Article by Silvia Cravotta | Photo of Davide Merli
How some concerts will sometimes be going on, you can already guess it while you are coming. The controlled chaos that on Monday evening surrounded theUnipol Forum in Milan – the tidy files of machines, the serpentons of people on foot, the music that came from inaccurate points – did well the expectation of what would happen in the only Italian date of Superchrged: Worldwide in '25 of the The offspringwith i Simple Plan Special guest of the tour. But nothing had prepared us for what he really was, that is, a great and unbridled three -hour party, with those who represent two generations of the punk and international pop punk scene in the center, and all around an adoring audience who came to celebrate a genre that never seems to age. Like his singers.
Leave the nostalgia question alone. The writer is a teenager from the nineties who never disdained the mainstream and, therefore, expected to be surrounded by his fellow men. Instead, to fill the parterre and the stands of the forum, a literally trans-generational crowd has thought of it-from 15, with some discounted tips, to 60 years old-consisting of friends, couples and families. Fans of the old guard mixed with young people to discover their first Mosh Pits, unleashed in unison on the notes of old glories and new pieces. Because the offspring – started in 1984 from that of Orange County, California -, do not pay to be among those who contributed to shaping the rebirth of punk rock in the early nineties (together with people such as Green Day and Blink 182), after forty years they continue to contribute to the evolution of the genre and do not seem intent on stopping.
Simple Plan: Special Guest Perfetti
The offspring have chosen excellent tours to return to Milan, one year after their last appearance at the Ama Music Festival and over twenty years after their last performance at the forum. A return obviously sold out.
On the scenes officially since 1999 but together for almost thirty years now, the Simple Plans climb on stage a few minutes before 8pm on the notes of the Star Wars main Theme. The carriers of a sound that ranges from pop punk, to alternative rocks, to the same, accused by some of being too catchy, but still highly anticipated by the youngest, the Vancouver band kicked off the evening impeccablely. On the Milanese stage they brought a setlist with their hits that marked the first decade of the year 2000, starting from I'm do anything, Jump And Addictedfor which Old School fans were punctually referred to Sing Along.
The frontman Pierre Bouvier It is a real entertainer. Thanks to Italian, he guides the public and his own contagious energy and his travel companions – Jeff Stinco on guitar, Sébastien Lefebvre to the other guitar e Chuck Comeau On drums – he affects everyone. Speaks of their documentary The Kids in the crowdwith the double soundtrack released in October, and launches the new song Nothing Changes. The generational anthem Welcome to My Life is shouted strongly by anyone, while Summer Paradise With his swaying swaying he brings us back for a moment to the summer just passed. Will it be the fault of the beach balls that are launched on the public? After What's New Scooby Doo?in the soundtrack of the film of the same name, is the time for another symbol song, I'm Just in Kidthat the singer carries on the shirt (but with in Kid deleted and replaced by an adult) and who, remember, came out 23 years ago, unleashing a moment of melancholy between those who were teenager in those years, but also in those who were before. All this quickly gives way to fun, when Pierre and Chuck, wearing the Milan shirt, exchange of places and the drummer launches into a classic crowdsurfing. Perfectsung by the public, closes their performance between confetti and smoke after yet another thanks and a renewed declaration of love for Italy. It is 20.59.
The pre-show you don't expect
If they had told me before, I don't think I would ever have managed to imagine it like this. At 9 pm the countdown starts on the screens, 25 minutes of pure delirium will follow, very fun. Everything is quick, difficult to describe it in sequence because the moments overlap without allowing the public to distract themselves for a moment. Starting from the dance skeleton and the appeal to mature audience And Immature Friendsbetween merch and competitions to win autographed ladders, while above our heads a mini-derigible flies with the band logo. On the screens, a video game of the eighties flows with Dexter Holland and Noodles in the Super Mario version, meanwhile between the audience and on stage – where the technicians are at work – a man wanders with a monkey mask. After a video in the top gun version and with Take on me To be singing like at the karaoke, the Cams leave. The Look-A-Like traces Johnny Deep, the protagonist of Pretty Fly's video and Mastro Lindo's video between the public. At the Offspring Trivia, with quiz questions about the band, follows the Kiss Cam with its flourishing of kisses between the audience (and the appearance of the two famous lovers caught by the Coldplay), the Headbanging Cam, the Fuck You Cam that makes a little bad moods to blows with medium fingers, and the Booty Cam, which traces true twerking champions. A pop and colorful moment that makes time fly even faster, a show designed very well. It is 9.22 pm.
