simple plan

Simple Plan is a pop punk band formed in 1999 in Montreal, Canada—all five members are French-Canadians who were born and grew up in the province of Quebec. The band has released two original albums: No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls (2002) and Still Not Getting Any... (2004); as well as two live CDs: Live in Japan (2002) and MTV Hard Rock Live (2005).

History

Simple Plan came about in stages that began with the founding of the band Reset in 1995, a Canadian punk rock band, by high-school friends Pierre Bouvier, Charles-André (Chuck) Comeau and Adrien White. Reset toured around Canada with bands such as MxPx, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face, but only managed to gain modest popularity. The debut album was released in 1997. Comeau soon left to go to college, but two years later he hooked up with Jean-François (Jeff) Stinco and Sébastien Lefebvre, and again started making music. It was coincidence that brought Comeau and Bouvier back together at a Sugar Ray concert in late 1999, and Bouvier soon left Reset and joined his old friends. David Desrosiers replaced Bouvier in Reset, but when asked to join the foursome, he too left the band and joined the four friends.

The origin of the band's name is obscure. Band members have given various responses on this point, including a liking for the movie A Simple Plan; that the band was their simple plan to avoid getting a "real" job; and that the name was only intended to be temporary, but they never thought of anything better, and with shows coming up for the new band, they needed a name.

In 2003, the band played as a headliner on the Vans Warped Tour. The same year, they opened for Avril Lavigne on her "Try To Shut Me Up" Tour. [1]. In addition to several headlining tours, they have also opened for such bands as Green Day and Good Charlotte.

The band tours intensively, and in the period March 2005-March 2006, covered all six inhabited continents. However, since then, it has given few concerts, but has announced plans for a third original CD, to be released most likely in early 2007.

Criticisms

Although Simple Plan maintains a devoted following and has produced two multiplatinum records with numerous hit singles, it has received its share of criticism.

Nevertheless, the members of Simple Plan have stated quite clearly that they enjoy the backlash of critics, as they believe in the old adage, "all publicity is good publicity", and that they will never stop doing what they love.[2]

Role Model Clothing

Role Model Clothing, the label that Bouvier and Comeau are often seen sporting, was actually formed before Simple Plan by Comeau, Bouvier, and their friend Patrick Langlois, who is now responsible for merchandising and distribution via the web, as well as being videographer for the band. Langlois and Lefebvre also had their own side project, a label called Man of the Hour, which has been inactive. The two have recently started a weekly podcast on idobi.com under that name.

Patrick's appearances

Patrick (Pat) Langlois (a.k.a. Patrick Cunningham), the band's webmaster, videographer, merch guy, and best friend, has appeared in every Simple Plan video to date except for "Crazy." His appearances are often painful: He was kicked in the crotch in "I'd Do Anything", had a bowling ball dropped on him and his apartment destroyed in "Addicted", and was knocked down by the band in "Don't Wanna Think About You." He is also seen giving a thumbs up in "Perfect", as a valet in "Shut Up", in the crowd in the gym in "I'm Just a Kid", getting out of a car in "Welcome To My Life", and as an emergency services worker in "Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?)" Also in "Untitled", at the end, when the driver is photographed for a mug shot, the sign he is holding says "P. Cunningham".

Discography

Studio albums

• No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002) #35 US [2x Platinum], #29 AUS, #38 CAN [4x Platinum], #1 JP (2x Platinum)
• Still Not Getting Any... (2004) #3 US [Platinum], #6 AUS [2x Platinum], #5 CAN [4x Platinum], #6 JP [Platinum], France #12
• Not yet titled (In progress, release most likely in early 2007)

Live albums

• Live in Japan 2002 (Japanese Import) (2002)
• Live in Anaheim, CA Febrvary 21, 2004 (2004) (never sold, offered as promotion only 25000 copies were made.)
• MTV: Hard Rock Live (CD/DVD) (2005)

