Live Review: Simple Plan, Stateside, Eat Your Heart Out

If you can believe it Canadian rockers Simple Plan have been singing about the woes of teenage life and love for over 15 years.

Their debut album No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls reached this milestone last year and the band (still with all original members) have been playing it in full around the world, with their Sydney show last night capping off a successful, sold-out leg Down Under.

Brisbane group Stateside were first off the bat with an impressive set featuring tracks off their newest EP, Naive. The five-piece are making a name for themselves with their own interpretation of the alternative rock genre and have developed a strong live performance.

Newcastle-based Eat Your Heart Out followed as second support and were unfortunately slightly underwhelming after Stateside. Lead singer Caitlin Henry has a strong voice but it felt disjointed against the music, maybe this could be chalked up to inexperience in a live setting.

Finally, it was time for the band of the hour and Simple Plan got straight into it, smashing out I'd Do Anything to a crazy excited crowd of fans. Singer Pierre Bouvier's vocals haven't changed in the slightest after 15 years and were perfect for the angsty teenage lyrics that overflow on this album. Playing No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls in its entirety, the band powered through a set that included crowd favourites like I'm Just A Kid, Addicted and Perfect.

Aside from the teenage angst in all the songs, the album itself is a catchy, enjoyable listen and it was very obvious that the guys in Simple Plan enjoy playing it. However, despite a few attempts by the band to liven up the show, including drummer Chuck Comeau stage diving into the crowd and a few beach balls being thrown into the audience, the show lacked vitality. Everything, from the stage diving to Bouvier's banter, was scripted and well-versed. It would not be surprising to find out that the other shows on this tour played out exactly like the one in Sydney; a cookie-cutter live show experience.

Finishing up the album, the band then played an encore of assorted hits, much to the crowd's delight. Highlights included Shut Up! and Crazy and the crowd favourite closer Welcome To My Life. This concert was all about nostalgia, the songs all about revisiting your teenage years, and it was very successful in that regard. It's not every day you see adult audience members singing along to teenage anthems and loving every second of it. It was quite the sight.