Seems everywhere you look these days another band from your youth pops its head out of the ether to remind us they're still around.
Enter Canadian pop-punks Simple Plan and the 15th anniversary of their debut album.
Somehow it's already been 15 years since Simple Plan released 'No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls' and the passage of time has not been lost on rhythm guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre. “It feels like it has not been 15 years,” he laughs.
“Honestly, sometimes it feels like the album's just come out; it feels like we were just in the studio recording it. We have nothing but good memories from those first years of shows and touring and recording.
“Aside from the fact that we definitely play the songs better now than we did back then, because we have 15 years of playing on-stage together added to our resume, the show is just as fun, just as entertaining. We want to have a good time and we want people to have a good time, and that's what the show is all about.”
'No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls' was released in 2002, another entrant in the bustling emo/ college/ pop-punk marketplace dominated by acts such as Blink-182, New Found Glory and Sum 41.
Now preparing for the Australian leg of their anniversary tour for the album, Sébastien and his bandmates are faced with the inevitable question: has Simple Plan become a nostalgia act? “It's an interesting question,” Sébastien counters.
“It's definitely a question that we asked ourselves before doing a throwback tour, as in what does this mean? Does it mean the band is winding down? Does this mean people only care about the first album? Blah blah blah.
“What we quickly realised is that it's just a tour. This band still means a lot to people, that they have such a strong connection to the first album because it came out at an important time for pop-punk and also an important time in people's lives.”
Ahead of the Australian tour, which touches down later this month, Sébastien recalls Simple Plan's long association with Australia and their connection to what continues to be a thriving fan base. “Every, single time we come to Australia we're blown away by how much our fans feel like they're family,” he says.
“There's a real thing between Australians and Canadians and it feels like we're the same, except you guys have much nicer weather, that's basically it,” he laughs.
“Everybody is easygoing, we definitely have that in common; there's the whole friendliness to the people – welcoming people – and that's something we have in common as well. It's all about good times.”
And good times are exactly what you'll get when Simple Plan take the stage, as their setlist includes a full play-through of the 'No Pads...' album as well as an extra set of classics from their other releases.
“Basically we play the whole, first album and then we come back for a few more hits after that; an extra half hour of all the songs you want to hear and sing-along to.”
Simple Plan Tour Dates
Sat 21 Apr - NightQuarter (Gold Coast)Sun 22 Apr - Eatons Hill Hotel (Brisbane)
23-24 Apr - The Forum Theatre (Melbourne)
Thu 26 Apr - Newcastle Exhibition & Convention Centre
Fri 27 Apr - Big Top (Sydney)
