Sum 41 to perform at the Relentless Energy Drink NASS in July!
Sum 41 to perform at the Relentless Energy Drink NASS in July in Somerset, UK.
http://www.nassfestival.com/lineup
Credits: Avla
Sum 41 to perform at the Relentless Energy Drink NASS in July in Somerset, UK.
http://www.nassfestival.com/lineup
Credits: Avla
April 12 - Sum 41 Press Conference at Fort Gate @ Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Review of the Press Conference and the Sum 41 show in Singapore
Upon arriving at the press conference at Fort Canning, I was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to finally meet one of my childhood bands. The boys sauntered in after what seemed like ages, eyes shielded by sunglasses and all. Despite my excitement, I was slightly disappointed that Deryck Whibley, who was apparently ‘resting his voice’, was not there. Besides being the frontman, the man is also the ex-husband of another of my childhood idols. That’s right, I was part of the army of pre-pubescent boys infatuated with Avril Lavigne. Deryck Whibley is practically my hero.
I struggled to keep my disposition as the band shared that while most people have the impression the members of a band would live very closely to each other, the men of Sum 41 are located all over Canada and the United States. What this basically means is that they have to resort to video calls on Skype to communicate with each other.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this particular press conference was when they shared an anecdote of their craziest moment involving their fans. A fan had asked them to sign his prosthetic leg and right after his request was granted, someone snatched it and ran away. Steve Jocz, the drummer of the band, added with a chuckle, “The poor boy was left limping and shouting after the guy, who was hopefully his friend, but might’ve just wanted an extra leg.”
When quizzed on how they found Singapore, they exclaimed that they love the country and its tropical weather, which is reminiscent of a tropical holiday. Not to mention the quirky food available at our hawker centres.
After taking a few questions, the band hastily retreated back to their quarters for some reprieve before the show. Still reeling from my meeting with the award-winning punk rockers, I waited for the show to start with much anticipation. It was a true test of my patience too, with the guys coming out over an hour late. Many fans were getting really restless and were left to their own devices to entertain themselves in the midst of the standing crowd. The only musical entertainment was the same few AC/DC songs being blasted over the speakers. Highway To Hell was played at least 3 times. The worst part was that there was no opening band. Usually, I’d be more than happy to skip the opening band and just get straight to the headliners but if you’re going to be late, at least throw something to the audience to keep them happy. Top that off with the fact that this was supposed to be a high-action concert and you realise that sometimes an opening band is necessary to get people warmed up.
After so much waiting, you can imagine the excitement from everyone in Fort Gate when Sum 41 finally came on stage. They kicked off the show with Reason To Believe and treated fans to some classic crowd favourites. We’re All To Blame, In Too Deep, Walking Disaster and Still Waiting were all part of what made my night. Of course, throwing in covers of Judas Priest’s Breaking The Law and Metallica’s Master Of Puppets didn’t hurt either.
It was lead guitarist Tom Thacker’s first time in Singapore after replacing former guitarist Dave Baksh. Not that you would know it, considering how seamlessly he fit in with the rest. I always felt that Dave Baksh was a better guitarist but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tom could more than hold his own on lead guitar.
The only thing that proved to be a dampener on the occasion was the crowd. I was honestly really disappointed that the attendance was so low but thought that it could be made up for in terms of enthusiasm. The problem was that the tiny crowd was littered with several ‘princesses’ who refused to move or jump. They basically wouldn’t do anything that would compromise their ‘glamorous’ appearance. Ironically enough, some of them were even at the front of the crowd and got annoyed when people bumped into them while moshing. It really makes you wonder whether it was their first time at a concert. The conservative nature of the crowd was also evident. Deryck had to constantly ask for a mosh pit. Even then, the pit was made up of numerous Caucasian men together with a few local die-hard fans. It really made me realise that there might be some truth behind it when people tell me that punk rock is dead.
