The Final Curtain Call For Sum 41 And Their
Biggest Tour To Date

★★★★★ (5/5)

**SUM 41 PERFORMING AT LEEDS FIRST DIRECT ARENA**
**PHOTOCREDIT: JOHN HAYHURST**

Firstly they’re from Canada, and they have a frontman with the most UNrock’n’roll name in ‘Deryck Whibley’. However, they are certainly in the premier league of Pop-Punk vying for the league title alongside peers Blink 182, Green Day and The Offspring. Tonight is the opening night of the UK leg of their final tour as they prepare to go into early retirement. The place is full of 30-50 year olds reliving their youth as 30 years of Pop-Punk anthems are played through the speakers before the band arrive on stage.

After a round of AC/DC’s ‘T.N.T.’ and the ‘Introduction to Destruction’ The front black curtain drops to reveal a huge yellow SUM 41 album patchwork backdrop, and 2 stage levels with drummer Frank Zummo placed over in the corner. They open with ‘Motivation’ and Whibley is already everywhere as the pyro fire kicks in with the chorus, and he makes the most of that short runway at the front of the stage.

The call for circle pits is constant but the overwhelming feeling is that Sum 41 are so grateful and happy to be on stage for one last swan song. “Through everything we have been through, thanks for coming to see us, sticking by us, we love you” Whibley will frequently say, and it’s heartfelt and genuine. The frontman has been through personal alcohol addiction battles, Covid and pneumonia hospitalised him for a while too, there have been many downs to go with this last phoenix rise.

Tonight they power through a mammoth 31 songs (not counting medleys) touching nearly every era of the band, after ‘Motivation’ we get ‘The Hell Song’ and ‘Over My Head (Better Off Dead)’ with a confetti burst that creates pink papier mache heads for the front row as their sweat mingles with the tissue.

This next song has been one of the most requested” as ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’ is delivered. During ‘Underclass Hero’ they release massive balloons into the audience to go with the pyro and confetti. As if choreographed, Whibley is on hand to burst one in time with the punchy chorus, just to add to the feel good factor.

As you would expect the majority of the setlist is from ‘All Killer’ and ‘Infected’ but even ‘Rhythms’ from ‘All Killer’ gets its tour debut run out tonight. They also play plenty from their last record ‘Heaven:×:Hell’, ‘Landmines’ in particular, which sounded like it came out 20 years ago.

The two main guitarists Tom Thacker and Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh are playing loud and raucous. They haven’t quite got the energy of Whibley but the musicianship is there for everyone to see, as they run through snippets of ‘Smoke on the Water’, ‘Raining Blood’ and ‘Master of Puppets’. Similarly, bassist Jason “Cone” McCaslin and drummer Frank Zummo lay down a rhythm section that drives the show with relentless energy.

Whibley recalls the story of losing his Gibson Marauder guitar and the two decades it took to find it. He then puts that same guitar around his neck and starts to play ‘Fat Lip’. It was an emotional overload as everyone in the seats are on their feet, complete mania in the stalls and yet another slew of confetti to signify the end of the main set.

Not wasting any time, for the encore they go all the way back to their first EP ‘ Half Hour of Power’ and the track ‘Summer’, and then back to today with ‘Waiting On A Twist Of Fate’ from the latest album. “After 30 years, I just think the world is sick of hearing Sum 41” Whibley jokes, of course this audience disagrees and the boos just make him laugh even more. All this is a showbiz lead up to arguably their biggest hit and ‘In Too Deep’ brings expected pandemonium and the evenings performance comes to an end.

Or does it?

The sound of ‘I’ve Gotta Be Me’ by Steve Lawrence is playing on the speakers, people are filing out of the arena, some are already in the reception when we hear “Shut the fucking doors, whoever’s out is out, this is just for you guys”, and Whibley & Co. come back to play ‘So Long Goodbye’ and then a tour debut and deep cut of ‘Sick of Everyone’ from ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’, they haven’t played that for at least 4 years. Love the crazy chaos as people try to get back in the arena.

They have not lost that sense of humour and only the key front rows of fans were there to witness it, a special goodbye and thanks for those most dedicated to Sum 41. It’s a crying shame that this band are not going to be around any more and I’m hoping that somewhere down the line in 5 years or so, they get bored and make a come back. For now though, all you can do is grab a ticket for one of these last remaining shows.