{"id":9336,"date":"2012-06-03T13:18:21","date_gmt":"2012-06-03T03:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=9336"},"modified":"2012-06-03T14:56:28","modified_gmt":"2012-06-03T04:56:28","slug":"chuck-comeau-sebastien-lefebvre-of-simple-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2012\/06\/chuck-comeau-sebastien-lefebvre-of-simple-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Chuck Comeau & S\u00e9bastien Lefebvre of Simple Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n<\/a>“I think for me it\u2019s the reaction and hearing the kids sing every night, it kind of makes everything we do worthwhile, and it gives you a lot of cool emotions when you\u2019re on the road for so long and you\u2019re in the studio for so long and when you actually see the result in some ways.”<\/p>\n

Back in Australia for the second time within twelve months, it seems that Simple Plan just can\u2019t stay away, well more to the point; the fans just can\u2019t get enough of them.\u00a0 Here playing sold out shows on this run, we once again sat down with drummer Chuck and this time guitarist S\u00e9bastien came along for a chat about the tour, and touring in general, the life of their album, their upcoming book and we also took to Twitter to get some questions answered from some fans\u2026<\/p>\n

Welcome back guys and thanks for your time.<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n

Now you were only here in Australia last October, what brought you back so quickly?\u00a0 Can\u2019t stay away huh?<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> There is that, definitely, we do love touring here, it\u2019s always fun.\u00a0 We try to come every record, even twice if we can like we\u2019re doing now and I think because \u2018Jet Lag\u2019 did so well and \u2018Summer Paradise\u2019 did so well that we just had to come back.
\nChuck:<\/strong> Yeah it felt like this album has been welcomed so amazingly here, and the first tour it was kind of a smaller more intimate thing and it did so well and we had so much fun so we were like OK well let\u2019s see if we can make the next step and play bigger shows and more cities\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> We were still here in October planning this one, ok when can we come back?\u00a0 May, June, OK June\u2026
\nChuck:<\/strong> As soon as we saw the response, we knew we had to come back and I think even over on Twitter as soon as the tour was over everyone was like \u2018When are you guys coming back?\u2019 so alright, cool.\u00a0 Honestly it\u2019s so fun for us to come to Australia, it\u2019s not like work or anything, it\u2019s a pleasure, it\u2019s like a vacation and we have to play some shows in between, so we have a love affair with this place and we always love to play for the fans, we have a great connection with them.<\/p>\n

What have you been up to since last we spoke? Just touring?<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Touring, yeah, absolutely, we did a US tour, we did an Asian tour, a big Canadian tour, a European tour, came back here, we\u2019ve been extremely busy travelling obviously and we\u2019re working on a few things, we\u2019ve got a picture book we want to put out, so we\u2019re working on that, that\u2019s coming out in the Fall.\u00a0 We\u2019re thinking about other cool things before we start writing for the next album to keep the fans going, because we do tour for a really long time, so some fans out there maybe they\u2019ve heard the album enough and they\u2019re ready for some new songs, so we might give them something to help them wait.
\nChuck:<\/strong> Yeah and honestly we have more touring to go as well, we have more shows lined up for the Summer, you know we\u2019re going to Europe after this right away and we have South America obviously that we have to get to, we\u2019ve played a little bit but not that much yet, so we\u2019re going to be busy until Christmas easily, so it\u2019s good, it\u2019s a good sign for us, it just shows that this record has been welcomed super well, and we\u2019re lucky you know?\u00a0 Ten years down the road and to still have that same kind of reaction is priceless, we\u2019re very blessed.<\/p>\n

