Source: The Sun Chronicle

American online journal The Sun Chronicle posted a review of the last show of all the bands, who took part in this year’s Bamboozle Roadshow in Mansfield, on June 27th. Here you check out a pretty positive paragraph from this article, which describes Simple Plan’s performance in Mansfield:

“Thirty-something Canadian rockers Simple Plan blithely threw themselves – Peter Pan style – into the youthful spirit of the concert. Hopping and spinning wildly around the stage in baggy cargo shorts and skate shoes, lead singer Pierre Bouvier and his bandmates looked and sounded as if time had not touched them since their debut album over 10 years ago. And judging by the warm, shrieking welcome from the audience, directionless suburban angst is immortal – or at least has a very long life. The band successfully channelled teenage drama in a set filled with sulky, self-pity anthems like “Welcome to My Life” and “I’m Just a Kid,” becoming briefly more serious about child-parent relations in the unexpectedly poignant “Perfect.” High points of the set included flailing solos by lanky drummer Chuck Comeau and the expertise of lead guitarist Jeff Stinco – though these elements were all too frequently overshadowed by Madden’s bluster.”

The latest episode of Man Of The Hour Hour, which aired on Thursday was the last MOTH episode aired on idobi radio, which hosted this show for 4 years. But don’t worry – this is NOT the end for Man Of The Hour – it’s only moving to another radio station – particularly to Virgin Radio 96 Montreal, where the MOTH show will air from March 21st every Sunday from 9pm to 10pm EST (of course it will also be released as a podcast to download afterwards).

Don’t forget that the last MOTH on idobi radio re-runs today from 3pm EST. So don’t forget to tune in on your iTunes!

Sebastien and Patrick informed about this big change few days ago in their latest blog:

Man of the Hour show on VIRGIN RADIO

..It’s true.

The Man of the Hour show is moving. After 4 years on Idobi internet Radio, we are gonna start doing this show on Virgin Radio right here in Montreal.

The show will air on Sunday nights at 9PM EST till 10PM.

DON’T WORRY! You can still tune in live to listen right here http://montreal.virginradio.ca/player and the show, as always, will be turned into a podcast. Just stay tuned for more details on that.

That’s it! This is really big news.

We love you all!!

Pat & Seb

Also, the new radio station that will from now on air the MOTH show – Virgin Radio 96 Montreal – published an interesting article about Patrick’s and Sebastien’s radio show. Here you can check it out:

Source: Virgin Radio 96 Montreal

For over 3 years now, Simple Plan’s Sebastien Lefebvre and long-time friend Patrick Langlois from MusiquePlus have teamed up to create Man Of The Hour, a new music podcast available on iTunes. Through their extensive knowledge of music and obvious camaraderie, Sebastien and Patrick fill up the Man Of The Hour Show with fun, facts and the best new music.

With over 200,000 downloads per podcast episode it was only a matter of time before the guys kicked it up a notch and took things to another level: terrestrial radio!

Starting March 21st, The Man of the Hour show will be presented weekly on Montreal’s Virgin Radio from 9pm to 10pm.

If you’re a long time listener, fear not, the show will remain the same: silly, funny, informative and filled with the best new music. New listeners will be treated to something different in the radio landscape in what is sure to be a standout hour on Sunday nights.

Sebastien Lefebvre plays guitar for multi-platinum Canadian band Simple Plan. With over 8 million records sold, a platinum-selling DVD and countless radio hits, Simple Plan has been a staple in the music scene since 2001. Sebastien has toured the world 9 times over playing with the band and is getting geared up to enter the studio to record the follow up to 2007’s self-titled record. Sebastien also has a cat who likes to pee under the dinning table.

Patrick Langlois has worked in the music industry for over 10 years now. After starting out with Donald K Donald, Patrick toured the world with Simple Plan and has directed 3 DVD’s for the band. The platinum selling “A Big Package for You” earned Patrick a JUNO Nomination for best director. For almost two years now, Patrick has worked as a mobile journalist for MusiquePlus interviewing some of the world’s most successful acts. Patrick is also afraid of rattle snakes, sharks and tigers.

Since Virgin Radio has announced the arrival of Sebastien and Patrick on their airwaves, the Montreal Canadiens are on a 6 games winning streak and the weather has been better than ever. Coincidence? We think not.

Source: Roger Mooking’s blog

Don’t you hate it when you’re a rockstar and it’s so extremely difficult to eat well when you’re touring? Okay.. I guess you don’t know that feeling, but I think Sebastien does and he explained it pretty well during his interview by Roger Mooking. Check out the delicious interview right here:

What is the best bet for food at a truck stop?

