TORONTO – The rock band Nickelback has listened to you through the years of condemnation. Her answer is her new documentary Love to Hate: Nickelback.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday (September 8), a fitting homecoming for the Canadian band.
Starring band members Chad Kroeger, Michael Kroeger, Ryan Peake and Daniel Adair, the film takes haters and fans on a journey through the group’s “rollercoaster career.”
Often referred to as one of the most hated bands in the world, the singers of How You Remind Me decided it was time to share their side of the story.
“We thought this would be a chance for us to keep the story going,” said Nickelback guitarist and backing vocalist Ryan Peake. “We were silent about it for quite a while.”
There are hundreds of think pieces, Reddit threads, and videos full of people trying to figure out the reason for the intense public hatred. The consensus seems to be the similarity between the songs and their constant radio play in the early 2000s.
Frontman Chad Kroeger no longer sports his iconic long hair, but his blonde, frosted tips brought a touch of nostalgia from the band’s original look.
The film originally began as an album promotion and grew from there, said director Leigh Brooks, explaining that the band’s resentment and the toll it took on their families had become too great to bear.
“(The abuse) affects not just that one person, but everyone around them. It was important to show that,” Brooks said.
In response to the slur, the band was guarded at the start of filming, said producer Ben Jones.
“We tackle everything,” said Kroeger. “We pull back the curtain and give everyone a look.”
ALSO READ: Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger is ‘ready for the world to hate us again’ with his new album.
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