Where: Vector Arena, Auckland
When: Saturday, December 19
For the better part of the naughties Green Day have been one of my favourite bands, giving me a Californian punk revival soundtrack to my high school/uni years. They have comforted me when I was down, cheered with me when happy and given me a loud, energetic background sound for the best part of a decade.
Of course they have been together for much longer than that, joining 'The Offspring" in the late '80s and being one of the major contributors to the punk revival.
While American Idiot may have been a change in their sound, leaning more towards the 'emo' sound than their previous albums, I still love it (and the similar sounding '21st Century Breakdown').
So how fitting was it that I should get to FINALLY see them (yes this was my first ever Green day gig) at their last gig of the Decade.
So what exactly do you get at a Green Day gig? Fireworks, confetti, flame throwers, fire bombs, mirror balls, water pistols, toilet paper drops, two-and-a-half hours of some of the best pop-punk around, Cross Dressing, and PLENTY of crowd interaction. Singer Billie Joe Armstrong pulled a number of fans up onto the stage through out the show to sing along, dance and enjoy being up on stage in front of thousands of loyal, screaming Green Day fans.
I was worried that the show would be American Idiot/21st Century Breakdown heavy, but while they played all their new hits they did not neglect the old ones either. 'Minority', 'When I Come Around' and 'Basket Case' were some of the most popular, while the last song was a brilliant mash up of 'When September Ends' and 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' that had fans waving phones, lighters and Cameras in the air while singing along word for word at the top of their lungs.
This was by far the most impressive live show I have seen before, with the most loyal following.
(Plus: SQUEE!!! GREEN DAY!!)
