After spending almost three decades building a legacy of pop punk angst, thrashing guitars and witty lyricism, Canadian heroes Sum 41 are making their way into Wembley for an epic UK farewell at their final London show.
Booming cheers fill the room as a huge black banner lowers over the stage, signalling the band's imminent arrival before smoke machines and bursts of fire shoot into the air as the five-piece kick the show off with a thumping Motivation. Doubling up with even bigger energy is The Hell Song, introduced with bursts of confetti and soaring riffs. "This next song has been the most requested song we've had all year," yells frontman Deryck Whibley, before thrashing into Screaming Bloody Murder.
It’s clear tonight means a lot to the band - at one point early on Deryck shouts excitedly that this show and tour is "a celebration of 30 years of Sum 41." He proceeds to pick up his original Gibson Marauder, used in the Fat Lip and In Too Deep videos before being stolen in 2003: "Some asshole stole this from my house," he snarls. "I just got it back a few fucking weeks ago!" Like magic, the crowd chants “fuck that guy”, middle fingers up in solidarity.
Deryck then calls on all metalheads in the venue as he introduces Sum 41's hard-hitting 2004 single We’re All to Blame. Wembley duly obliges, sparking mosh pits all over the floor as plenty more rise from their seats headbanging and throwing horns.
"Do we have any stupid motherfuckers in here tonight?" the frontman beckons as the band roll into a mesh of My Direction, No Brains and Messed Up at breakneck speed. Around their more full-throttle punk anthems and general boisterousness, Sum 41 also share some intimate moments with the crowd tonight; fans sing along and wave their phone torches for emotional anthess Dopamine and Pieces.
"One last time let's sing together,” screams Deryck as the end draws near. “One last time let's shout together. One last time let's get crazy together. One last time this song is called In Too Deep!" After saying some goodbyes, the five-piece return one more time to a standing ovation for a powerful encore of No Apologies.
And just like that, Sum 41 are done in London - and soon, everywhere else. Tonight shows that through thirty years, eight studio albums and scores of pop punk classics, they never lost an ounce of their energy or urgency. They'll be missed.
