'Kids in the Crowd': SIMPLE PLAN’s Heartfelt Documentary Celebrates 25 Years Of Friendship, Fans And Fortitude

Interview by Angela Croudace
Simple Plan have always worn their hearts on their sleeves - but
with their new documentary The Kids in the Crowd, drummer Chuck
Comeau says the band has truly peeled back the curtain. The film,
marking their 25-year legacy, is an emotional deep-dive into the
highs, lows, and brotherhood that’s defined the Canadian pop-punk
juggernaut.
Chuck described the process as “a joy” but also “really difficult,”
recounting the overwhelming task of sorting through decades of
footage—some of which dated back to him and frontman Pierre
Bouvier’s first ever band when they were just teenagers. “It’s hard
to condense 25 years into an hour and a half,” he said. “It’s
literally your entire life.”
One particularly moving discovery came late in the process - hidden
in a box in Chuck’s parents’ basement. “It was our first show ever…
in our friend’s basement, playing Basket Case by Green Day,” Chuck
recalled. “It was so innocent, and yet so similar to what we do
now.”
The documentary doesn’t shy away from the band’s internal
struggles, either, including the at times rocky dynamics between
Chuck and Pierre. “We had a massive fight. I got kicked out of the
band,” Chuck admitted. “But going through that taught us how to
keep this thing alive.”
Just as crucial to the film are Simple Plan’s fans. For Chuck, the
bond with their audience, many of whom have leaned on the band’s
music during life’s darkest moments, is sacred. “They’ve told us we
saved their lives,” he shared. “That comes with responsibility. You
don’t take that lightly.”
Their new single, Nothing Changes, featured on the film’s
soundtrack, was written as a reflection on their past - and a
reminder that Simple Plan isn’t stuck there. “It was important to
not just become a fossil,” Chuck said. “This film celebrates where
we’ve been, but it also kicks off what comes next.”
After 25 years, Simple Plan is still that band for the outsiders,
the dreamers - and the kids in the crowd.


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