‘God knows, Sum 41 have had our share of ups and downs,”, frontman Deryck Whibley observes with a grin. The Canadian pop-punks’ 28-year history has seen near fatal car crashes, assaults, alcoholism and even pneumonia. Meanwhile, their fortunes have veered from platinum sales to struggling to fill smaller venues before a triumphant return to arenas such as this one after pop-punk was discovered by a new generation of fans. Which makes it a very unlikely time for them to be on their farewell tour, ostensibly reflecting the singer’s desire to exit at the top.
They are certainly going out with a bang: confetti showers, pyro jets, lasers, balloons, a giant moving skull and Whibley’s well-worn but effective showmanship create a visual extravaganza. A mammoth 130-minute set list of more than 30 songs stretches from last year’s comeback hit, Landmines, back to their debut single, Makes No Difference. Whibley affectionately refers to early anthem Summer as “the first time we ever thought, ‘We’ve written a good song.’”
