LIVE: AVRIL LAVIGNE – Winnipeg, MB, CAN – September 14, 2024

Venue: Canada Life Centre

City: Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Date: September 14, 2024

Review and Photographs by: Alejandro Penner (https://www.alejandropenner.ca/)

This was one of the most anticipated concerts to come to Winnipeg Manitoba this year, Avril and Simple Plan Sold out the Canada Life Centre, and what a night it was. Fefe Dobson joined the tour as the opening act, Dobson hit the music scene back in 2003 with hits like “Bye Bye Girlfriend” & “Take Me Away”, the perfect way to start the night out. The second act to hit the stage was Simple Plan, Canadian Pop Punk royalty, playing one of the tightest sets I have ever witnessed. Opening their set with the Star Wars Main Theme Songs (audio track) jumping into one of their biggest hits “I’d Do Anything” off of their debut album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls going on to play various songs off of their six studio albums, songs like “Untitled”, “Shut Up!”, “Welcome To My Life” off of their sophomore record Still Not Getting Any, and for their song “Jet Lag” off of their 2011 Get Your Heart On! Simple Plan brought Fefe Dobson onto the stage to sing Natasha Bedingfield’s parts. Overall, it was just an amazing supporting act for Avril Lavigne. However, as Pierre from Simple Plan pointed out, this was the final date that they would be on the bill with Avril.

Avril took the stage at 9:10 to a sold-out arena, with her signature heart and bones being drawn in pink on the back screen, soon, the whole place erupted at the sight of the one and only Avril. Opening her set with her song “Girlfriend” off her third album The Best Damn Thing, “What the Hell” off Goodbye Lullaby and “Complicated” off her debut record Let Go the track that started it all! Being that this Tour is called The Greatest Hits Tour we got a lot of hits from Avril, from “Bite Me” off of her latest album Love Sux released in 2022, to the previously mentioned debut record Let Go, we got classic pop-punk bangers like “Sk8er Boi”, “Happy Ending”, “Love It When You Hate Me” to some more ballads like “Nobody’s Home,” “I’m With You” and a crowd favourite “Head Above Water” which was lead with a little interlude video portraying footage off of the music video, on the ten LED screens backing the stage, (nine smaller square ones and one big centre screen) Avril had changed into the ironing white gown changing the vibe of the show, but what an ending to the set it was, very beautiful and powerful with the final song “I’m With You.” Halfway through her set however Avril decided to change things up, and a video popped up of Avril video calling Simple Plan, asking them what they were doing, and if they wanted to join her on stage for a song, and they accepted, you do not say no to the Pop Punk Queen, after joining her on stage and some banter they settled on playing Simple Plan’s song “Addicted” (which at this point made sense as to why it was left out of Simple Plans set), halfway through the song Avril and Pierre invited some of the fans to join them on stage for the remainder of the song, and Avril took the time to take some selfies and even sign some merch, and if that wasn’t enough Fefe Dobson was invited to join both Avril and Simple Plan after they finished the song to play one of the most iconic Pop Punk songs of all time “All The Small Things.” It was a high-energy pop punk-filled night and one to remember, a true rollercoaster down memory lane. If you are a pop punk fan, I cannot recommend this show enough, if you can find a ticket to go don’t miss this one.

SET LIST: Girlfriend – What the Hell – Complicated – Here’s to Never Growing Up – Hot – My Happy Ending – He Wasn’t – Nobody’s Home – Losing Grip – When You’re Gone – Addicted – All the Small Things – Bite Me – Love It When You Hate Me – Sk8er Boi – Head Above Water – I’m With You

[Show as slideshow]

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries