MANILA, Philippines?Whether you?re a fan or not, you have to admit that Canadian punk-pop band, Simple Plan, knows how to bring an audience to its feet. In their recent concert at the Araneta Coliseum, ?Simple Plan Rocks the Dome,? the quintet performed to a shrieking crowd revved up by the band?s incredible energy, as well as the undeniably catchy beat of their songs.

Front acts

The boys from Montreal were last seen in Manila three years ago, fronting for Avril Lavigne in her ?Bonez? tour. They?re the main stars this time around, with their own front acts?New Found Glory and Jamie Scott & The Town. The latter gave a pretty good performance, but they couldn?t compete with the energy level of the guys from New Found Glory (also known as NFG), a punk-pop band from Coral Springs, Florida.

NFG is a shade edgier than Simple Plan, which, admittedly, isn?t hard to achieve, considering the bubblegum flavor of the latter. In contrast, Simple Plan?s sound quality was cleaner and more balanced. Though they started out a bit subdued?when compared to NFG?s exuberance, anyway?the boys warmed up fast, as did the audience.

Simple Plan?s music, while too angsty and, well, whiny for more mature listeners, has a fun vibe that injects even more energy into the group?s live performances. You can?t help but move to the beat, even if all you can manage is foot-tapping or head-nodding.

The band also knew how to win the hearts of its already receptive Pinoy audience. A few Tagalog phrases dropped here and there went very well with the crowd?and when they exchanged ?salamat? for ?thank you? in the chorus of the song of the same title, the audience loved it even more!