Twenty-five years. A quarter of a century during which Simple Plan has made their refrains echo in teenage bedrooms, CD players, iPods, and then the playlists of several generations. So naturally, tonight, for their biggest headlining show in France at the Accor Arena, nostalgia is sure to be on the agenda!
Charlotte Sands
It’s CHARLOTTE SANDS who opens the proceedings. Welcomed with enthusiasm by a crowd already quite packed, the blue-haired rock artist, backed by a drummer, bursts with energy and kicks off her set with that pop-punk efficiency that leaves little room for a moment’s respite.
The American came to present her latest album Satellite but also her best-known tracks, among which “Dress,” which first brought her to attention. In a set as intense as it is sincere, she manages to win over the crowd, whom she warmly thanks for coming earlier to see her.
Neck Deep
A few minutes later, NECK DEEP takes the stage with a mission: to keep turning the Accor Arena into a gigantic playground for pop-punk.
And the Brits clearly have no intention of going halfway. Tracks roll out one after another with that melodic efficiency that is the group’s hallmark. Donned in blue wigs, a playful nod to Charlotte Sands, for Halloween, the five men are unleashed.
The circle pits invoked by frontman Ben Barlow form easily, and the pit begins to churn vigorously. Ben Barlow and his bandmates express particular gratitude for the opportunity granted tonight. The singer even notes that without bands like Simple Plan, there might not be bands like Neck Deep. After a particularly effective set, the Brits exit the stage, leaving behind a thoroughly heated crowd.
Simple Plan
The crowd continues warming up by singing along to the French-language hits that echo through the arena’s speakers. When the lights finally go out, the four Montrealers appear, instantly greeted by a massive roar.
SIMPLE PLAN opens with “I’d Do Anything” and, very quickly, the Accor Arena is on its feet. The song ends in a shower of confetti as Pierre Bouvier and his bandmates discover a room fully won over to their cause.
The recipe is always the same and remains incredibly effective: simple, immediate choruses, often displayed in giant letters on the screen behind the group, and an audience that clearly needs no invitation to sing along.
“Jump” lives up to its name. Pierre, the charismatic leader, asks the crowd to jump and they comply immediately. “Addicted” then brings everyone back to the band’s beginnings and confirms that the tracks from No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls have lost none of their power to unite.
Between songs, the frontman remains as warm and notably affable as ever. He thanks the French audience several times, jokes, interacts with the front rows, and reminds everyone how happy the band is to fulfill their dream of headlining at Bercy.
Simple Plan even go as far as to make one lucky spectator a winner of concert tickets and a flight to Quebec. An gesture that pretty well sums up the mood of the evening: generous, good-natured, and deeply fan-focused.
The setlist sweeps through the different eras of the band’s career. The hits come one after another and nostalgia settles in without ever turning heavy. “Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?)” offers a particularly moving piano moment. Then Pierre joins the stage, saluting several spectators on his path while singing “This Song Saved My Life.” The song takes on a special dimension: in a hall filled with fans who grew up with the band’s songs, it’s hard not to measure what Simple Plan represents for an entire generation.
And since a Halloween Simple Plan show would not be complete without Scooby-Doo costumes, several fans dressed for the occasion are invited on stage to perform “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” The track is, of course, sung in unison by the entire Accor Arena, which becomes for a few minutes a gigantic cartoon opening credits.
The evening could have stopped there and been a success. The hits “Jet Lag” and “Welcome to My Life,” which propelled their career in France, sparked the expected excitement. Yet Simple Plan still has a few cards up their sleeve.
The encore begins with “I’m Just A Kid.” The track, one of the band’s absolute anthems, triggers another eruption in the arena. Chuck Comeau then appears in a France national team jersey before diving into the pit. A moment perfectly in the band’s spirit: a little absurd but above all genuinely generous.
For almost two hours, Simple Plan has done what they do best: make their audience feel at home.
And perhaps that is where the true achievement of the evening lies. Beyond the hits and the confetti, the Accor Arena offered a genuine moment of unity. In a setting where unity can sometimes be scarce, seeing several generations sing the same lyrics is particularly comforting.
Simple Plan finally leaves the stage after giving Bercy a night marked by cohesion and generosity. Grateful to their French audience for delivering Europe’s biggest show as a headliner, the Canadians promise to return as soon as possible.
