Green Day

Green Day just can't stay away from the UK! Back again after only 8 months the East Bay punks turned rock gods are playing their largest show this side of the pond, at Wembley's huge stadium. They have brought along some great support too, in the form of Frank Turner and his touring band, who plays tracks including 'The Real Damage', 'Try This At Home', 'Reason Not To Be An Idiot', 'The Road' and 'Photosynthesis' to a swelling crowd.

Joan Jett And The Blackhearts do the honours next, and Jett still wows at 51, looking amazing and still as punk as when she first started out! The crowd are wowed with the songs 'Bad Reputation' (theme from 'American Chopper'), 'ACDC', 'Cherry Bomb’, 'I hate Myself For Loving You' and of course 'I love Rock And Roll'. Good job as this place is about to witness a phenomenal rock and roll show of dramatic proportions…

As the drunk pink bunny takes to the stage to warm up the crowd with the likes of the 'YMCA' and a few bevvies, the anticipation is immense. The sounds of 'Song Of The Century' ooze over the speakers, then Green Day storm the stage for the 2nd time on this short but huge European tour (Manchester, Glasgow and Paris are in the line up).

Firing straight into '21st Century Breakdown' from the latest album of the same name Green Day are on top form, with Billie Joe Armstrong making the 90000 capacity venue seem as intimate, no easy feat, by interacting with the crowd, pulling up a kid to sing 'Know Your Enemy'. When the kid replied that he was Irish there was a comical moment from the crowd booing (the small girl at the Manchester show who was from Chicago got the same treatment), he certainly knows how to pick them!

It's straight into the pyrotechnics too, with fireworks and fireballs shooting off all the time, matched only by stunning visuals unique to song (the wacky line visuals during 'Brain Stew' are very trippy!). If you don't like the music the sights will certainly entertain you.

For the next 3 hours we are treated to the Green Day we know and love, 3 comical punks who love to have fun. It's great to hear the older tracks 'Nice Guys Finish Last' and especially 'Burnout', as a old school fan I would have loved anything from '1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours' (maybe next time ay?) but we get a very special treat as a call for requests results in Tre Cool singing and playing 'Dominated Love Slave' with Billie on drums. Now that is a one off! 'Waiting' is a also a track that has not been played over here in a long time.

The odd football chant is sang along to (appropriate for the place), as well as a challenge of matching Billie's seemingly never ending "Whooo ah!" The water guns and bog roll guns come out to further amuse the crowd, who are loving every minute. Not many bands can hold a crowd this broad and expanding for 3 hours, but green Day have the gift after 22 years in the business.

'King For A Day' sees the entire band done funny hats, except Tre Cool who has to go one better and wear a red bra over his shirt complete with flowery sun hat. Very fetching… He takes to the runway again to start off a cover of The Isley Brothers' 'Shout', singing "I Want You To Know!" and kicking his legs in the air. This is the only show I have seen (it has to be said that the gig formulae has not been changed in a long time, except for the addition of more older tracks, but why change it if it ain't broke) where Mike Dirnt gets a go too!

Jason Freeze on saxophone plays a little of The Simpsons theme and the Benny Hill theme to add to the great sillyness, then it's onto Monty Python's 'Always Look On The Bright Side of Life' in a medley including snippets of The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks’', Rolling Stones 'I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)' and The Beatles 'Hey Jude'. During this medley all the band are flat on the stage floor performing and slowly stand up as it crescendos to a finish. '21 Guns' creates a mass singalong and 'Minority' creates a mass singalong mosh pit!

There are two encores, one 'American Idiot' heavy with the titular song of the album and then the 9 minute 'Jesus of Suburbia', then Billie finishes the exhausting set with a spotlit solo ending in 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)'. Earlier he explained that "England you get it! We are no longer from the East Bay, we are from England!" Well said! Ask many and they will say this is the best live show ever. It would have been for me bar the security staff at this venue have no idea and treat the punters very rudely, so I won't be going back, but as least I caught this memorable show. Just how will they top it?!

Set list:
Song of The Century
21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Holiday
The Static Age
Give Me Novacaine
Are We The Waiting
St. Jimmy
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Nice Guys Finish Last
Burnout
Waiting
Geek Stink Breath
Dominated Love Slave
Hitchin’ a Ride
Welcome To Paradise
When I Come Around
Iron Man / Sweet Child Of Mine / Highway To Hell
Brain Stew
She
King For A Day
Shout / Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life / Teenage Kicks / (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction / Hey Jude
21 Guns
Minority

American Idiot
Jesus Of Suburbia

When It's Time
Wake me Up When September Ends
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

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