The walls of Cardiff Castle were once again lit-up last night with the sound of another live music show in the summer line-up. It was the turn of Canadian superstar Avril Lavigne, supported by another Canadian favourite Simple Plan, and alt-rock stars Phem. This gig has certainly been long anticipated by Cardiff locals, and the excitement on the night showed. The crowd was full of eager fans young and old; one young girl held up a sign on camera that read ‘This is my first ever concert.’ I was impressed with the commitment to outfit choices to reflect Lavigne’s style over the years. There were an abundance of plaid skirts, backwards caps, ties, and fish-net tights. The atmosphere was incredible from the moment that the gates opened.
There’s something to be said for a gig that has such a big name as the support act, it seemed many fans had attended out of want to see Simple Plan, too. They’re one of those bands that you might be thinking “Who!?” but, trust me, you will recognise plenty of their songs, and they’re all absolute bangers; most famous for ‘I’m Just a Kid’ (and life is a nightmare). Simple Plan did not disappoint in warming up the crowd by bringing joy and chaos with them. Their set ended with their drummer, Chuck, putting his trust in the people of Cardiff as he crowd-surfed.
WARNING: I’m about to make you feel old, read on at your own risk. Avril Lavigne’s first album came out in 2002. I was just 7 years old at this point, which highlighted to me just how much her music really defined my childhood. During the set she recalls visiting Cardiff alongside Simple Plan back in 2004 on the tour of her first ever album, 20 years ago! A large portion of the crowd was made up of people who seemed a similar age to me, which confirms my idea that, like me, many people were there out of nostalgia and to satisfy a childhood dream of seeing Avril Lavigne in concert.
Lavigne opened the show with a track that was guaranteed to get us going. We heard “Hey, hey, you, you, I don’t like your girlfriend” and, from that moment, we were hooked. I didn’t know what to expect from her production, but the abundance of visual effects and the presence of pink, plaid skull and crossbones all over the stage was awesome and added to the atmosphere of the show. The crowd danced and sang along for the sull set as Avril performed hit-after-hit. She really is a great performer, and it was clear that she was grateful to fans for their continued support for all these years. At one point in the show, Lavigne invited a handful of fans onto the stage to join her for a dance, gifting each of them an autographed skateboard to remember the night by; it’s safe to say the chosen ones were envied by everyone else in the audience.
I’m glad this piece is written, because I have no voice left from singing so much to speak words about how fantastic last night was. Avril Lavigne really put on a show and certainly did not disappoint. It’s a gig that Cardiffians will reminisce for years to come. There’s a massive line up of live music in the castle this summer and it has only just begun, check out the rest of the line up here: https://www.depotlive.co.uk/
