Simple Plan Are Meeting a Whole New Generation of Fans, 25 Years In
Categoria: Musica
Drummer Chuck Comeau talks TikTok, Good Things Festival, and why a farewell tour is “not in the cards”
Por Billboard | 08/11/2026
Simple Plan have been playing the same songs for 25 years. Lately, they’re playing them to a lot of people hearing them live for the first time. “Every night we ask people, ‘Hey, how many people are here for the first time?’” drummer Chuck Comeau tells Billboard. “Sometimes it’s like 85% have never seen the band.” The Montreal pop-punk band is drawing fans who weren’t born when “I’m Just a Kid” arrived in 2002, alongside the original listeners who are now bringing their own kids to shows. Some of the younger crowd have even started calling Simple Plan “classic rock.” “And you’re like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Comeau says. “There’s nothing cooler than what’s happening to our band right now,” he adds. Much of that can be traced to “I’m Just a Kid” going viral on TikTok, where it soundtracked a challenge encouraging users to recreate their childhood photos. Comeau calls the trend a “gigantic gift,” but says meeting fans online has always come naturally to the band, which was filming backstage antics and sharing them through its website and DVDs long before TikTok existed. “It’s the same thing,” he says. “It’s just a new platform.” The renewed attention builds on a strong early run. The band’s 2004 album Still Not Getting Any… debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while “Perfect” and “Welcome to My Life” reached Nos. 24 and 40, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. Next up is a return to Australia for Good Things Festival, where Simple Plan join a bill led by Limp Bizkit and featuring Spiritbox , the All-American Rejects , Bad Religion and MxPx. The festival hits Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on Dec. 4, Sydney Showground on Dec. 5 and Brisbane Showgrounds on Dec. 6, marking the band’s third trip Down Under in three years. “We love Australia. What can I say?” Comeau says. “Any excuse, we come back.” The lineup mixes pop-punk with nu-metal, hardcore and heavier rock, the kind of bill Comeau admits might once have made him nervous. “Being on this lineup would have been a bit more intimidating 25 years ago,” he says. He credits streaming with breaking down the scene boundaries that once divided fans, making it easier for younger listeners to move between genres. The band has seen it firsthand at European festivals, sharing stages with acts like Slipknot . “At first, you’re a little terrified,” he says. “You’re like, ‘How’s that gonna go?’ And then you actually realize that people are stoked.” He has his own Good Things wish list. Bad Religion, whom he calls his favorite band, are near the top, along with Swedish punks Millencolin, who are playing Pennybridge Pioneers in full. He’s also keen to finally see Limp Bizkit live. “I’ve seen a lot of crazy videos right now that are popping up everywhere,” he says. Meanwhile, Simple Plan have started writing their seventh studio album, with work set to continue into 2027. There’s no release date, but Comeau says the band has a batch of songs it’s excited about, and no intention of rushing. “We’