Thaïs Parvez
“Mom, it was never a phase. Pop punk. It was never a phase.” A few days ago, Pierre Bouvier, lead singer of Simple Plan, was already warning us on social media.
The Canadian band is currently on tour celebrating 25 years of their pop-punk “phase,” and on October 26th in Barcelona, they proved that warning was an absolute truth.
With a sold-out sign hanging at the door, Sant Jordi Club turned into the epicenter of an unforgettable generational party, packed with nostalgia for those golden 2000s skate punk years.
Here at Hot BuZz (Mag), we’ve watched them grow over this quarter of a century, from the early days of “No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls” (2002, Lava & Atlantic) and the legendary Warped Tour to their collabs with top-tier genre icons like Avril Lavigne, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182.
After catching them in Barcelona back in 2024 (you can check out our review of Simple Plan’s 2024 Barcelona show), what we witnessed this Monday, thanks to Cap Cap Produccions, Kinda Agency and Alicia Music, surpassed our expectations: over an hour and a half of pure adrenaline, proving that the Montreal quartet is currently living through their most successful era yet.
Special guests: Neck Deep’s pop-punk masterclass and the Charlotte Sands phenomenon
The night’s lineup was stacked with two of the most exciting names in the international alternative scene.
American singer Charlotte Sands (whom we unfortunately missed due to Hot BuZz (Mag) logistics) kicked off the evening, taking advantage of her stop in the Catalan capital to showcase tracks from her latest album, “Satellite”.
However, we were right on the front lines to catch Neck Deep.
The British band, one of the most popular pop-punk acts nowadays, set the tone with songs from their latest self-titled record, “Neck Deep” (2024, Hopeless Records).
Offering an explosive show with punch-driven skate punk guitar riffs and an overwhelming stage presence inside Sant Jordi Club, the band led by Ben Barlow triggered the first wild jumps of the night when they performed bangers like Dumbstruck Dumbf**k, STFU, and In Bloom.
Their set left the crowd totally hyped for Simple Plan.
Simple Plan in Barcelona: A journey into 2000s pop-punk nostalgia, crowd surfing, and “Pedro Bouvier’s” goofy humor
Simple Plan’s entrance was an explosion of energy.
The show kicked off in style with a classic like I’ll Do Anything, as a massive confetti blast rained down on the front rows.
Next came Nothing Changes and Shut Up!, and standing right there in the photo pit, camera in hand, we at Hot BuZz (Mag) realized it was physically impossible not to catch the infectious energy they pour onto the stage.
With Pierre Bouvier confessing at one point that Barcelona was turning out to be the best stop of the European tour, the performance rolled on. The band played tracks from their newest albums, covers, and their most celebrated anthems.
The quartet slowed things down with ballads like Addicted and Your Love Is a Lie, but the peak moment of the night came when the audience screamed every single word to the iconic Welcome to My Life.
Another standout moment was when they played Jet Lag, their collaboration with Natasha Bedingfield, which featured a stellar guest live appearance by Charlotte Sands.
There was also a heartfelt pause to thank longtime fans for 25 years of loyalty and to welcome the band’s newest supporters.
The ultimate Simple Plan party: Giant beach balls, a piano on the Floor, and high-energy Covers of Avril Lavigne and The Killers
One of the things we love most about Simple Plan’s live shows is their genuine connection with the audience.
At one point, the singer challenged the girls in the crowd to lead a pit.
Things got even wilder when drummer Chuck Comeau dove into the crowd for some epic crowd surfing while Pierre Bouvier took over the drumsticks.
They also brought the Summer vibes with Summer Paradise. This was the perfect excuse to launch giant beach balls with the Simple Plan logo, keeping them bouncing across the crowd.
On the flip side, the mood turned intimate when the lead vocalist moved to the center of the venue to perform a moving, solo-piano version of Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?).
The funny highlight came during the traditional band member introduction, when Pierre switched into Spanish and named himself “Pedro Bouvier,” sparking an improvised chant of “Pedroooo, Pedroooo” throughout the arena.
Then, as the frontman promised, the real party erupted. It was time for their signature party medley featuring All Star by Smash Mouth, Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne, and Mr. Brightside by The Killers, followed by What’s New, Scooby-Doo?, where fans dressed as Scooby-Doo jumped on stage.
For the encore, Simple Plan played three absolute classics together: the generational anthem I’m Just a Kid, the emotional This Song Saved My Life, with the entire venue lit up by phone flashlights; and the addictive Perfect, performed acoustically with Bouvier alone with his guitar.
It’s been 25 years since we first screamed along to the tracks on Simple Plan’s debut record, but experiencing their live show all these years later felt like traveling back in time to the golden age of 2000s pop-punk: a non-stop energy party packed with unforgettable anthems tattooed on our brains, and the ultimate proof that this was never just a phase. “We’re just kids, after all!”
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