When does this touring cycle end for you?<\/strong>
\n*both S\u00e9bastien and Chuck shrug their shoulders*
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Usually it\u2019s once we\u2019ve been everywhere, maybe twice.\u00a0 So that right now seems like it would be Christmas, so it\u2019s 18 months, a year and a half and then we write and we release and we tour, so we\u2019ve been pretty much non-stop for the past ten years, it\u2019s what it feels like sometimes you know?
\nEveryone keeps getting their \u2018Heart On\u2019\u2026<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> Yeah, Heart on\u2026
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s like we took too much Viagra.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Permanent Heart On ha ha.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s somewhat ironic as we hit the first day of Winter today that you\u2019ll more than likely be up there playing Summer Paradise\u2026<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Do you guys do it on the 1st and not the 21st?\u00a0 OK cool, so the first day of Winter here, it doesn\u2019t look like Winter at all I\u2019ve got to tell you ha ha.
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> Yeah you guys have pretty mellow Winters compared to ours.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Canadian Winter\u2026 come on\u2026
\n Well it seems this song has taken on a life of its own, how has the reaction to it been for you guys?<\/strong>
\nChuck:<\/strong> Well we had a good feeling about that song even from the moment we wrote it, and we knew we had to come out in the Summer and there was even a debate about should we should put it out as the first single, but it\u2019s a little different than what we usually do so we felt like maybe we establish what the record kind of sounds like and then we can go with the curve ball and the different kind of song, but we had a good feeling about it and then with the Summer thing being in Australia in December, which is different than ours we put it out way early, Australia was the first place it came out and like you said, did super well for us.\u00a0 Do you expect it to go that well?\u00a0 You hope for it, and when it actually happens it\u2019s an amazing feeling and now it\u2019s out in the rest of the world, it\u2019s out in Europe and it\u2019s doing the same thing that it\u2019s doing here all over the Continent and Canada it did the same thing, it just went Platinum yesterday in Canada so it\u2019s a good feeling, like you try really hard, you sit down for a year, we sat down every day trying to write a song that has that magic to it you know?\u00a0 When you actually do and it actually happens, it\u2019s a gift you know, you\u2019re just lucky and you go along with the ride and it feels like we have one right now, so it happens a few moments in your career when you have songs that really connect, like \u2018Perfect\u2019 that happened to us and \u2018Welcome To My Life\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019d Do Anything\u201d\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> No, it\u2019s \u2018Welcome To My Life\u2019 *with very good Australian accent*
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 So when it happens, you just enjoy the ride I guess\u2026<\/p>\n

Do you think there will be another single from the album?<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Yeah we might release something else, \u2018Astronaut\u2019 is out here right now, so I don\u2019t know, because we\u2019ll keep on touring, it\u2019s always fun to just keep putting out stuff so the fans have a video to look at or something to listen to on the radio.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s not official, but there\u2019s a song that\u2019s really special to all the fans and special to us \u2018This Song Saved My Life\u2019 and there\u2019s something about that song that\u2019s kind of unique and a little magical for us, so I think we\u2019re going to do something with that.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 That could be a good one, yeah.<\/p>\n

You mentioned before about the book, The \u2018Simple Plan\u2019 project but what actually is going to be included in that, is it a photo book, is it the story behind the last ten years, is it the works?<\/strong>
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of a mix\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah, it\u2019s a mix, definitely a lot of photos, because we\u2019ve taken millions of photos since we started, but also there\u2019s going to be some kind of narrative that just ties it all together.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 We\u2019ve been pretty obsessive about keeping everything in the archives, so we have stuff from our first, first band when we were fourteen and our first experience with music and there\u2019s going to be interviews with the band members, like there\u2019s the full story of Simple Plan, the full history from day one until now, archives and we saved so much artefacts and passes and stuff like that.\u00a0 So it\u2019s kinda like a mix of scrap book, photo book, biography, so it\u2019s a cool hybrid kind of thing.
\nSounds like it\u2019ll be the size of a phone book ha ha<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Ha ha this thick but with really small print, this thick\u2026
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> Yeah it\u2019ll be around 315 pages.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t want it to be just photos, we wanted a little more meat to it, so the photos obviously drive the whole thing but there\u2019s so much cool stuff around it, it\u2019s gonna be dope.<\/p>\n

OK so we took to Twitter to get some questions from fans:<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> That\u2019s fun.<\/p>\n

