Part-biography, part-exploration of what it means to be divisive, Hate To Love: Nickelback arguably overserves the latter component – although, admittedly, the depth of feeling the band invites, good and bad, needs some exploration. And there are interesting insights along the way. For instance, Chad is self-aware enough to acknowledge he hasn’t always made things easy for himself. “Life only has to be as difficult as you make it,” he suggests of the added scrutiny of his two-year marriage to fellow Canadian music star Avril Lavigne.
Meanwhile, the band concede some of the criticism levelled at them, to a point, particularly with regards what Mike calls their “stripper anthems” and the more lascivious lyrics. “Sometimes people want to hear vacuous, dumb shit,” reasons Mike.
Chad is similarly philosophical these days. “I play Nickelback songs to Nickelback fans,” he says simply. “They want to hear Nickelback songs – and I want to sing them.” Things venture deeper, too. They reveal that Mike suffered a stroke aged 40 that necessitated him learning to walk again. The bassist now thinks about his mortality, while wondering what Chad thinks about his own, as he genuinely doesn’t know, despite being his older brother. Chad admits the terror he felt when vocal issues forced the cancellation of a large portion of touring a few years back, but little else about what actually makes him tick.
That’s the most surprising thing in this film: despite being such a ubiquitous presence since the early ’00s, Chad remains a mystery – evidently hard living but harder working, loving but something of a loner prone to fragility – even his mother struggles to sum him up.
His final words in the film suggest he’s a man with noble intentions, though. After the band returns to Hanna to play a fundraising show playing covers in their pre-Nickelback guise, Village Idiot, Chad describes his legacy. “I hope that in my time on this planet, I have made some songs that you might enjoy,” he explains simply. “And I hope I’ve made someone’s day just a little bit better.”
Hate To Love: Nickelback shows us he’s certainly accomplished that mission, though despite all the talking heads, we never truly learn at what cost.
Verdict: 4/5
Hate To Love: Nickelback is showing in cinemas March 27 and 30