The Offspring: The Kids are definitely alright
The darkness falls and one Thunderstruck Registered reports the arrival of the five. Seeing them on stage and playing for the next hour and a half is a perfect reminder of why they lasted so long and how we should all be. Youth on the threshold of 60 (yes, also dexter with the extra pounds), full of energy and desire to have fun and entertain. Because, after all, tonight is a party and, in these dark times, we all need lightness. Even if the subtext of this cheerful music, as often happens in the songs of the offspring, is everything except joyful.
Starting from Like out and playwith his surfers' riff and the famous refrain Keep 'EM Separatedsong that led them to planetary success, speaking of youthful violence in colleges and between the gangs. If Want You Bad It is an opportunity to sing our love at the top of those who are there near us or who is too far away, Looking out for #1 It is the first of the songs of Superchrgedthe album released a year ago that gives the title to the tour. Even in live version, the new songs prove to be faithful to their style but in a renewed version adapted at the time. The public appreciates and is already – literally – overload.
Original Prahkster It is the song that we ex -teenagers of thirty and passing years ago expected to unleash us, and so we did. To bring us back to the ground, and in the real world of these years, Hammerhead With its introduction of powerful guitars and black and white images of soldiers in war. Two inflatable skeletons – such as the one on the cover of Superchrged – rise domineering on stage while the guitars depopulated throughout the song. Also Genocide – term that in these days is tormenting our ears, sight and heart – from the masterpiece album Smash The parenthesis that we had closed for the evening reopens, and launches a silent appeal against the war. Dexter and Noodles thought about our heart, who are amiably jokes throughout the evening (with the guitarist who says he is convinced that he has beaten the world record, boasting an audience of one million and 300 and spectators in Milan) and thank continuously. They are definitely happy to be where they find themselves.
Bad Habit It unleashes a moment of total fun between pogo, bright lights, “olè, olè, olè” by the public who is made to sing a chapel before leaving the song restart. A roar of enthusiasm greets the tribute to the legendary Ozzy, with a short version of Paranoid and a splendid Crazy Trainwith absolute protagonists Noodles and the other guitar by Jonah Nimoy. The noodles tool, however, knows no breaks and immediately launches into its profound and disturbing version of In The Hall of the Mountain King (Cover of Edvard Grieg). The cover moment ends with the Ramones and, as always happens with this song, we would all need to be sitting.
The videos on the screens behind and on the sides of the stage bring us between Escherian corridors for Gotta Get Awaywith the singer who appears and disappears inside doors and windows. The visual part of the whole concert is certainly one of the strengths of the concert and a splendid accompaniment for the musical part that has absolutely respected expectations, despite some physiological vocal decline of Dexter. Like when the Alone Of Brandon Pertzbornpure and intense energy of wands that first shuts up and then triggers a wave of enthusiasm throughout the forum. Slows down with Gone Awayversion on the floor with Dexter who asks to turn on the torches of the phones for people who are no longer with us.
Follows the trio of dreams that contains nostalgia, humor and desire to dance: the iconic Why Don't You Get a Job?between beach balls and karaoke, the imperative Pretty Fly (for a white guy) With lots of fans of fans between the public dressed as the protagonist of the famous video, blue shirt and red hat. Closes, directly from Americananother ninety piece like The Kids Aren'T ALIRIGHTwith his catchy rhythm and his delicate themes. But here in Milan the boys are all very well.
Encore entrusted to You're Gonna Go Far, Kid and another hit planted in our hearts like a nail, Self Esteemunforgettable hymn of a generation that gives life to the last pogo before closing its doors. The five embrace and say goodbye, their magnified image on the screen under their name, that same writing that we have known for forty years now. After all, it is no longer a great secret than punk and rock are the best recipe to stay young. Indeed “crunchy”, as my friend Simone would say.
The Offspring: the scaletta of the Milan concert
- Like out and play
- All I Want
- Want You Bad
- Staring at the Sun
- Looking out for #1
- Original Prahkster
- Hammerhead
- Genocide
- Make it all right
- Bad Habit
- Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover)
- Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne Cover)
- In The Hall of the Mountain King (Edvard Grieg Cover)
- I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones Cover)
- Gotta Get Away
- Gone Away
- Why Don't You Get a Job?
- Pretty Fly (for a white guy)
- The Kids Aren'T ALIRIGHT
- Encore:
- You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
- Self Esteem
Simple Plan: the scaletta of the Milan concert
- I'm do anything
- Shut up!
- Jump
- Jet lag
- Addicted
- Your love is a lie
- Nothing Changes
- Welcome to My Life
- Summer Paradise
- THANK YOU
- What's New Scooby Doo?
- Where I Belong
- I'm Just in Kid
- Perfect
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
