It’s a Sunday night in Sydney, but inside Qudos Bank Arena it feels like the start of a long weekend. As I’m walking through Olympic Park, I pass a pub where “Song 2” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” are being blasted so loud they’re echoing off the side of Accor Stadium — it’s clear: tonight is going to be big.
Simple Plan are first on stage, taking their cue from pop culture royalty — the Star Wars theme soundtracking their entrance. The crowd roars. Lead singer Pierre Bouvier beams: they were here last year and they’re thrilled to be back, especially because they “love the accents.” Then comes a question that lights up the room: “Who wants to go to the beach with Simple Plan?” Cue “Summer Paradise”, and suddenly massive beach balls bounce across the pit. “I can’t believe we get to come to Australia and get to watch them play with our balls,” Bouvier laughs.
They dive into “What’s New Scooby Doo” and a parade of Scooby Doos flood the stage in a scene that’s as surreal as it is joyous. Bouvier reflects on their Aussie connection, telling us they’ve been coming here since 2002, playing alongside Green Day and The All-American Rejects, and that even though they’re Canadian, they’ve always felt at home here. That sense of belonging powers them through “Where I Belong.”
When “I’m Just a Kid” hits, Bouvier notes the song is now 23 years old — “it can drink in every country in the world.” In a moment of chaos, drummer Chuck Comeau swaps places with Bouvier and takes to the crowd, crowd-surfing as if 2005 never ended. They wrap with “Perfect”, which, on a night like this, kind of is.
As their set ends, a giant blimp begins circling the arena ceiling, flashing The Offspring’s logo, hyping up the already buzzing crowd. Then it fades, the lights drop — and the familiar crackle of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” tears through the room.
The Offspring burst on stage and launch into “Come Out and Play” without missing a beat. They barely pause for breath, thrashing through hit after hit. It’s almost impossible to keep track — a medley of snippets, from “Smoke on the Water” to a searing rendition of “Back in Black”, makes this feel less like a setlist and more like a jukebox on fire.
The new additions — Todd Morse on bass, Brandon Pertzborn on drums, and Jonah Nimoy on guitar, keys and congas — fit in perfectly, locking in behind Dexter and Noodles like they’ve been here all along. At one point, they rip through a raucous version of “Blitzkrieg Bop”, with giant holographic skeletons flashing on each side of the stage like a dystopian Day of the Dead.
After a thunderous drum solo, the lights go black. A kid in earmuffs turns to his dad and says, “Where is the light?” Actually, there are a lot of kids here tonight — seven, eight years old, discovering punk rock for the first time through the lens of their parents’ nostalgia.
When they return, Dexter takes a moment, sipping from a drink and offering a simple, heartfelt “Cheers.” He sits at the piano and delivers a stripped-back, emotional version of “Gone Away”. “Loved ones are the lights in our lives,” he says, asking everyone to light up their phones for someone special. The arena glows in tribute — and then, just as suddenly, the band launches into the original version, fireworks of sound, stage lights and catharsis.
Suddenly, the beach balls are back, the crowd bouncing them wildly as “Why Don’t You Get a Job?” and “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” get rolled out — the cartoon graphics from Americana bursting on the video screen in time with every beat.
They close with “The Kids Aren’t Alright”, and it’s a reminder: pop punk never really dies — it just waits for nights like this.
And while Sydney gets the riot tonight, the Supercharged Worldwide in ’25 tour now heads into its final run: two huge shows in Brisbane to close it all out. If tonight’s any indication, Queensland better buckle up.
OFFSPRING/SIMPLE PLAN NEXT SHOWS
WEDNESDAY 14 MAY 2025 – ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BRISBANE SOLD OUT!
THURSDAY 15 MAY 2025 – ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BRISBANE NEW SHOW!
Head HERE for tickets.
Images Deb Pelser
