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At the beginning of 2001, Sum 41 weren't even famous in Ajax, the Canadian suburb where they grew up. Now, on the strength of their hit single, "Fat Lip," they're recognizable to a legion of fans. Their album, All Killer No Filler, is one catchy pop-punk song after another, and by the end of the year, Sum 41 have progressed from an opening slot on the Blink-182 tour to headlining their own shows. And they have made an important discovery: When they ask girls to come onstage and make out with each other during their concerts, they get dozens of volunteers. Deryck "Bizzy D" Whibley, the twenty-one-year-old lead singer who looks like he's fourteen, and drummer Steve "Stevo32" Jocz reflected on what was and what will be.
The coolest person you met this year?
Whibley: We met so many people at the MTV twentieth-anniversary party that I never expected I'd meet. I met Slash, and he's one of the reasons I started playing guitar. jocz: Tommy Lee was really fucking nice. I love that guy. He gave us advice. If you're going to have somebody tell you advice, it might as well be Tommy Lee - he's done everything there is to do. He fucked Pamela Anderson! Who hasn't jerked off to Pamela Anderson once? And he fucked her! Me and Deryck, we actually have pictures of Tommy and Nikki in our bunks, so that every morning I'll wake up and look at the picture of Tommy and think, "Today I have to be like you." Instead of "What would Jesus do?" it's "What would Tommy do?"
What outfit do you wish you hadn't worn in public this year?
Whibley: I only have three or four things that I wear. Jocz: He has, no fucking lie, been wearing those pants for two months, every fucking day.
So how often do they get washed?
Jocz: They don't get washed! He wears them every day!
Whibley: I think they've been washed once in the two months I've been wearing them. I wore this whole outfit, underwear, socks, everything, during the show last night.
Jocz: The thing about Deryck is, when he sweats, he doesn't really stink.
What was Sum 41's greatest act of destruction this year?
Whibley: [Bassist] Cone's twenty-first birthday was three days before the MTV awards. They were having parties all the time, and we all got really wasted. We're at this crowded bar, and we didn't know half the people at the table. Nikka Costa was right beside Cone, and we're up against her for the Best New Artist award. All of a sudden, Cone takes this shot and pukes all over the table, all over her feet. And we were so retarded, we're laughing. Cone's laughing, but puke is pouring out of his mouth. Nikka Costa was kind of mad.
Jocz: Then we went back to our hotel. At five in the morning, we've drunk everything in the minibar. We went to get our tour manager, and while he wasn't looking, we emptied out his minibar and tipped over his armoire.
Whibley: At the very top of the armoire, there's a TV - which got smashed.
Jocz: I think the damage was four grand! Yes!
So who won the award?
Jocz: Alicia Keys. She looks like she's really talented, so I say give her the award. What do we do? We just fuck around all the time.
What are your resolutions for 2002?
Jocz: OK, my resolution is that with our newfound popularity and success, we have to take advantage of it -
Whibley: Abuse it.
Jocz: - ten times more than we have. I want to be arrested next year at some point, and I want to go fucking crazy. Just don't tell my mom. We'll keep it a secret.
Whibley: See, I think by next year our parents are going to find out what we really do on the road. They know we do bad stuff on the road, but they don't know.
Jocz: Our parents thought that playing rock music meant I must be doing drugs. And they were right. I just want to sit them down and say, "It's all true. It's all bad. And I'm an asshole. I love you to pieces, but you raised an asshole."
What are your predictions for 2002?
Jocz: The album will still be doing good and we'll be playing huge shows, or the next single will bomb and I'll be back at the grocery.