Nickelback will be welcoming a special guest to the stage when they perform at Rogers Arena on Wednesday night. Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini will be joining the legendary Canadian rock band, and he’s working on his vocals.
Nickelback’s Get Rollin’ Tour will visit Vancouver with the 46-year-old Italian manager making a guest appearance on stage to join the band as they sing their smash hit, Rockstar.
Ahead of his singing debut, Sartini has been warming up his vocal cords in preparation for his guest appearance with Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair, and Ryan Peake.
Sartini has fully embraced his inner rockstar, providing a taste of what fans can expect to hear when he hits the stage.
#VWFC Coach Vanni Sartini will be joining @Nickelback on stage to sing Rockstar on Wednesday night @RogersArena in Vancouver.
“This is a song and other songs from Nickelback that I listened to when I was in Italy 20 years ago. It’s going to be pretty cool.” @CFOXvan pic.twitter.com/FjfcfXoVvM
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) June 27, 2023
“It’s going to be pretty cool,” Sartini told reporters following Whitecaps training on Tuesday. “I always dreamed of winning an Oscar and doing a speech at the Academy Awards, but this one is pretty cool too.”
The opportunity of a lifetime came to Sartini from The Jeff O’Neil Show on CFOX and the Rockstar For a Day contest. Fans were encouraged to send in audio singing the song Rockstar.
On June 5, Sartini sent his own recording of Rockstar to CFOX. It was remixed and played on the air the next day before the Whitecaps played in the 2023 Canadian Championship.
Sartini was chosen as the winner with the best version of Rockstar, but he had a stipulation.
He would only sing with Nickelback if Vancouver won the 2023 Canadian Championship, which they did earlier this month.
We spoke with coach of your Vancouver @WhitecapsFC before the team gears up to defend the Voyageurs Cup in the Canadian Championship TONIGHT! ⚽️
We also got him to enter our Rockstar For A Day contest by singing @Nickelback 🎶😉 pic.twitter.com/JLgFttGTiv
— The Jeff O'Neil Show (@jeffoneilshow) June 7, 2023
The Caps beat CF Montreal 2-1 to win the Voyageurs Cup on June 7 and ever since then, Sartini has been getting set for his debut. He has spent the last three weeks singing his heart out in his Vancouver apartment with his wife and their two cats, Frida and Pablo.
Sartini’s wife Barbara has had a first hand view of his progress, how is he sounding?
“The last few days I’ve been training myself with karaoke while she’s cooking dinner,” Sartini said. “I think my neighbour thinks I’m crazy, but my wife says that I’m getting better.”
The news of Nickelback’s newest member travelled quickly through Whitecaps training on Tuesday. Some players had heard the news, while others thought it was a complete joke.
Nickelback fan Ryan Gauld wasn’t aware the band was in town and he was even more surprised to learn that his head coach would be signing.
“No, he’s not,” Gauld said. “Is he actually? I’ll have to get a video of that, that’ll be a good video to watch.”
Sartini’s enthusiasm and zest for life is sure to produce another exciting moment for fans in attendance, and you never know if he will keep his shirt on.
“I can’t promise what will happen if I get too excited when I sing,” Sartini said.
The 6-5-7 Whitecaps will return to the pitch following Sartini’s appearance with Nickelback when they take on Sporting Kansas City on Canada Day.
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