The night was off to a great start when I walked into the venue and saw that Short Stack had already started onstage. They positively vibrated with a crazy amount of energy, playing a thoroughly enjoyable set. Vocalist/guitarist Shaun Diviney and vocalist/bassist Andy Clemmensen ran all over the stage, while drummer Bradie Webb got the girls squealing by stopping mid-song to take off his shirt. They definitely won some new fans with their repertoire of catchy electro-pop songs, especially new single Shimmy A Go Go.

The Getaway Plan were more subdued upon taking the stage, but maintained the momentum set by the openers. Matthew Wright’s vocals were strong, while drummer Aaron Barnett was especially exciting to watch. Their set was pure, unabashed rock, and the execution was impeccable. They had feet tapping and the crowd jumping when they played their singles Where The City Meets The Sea and Streetlight, while Sleep Spindles was this reviewer’s personal favourite.

Finally, it was time for the main event. Simple Plan ran out onto the stage to a chorus of high-pitched squeals and screams from their predominantly teenage audience. Launching straight into Generation, their set was full of hits from all three of their albums – including Shut Up, Addicted To You, Your Love Is A Lie and Me Against The World. Throughout the performance, vocalist Pierre Bouvier rarely stood still. Lead guitarist Jeff Stinco stepped up with some fine guitar playing, while rhythm guitarist Sebastien Lefebvre and bassist David Desrosiers kept us all amused with banter between songs. The playful mood continued when the band played a medley comprising of Flo-Rida’s Low, Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl and Justin Timberlake’s Summer Love.

One couldn’t complain about not getting their money’s worth, with the band returning for two encores. For the first, Bouvier appeared at the sound engineer’s desk to sing Untitled, before returning to the stage to perform I’m Just A Kid. The band then returned for one final song – a rousing rendition of Perfect, before leaving the stage for the final time.

The headlining band put in a great performance, but the star of the night was definitely Desrosiers. He was like a hyperactive aerobics instructor in skin-tight jeans. He led the crowd to clap their hands or wave their arms during songs, enlisting Lefebvre to help him play with a bouncy ball, jumping on a poor guitar tech for a piggy-back ride, and running all over the stage to charm every female in the venue under the age of 30. And there were no shortage of those…