Set to storm Australia again in May 2025, the band’s lead guitarist Noodles talks their upcoming tour, new record and why they still love it
The opportunity to chat with Noodles of The Offspring is not something a sane person could easily pass up. While I typically do not fit into the category of sanity, I could not possibly say no.
Greeting me from his Melbourne hotel, Noodles looks like the uncle I always wished I had. With zebra-dyed hair and dressed in all black, he’s completely resplendent—the kind of man with a million good anecdotes.
“Nice to meet you,” he says warmly. “I’m Noodles.” As I quickly find out, Noodles is pretty much always called Noodles, even by those closest to him. “Only when my wife’s angry at me does she call me Kevin. Then cops call me ‘Mr. Wasserman’ sometimes,” he adds with a chuckle.
As for how the name came about, Noodles explains that it was bestowed upon him by the producer of their first three records.
“Back then, everything was done to tape. If I messed up, I would just start noodling. He’d be mixing, and there’d be this noodling in the background. He was always like, ‘Goddammit, Noodles.’” After a brief pause, he grins. “I also just love a good udon or ramen too.”
Though I’m unsure whether Noodles will get to try any of Melbourne’s noodles during his brief stay, this has been something of a whistle-stop trip for him and the rest of The Offspring. “We got here the other day, played last night, press today, and then we’re leaving tomorrow. We haven’t really done much, but we did see the Pixies the other night.”
Despite the short length of the trip, Noodles and the band are always happy to be embraced by Australian crowds. Having toured the country many times before, on this quick visit the Offspring performed at Melbourne’s intimate Forum as part of the Always Live lineup for 2024.
They’ve now just announced an arena tour that will take them through Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. For the tour, they’ll be joined by Canadian rock band Simple Plan, a group that, as Noodles tells me, was personally selected by The Offspring.
“We’ve done a bunch of shows with them and Sum 41. They’re cool as f**k. They have some poppy punk rock songs, but when they play live, they rock out hard. Chuck on drums is a monster. They’re going to keep us on our toes during our shows.”
The tour comes after the release of The Offspring’s latest album, Supercharged, which was a long time in the making.
“We start plotting where we need to go in the world. Where’s the demand, and where are they sick of us? The fans have been so appreciative and positive. We’re in a good spot. It feels supercharged.”
Having played a few songs off the new album the night before, I was curious to ask how they went over.
“We played Make It Alright and Light It Up last night. I noticed the girls liked Make It Alright, and the dudes liked Light It Up. You could see it. The pit got more hectic. I just think women prefer the more poppy songs, while dudes just like it hard.”
As for whether he noticed anything unique that Aussie crowds do, he chuckles. “There was one guy showing me his nipple!”
The album Supercharged earned its name due to the rare feeling that developed between the band while making it. “It’s just how it felt. We also wanted a one-word title, even though it’s two crammed together. One-word titles seem to work better. Ixnay on the Hombre tried a little too hard,” he laughs.
“Some of these songs also felt like they could fit into Smash. There were no weird songs. We moved on from We Never Have Sex Anymore.” The band finished the record almost as soon as they were done with the previous one.
“We finished it just as the pandemic hit. We just thought, ‘F**k, we don’t want to put out a record when we can’t play it.’ So, we started polishing it more. We’d be in the studio for five or six hours a day, and then we’d head to the bar.”
It’s funny—when Noodles talks about music, his face really begins to light up. It’s almost like a teenager telling you about his first gig. It gives the impression that he’s never lost his passion. Inside, he’s still the same boy from California who picked up a guitar at a young age. I find him to be an anomaly. In a supermarket full of jaded rock stars, he’s the freshest one there is.
When asked about why he remains this way, he responded with:
“You know, we really love what we do. I love playing music. When you take something new and mix it with old stuff, then go out and connect with an audience, there is no feeling in the world like that. It’s the best drug ever.”
The Offspring and Simple Plan 2025 Tour Dates:
Adelaide – 4 May 2025 – AEC Arena
Melbourne – 7 May 2025 – Rod Laver Arena
Sydney – 11 May 2025 – Qudos Bank Arena
Brisbane – 14 May 2025 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Ticket Information:
- Early Bird Presale: Thursday 28 November @ 9am local time
- General On Sale: Tuesday 3 December @ 9am local time
Register now for early ticket access here.
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