Bachman Turner Overdrive, April Wine & Headpins – Back In Overdrive Tour Live @ Peterborough Memorial Centre

Bachman Turner Overdrive

With April Wine and The Headpins

Peterborough Memorial Centre

Review and pictures by Stuart Roberts of The Photo Roadies (www.thephotoroadies.com)

As dark clouds loomed over the Peterborough Memorial Centre, deciding whether it should rain or not, three thousand people inside were eagerly awaiting the triple bill of Canadian rock legends in the Back In Overdrive Tour 2025 

The tour that began April 1 in Victoria, BC with over twenty tour stops that will end May 8 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia features three of Canada’s most renowned rock bands, Bachman Turner Overdrive, April Wine and The Headpins. 

Randy Bachman, veteran Canadian rocker, best known as the inspiration behind Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO), and a founding member of The Guess Who, is back again! BTO just off touring the USA, and this current cross Canada tour brings family members, Tal Bachman on guitar and keyboards, KoKo Bachman on drums, Lance Lapointe on bass guitar, and Brent Knudson on guitar into the lineup. In a riveting ninety minute plus set, Randy sitting centre stage guided the band through BTO fan favourites – “Rock is My Life This Is My Song”, “Lookin’ Out For Number One”, “Let It Ride”, “Four Wheel Drive” and “Roll On The Highway”. In the middle of these classic tracks, Bachman and company entertained with Guess Who classics – “These Eyes”, “Undun”, “No Sugar Tonight”, “Laughing” and “American Woman” with Tal Bachman rolling out “She’s So High” never performed in Peterborough before. The almost 20 minute encore featured a rock and roll medley bookended by “Hey You” with some Steve Miller, AC/DC, T-Rex, Rolling stones, Bob Seger mixed in, with an audience standing, vocal strong as the evening ended with “Takin’ Care of Business”

 April Wine, with second set honours, are continuing the musical memories created by Myles Goodwyn originally beginning way back in 1969. With Bryan Greenway on guitar, Marc Parent on lead vocals and guitar, Richard Lanthier on bass, and Roy Nichols on drums and a bright orange April Wine logo on the backdrop, the crowd erupted in cheer when the band led off with “Ootwatanite”. The ten song set contained a cross selection of AW classic tracks from “You Could Have Been A Lady, Say Hello, Sign Of The Gypsy Queen” and “Roller” 

Starting off the night, The Headpins, with Kat Lawrence back at lead vocals delivered a strong seven song set that it included “Feel It (Feel My Body), “Just One More Time”, “Don’t It Make Ya Feel” and “Turn It Loud”.  The Headpins celebrating their 45th anniversary features original members, Bernie Aubin on drums and Ab Bryant on bass guitar with Tony Dellacroce on guitar and Alfie Galpin on guitars and keyboards. Throughout the show, The Headpins honoured the memory of Brian “Too Loud” McLeod, who co-wrote many of the songs being performed today. 

As a Canadian music fan, watching these bands on stage from a young age, and even with missing original members for whatever reason, I was reminded that music is a vibrant common thread that stands the test of time beyond the radio box.  With that thought, long live BTO, April Wine and The Headpins, and a heartfelt thank you from your faithful fans! See you soon!!