Eighty-Five Percent of the Audience at a Recent Simple Plan Concert Had Never Seen the Montreal
Eighty-five percent of the audience at a recent Simple Plan concert had never seen the Montreal pop-punk band live before, Billboard reported.
Drummer Chuck Comeau shared the statistic as the group approaches its twenty-fifth year of performing.
Younger listeners are discovering the tracks through social media platforms like TikTok, where the 2002 song “I’m Just a Kid” became the soundtrack for users recreating childhood photos.
Comeau called the viral trend a gigantic gift.
“Every night we ask people, ‘Hey, how many people are here for the first time?'” Comeau told Billboard, noting that the new faces often include teenagers who weren’t born when the band released its debut material.
Original fans from the early 2000s are also returning to the venues, often bringing their own children to the shows.
Some younger attendees have started referring to the band’s catalog as classic rock, a label that initially surprised the band members.
Simple Plan heads next to Australia for the Good Things Festival, marking their third trip Down Under in three years, Billboard reported.
The festival stops at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on Dec. 4, Sydney Showground on Dec. 5, and Brisbane Showgrounds on Dec. 6.
The multi-genre bill features Limp Bizkit, Spiritbox, the All-American Rejects, Bad Religion, and MxPx.
Comeau admitted that sharing a bill with nu-metal and hardcore acts would have felt intimidating twenty-five years ago.
Streaming services have since broken down traditional genre boundaries, making it easier for younger listeners to cross between musical styles.
“At first, you’re a little terrified,” Comeau said of sharing European festival stages with heavier acts like Slipknot, according to Billboard. “You’re like, ‘How’s that gonna go?’ And then you actually realize that people are stoked.”
The band has begun writing its seventh studio album, with work set to continue into 2027.
The new project follows the 2022 release Harder Than It Looks.
Comeau noted that the group is taking its time with the songwriting process rather than rushing into production.
“When you get to this stage of your career, you’re almost playing against yourself,” Comeau told Billboard. “You’re playing against your history.”
On March 9, 2027, the band will release its first children’s picture book titled I’m Just a Kid: The Story of Simple Plan, featuring illustrations by Jomike Tejido.
The publication was inspired by original fans who now have families of their own.
Comeau confirmed that despite reaching the twenty-five-year milestone without taking a formal hiatus or breaking up, a farewell tour is not currently planned.