Sum 41 Leeds review: I saw pop-punk legends Sum 41 at First Direct Arena and all my teenage dreams came true

It’s almost impossible to wrap up the nostalgia and sense of growing up in just one piece of writing, particularly when the band involved have been leading the way in the pop-punk genre for three decades.

Sum 41 brought a slice of Canadian skateboard energy to the ears of me and millions of others right around the world and the fact that I got to see them for the first time before they skated off into the sunset felt like one tick on the teenage bucket list.

If you ever watched the Kerrang! music channel (remember that?) growing up you will have heard a Sum 41 track.

If you’ve ever watched hit ‘00s teen film American Pie series, you will have heard a Sum 41 song.

In fact, if you were listening to contemporary music in the early ‘00s, then you will more than likely have stumbled across a Sum 41 track or two along the way.

So as this was my era for turning from childhood to adulthood, Sum 41 were one of the pillars of my youth. And that of many of my friends, too.

I also recently had the privilege of seeing another of my teenage heroes right here in Leeds - Blink 182 at Leeds Festival in August.

I’m sure by now you are building your own picture of what my musical taste was/is like and do you know what? I’m cool with it.

I may not keep up with all the latest artists, some may class these ‘90s and ‘00s American guitar bands as ‘Dad Rock’ these days (yes, I’ve seen the Spotify playlists), but they mean something.

To me and the thousands of others who packed into First Direct Arena on Saturday night (26/10) who sung each word and hung on each riff like they were on a mission to make their younger selves proud.

This is Sum 41’s final tour. They released their final album, Heaven :x: Hell, earlier in the year and the ending of the band signals the end of an era for many.

Although their music is fast, frenetic, non-stop and relentless, it’s what the band represent that made them so popular in first place. They promoted a sense of fun, of not really giving a damn and about living in the moment, all while not taking yourself too seriously and having fun with your friends. They were the guys that me and my friends wanted to be.

So to the gig in Leeds. It was the first time I had seen them live but I already knew what to expect.

While I was always more of a Blink 182 fan growing up, my wife was firmly in the Sum 41 camp and to see them on their final tour for the first time was bucket list stuff for her.

They didn’t disappoint. Even though I was expecting energy, pace and a show that went at 100 mph, this seemed to supersede even my wildest expectations.

As they rattled through hits such as ‘In Too Deep’ and ‘Fat Lip’ the crowd responded, singing every line word-for-word and feeding off the energy frontman Deryck Whibley and his bandmates created on stage. There were tears, there were hugs, there were beautifully glorious moments as hit after hit was recited back to them.

There was also pyrotechnics, confetti canons, huge inflatables and shots of paper streamers into the crowd.

To say this was one of the best shows I’ve ever witnessed would be doing it an injustice.

They played their full repertoire. From the earliest of early days of ‘90s demos and first albums, such as well-loved hits such as ‘Summer’ right through to this year’s hotly anticipated final works, with raucous bangers such as ‘Landmines’.

And there was something for every Sum 41 fan to get stuck into.

Whibley, at the age of 44 and with his fair share of health issues, still has the energy of a Springer Spaniel puppy, never missing a note while bounding around the stage.

He is the face of the band and although he has been through numerous personal highs and lows throughout his career, he still seems to get the same kick from playing the music he loves with his pals to adoring fans that he did back in the late ‘90s.

When the show sped up and was heading towards unbridled (and sweaty) overdrive, the band slowed it down and reminded the crowd of their ability to control the show.

There was enough time (over two hours and around 30 songs) to enjoy the ride. Nothing about the show, despite the pace of the many of the songs, felt rushed.

Whibley spent time talking to the crowd, wooing them with anecdotes and delivering heartfelt thank yous for support and love over the years.

And the crowd responded with an outpouring of love and gratitude for a band that has more than stood the test of time.

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And a word too for the venue. This was also my first visit to First Direct Arena and to say I was taken aback would be an understatement.

I’m from Sheffield so am used to seeing acts at Sheffield Arena, but the set up and acoustics inside Leeds’ younger version blew Sheffield out of the water. I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house and it really did highlight how a modern arena should feel. Epic.

So with Blink 182 and Sum 41 ticked off in Leeds in one year, I can safely say that teenage scratches have been itched with sweaty, frantic pop-punk from over the Atlantic.