Canadian rockers Simple Plan are back in the UK with a sold-out tour to promote their new album Simple Plan. Maire Bonheim spoke to lead guitarist Jeff Stinco about dirty rock, trying to pick up Danni Minogue and not being punk enough.

How would you describe your style?

I think it’s melodic rock infused with a lot of influences. It’s hard to label a band.

Some punk fans say you’re too pop, or not punk enough

Truthfully I think the punk label is applied very easily to a lot of things, but I never said that my band was punk; I don’t think it is. When we were younger we were listening to a lot of the Californian punk rock and pop punk that was coming out at the time and that influenced some of the more intense drum patterns and rock ideas we were using. But when you’re 3 records into your career you want to change it up a little and go beyond your first influences and find your own voice. I think it’s very rocking.

Who are your influences at the moment?

When we made this record we listened to tons of music and we didn’t want to be influenced by one particular band, we wanted to find something that was unique. I think bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, even Greenday – we didn’t copy their music but these bands were ambitious with their records, they were trying to make musical statements and expand on what they were doing before, and they made really strong records. I think a lot of artists nowadays concentrate on one or two songs and just fill up the rest of the record with fillers. We wanted to make a full record that was a statement and a bit of a break from what we were doing before.

Apparently at your gigs in Camden, fans camped outside from 6am before the show - how did you feel about that?

I think it’s amazing; on this tour people have been lining up in the morning even before I wake up. It’s kind of strange, you open your bunk window and you see people lined up and you think, ‘wow man, that’s dedication right there.’ When I was a kid I was really intense about music, I really wanted to be part of the experience. My parents were very strict so I wasn’t allowed to go to rock shows but I wanted to meet my favourite artists and get a piece of them. That’s what these kids are doing and I think it’s awesome.

What do you think about UK audiences?

They’ve been amazing on this tour. The last show in Manchester was one of the craziest shows we’ve played ever, it was so energetic, so intense, so powerful, it was very very good. I had a lot of fun. It’s kind of cool because we’re playing mid sized venues and they are very conducive to dirty rock shows. You very much feel the audience.

Who do you think is your audience in the UK?

It’s a question that varies from city to city. I’ve been watching the crowds and if you look at the front rows there’s a lot of teenage girls, a few teenage boys, but when you look at the back of the crowd and the balconies there’s a lot of older people, fans that have followed us since the first two records that are now a bit older. We’re meeting people we met on our prior tours 5 or 6 years ago - they were 18 then and now they’re mid 20s. But there are a lot of new fans too.

Do you feel like you need to start from the beginning in the UK?

There’s a bit of that feeling, yes, but I think we had a very strong core base that was always present. When we were touring here before we didn’t have any radio or press support and we were still selling out, we sold out the Astoria. That was revealing of the kind of fan base we have, a word of mouth kind of thing, and they stayed with us. So I don’t think we’re starting from scratch but we still have a bit of work to do.

What has been your best gig ever?

As a kid you always dream of playing the arena in your home town [Montreal, Canada]. You imagine yourself being on that stage. And when we did it was fully sold out, and all our friends and families were there. It was one of those crazy intense moments and it was pretty important for me.

Have there been any bad gigs?

We played at Hanover 5 or 6 years ago and I counted exactly 12 people in the audience. That was not the best gig of my life.

If you could pick any other band or artist to play with who would you choose?

I’d like to play with the Foo Fighters, I think they’d be a lot of fun. Or Weezer. It would be cool to be able to jam with them and not talk with them a lot because he [Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo] seems to be quite a weirdo and I don’t want to be thrown off by his personality - I’d want to keep loving the music. I think they make really quirky weird rock and I’m into that.

Have you ever tried to pick up a celebrity?

At the Australian MTV awards once I was backstage and Danni Minogue walked by. I had to stop her and I guess I was flirting – she definitely wasn’t, but I was! A security guard cut the conversation short after probably 45 seconds. So I flirted on a one-way level.

Who are your favourite artists?

I can’t stop listening to Ryan Adams, he’s amazing. I also just read a biography of Guns and Roses so I’ve been listening to a lot of them recently. Truthfully, with all the shows we do I don’t get to listen to a lot of music right now!

Who do you think would win in a fight between yourselves, Linkin Park and The Plain White T’s?

You mean a physical fight? Plain White Ts definitely would not win, there’s no chance. Have you looked at them? I love those kids though. We went on tour quite a few times with them. With Linkin Park it would be tricky. If they would allow me to do one on ones I think we would win.

Who has the most annoying habit in the band?

David rasps his throat, it’s very annoying. I’ll be sleeping in a hotel room and he comes down the corridor and through the door; I hear he’s there and I know it’s him. That’s how bad it is.

What was your first job?

I used to do landscaping, I bought my first guitar doing it. I was actually quite good at it, but I’m not going back to it!

What's your pre-gig drink of choice?

My drink of choice is actually Red Bull, but it’s so bad for you. I used to have two before every show. I do like vodka and Red Bull though, I gotta say. It’s a good way to start out a night.

What would be your dream car?

911 Turbo. I just love that car. There was a Charlie Sheen movie that I used to love when I was a kid – he would steal Porches all around town. It kind of glorified Porches for me.

What advice would you give to unsigned bands trying to break onto the scene?

I would say write tons of songs, try to find your own niche, be on the net as much as you can. It’s a great time to release music and do it on your own; it’s just a question of being very very available for your fans, answering MySpace and emails and blogging. I think that’s the best way to do it.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully we’re still going to be playing shows and making relevant music – and hopefully we’re going to be done discussing what genre of music we play! I think it is hard to describe, and I think that’s ok, you know.

Simple Plan’s new single Your Love Is A Lie is released on April 14th. Their album Simple Plan is out now.

To read a Simple Plan gig review, Click Here.

Visit www.simpleplan.com / www.myspace.com/SimplePlan