What was your first experience of Warped Tour as a fan? What bands did you go to see? Which bands did you discover?<\/b><\/p>\nMy first experience at Warped was playing it in Montreal in 1996 with my previous band called Reset. I remember the morning of, our label\/manager called us early and said:\u201dGuys! Get over here to Warped immediately! You guys can be the first band on one of the side stages as the doors open! But you gotta be on stage in 2 hours!!\u201d So we rushed over there and set up as fast as we could. Our set started right as the kids poured in from the gates that just opened. It was awesome! Our band had a pretty good following in Montreal at the time so most kids running in came right to our stage and we ended up playing for a huge crowd. Such a spontaneous event for us. After we played, we stuck around and watched some of our favorite bands as they hit the stage one by one.<\/i> <\/p>\n
For the next few years I\u2019d always go to Warped. I remember seeing Blink 182, Face to Face and No Use for a Name. Some of my favorite bands at the time. <\/p>\n
<\/i>What was your first experience with Warped tour as a performing band? What was your expectation vs reality? <\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
Playing Warped again a few years later as Simple Plan was an incredible experience for us. It really allowed us to connect with our new and growing fan base. We would literally walk around with a CD Walkman and get kids to listen to our songs and tell them to come catch our set later. We would sit at our merch booth all day meeting people, selling cds and shirts and trying our best to just get people\u2019s attention however we could. It was a real grass roots kinda thing and we loved every minute of it. I remember playing the smaller side stage and every day our crowd got bigger and bigger until the stage manager was going up to Kevin Lyman telling him to bump us up to a bigger stage because he just couldn\u2019t handle the crowds anymore. It was an amazing time for us young boys. <\/i><\/p>\n
Can you share a story from your time on Warped?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
One of my favorite moments on Warped was getting to watch Thrice play from side stage one year. It was right around when \u201cThe Artist in the Ambulance\u201d came out and that record really blew my mind. I found myself loving a band that screamed! That\u2019s not usually my thing. They had a great set and crowd was nuts. I can still picture that one in my mind. Also, there was a year when David (bass player) and I bought little 50cc dirt bikes on brought them on tour with us. It was such an awesome summer. We\u2019d find little trails to go ride whenever Warped was set in field. It was also an excellent way to get to stage and to catering a lot faster. Great memories. <\/i><\/p>\n
Which of your songs is most suited for a big festival sing along?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
I think we definitely have a few singalongs, but one song that always gets the crowd going is \u201cJump\u201d. It\u2019s not a single and not one of our most well-known songs, but due to the lyrical content (I just wanna jump) and the fact that the song was recorded at the perfect speed to jump up and down to, the result is a sea of fans doing just that in sync. It\u2019s always a sight to see! Thousands of fans bopping up and down together at the same time with us just never gets old. <\/i><\/p>\n
What\u2019s the most valuable lesson being a part of Warped Tour taught you?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
It\u2019s taught us to be real and not act like dickheads no matter how small or big your band is. It\u2019s taught us to work hard and to cherish every fan we get. It\u2019s taught us to be humble. It\u2019s taught us to respect hard working bands who deserve to be respected even if you don\u2019t listen to their music. Everyone plays 30 min. Everyone is assigned a random time slot. Everyone waits in line for food. Everyone is equal basically. It\u2019s really refreshing to see that and to live it. <\/i><\/p>\n
Any thoughts on the Warped Tour legacy coming to an end? <\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
It\u2019s definitely sad to see it go. It\u2019s a shame that new up and coming bands won\u2019t have a place to develop their craft and grow a fan base like we had. It\u2019s such an amazing experience for a young band to hop in a van for 5\u20136 weeks and just live that experience. Playing shows in difficult conditions but having a blast and getting to do something different that will stick with you forever. <\/i><\/p>\n
Warped has helped shape us as a band and as people. It gave us a sense of belonging and reminded us what was important. In some ways I believe Warped tour will keep going. Maybe one day the punk rock, pop punk, or just the rock scene will be healthy enough again to justify such an elaborate tour. But I\u2019m not too worried. I know Warped tour is too ingrained in the scene to just disappear. And truly, the pop punk, hardcore, punk rock, alternative or whatever you want to call it is still going strong and I don\u2019t think it will ever go away. <\/i><\/p>\n
I guess my final words would be thanks. Thanks to Kevin and to all the people who made Warped tour a possibility. Thanks to all the Warped crew people who worked their asses off to take care of the thousands of us on tour. Thanks for giving bands like us a place to grow. A place to find out who we are and where we can take our dreams and make them reality. Warped has truly made a huge mark on my generation and others as well, and it will never be forgotten. <\/i> <\/div>\n
– Pierre Bouvier –<\/font><\/center> <\/p>\n ![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/qZDXJuk.png\"\/)
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