The band finished off their encore with Fat Lip and Pain For Pleasure, which was well received by the Sum 41 purists. I was pretty disappointed that they didn’t play Pieces as it has been a mainstay on my playlist ever since it was released. Overall, the Canadian rockers played an immaculate and energetic set but were definitely let down by the crowd. Here’s to hoping that after the lukewarm reception, these guys will find it within themselves to come back again and put up another awesome show.
http://www.feveravenue.com/fever-avenue-reviews-sum-41-live-at-fort-gate/
They were supposed to perform here last year but it didn’t happen. Not because they didn’t want to but fragile health can be a pain in the arse sometimes (thankfully it’s all over now). There were rumors that they’d come back but we didn’t want to get our hopes up until it was certified. Earlier this year it was announced that the rumors were true. By now (if you follow Rockaway on Twitter or Facebook) you’d know that Sum 41 is on Malaysian soil. JUICE was fortunate to speak to Sum 41′s drummer, Steve Jocz, and we found out what thought of their new album and of Malaysian crowds.
How are you doing today?
Good! Thanks.How’s Deryck’s condition?
He’s good. All the shows have been really good so he’s been doing good.Yeah? What’s the day been like?
Today? It’s been fairly uneventful until now because I haven’t done anything but tonight we’re playing in Shanghai. That should be good and more exciting.That’s cool. So we got a couple of questions about the latest album, Screaming Bloody Murder. What do you think of the non-commercial success of it (not being played on the radio)?
I don’t think being played on the radio, having music videos, and selling a ton of records exist anymore. Bands like us used to be played on the radio and MTV but they don’t do that anymore. Fortunately for us, our albums come out and people listen to them even if they don’t really buy them and they still come to our shows. So, as long as people are still coming to see us play live, that’s how we gauge success. I don’t really know any band that does sell records anymore. It just doesn’t matter – it’s a shame but it’s also really liberating, in a way. It’d be great to be played on the radio but then again most people don’t listen to the radio; it’s not 2001 anymore. When we were starting there was a big formula on how to get successful; get yourself on a certain radio station and other radio stations would catch on and that doesn’t matter anymore. Radio stations are dying. Record business is dying but people still want music and still want to go to shows so we’re fine.Do you think that’s the way to go though? With the music industry not being dependent on radio and minimal sale of records?
I think it naturally happens. Some people still have to depend on things like that. Like some popstars, if they don’t have a single on the radio, they can’t tour. If they don’t have a fan base that’s loyal in any way then people don’t go to the shows. Whereas with our band, we do have a loyal fan base and thanks to the internet; YouTube, Twitter, our website, Facebook and all these things that we can use to interact with our fans – we can still grow. So you know, I don’t know, I think what’s happening is great.Do you thing Screaming Bloody Murder is one of your best albums?
We’re all really happy with the way it turned out. Getting back to radio stuff, we wrote the album knowing that it wasn’t radio friendly and we couldn’t care. A lot of the songs have weird time signatures; either too long or short, too heavy or too soft, or whatever and we just didn’t care and we just did what we thought was cool. It came out really naturally.We think this is one of your heaviest albums.
Yeah it’s dark and heavy. I mean, we have had dark and heavy albums in the past but I just think this one is a really solid record.What’s your favorite track from the new album?
I like ‘Blood In My Eyes’ and ‘Sick Of Everyone’. Those two are my favorites. I really like the intro sound. As an album though, I think it’s fun to listen to the whole thing but those ones stand out. I think ‘Blood In My Eyes’ is the best song for sure.When do you guys arrive in KL? Not that we have fans that want to stalk you guys…
We arrive a day before the show and we always like to try and check stuff out. The other day we were in Beijing and we went to the forbidden city. We always try to find some sight seeing to do. What’s the ‘thing’ in Malaysia?The Twin Towers…
Yeah, I’ve heard that. Gotta check that out. Is there any old stuff?In KL? Temples and mosques.
Yeah, we want to see stuff like that.Yeah, there’s one called Batu Caves. Definitely check it out if you have the time.
Yeah. I think we have a day ‘cos we arrive a day before the show so we’ll probably do that thing.Cool. So this will be your first time in KL, yeah?
This is the first time. It’ll be cool to finally come.Do you guys have any suprises for your fans that bought tickets to see you guys last time but were left really disappointed when you guys had to cancel.
We’re just going to play some new and old stuff. Don’t know if it’s going to be very surprising or anything but it’ll be a good show.What do you expect from the crowd in KL?
I heard that the shows are really good. I think it’s going to be a hot, sweaty, rock show. So i’m looking forward to it! See you in a couple of days!
http://msn.juiceonline.com/sum-41-internet-killed-the-mtv-star/
