RENOWNED Canadian rock band Simple Plan returned to Malaysia as part of the Southeast Asian leg of their Harder Than It Looks Tour, granting the wishes of local fans who had been waiting for them since their last visit back in 2016.
Formed in Montreal, Quebec, in 1999, the band – which currently consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead singer), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar) and Chuck Comeau (drums) – made global headlines with hit songs like Welcome To My Life and Perfect, and sold over 10 million albums worldwide.
Their 2002 track I’m Just a Kid was also featured in TikTok challenge that went viral during the pandemic, where users recreated an old family photo as adults, which attracted a new generation of fans.
The tour carries the name of the band’s most recent album, Harder Than It Looks, released in May last year, with hits like The Antidote and Wake Me Up (When This Nightmare Is Over) appearing on charts worldwide.
The band claimed that the album would be a return to their pop-punk roots. Meanwhile, the album also marks Simple Plan’s first since the departure of longtime bassist David Desrosiers.
Despite having just performed a high energy show in Singapore the day before their sold-out performance in Zepp Kuala Lumpur on March 8, the band still managed to deliver an all-out performance full of passion and energy.
The crowd immediately filled up the venue as soon as the doors opened, and rising artist AIRxYEL, who is following the band throughout its tour, got the party started. Her pre-show performances of Paramore’s Still Into You and Coldplay’s Yellow were instant hits.
The audience applauded loudly as the band took the stage at 8.30pm, starting off with I’d Do Anything, before quickly transitioning to Shut Up!
The crowd cheered and danced along, enjoying every moment of the enthusiastic performance. The band then continued to entertain, playing their hits until the crowd was left wanting more.
The nearly two-hour-long concert also included a duet on the song Jet Lag with local singer Vanessa Reynauld.
The band brought back the classic vibes of old-school concert events, with not even a big LCD screen to distract at their back. They focused solely on the music, showcasing their true passion and talent.
Fans were also thrilled when frontman Bouvier casually shouted “Aku cinta kamu” to them a few times.
Also, with other band members interacting with the audience and putting on explosive performances throughout the shows, the concert was jam-packed with excitement and went off without a hitch.
Their biggest hits I’m Just a Kid and Perfect served as the encore, with the majority of the audience singing along for the duration of both songs.
Bouvier later remarked that “this song is maybe older than some of the few people in the room right now” as the show came to a close.
Following the completion of their tour in Southeast Asia, Simple Plan has a long list of upcoming shows and concerts for the rest of the year, culminating in the When We Were Young festival set for this October.