Singles

Soundtracks

• Maybe It's Me — "I'd Do Anything" (2002)
• Scooby-Doo — "Grow Up" (2002)
• What's New Scooby-Doo? — Scooby-Doo theme song (2002)
• Clockstoppers — "The Worst Day Ever" (2002)
• The New Guy — "I'm Just a Kid" (2002)
• The Hot Chick — "I'd Do Anything" (2002)
• Cheaper by the Dozen — "I'm Just a Kid" (2003)
• Grind — "I'm Just a Kid" (2003)
• Daddy Day Care — "Surrender" (2003)
• The Real Cancun — "Grow Up" (2003)
• Freaky Friday — "Happy Together" (2003)
• Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed — "Don't Wanna Think About You" (2004)
• New York Minute — "Vacation" (2004)
• Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen — "Perfect" (acoustic version) (2004)
• Smallville — "Welcome to My Life", "Untitled" (2005)
• Fantastic Four — "Surrender" (2005)
• Bad News Bears — "Promise" (2005)
• The Perfect Score — "Crash And Burn" (2004)

Other releases

• A Big Package for You (DVD) (2003)
• MTV Hard Rock Live (DVD) (2005)

Trivia

• Simple Plan has had their videos "Addicted", "Crazy", and "Untitled" on TRL. "Addicted" and "Untitled were the only videos that retired.
• Simple Plan have contributed three songs to the recent Scooby Doo revival - Grow Up is featured on the soundtrack to the first film, Don't Wanna Think About You was written exclusively for the second film, and they perform the theme song to What's New, Scooby-Doo?. They also appeared in an episode of the show, entitled Simple Plan And The Invisible Mad Man
• Simple Plan's song "The Worst Day Ever" can be vaguely heard in an episode of the television show King of the Hill.
• "Me Against The World" was also briefly heard in an episode of the television show Desperate Housewives and also in an episode of Charmed, and was the theme song to the show Damage Control, which was hosted by Pierre Bouvier.
• Simple Plan's "Grow Up" was the original choice for the theme song for popular show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
• The Mötley Crüe song If I Die Tomorrow was originally written by Simple Plan for Still Not Getting Any... but it was never put on the album, most likely because the subject matter was too close to that of the song, "Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me)". Bob Rock, who was producing the Mötley Crüe album as well as having produced Still Not Getting Any..., passed the song onto them with SP's permission.
• Joel Madden of Good Charlotte can be heard singing backup on You Don't Mean Anything and Mark Hoppus of blink-182 can be heard singing backup on "I'd Do Anything", both on No Pads, No Helmets . . . Just Balls [3].
• Won Favorite Canadian Band Award in Canada (MMVA). Simple Plan has won this award for a record breaking four years in a row beating Sum 41.
• Pierre Bouvier got hit in the face by a bottle at a show in Stratford, Ontario, Canada on September 9, 2005 and had to be taken to the hospital. Police later reported the bottle was thrown by a girl who got caught up in the moment. No charges were filed.
• Drummer Chuck Comeau once dated WWE Diva Ashley Massaro.
• Simple Plan also made an appearance on the 2004 movie, New York Minute, starring The Olsen Twins.
• Shut Up is played in one episode of Malcolm in the Middle and Andy Milonakis.
• Simple Plan won their first Juno in April 2006 for People's Choice Favourite Canadian Band.
• All of Simple Plan's singles have made it to #1 on the Much Music countdown except for "Perfect World". "Dont wanna think about you" also made it to #1 as well.
• Pierre Bouvier was the host of MTV's Damage Control.

See also

• List of bands from Canada

External links

• Official website
• Simple Plan's MySpace
• Interview with Sebastien Lefebvre
• Interview with Jeff Stinco
• Live pictures from Edmonton, AB
• Simple Plan at the Internet Movie Database

Related video

• VIDEO Interview / Live performance footage of Simple Plan on Real Magic TV
• VIDEO Interview with the guys from Simple Plan
• Pierre Bouvier chats with George Stroumboulopoulos, CBC News: The Hour, December 8, 2005. Retrieved December 28, 2005.