forward to see you with Triumph Sunday.
Now. Go Out and See, Hear and Feel Live Music
