A welcome party for Canadian pop-punk band Simple Plan was held at Scarlett Bar in Hotel G last night, though in truth, it wasn’t much of a party. Devoted fans who had won tickets to the party arrived around 8 p.m., but without any drink specials on Scarlett’s pricey cocktails, most opted to wait patiently without a drink in hand, making for a rather dry shindig.

But if there’s one thing that can be said about Simple Plan’s Chinese fans, it’s that they're passionate. The band didn’t make an appearance until after 9 p.m. due to a late arrival at the hotel (guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre later divulged that their luggage had been lost, so they had go through the mind-numbing process of filling out the necessary paperwork in hopes of getting their clothes before the show tonight). The fans, however, were more than forgiving, screaming with excitement when the guys finally emerged for a short press conference.

The band fielded questions from fans, including whether they like Chinese girls (lead singer Pierre Bouvier said he does) and if they had prepared a special song for Chinese fans. In fact, they will sing a revamped version of their hit tune “Jet Lag” with Chinese singer and radio host Kelly Cha. The song has been in the works since last summer, when Creative Artists Agency, who manage both Simple Plan and Cha, hooked the artists up.

“It’s a fun song, a fun format,” Cha said after the press conference. The song is a duet, though she’ll be singing in Chinese while Bouvier sings in English. You can see the music video here.

“It’s very new, interesting and quirky, but we also tried to stay true to the song,” Cha said.

Bouvier and drummer Chuck Comeau told the crowd that they were heading back to their rooms after the press conference to brush up on their Mandarin before tonight’s show at Yugong Yishan, presented by Street Hustle.

“There’s awesome energy here,” Bouvier said of Beijing, where the band has played three times. Simple Plan was scheduled to play here over the summer, but postponed the show due to vocal problems Bouvier was struggling with.

“We’re here for the fans, who, unfortunately, we disappointed last time. We’re glad to come back and make it right,” he said.

DETAILS

What: Simple Plan

Where: Yugong Yishan

When: Friday, January 6, 8pm

Tel: 6417-7845