Simple Plan

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This article is about a French Canadian rock band. For other uses, see A Simple Plan (disambiguation)

Simple Plan
Left to right: Jeff Stinco, Sébastien Lefebvre, Pierre Bouvier, David Desrosiers, Chuck Comeau
Background information
Origin	Montreal, Canada
Genre(s)	Pop punk
Years active	1999 – present
Label(s)	Lava/Atlantic
Website	Official website
Members
Jeff Stinco – Lead Guitar Chuck Comeau – Drums Pierre Bouvier– Lead Singer Sébastien Lefebvre – Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vocals David Desrosiers – Bass Guitar & Backing Vocals

Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band based in Montreal, 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 (2003) and MTV Hard Rock Live (2005). All five members are French-Canadians, born in the province of Quebec.

History

Formation (1995-2002)

Simple Plan began in 1995 with the formation of a band named Reset by high-school friends Pierre Bouvier, Charles-André (Chuck) Comeau and Adrian White.^[1] Reset toured around Canada with bands such as MxPx, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face, but only managed to gain modest popularity.^[1] The debut album, No Wories, was released in 1997, and Comeau left soon after to go to college.^[1] Two years later he met Jean-François (Jeff) Stinco and Sébastien (Seb) Lefebvre, and again started making music.^[1] In late 1999, Comeau and Bouvier reaquainted at a Sugar Ray concert^[1] and Bouvier left Reset soon after to join Comeau. David Desrosiers replaced Bouvier in Reset, but when asked to join the foursome, he too left the band.^[1] This allowed Bouvier, who had doubled as the band's frontman and bassist, to concentrate on the singing.^[1]

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.

No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls (2002-2004)

In 2002, Simple Plan released their first studio album, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls which led to the singles, "I'm Just a Kid", "I'd Do Anything", "Addicted", and "Perfect". Simple Plan is noted as saying that they were aiming at a pure pop-punk record ^[2].

The record came in many different versions with slightly different track listings. For example, the U.S. release contained the extra songs "Grow Up", and "My Christmas List", while the UK release contained the extra songs "American Jesus", as well as the two music videos, "I'd Do Anything" and "I'm Just a Kid".

The record also contained vocals from singers from other pop-punk bands as "I'd Do Anything" included vocals by Mark Hoppus from blink-182, and "You Don't Mean Anything" included vocals by Joel Madden from Good Charlotte.

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.^[3]. In addition to several headlining tours, they have also opened for Green Day and Good Charlotte.

Still Not Getting Any... (2004-Present)

In 2004, Simple Plan released their second studio album, Still Not Getting Any... which led to the singles, "Welcome to My Life", "Shut Up!", "Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me)", and "Crazy".

As mentioned before, when writing "No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls", the members of Simple Plan were aiming at a pure pop-punk record. This time however, when writing "Still Not Getting Any...", the members of Simple Plan are noted as to saying that they were not liming themselves to the punk genre, but rather letting themselves write "good music"^[2].

"Still Not Getting Any..." showed a dramatic change in Simple Plan's style as well. They still kept their style of downbeat lyrics matched to upbeat music, but managed to transcend from the standard pop-punk genre. Although many of the tracks on this CD still carry the feeling of teen angst that is probably most noticeable in the song "I'm Just a Kid" from the first album No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, the general slant of this album tends toward slightly deeper and more mature lyrical themes, as well as a more mainstream sound that edges away from the pure pop-punk style of their last album.

In 2005, Simple Plan also released the live album, MTV Hard Rock Live which contained songs from both the previous albums^[4]. The album came in two different versions — a standard one, and a fan pack edition^[5]. The standard edition included audio of the whole performance, an acoustic version of Crazy, two live videos of the performance of the first two songs "Jump" and "Shut Up!", and a small booklet of picturest of the performance^[5]. The fan pack edition which contained audio and video of the whole performance in 5.1 surround sound, three acoustic tracks for "Crazy", "Welcome To My Life", and "Perfect", a 32-Page Color Tour Book, and an exclusive SP Patch and Pin^[5].

Future

Since February 2006, the band has not undertaken any significant tours, but has been working on their third CD, deemed by Alternative Press magazine to be one of the most eagerly anticipated of 2007. The working titles of three new songs are "Take My Hand", "Never Should've Let You Go," and "Forever."^[6] In Bouvier's Myspace blog, he describes a fourth new song ("Time to Say Goodbye") and admits to writer's block in the preparation of the third CD. As of March 2007, the band had still not announced the completion of the writing (primarily by Bouvier and Comeau).

Personally, Bouvier is engaged and will get married in the near future.

Side Projects

Along with the band, the members of Simple Plan have been involved in a number of side projects.

