Avril embraces her pop side
She may wear skulls and crossbones, but Avril Lavigne would like to make it clear that she's no punk. The Canadian's pop side is in full force on her Best Damn Tour, which hits Phoenix May 2 at Cricket Wireless Pavilion.
"People labeled me punk, and I always said, 'Well, I'm not,' " says Lavigne, 23. "It's just a word that doesn't go well with pop. What is punk? It doesn't even mean anything anymore."
Fans can expect the singer's show to be upbeat and playful, complete with dancers and some choreographed moves from Lavigne herself - no mosh pit music here.
Here's Lavigne on her positive mindset, life as a newlywed (her hubby is Sum 41 singer/guitarist Deryck Whibley ) and her new Abbey Dawn clothing line.
Question: Why was it important for you to have a playful attitude on this tour?
Answer: I didn't want to be so serious, and it really comes down to the record. My last record,
Under My Skin, was very mid-tempo, and it was very deep and dark. On my last tour, I kind of was just over that. I kind of wanted to perform songs like
Sk8er Boi that were more fun for me, so I wrote this record,
The Best Damn Thing, really fast and playful and not so down. I just had a good time with all the songs, so I get to be like that on-stage. I enjoy that more, running around and getting the crowd going.
Q: Do you think your next record will have a similar sound?
A: Yeah, I don't think it'll be dark. I mean, you never know because it's so personal, and it depends on what I'm going through at the time. I still have six months ahead of me of touring, but I would think probably positive, yeah.
Q: You're a newlywed. How do you make time for married life while you're on the road?
A: He's out on tour, and I'm on tour, and it's just been like this our whole relationship, so we're used to it. We just figure out ways to see each other, and we have our time off together. It's all worked out good.
Q: Do you find that a lot of your fans have grown up with you?
A: Yes, and I know because at my shows I meet fans every night. After the show, I sign. And before the show, I usually have a meet-and-greet for 100 people. People tell me they've been to all my concerts. It's so cool. They show me pictures of them when they met me 5 years ago or whatever. And they're still so young. Some of them will be like 11, and they'll be like, 'Oh, I saw you on your last tour!' and I'm like, 'Well, how old are you now?'
Q: How do you think you've evolved the most from when you first started out to now?
A: Now I know the business, and I can pretty much manage, co-manage, my career. I also feel like, on the creative side, I'm more of a performer now, rather than just a singer, because I've spent so much time on-stage and doing world tours. I've learned how to be in front of the crowd, how to talk to them, how to work them and how to put a better show together.
Q: Tell me about your new clothing line.
A: It's called Abbey Dawn. It's coming out of Kohl's for back-to-school in July. It's very me, and I got to design it. I'm excited. I worked with a whole team of people, and I told them what I wanted to do, what I liked, what I didn't like and went through picking tags, fabrics and fits and icons and little images. I approve everything, and I get involved in it all, and it's really fun for me to be able to do something new.
Q: How would you describe the style?
A: Just rock n' roll, fun. It's girly, like lightning bolts and skulls and purples and pinks, all that kind of stuff, anything you would see me wearing. I kind of have my own style out of anyone in Hollywood, I think. I have a different sort of style. I made sure it fit really good so people in their 20s or whatever will like it, too, and it'll fit good and be sexy and cute.
Q: Why should people check out the Best Damn Tour?
A: It's a lot of fun, and anyone who enjoys having a good time and loves music, it'd be a good show to go to, just really upbeat. It's not serious. Everyone on-stage is having fun. It's just like a party.
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