Kelly wants to know, what\u2019s the best thing about being on tour?<\/strong> @GlamPowerFace<\/strong><\/a>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> What\u2019s up Kelly?\u00a0 Obviously the show is the most fun part of the day, but I think it\u2019s just seeing new places, like the first time you go somewhere and discover new cultures and try new foods and you meet new people and stuff like that.
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> yeah we just got back from Vietnam for the first time\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Country number 46 that we\u2019ve played with the band.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah so there\u2019s something super cool about that when you get to go to a new place, its exciting because you don\u2019t really know what the place is going to look like, you don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going to happen, like you don\u2019t really know how the reaction of the fans is going to be, so it\u2019s always a bit of a challenge and there\u2019s always that new energy to a show because you want to prove something as it\u2019s the first time people see you.\u00a0 That\u2019s exciting, what else?\u00a0 I think for me it\u2019s the reaction and hearing the kids sing every night, it kind of makes everything we do worthwhile, and it gives you a lot of cool emotions when you\u2019re on the road for so long and you\u2019re in the studio for so long and when you actually see the result in some ways.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Especially when you\u2019re on the other side of the planet, like literally here.\u00a0 The furthest you could be from home and people know your band.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s rad to see the music travel so much.<\/p>\n

Teddy wants to know, why is the connection with the fans so important to Simple Plan? @JetlagJoel<\/a><\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> It\u2019s always been important for us.
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> I think now more than ever with Twitter and we\u2019re a pretty hard touring band, we don\u2019t stop, we actually get to connect with all those fans, we see that there\u2019s this kind of army of fans around the world waiting for the new album, for the tours and all that, and you don\u2019t want to let them down.\u00a0 You want to keep on playing more shows, and there\u2019s nothing worse than on Twitter, you get \u2018Hi, I\u2019m from this city, you\u2019ve never been there before.\u2019 And it\u2019s like \u2018Fuck, we\u2019ve gotta go!’ We\u2019ve never been there before.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to bum people out. That\u2019s what keeps us going a lot.<\/p>\n

Chuck wanted to know, how do you stay so amazingly good looking year after year? @chuckcomeau<\/a><\/strong>
\nChuck:<\/strong> ha ha
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> You\u2019re asking me that?\u00a0 Well you know, I do work out\u2026 How do we stay so amazingly good looking?
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> It\u2019s a mystery; I think it\u2019s the shows?
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> It\u2019s the fans, yeah it\u2019s the work out and the fans and the shows and the sweating.
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> I made myself laugh.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 That\u2019s actually you? *to Chuck* ha ha that\u2019s so funny!<\/p>\n

Marly wants to know Chuck if you feel that drummers are the heartbeat of a band? @ThePiesEndure<\/a><\/strong>
\nChuck:<\/strong> I think the heartbeat, the backbone, the heart, the structure as well.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I think that everybody in the band has their role but\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 No it\u2019s true, the heart beat\u2026 the one thing I can say about the drums and the singers is that people know if you fuck up ha ha ha
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 If you\u2019re the bass player, I\u2019m not pointing any fingers, you can kind of like let it slide a little more.\u00a0 Drummers, if something happens every one kind of goes \u2018What the fuck was that?\u2019 you know?\u00a0 Same thing with the singer or singers in general, if they miss a note or something or their voice cracks, it\u2019s like \u2018OK\u2026\u2019
\n They\u2019ve got it easy, if they forget they just hold the mic out\u2026<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Exactly, that\u2019s true. You can\u2019t stop playing and have the audience sing the drum part though\u2026
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> I know\u2026<\/p>\n

Olivia wants to know what do you love about Kangaroos? @oliviaisapotato<\/a><\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> Is that Olivia Wilde?
\nNo\u2026<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> Still, thank you for your question Olivia.\u00a0 I think Kangaroos are really cool because you can only find them here.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah it\u2019s the whole mythical thing about Australia, there\u2019s Koalas and Kangaroos\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> And snakes and spiders and crocs\u2026
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 Its part of the clich\u00e9 in a way but an amazing thing about coming here for us, it\u2019s like, are you kidding me?\u00a0 You can pet those things and feed them, it\u2019s awesome.<\/p>\n

Kalila who has the awesome Twitter name of pierre boobier wants to know, if you could have one animal characteristic what would it be? @pierreboobier<\/a><\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh yeah I know her.\u00a0 Bird, fly.\u00a0 That\u2019s pretty badass.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know I\u2019d like to go underwater and not have to hold my breath, like a fish or a dolphin.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah that\u2019s pretty cool.<\/p>\n

