We all have that one band or artist who will have a special significance in our lives, and for one of those bands would be Canadian band, Sum 41.
Up until I was 19 years old I had never really been to any gigs, but all that changed when I went over to Halifax Nova Scotia in 2003/2004 to study for a few months, and went to my first ever rock show - Sum 41. I still remember that moment like it was yesterday, the excitement and the adrenaline and ever since then I have been sincerely grateful that they were a band who opened me up to the world of rock and pop-punk.
Fast forward to 2024, and following the news that Sum 41 had announced they would soon be calling it a day (much to the sadness to countless music fans across the globe), the band announced they would ending things in style with their world wide farewell tour - Tour Of The Setting Sum, an opportunity for their loyal and growing fan base to celebrate the live music of Deryck Whibley, Cone McCaslin, Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh, Tom Thacker and Frank Zummo one final time.
With the tour calling via the UK, as a loyal Sum 41 fan myself I was honoured to go along to the show this month when the UK leg of the tour kicked off at First Direct Arena in Leeds on 26th October 2024.
I have been to a fare few arena shows in my time, but there was something different in the air about tonight a mixture of excitement as well as emotion, which is to be expected because for countless people, the music of Sum 41 has got us through our teenage years into early adulthood. Once a Sum 41 fan, always a Sum 41 fan.
The atmosphere in Leeds was electric, and given that this is a special occasion music fans turned up in their number as the whole venue was packed with people of all generation united to show their love and appreciation for this truly iconic band.
As you can imagine for a band such as Sum 41 who have been blessing us with their music since 1996, and have gone on to release multiple albums, to say they have plenty of songs in their repertoire would be an understatement. So given that this is the final live tour, you can bet your bottom that Deryck and the rest of the band wanted to make this a celebration worth remembering as they took us through their archives of the past 30 years.
Wasting no time in injecting even more atmosphere across the venue, the band began their set with Motivation which got the crowd moving and singing in an instant, followed closely by The Hell Song and my personal favorite Over My Head both taken from their Does This Look Infected album which was released in 2002 - my gateway into the ways and influences of Sum 41.
Other than the music, something which really impressed me was the stage production which was so vibrant and full of character, the aesthetic being absolute goals, showing not only that Sum 41 were not making their imprint here at Leeds First Direct Arena, but they were also doing it in style. From the backdrops, the lazers, the epic lighting to even the confetti, flames and streamers - who says rock shows cannot be just as or even more epic than a Taylor Swift show! And in the case of these 5 guys from Canada, it is clear they had no intention of holding back and giving the fans what they wanted.
Getting back to the rest of the set then, there were so many golden moments not just because of the nostalgia of hearing from the Sum 41 archives with tracks such as We’re All To Blame, Walking Disaster and a mashup of My Direction, No Brains and All Messed Up, but also a chance to hear material from their latest album Heaven X Hell including the track Landmines. Something which got a lot of praise and cheers from the crowds as well.
Meanwhile down in the mosh pit, the crowd had not stopped moving since the start of the set, with Deryck teasingly saying “hope you guys are not getting tired yet, because we have a lot more fun left to come’, and boy he weren’t kidding haha!
Taking a moment to reflect, Deryck took the opportunity to thank the audience for their continued support over the years, through the highs and also the lows and grateful for the unconditional loyalty, It is fair to say his heart must felt very full as he must of felt all the love in the room from every single music fan. They say that the bond between a band and their fans is a really powerful thing, but to witness it with my own eyes was a truly euphoric thing to witness first hand.
So with the night still very much being young, it was that time in the set where Sum 41 had a little extra fun, firstly an incredible guitar solo which saw Cone, Dave and Tom take center stage, followed by an equally epic drumming solo by Frank Zummo. With Tom and Frank, very much being recent members to the band, with Frank replacing original drummer Steve’O, the two gents have certainly settled in well and added to the energy of Sum 41 as a whole.
Back to the music then, the band also had a few extra treats in store including a few cheeky snippets of a few covers including Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water, Slayer’s Raining Blood and Metallica’s Master Of Puppets - a nice little homage to some of the Metal bands that Deryck and the band have a lot of respect for.
Having played an impressive two hour set, it was almost time for the night to come to a close, but not without one final injection of fun as the band played Fat Lip before bringing the show to a close in style with the fuel and adrenaline of Still Waiting.
With emotions running high, Deryck, Dave, Cone, Tom, and Frank gathered at the front of the stage united and full of admiration as they took a bow as the crowd cheered on. A final thank you and a reminder to all of us music fans that the music of Sum 41 will live on forever.
This is not just a band that brought us phenomenal albums and memories, but the name Sum 41 will be known in the pop-punk hall of fame as 5 talented souls who gave their all, impacted the lives of countless people with their music, and created an everlasting bond and legacy in the process.
A level of trust and respect of the purest kind. On behalf of all music fans, I give thanks to Sum 41 for allowing us all to be part of your journey! We love you forever and more!
Article By Thushara Chandrasiri , Photography By Sophie Ditchfield
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