Simple Plan Foundation

The members of Simple Plan have helped nonprofit and advocacy groups by donating to many established organizations such as the MTV Asia Aid benefit, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), RADD (Rock Against Drinking and Driving), and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, after being frustrated because the members did not know exactly where their money was going to, the Simple Plan members created the Simple Plan Foundation,^[7] a foundation that focuses on teen problems ranging from suicide to poverty to drug addiction.^[7] As of Dec 09, 2005, the Simple Plan Foundation had raised more than $100,000.^[7] The list of donors included venues on their November-December 2005 Canadian tour. No information regarding the foundation's activities has been released since then.

Damage Control

Damage Control was a reality television series hosted by Bouvier that first aired on MTV on March 6, 2005. On Damage Control, parents would tell their teenage son or daughter that they would be going away over the weekend, but in actuality, they are just a few houses down monitoring them with Bouvier. The teenager would be placed in awkward situations, in which he/she must make decisions. Parents can earn money if they can guess what their teenager will do, and after the parents come back, the teenager can earn money by confessing. Two seasons were filmed before any episodes aired, and no more were planned or filmed, due to the likelihood that once the episodes aired, potential subjects would quickly catch on to what was going on.

Man of The Hour

Man Of The Hour is a Simple Plan side project that features Sébastien Lefevbre and Patrick Langlois. It began as a clothing company, but has since developed into an internet radio show called "Man of the Hour Hour," which is hosted on idobi radio. The show can be heard on Thursdays, and can be downloaded as a podcast the following Monday.

Role Model Clothing

Role Model Clothing is a clothing line owned by Bouvier and Comeau, who are often seen wearing the shirts onstage and in the band's music videos. The line mostly markets shirts, which invariably include the words "ROLE MODEL" in the design.

Miscellaneous

Patrick Langlois

Patrick Langlois (also credited as "Patrick C. Cunningham") is a friend of the band who is responsible for merchandising (he is sometimes seen running the "merch stand"), and also acts as webmaster, photographer, and videographer.

Langlois 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 basketball 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?)".

One video also contains a clear "shout out" to Langlois--in the video for "Untitled", the mug shot for the arrested drunk driver (not played by Langlois) gives his name as "P. Cunningham".

Affilliation with "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"

Simple Plan has a long standing affiliation with What's New, Scooby-Doo?. They perform the theme song and appear as themselves in the episode "Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman" in which excerpts of "The Worst Day Ever" (which is heard two separate times),^[8]^[9] "You Don't Mean Anything",^[10] and the beginning of "I'd Do Anything"^[11] can be heard. Additionally, "I'd Do Anything" and "You Don't Mean Anything" can be heard in the episodes "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine" and "Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman" respectively.

The song "Grow Up" was used in the 2002 movie, "Scooby Doo". The song "Don't Wanna Think About You" was used in the movie, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. The video for that song depicts the band racing across town to get to a premiere of a movie (the dog and other cast members appear at the premiere), only to arrive seconds late.

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. Some members of the punk movement are especially hostile towards the band as they see them as trivializing their culture. Moreover, the juvenile subject matter of some of their work (especially the first CD) provokes additional hostility from some music fans due to the fact that its members are now in their mid to late-twenties.

Despite the criticisms, 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.^[12]

Discography

For a full, detailed list, see: Simple Plan song list

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

Live albums

Live in Japan 2002 (Japanese Import) (2003)
Live in Anaheim, CA February 21, 2004 (2004)
MTV: Hard Rock Live (CD/DVD) (2005)

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions								Album
Year	Title	CAN	UK	U.S	AUS	SPA	FR	PHL	BRA	Album
2001	"I'm Just a Kid"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls
2002	"I'd Do Anything"	—	—	51	—	—	—	—	—	No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls
2003	"Addicted"	—	63	45	10	—	—	—	—	No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls
2004	"Perfect"	—	—	24	6	—	—	—	1	No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls
2004	"Welcome to My Life"	1	49	40	7	1	12	5	9	Still Not Getting Any...
2004	"Shut Up!"	12	44	99	14	14	—	4	7	Still Not Getting Any...
2005	"Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me)"	3	183	49	9	1	—	1	39	Still Not Getting Any...
2005	"Crazy"	4	—	—	32	5	38	5	5	Still Not Getting Any...
2006	"Perfect World" (not a single in most markets)	—	—	—	—	—	—	16	73	Still Not Getting Any...

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", "When I'm With You" (2005)
Fantastic Four — "Surrender" (2005)
Bad News Bears — "Promise" (2005)
The Perfect Score — "Crash And Burn" (2004)
Unaccompanied Minors — "My Christmas List" (2006)
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile — "Shut Up" (2006)

Other releases

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

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Simple Plan Online Bio
^ ^a ^b Simple Plan Band
^ Avril Band Aids
^ Simple Plan Music
^ ^a ^b ^c Simple Plan Live
^ MTV News Article
^ ^a ^b ^c Simple Plan Help Out the Kids
^ Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman 5:08 - 5:58
^ Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman 19:17 - 19:39
^ Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman 16:43 - 17:51
^ Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman 16:14 - 16:16
^ Sonic Breakdown Bio