Astrid wants to know If you weren\u2019t in the band what would you be doing? @azmosis<\/a><\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> I\u2019d be a Ninja, obviously.\u00a0 What about you?
\nChuck:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I think I\u2019d try and be involved in music in some way.\u00a0 Maybe behind the scenes? Like putting on shows or working with bands or something.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Video making for bands\u2026
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019d love to be a film maker, like a video director that\u2019d be sick, that\u2019d be really cool.
\nWell if you need a Ninja\u2026<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 ha ha ha
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> Not as cool as that\u2026<\/p>\n

Also she wanted to know what\u2019s your weirdest fan encounter?<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> Well it\u2019s funny, we wrote a song about it \u2018Vacation\u2019 before the band even got big, or even got signed, we were still making demos.\u00a0 He actually had a stalker that would follow him home to his parents\u2019 house.\u00a0 It\u2019s pretty messed up.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 I used to take the train to my parents\u2019 house and one morning we were leaving to go to school or something with the band and at 6am she was in front of the door knocking and then waiting a few times knocking on the door just sitting down in the driveway.\u00a0 We hadn\u2019t had a song released or anything, we\u2019d only played three shows in our life.\u00a0 That never happened again.
\nShe mustn\u2019t have liked the songs\u2026<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> I know right ha ha ha
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 But they were amazing.
\n What about recently? Do you get people that follow you around to shows?\u00a0 Do people get tattoos?<\/strong>
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Tattoos are pretty intense. I hope we never suck, because they\u2019re forever.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s one of our motivations to put out good records\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:\u00a0<\/strong> What about all the kids with tattoos?
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> There\u2019s a lot of those.\u00a0 There\u2019s a fan from the UK I think that has our faces tattooed all over her chest, like big, not small, like huge.\u00a0 Then there was this girl that had a back tattoo with Pierre\u2019s face.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah the face tattoos are always weird.
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> We felt bad for the boyfriend; well I guess he had something to aim for.
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong> Ha ha ha<\/p>\n

Chrisoula wants to know, what do you guys see your career to be like in 10 years from now? @chrisoula_sp<\/a><\/strong>
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s a good question\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Hopefully still going, maybe slow down a bit?\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t mind travelling a little bit less, but still going, but at this point, four albums in, ten years later, there\u2019s not point for us to stop I don\u2019t think.
\nChuck:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah I hope it keeps going\u2026
\nS\u00e9bastien:<\/strong>\u00a0 Unless we fake break up, fake hiatus, and then we come back two years later and it\u2019s like \u2018Oh My God, they\u2019ve been away for so long!\u2019
\nChuck:\u00a0<\/strong> Yeah that seems to be a good hot strategy right now.\u00a0 I think we\u2019re just going to keep going, do our thing and hopefully people will keep following us and keep sticking with us.<\/p>\n

Check out our chat with Chuck from last year if you haven’t already here…<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nWIN:<\/strong>\u00a0 For something a little bit different and fun, we had Chuck and S\u00e9bastien sign some of our May The Rock Be With You postcards.\u00a0 If you’d like one of four we have to give away, then simply send us an email to mtrbwy@maytherockbewithyou.com<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong>letting us know why you think we should send you one and you may win!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Remaining Tour Dates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
Jun 3, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n
Panthers, Newcastle \u2013 All Ages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Jun 6, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n
UniHall, Wollongong \u2013 All Ages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Jun 8, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n
Southport RSL Club, Gold Coast \u2013 All Ages (u18s accompanied by a parent\/guardian)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Jun 9, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n
Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane \u2013 All Ages (u18s accompanied by a parent\/guardian)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Jun 10, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/strong>Caloundra RSL, Sunshine Coast \u2013 All Ages (u18s accompanied by a parent\/guardian)<\/div>\n
Jun 13, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
Mackay Convention Centre, Mackay<\/div>\n
Jun 14, 2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
The Venue, Townsville<\/div>\n
Jun 17 ,2012<\/strong><\/div>\n
Race and Rock Concert, Darwin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Essential Information<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong> Montreal, Quebec<\/p>\n

Band members: <\/strong>Pierre Bouvier \u2013 vocals, Chuck Comeau – drums, backing vocals, David Desrosiers – bass, backing vocals, S\u00e9bastien Lefebvre – guitar, backing vocals, Jeff Stinco – lead guitar<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.simpleplan.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest release:<\/strong> Get Your Heart On (Warner Music Australia)<\/p>\n\n

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