WHO needs a time machine when you have a simpler plan? Suddenly, it’s 2004 all over again at Zepp Kuala Lumpur, and you’re just an angsty tween (yes, not even an actual teenager) barely trying to make sense of the world with its “big fake smiles and stupid lies”.
As a listener who usually treads heavily along and within the realms of jazz, R&B, soul and pop, this writer feels rather out of depth when having to describe Simple Plan’s “sound”: is it alternative rock, emo, pop punk, punk rock, or pop rock? This writer will leave this conundrum to those who truly know.
There was no mistaking the impact of a favourite childhood band, though: just past 8.30 last night, I’d Do Anything’s intro suddenly filled the hall, and this writer’s heart raced as the first wave of nostalgia washed over unexpectedly.
Just as most were still barely able to begin processing such an electrifying start to the show brought by Shiraz Projects, lead vocalist Pierre Bouvier and the rest of the Montreal-hailed band spared no time revving up the crowd’s energy further with Shut Up! and Jump.
Doling out hit after hit, Simple Plan – which also comprises drummer Chuck Comeau, lead guitarist Jeff Stinco, and rhythm guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre – kept the 2,500-strong crowd on its toes with Jet Lag, Your Love Is A Lie, Addicted, and Welcome To My Life.
“(This is for the) old-school fans,” Bouvier said, before starting Addicted’s bridge with “How long will I be waiting?”
“Until the end of time,” the crowd sang back melodiously.
Bouvier and the rest of the band seemed happy to take their fans down memory lane thus far. But they were just as excited about welcoming everyone to their new era, which was perfectly marked by Iconic.
With an addictive riff befitting its name, the track, which Bouvier described as a “song for the dreamers” out there, reflects the band’s maturity and their new state of mind.
Bitterness may linger, but this time, they have chosen to thrive instead of deteriorate – even if it’s done out of spite. Bouvier’s advice for those facing the cynicism of haters and detractors? “Just raise a middle finger to them.”
Simple Plan also performed a string of other songs from their latest album, such as Congratulations, Wake Me Up (When This Nightmare’s Over), and The Antidote.
One moment that stood out for this writer personally was Bouvier’s reappearance after an intermission with Untitled, a song from Still Not Getting Any..., which was released in 2004.
Armed with an acoustic guitar, all eyes and ears were on Bouvier’s lone presence under the spotlight while he sombrely sang: “I open my eyes/I try to see, but I’m blinded by the white light/I can’t remember how/I can’t remember why/I’m lying here tonight.”
Stinco soon joined him on the electric guitar, and emotions simply swelled from that point onwards.
After about an hour and a half, the long-awaited Perfect – which laments one’s failure in reaching someone else’s expectations – almost seemed like an ironic way to close a show that was far from disappointing.
Interestingly, the absence of elaborate visuals on screen or cloying gimmicks on stage had set this show apart from most contemporary concerts.
Only three Simple Plan banners served as the band’s backdrop throughout, which made the venue’s pyrotechnics and smoke display all the more exciting of a spectacle.
For this writer, this was refreshing; visuals can either add to or subtract from the performance, and Simple Plan proved that sometimes sheer talent, warmth, and what seemed to be infinite reams of energy (and balls, really) would suffice in making a show memorable.
‘Most beautiful’
Bouvier in particular made no secret of his – and by extension, the band’s – adoration of their fanbase here. “Terima kasih” (thank you) and the charmingly odd “aku cinta awak” (I love you) phrases seemed to flow endlessly from his mouth throughout the show.
“Here we are again in Malaysia...in the most beautiful place, with the most beautiful people,” he gushed.
Malaysian fans have probably heard such lines about a million times from international acts that have graced local stages. But some of Bouvier’s other compliments were not so generic.
“One thing about (us) coming here is that you guys can f**kin’ sing! All in time, all in great pitch...it’s not like that everywhere in the world.
“(At some shows) people sing like drunk idiots, but then you guys sing and I’m like, ‘I wanna record this’, you know?”
Naturally, the enthusiasm of Malaysian fans led the 43-year-old to “the very obvious realisation that we have to come here more often in the future”.
Previously, Simple Plan held shows in Kuala Lumpur twice: for the Get Your Heart On! Tour in 2012 and the Taking One For The Team Southeast Asia Tour in 2016.
The Harder Than It Looks Asian tour kicked off last weekend with a two-day stint in Indonesia – in Jakarta and Surabaya respectively – before the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur shows.
The journey will then continue in the Philippines this weekend, with the band set to perform in Manila tomorrow and Davao on Sunday.
In addition to AIR YEL, who opened for the band’s Kuala Lumpur show, Simple Plan is slated to feature American rock band Tiny Moving Parts at their Bangkok show on March 14.
The Thai capital will be Simple Plan’s final Southeast Asian stop before the band concludes the tour with a three-day run in Japan: March 24-25 in Tokyo and March 26 in Osaka. – The Vibes, March 9, 2023
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