First Direct Arena, Leeds, 26/10/24
“Through all the ups and all the downs, thank you for sticking with us”, pronounces an earnest Deryck Whibley. Gratitude is pouring out of the Sum 41 frontman all night, as he squeezes in as many “Thank you”’ and “We love you”’ remarks as he possibly can in the short space between songs.
We’re inside Leeds’ First Direct Arena for the opening night of Sum 41’s final – and biggest – UK tour, as they prepare to bow out from the pop-punk scene they’ve helped reign over, once and for all. Yet the “ups and downs” Whibley refers to barely scratch the surface of Sum 41’s story. Coming back from the brink. Whibley’s near-fatal alcoholism. Line-up changes. Powering through adversity has come to define the longevity of the Canadian five-piece, buoyed on by their fans.
It’s only right, therefore, that they close their own curtain – kicking off proceedings with ‘Motivation’ after The Bronx warm up an invigorated Leeds crowd. True to the ethos of their 2000 EP ‘Half Hour Of Power’, Whibley and co. are here to rattle through as many hits as possible, swinging straight into ‘The Hell Song’ and ‘Over My Head (Better Off Dead).’
“Back by popular demand” – ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’ returns to the setlist, paying homage to their much-delayed fifth album. Though ‘All Killer, No Filler’ and ‘Does This Look Infected?’ justifiably dictate a sizeable chunk of tonight’s show, it’s an important touch to see Sum 41 pay tribute to each era that shaped them along the way. ‘War’, taken from 2016’s comeback record ‘13 Voices’, sounds kaleidoscopic in an arena, though there’s not quite room to squeeze in anything from ‘Order In Decline.’
“We’ve got a whole range of emotions to go through together” reiterates Whibley, whose boundless energy matches the pace of the occasion. Indeed, their final album ‘Heaven :x: Hell’ encapsulates such an emotional rollercoaster through its two parts, be it the nostalgia of ‘Landmines’ – which slots in just like a classic – or the uber-catchy ‘Dopamine’, which follows immediately after.
As Whibley leans into the rock ‘n’ roll showmanship and finds his constant demands for circle pits unsurprisingly met by the Leeds crowd, the show continues to be a barrage of entertainment. Confetti, pyro and massive balloons during ‘Underclass Hero’ – one of which is bursted by Whibley in perfect time with the chorus – ensure the production is an absolute riot of sound and colour. It’s almost a shame Sum 41 haven’t properly toured UK arenas since the heyday of ‘Does This Look Infected?’, when they have all the necessary tools to lift their hits into another stratosphere.
Overhanging the stage is a colossal yellow curtain, with fragments of their album covers pieced together like a scruffy jigsaw puzzle. ‘Walking Disaster’ is lit up by the crowd, as Whibley cheekily plugs his recently-released memoir of the same name, recalling the story of his 20-year struggle to reunite himself with his long-lost Gibson Marauder. Tonight, he proudly dons that guitar on stage – the very same one from ‘In Too Deep’ and ‘Fat Lip’ videos.
Guitarists Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh and Tom ‘Brown Tom’ Thacker are imperious from start to finish, as riff after riff cannons around the arena – at the volumes they were destined to be played at. Both introduced for a momentary solo, the band whittle through impromptu renditions of ‘Raining Blood’ and ‘Master Of Puppets’, much to the delight of the room. “So we have got some metalheads in the house tonight?”, teases Whibley.
‘Pieces’ serves as the tear-jerker of the night, still the same emotional behemoth which initially appeared on ‘Chuck’ 20 years ago. ‘Fat Lip’ takes us into the home straight, inciting complete pandemonium on the floor, while the punters up top get off their seats – en masse – for the first time tonight. There’s a rush of blood to the head during the bridge, upon the realisation that we’ll never hear ‘Fat Lip’ in the flesh – besides rock clubs and cover bands. ‘Still Waiting’ crushes those thoughts instantly.
Returning for their encore, ‘Summer’ takes us back to Sum 41’s ground zero, paying homage to ‘Half Hour Of Power’ with the loudest “Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh” of the night by a countrymile. “In life, it seems we fade away” sings Whibley on ‘Waiting On A Twist Of Fate’ – the opening track of ‘Heaven :x: Hell.’ The snappy, rapid-fire song proves the exact opposite: Sum 41 are determined to bow out on form.
Though Sum 41 will have to say goodbye to thousands of people on each night of the Tour Of The Setting Sum, you can tell that each and every syllable comes from Whibley’s heart. “After 30 years, I just think the world is sick of hearing Sum 41” is greeted by a ring of boos which are laughed off by Whibley. ‘In Too Deep’ dispels that statement, a song that will outlive Sum 41 and pierce through to every future generation of music fans.
The First Direct Arena is emptying, but, after two hours, Sum 41 aren’t yet finished. “Close all the doors. Whoever’s out is out”, declares Whibley, as those heading for the exits make a hilarious u-turn as the quintet return for a second encore – to a half-empty room, coated in confetti. Deep cut ‘Sick Of Everyone’ closes proceedings for real, played on the spur of the moment for the first time since February 2020. True to their words, the band are cramming every last song into this farewell run – and why wouldn’t they? There’s still a few minutes until curfew.
The global rock scene won’t be the same without Sum 41. Their farewell tour is nothing short of a triumph, and somewhat of a shame given how razor-sharp their live show currently is. We know pop-punk loves a reunion – so never say never. But, after 28 years of cherished memories and eight killer studio albums, they’ve given their all, and have earned the right to close this chapter on their own terms. Long live Sum 41.
