Here’s to Never Growing Up: Avril Lavigne Live in Manila 2014

I can still remember this bit on MTV years ago (I think it was for her Artist of the Month feature): “It’s not AVE-ril, it’s AHV-ril” she says into the camera. Singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne has been rocking out since 2002 and skated her way into the music scene with her first single “Complicated” from her debut album “Let Go”.

Avril was in Manila for a one-night only concert held on February 17 at the Araneta Coliseum to promote her fifth self-titled studio album.

The concert started out with a video of Avril through the years and the screen changed to an explosion of pink bows and flowers. Avril stepped out looking every bit the punk princess that she is, a metallic red bow on her head as she sang her opening song called “Hello Kitty” followed by the upbeat “Girlfriend” from her “Best Damn Thing” album.

Rebel anthems “Rock n Roll” and “Here’s To Never Growing Up” from her latest album and “I Always Get What I Want” from her “Under My Skin” album got the crowd pumped, devil horns up and singing at the top of our lungs. The tender “Hush Hush” changed the pace, which is Avril’s favorite song from her latest work.

When the first notes of the melancholy “Let Go” came on, I wondered who will sing Chad Kroeger’s part. Well, you know, someone walked out and it was Chad Kroeger and the place went absolutely nuts! “Please give a round of applause to my hubby, Chad Kroeger,” Avril said after the song and they were all sweet while they were both on stage, a match made in rock heaven.

Then Avril came out and instead of a bow on her head, she wore pair of horns while singing “Bad Girl”, a song that features Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People”.

The sounds of my (faraway) youth followed: “Happy Ending”, “Don’t Tell Me”, “Complicated”, “He Wasn’t” and “Losing Grip” were awesome (and cathartic) to hear live (still screaming/ singing at the top of my lungs here). I’m surprised I still know the lyrics to all these songs and I couldn’t miss out on singing “Sk8er Boi” –“He was boy, she was a girl, can I make it anymore obvious?”. These songs reminded me of college days and polytone ring tones. Ah, nostalgia. Throwback Thursday came a little early.

To close the show were “What the Hell” and “Smile”, which Avril dedicated to her fans, and the sorrowful yet hopeful “I’m With You”.

“Thank you, Manila!” she kept saying all throughout the show in her singsong voice. Thank you, Avril, for showing us that growing up is overrated. Let’s just have fun, shall we?