This always depends on how hungry you are. If you’re lucky enough to get to a truck stop that has breakfast, have it. They are greasy and heavy, but they taste fine. Stay away from the pre wrapped sandwiches. They might look and smell fine, but they are not.

What do you eat in an airport?

You should always get the country specialty, ie some sushi in Japan, some pasta in Italy.

What is the best jet lag food to recharge?

Whatever comfort food you might have. I like burgers or spaghetti to restart my system.

I prefer to perform on an empty stomach. Do you eat before a show? If so, how long before?

I try to eat at least a couple hours before going on stage. You know what happens if you eat too close to stage time…

What food traditions do you have when you come off stage?

Keep it light! Fruit and nuts and things like that. Of course there’s always pizza in the dressing room, but I’m not a fan of late night greasy food.

Backstage catering can go either way. What makes for good backstage catering and what is the most memorable of your career?

Warm meals and good soup make a big difference. Big fan of the soup. Something interesting that happened on our last Canadian tour, we had fajitas four days in a row. All the venues had the same idea, and of course they don’t check with each other to find out what we had the previous day.

What is your favorite country to travel to for the food?

Japan all the way. Fresh fish galore. Nothing to complain about there with the fish and the green tea. But Italy is a close second. Best pasta in the world.

What was your favorite home cooked meal growing up?

Spaghetti was all I ate as a kid. That and PB and J. I was difficult as a kid.

If you have to, what is your fast food of choice?

Subway or Dagwoods. At least it doesn’t give me a stomach ache.

What is a must on the tour bus?

Bread and peanut butter for the morning. Then it’s all about beer, vodka, and wine. We have to treat our guests right.

Source: Time Colonist

Have you ever been wodering if the Simple Plan guys do any sports? The Time Colonist interviewed Sebastien few days ago about his bands’ participation at the Winter Olympics celebrations in Calgary last Saturday – and since it’s the Olympics, they talked with Sebastien mostly about sports and keeping fit.

Are they punk? Are they pop? Do they have any rock cred whatsoever or are they just a boy band in disguise?

That’s been the focus of countless Simple Plan stories since the Montreal rock band released its debut album eight years ago, but really, who cares about any of that at this point? The important thing is, the band has a fair legion of fans and today Simple Plan is set to perform a free concert at Olympic Plaza in Calgary, in celebration of the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

That’s what you call a prestige gig. So, we figured, when we get the band on the phone, let’s talk sports, which we did, with guitarist Sebastien Lefebvre.

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT CHAT:

Q: Hi, Sebastien. Did they set me up with you because you’re the biggest jock in the band?

A: Sort of — I’m not a real active sports guy … I’m not very good at anything. I took up golf this summer, but I’m not very good at it. When I was little, it was either snowboarding or playing guitar, so I picked up the guitar and I guess that turned out all right for me. … But I love watching the Olympics. When we did our second record in Montreal, the Summer Olympics was on and we had the TV on at all times while we were recording.

Q: How do the members of Simple Plan keep fit?

A: Our live show is our way of keeping fit. We’re drenched when we get offstage. Whenever we’re [touring] Canada or in Europe we try to find a hockey rink and go skating for a couple of hours during the day. I skate all right, but I have a hard time with braking. Chuck [Comeau, Simple Plan's drummer] is the best. He’s a big hockey guy. Jeff [Stinco, lead guitarist] is all action. He loves hockey and golf. And Pierre [Bouvier, the singer], he surfs a lot.

Q: Is there anybody in the band that’s the polar opposite of athletically inclined?

A: David [Desrosiers, Simple Plan's bassist] works out a lot. He’s very much in shape. But he does not play any sports. We do not put him on skates. We do not give him a golf club. He can’t do it to save his life. He keeps saying he’s a really good soccer player, but we have yet to see it. I’m not sure that it’s true. He’s probably the one in the band that looks the most like a jock, but he’s the one that does the least sports.

Q: Is there a particular event you’ll be following closely at the Olympics?

A: Well, clearly hockey. … And I’m always a big fan of the skiing long jump. That’s insane to me the way they take off and fly. I can’t imagine learning to do this sport. You’d probably break your neck, trying to get it right. … It’s amazing to me.

Q: How do you feel about the Team Canada hockey roster this year?

A: I’m stoked that there’s a lot of kids from Quebec on that team.

Q: How does it feel that your band is headlining one of the biggest Olympic celebrations in the country?

A: It’s very much an honour. I sort of compare it to the athletes that compete. We got picked to play a show for the Olympics. That means we’re probably up there, as far as Canadian bands go, and that’s very flattering. If there were a rock ‘n’ roll Olympics, I like to think we got picked to represent Canada.

On Saturday, February 13th, Simple Plan attended the first day of the opening celebrations for the Winter Olympic Games in Canada – particularly in the city of Calgary they played a free open-air concert.

