Glass Tiger still rocking after 41 years, heading to Kelowna

It was 1986 and Canadian band Glass Tiger - new wave haircuts 'n all - were blanketed across radio and TV pop shows worldwide with their mega hit Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone).

The song reached number 2 on the American Billboard 100 chart and went all the way to number 1 in Canada. The track also enjoyed success in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Netherlands. It won the Juno Award for best single that year

Formed in 1983, it's hard to believe they're still rocking live audiences some 41 years later.

They'll play Kelowna Monday March 31, 2025.

" I just can't comprehend that number," founding member and keyboardist Sam Reid told Ara from 103.1 Beach Radio when asked to reflect on 41 years since the band's creation. "It doesn't feel that long because we still really enjoy touring. You blink and it just seems the decades go by and here we are still on the road."

Reid says the reason the band still tours is simple: popular demand.

"When we show up anywhere in Canada and we've got a bunch of fans, when they start singing along it makes us feel good, no matter how far we've travelled ," he explained, noting how modern day touring is a whole lot easier to keep in touch with loved ones compared to the pre-internet/Zoom days in the 80s. Back then they could be on the road for 18 months straight with limited contact back home.

Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone), is well-known for having a certain Bryan Adams on backing vocals. For Reid, he says they just had a fortunate history of getting guest artists popping in to contribute over the years.

"We had Bryan singing on a couple of songs on the first album, then we had Rod Stewart, Lisa Dal Bello, we've had Julian Lennon, The Chieftains. We just love the cross-pollination with styles and it came organically, nothing was ever pre-conceived."

Heading into another tour Reid says he continues to be delighted with the audience reactions, especially a secondary crop of fans.

"You have these fans who we remember from the 80s who are now grown up and they're bringing their daughters and sons. Sometimes you're standing and talking [to them] and you're trying to do the math in your head and you're thinking 'there's no way you are old enough to have been there in '86.'"

That's when they tell him they grew up listening to the band in their home with their mom and dad.

"I think we're going to draw the line when someone says 'my granny thinks you're hot,'" he chuckles.