At some point, almost all people have blasted Welcome to My Life in their room. Canadian band Simple Plan were arguably the kings of pop-punk in the noughties – and they haven’t retired. They jump on stage in their Chucks and Vans, tattooed head-to-toe, singing about being an outcast who’s not willing to grow up.
“I’ve waited twenty years to see them,” says Arianna Marsili, 34, a hotel receptionist who’s toured the world to see some of her favourite musicians. “I grew up listening to them. Tonight’s so special.”
Fans gathered in Eventim Apollo to see the band's biggest UK show. Photos by Sara Valle
The band has six albums under its belt. Their second one, Still Not Getting Any… (2004), marked a before and after for teenagers worldwide. It included anthems about being mistreated and misunderstood like Shut Up or Welcome to My Life.
“The first time I listened to Simple Plan I was 13. A high school friend told me to listen to I’m Just a Kid and I loved it. I was amazed beyond words, and I went online looking for more, more, more,” says Mariángeles Sánchez. “They made me feel invincible, like I was able to do anything. And free, special. I guess that’s how every teenager wants to feel.”
Simple Plan have been performing since 1999. Photos by Sara Valle
The crowd in Eventim Apollo, London, included those who were jamming to Simple Plan 20 years ago to those who were not even born when they released their first album in 2002. Yesterday evening, Sánchez, 33, worked a full shift as a surgeon in a hospital in Málaga, Spain. Now she’s here, in the middle of the crowd – coloured-hair, piercings, tattoos, and Simple Plan T-shirts and hoodies galore.
“When you’re an adult, you don’t feel like this often. You have worries, burdens, obligations. But you see Simple Plan and suddenly all that kind of goes away. It’s like happiness without ‘buts’,” she says.
Air Yel, State Champs, and Mayday Parade make their sets before the headliners hit the stage. It’s their biggest ever concert in the capital city since they started playing back in 1999, so they’ve put together a setlist packed with hits to celebrate.
After opening with I’d Do Anything, they immediately play oldies Shut Up! and Jump. It’s like they know their die-hard fans came here tonight.
Pierre Bouvier sings Holiday. “Can you just go somewhere on vacation? I could book your flight and pack your bags if you want.” But Sánchez put herself on a plane to London to see the band and meet her friend Marta.
“When you meet with the people who had such a big impact during your teenage years and with the band that did too, it’s like being 15 or 16 again. It’s like reconnecting with a truly genuine part of yourself,” says Sánchez.
“It’s like time didn’t go by. Even if we hadn’t seen each other in a long time, it felt like we met last weekend,” adds Marta Lumbierres, 35. The business developer manager moved to Bristol ten years ago to get her master’s degree.
Beachballs flood the crowd during Summer Paradise. Then there are a few tear-jerkers, some irreverent songs, medleys of covers, and hits that didn’t make the cut. Crew members and fans hop on stage while the band plays What’s New Scooby-Doo? – they featured in the series’ opening and on an episode that aired back in 2002.
At some point drummer Chuck Comeau crowdsurfs, high-fiving everyone, while Bouvier takes the drums. It’s Simple Plan’s party tonight and they make everyone aware.
Nobody wants to think Perfect’s coming next – that’s the end of the show. But the dynamic crowd becomes a wave of phone flashlights flickering like stars in the dark. Then the confetti rain falls, and the smoke canyons stop for the night.
“It’s been a long time since last time I saw them, and I don’t listen as much as I used to. But I still remember all the lyrics,” says Lumbierres. “They’re in a corner in my mind, taking space, and I don’t care at all.”
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