As it’s still February, plus it’s Canada, you can imagine how cold it must have been during the show. The guys had to play in gloves, warm jackets and hats.

The Calgary Herald published an article about this show, quoting the SP members’ mentions about the cold weather:

“I know it’s cold up here, but if we all jump together it’s going to be a lot warmer!,” said Pierre Bouvier of Montreal pop-punk band Simple Plan during his band’s headlining set for the Winter Olympics Celebration at Olympic Plaza. “Do you guys feel me?”

“I feel like my tongue is frozen,” joked Bouvier at one point. “Don’t lick the microphone,” quipped one of his bandmates. “Your tongue will stick.”

In the gallery you can already check out pictures from the event:

Also, a video of the Simple Plan’s equipment for this show appeared on YouTube, so now you can check it out how all the stuff looks like:

And here is one video from the show itself – it’s a segment of Welcome To My Life:

Source: Press+1

We haven’t had a decent long article in here for a while, don’t you think? That’s why I decided to post this article, which caught my attention – Press+1 published an article including an interview with Sebastien. You’ll find out for example something more about the songs from his EP, what’s up with him and charity and how he feels about creativity.

Simple Plan’s Sebastien Lefebvre Gives Back To Youths

You have to like the way Sebastien Lefebvre multi-tasks; when not playing guitar for megalith Canadian band Simple Plan, Lefebvre can be either found releasing his first solo EP “You Are Here/Vous Etes Ici”, taping for his podcast “Man of the Hour” or quite possibly in a local school talking about self-esteem and bullying for the No Health Without Mental Health Symposium.

It comes as no surprise that Sebastien has used his fame and celebrity to influence youths towards positive perspectives as his mother is a child psychologist and social worker. Simple Plan are also highly involved in the Simple Plan Foundation which has given $170,000 back to charitable organizations, built two schools in the Congo and innumerable other charities. The fans of Simple Plan are also contributors to the cause, doing fundraising campaigns for a band and causes they believe in.

“I like to help out where I can,” says Lefebvre in English that is slightly laced with the sweetness of his francophone accent, “We also like to promote music as a way to work through your problems with the Simple Plan foundation. Nothing but positive has come from this. We try to be socially conscious and think about how our foundation can help in Canada and in the world.”

Speaking of being international, Simple Plan isn’t just a Canadian band, they have fans all over the world and the last time we interviewed the band we received a lot of positive response from the Brazilian fans. “Brazil is one of those places where our fans are intense and very verbal about their love for us. It’s great,” says Lefebvre.

Whether it be Brazilian, Canadian or any other fans around the world, they should be excited about the prospect of Lefebvre’s new EP as he describes the collection as a place where the more introspective songs of Simple Plan ends up. “Sometimes you see a song grow into a big rock song and they usually end up on the Simple Plan records and sometimes you write a song and it goes in a completely different collection. After a little while I had a lot of those songs, and so I decided to re-record them and put them out just for fun.” Picked up by the Simple Plan record label, Warner has given its full support to Lefebvre’s solo project which is compiled of decadent poetic songs from the heart. Sung in both English and French the album might attract a strong lovelorn audience of fans who can slip this onto their iPod and walk around in a bubble of uplifting musings. A sample of the EP can be found on Sebastien Lefebvre’s Myspace.

In fact, Lefebvre has used the internet to really connect with his fans “I like to be very present online, that is where you really get to meet the fans, keep them informed with news and the medium has really helped to spread the word for my projects and many emerging artists so quickly. When you meet fans at concerts now you already have built a connection with them and it is cool to meet someone face to face that you know from online.” Lefebvre has also taken to podcasting as an alternate medium from songs to discuss his thoughts. Called “Man Of The Hour”, the podcast is a joint effort with videographer Patrick Langlois, and is in its sixth season. They haven’t done a podcast for a couple of months now but Lefebvre is committed to doing a new episode over the holidays.

Seeing the connection that Simple Plan has with its community of fans, and the commitment to giving back, showcases the true talents of this artist and his band. Lefebvre reflects, “It is paramount that parents have good connections with their kids. We will hear about kids who have shown their parents lyrics to our songs like ‘Perfect’ and ‘Welcome to my Life’ and it has helped them open up a dialogue. You think that teenagers don’t want to be friends of their parents, but they do and anyway that can be cultivated is beneficial to everyone.”

He says that “youths nowadays are a lot more creative then when I was growing up, a lot of youths are getting involved creatively, whether they are building websites, creating bands, or photography or artwork, they are really using those outlets now.”

It is easy to see that Sebastien Lefebvre is a fan himself; of music, of community, of creativity, of conversation and of his own fans.