After three decades in the spotlight, the Canadian pop-punk outfit are finally deciding to call it a day. They’ve always been that band you can rely on to release some absolute bangers to just throw yourself around to be it from their iconic debut “All Killer No Filler”, to their final double record “Heaven/Hell” released last year. Even in the lead up to this gig, it feels strange to say that the show in Cardiff is going to be their last ever performance in the UK. The fact that it sold almost instantly solidifies the staying power they’ve had with their fans after all this time.
If you want a band that’s going to get the crowd warmed up, you want to get The Bronx. Usually you’ll find them rocking out in an intimate, sweaty venue with bodies flying everywhere but the arena suits them absolutely fine. Frontman Matt Caughthran showcases his “Welsh” credentials by having a pretty impressive set of pipes on him. Blistering through a 40 minute set which feels only half the time they get the pits going with the likes of “Shitty Future”, “Curb Feelers” and “Heart Attack American”. It’s during the irresistible “Knifeman” that he gets everybody to join together arm in arm for a jump along which is incredibly infectious. It’s always felt like tunes such as “Six Days A Week” are built for the arenas and it’s a shame that they’ve always been so underrated that they never got to do it off their own back.
At a time where nostalgia for the groups of their era seems to be at its absolute peak, it’s a pleasure that we are essentially treated to a two hour greatest hits of their entire career. We get the iconic “Introduction to Destruction” with a neat little farewell twist on it before those drums start kicking in and “Motivation” kicks off proceedings. From the off the excitement and joy is palpable and you cannot help but have the biggest smile on your face. We then get a one-two from “Does This Look Infected” with “The Hell Song” and “Over My Head” which keeps that momentum going and going. It’s hard to think that if they start off this strongly, whether it can keep on going for the rest of the night. *Spoiler alert*…it does!
We also get rare cuts with the likes of “Noots” which they state is their most requested song to play, along with an extended stop off with the album “Chuck”, with “We’re All To Blame” sounding even heavier in the arena than it already does on record. It’s all interspersed with the songs off of their latest record which perfectly slot into the set along with everything else. Before “Landmines” there’s a playful boo when it’s stated that things are all coming to an end, but Deryck Whibley says with a wry smile that it’s all extremely heart-warming.
Whilst the foot is on the gas throughout and as the streamers and confetti hang from the ceiling, there are still moments to catch your breath during the likes of “With Me”. It’s during these moments that it starts to dawn on you that you’re going to be hearing some of these songs live for the last time ever. Almost even more so straight afterwards with “Makes No Difference” which harks back to the very early days and I personally feel as though I’ve been transported back to the early 00’s once again. The most “metal” moment of the night comes during “Rise Up” where the skull on the back of the stage is lit up and the pyro just keeps on coming. Just to top it off it’s then followed by a brief interlude of Slayer and Metallica to keep those hardest rockers happy.
The best moments are saved towards the end of the set though. I don’t think there’s ever been a Propaganda or a rock night in a club which hasn’t played “Fat Lip” at some point or another. I mean it’s the law right? And for a good reason, the demographic here have been jumping along to this for years now, all from watching their videos on Kerrang TV to here in an arena with over 7,000 people. It’s a song that brings everybody together in unison for one final bow out and is a thing of beauty. “Still Waiting” keeps all those voices going towards the end of the scheduled set, however we all know there is all still more to come!
The band could have easily announced this tour and just reigned it in but throughout they give it absolutely everything. Musically they still sound really good and the show has given us flames, smoke, lasers, confetti streams and everything in between. It’s not long before they triumphantly return to the stage kicking things back off with the song that pretty much started it all for them “Summer”. The tune is indicative of what they’ve set their career on, just writing really great rock songs that make you feel happy. If there’s one tune that personifies that in spades then it’s “In Too Deep”. “For one last time, we want to say thank you” Whibley states and again everybody in the room is taken back over 20 years to when they first heard this tune and it has solidified its place in modern rock culture since. The sea of bodies in the crowd bounce like they are waves and are really just revelling in the moment.
They take their bows to the thousands clapping and cheering them for minutes, but as the encore ends, the lights still don’t come up. Could there possibly be any more? We’re left waiting for a little longer and for those who are patient, we are treated to one more final song. During “So Long Goodbye”, I turn to my right and see somebody getting emotional and then turn to the left and see somebody else doing the same. This now really does feel like the end and it feels as though they are going out on a high, by doing things on their terms. The night feels like a celebration that is the perfect send off to a band who have been the soundtrack to a particular generation in what is their last ever gig in the UK. Thanks for all the memories guys!
