With tents scattered around the grounds of Rod Laver Arena, you could already feel the supercharged energy of fans hyped for The Offspring.
After a successful first night in Melbourne the previous evening, familiar touring buddies Simple Plan and The Offspring took to the stage for one more night of nostalgia, confetti cannons, and classic hits (8 May).Simple Plan are no strangers to Australian waters, being here last year with Boys Like Girls on their own headline tour. Great friends with The Offspring, when given the opportunity to come back so soon, they couldn't say no.
With some fans completing childhood dreams of meeting the band with a pizza party backstage and others getting to hear the nostalgic hits for the first time live, the Canadian band put on a show to remember. You have to appreciate band members when they truly take that extra step to connect with their audience.
Throughout their performance, each Simple Plan member would take a moment to point in the fans' direction, wave at them, or, in drummer Chuck Comeau's case, jump into the crowd as soon-to-be birthday boy Pierre Bouvier took over drumming.
Simple Plan - image © Chris Dy
Thanks to Destroy All Lines, select fans had the amazing opportunity to gate-crash the stage dressed in Scooby Doo onesies during 'What's New Scooby Doo?' creating once in a lifetime memories for them.
With streamer and confetti cannons blasting throughout the performance and giant beach balls bouncing around the crowd, you can truly tell how much Australia feels like home to the young-at-heart quartet.
For those familiar with the 2020 disbanded Brisbane alt-rock band Stateside, the familiar face of lead singer Erin Reus took to the stage for 'Jet Lag'. That girl is an absolute firecracker onstage and knows how to live in the moment and get people excited for the popular duet.
When asked backstage about the band's relationship with Reus, Jeff Stinco heavily reflected on how purely talented the singer is. Originally connecting back in 2018 when Stateside opened for Simple Plan, the two have remained in touch.
Reus has also jumped onstage with the pop-punk band at Good Things 2019 and the Gold Coast sideshow. "When we find talented people, we like to keep them close," Stinco stated. Like anything in this industry, it's all about who you know.
Today, Simple Plan has dropped a new single with fellow Canadian punk rocker Avril Lavigne called 'Young And Dumb'.
If there were an award for the best intermission at a live show, The Offspring would be taking it and are running with it! Waiting around for bands can be quite boring between changeovers unless you're there with a squad or have made friends in line. Not for these punk rockers, though!
You want games to keep your brain active? Predict which cup the ball is under? Want to really know how much of a fan you are? Take a quiz on the big screen. Need that extra push to kiss your crush at a show? Well, make that move now because you're on the kiss cam.
The Offspring know how to bring the fun; and even better yet, the fans know how to bring the support, not just to the Southern Californian pop-punk band but the fanbase as a whole.
Noodles described the Melbourne crowd perfectly as one "you could take home to introduce to your parents. The type of crowd you want to hook up with." It honestly is an experience like no other. If you're lucky, you might even find yourself catching a few plectrums dropping from the blimp flying around the room. That's just the intermission!
The Offspring - image © Chris Dy
The party never stops with these guys. Even more confetti and streamer canons blasting off – you had to feel sorry for the post clean-up crew. Perfectly pairing with intricately designed video game, cartoon-like visuals matched coloured pyrotechnics, and smoke blasters.
Even having giant blow-up skeletons on either side of the stage just added to the character of the show. Anything The Offspring could do to show Melbourne just who they are, and that age and time of being in a band doesn't mean the chaotic antics have to stop, they were doing it.
From cover medleys to ending the show with some of their most-streamed songs like 'You're Gonna Go Far, Kid', it was a show to truly remember for people of all ages, including little kids who seemed to have just as much fun as the adults drinking the night away.
For those who may not be familiar with The Offspring, or so they think (myself included), the opening song of the show, 'Come Out And Play' proves how much of an impact this band has had on people's upbringing with music. There's not a catchy bass riff like this one that just gets stuck in your head, even when you don't remember where you've heard it previously.
The upbeat tempos in every single song beautifully joined with the passion this five-member band has for what they do.
The Offspring - image © Chris Dy
From Scooby Doo-costumed fans taking over the stage to head-banging and booty-shaking cams, Simple Plan and The Offspring touring together are a force to be reckoned with.
If you're wanting a fun night out where you can just let loose and be under the same roof as people who love the same music, they'll provide it. The Supercharged Tour hits Sydney (11 May) and continues on to Brisbane (14-15 May).
More photos from the concert.
