Who do you expect to see at a Green Day concert?

I thought it would be full of people my age (27) and older, old faithfuls reliving their teenage angst days of headbanging to Green Day in their rooms, wearing dark makeup and mooning unsuspecting passers-by in a drunken stupor.

Last Friday, I went to watch Green Day Live in Perth, with my boyfriend, who is 31. To be honest, I am a very recent Green Day fan – though I enjoyed songs from Dookie immensely when it first came out in 1994 (I was 12) I never bought any other records until 21st Century Breakdown. Yup, I know, shocking. But I did borrow most of their albums and sing along in the car when they were played on radio.

Me

So yeah – my boyfriend is an old skool fan who listened to Dookie over and over, and so were several thousand over 30s at the concert. Let’s break it down: these were the groups of people:

1. People like me. Recent fans who bought all the old albums thanks to the best of the lot – 21st century breakdown.
2. People like my boyfriend – nostalgics who associate Green Day with their youth.
3. Over 40s and 50s who were there to keep their kids company. Yes there were many.
4. Teenagers! A generation late for Green Day but rocking out like there was no tomorrow!

Seriously, there were more 20s there than there were over-30s. I don’t know whether its just because there’s a concert-going culture over there, but i suspect these were REAL fans, as most of them were singing along to the lyrics, no mistakes. (Ahem! as was I)

So much for assuming Green Day is a has-been band out for one last kerplunk:P They are definitely nowhere near done with their music, and have more energy in their late thirties than the 14-year-olds chaperoned by their parents.

City scape backdrop

Speaking of the awesome trio of Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt (and their brilliant sessionists), to be honest I don’t know if any concert will ever top this one.

For one, they played for two and a half hours! In the beginning I was worried I wouldn’t hear many of my favourite songs or any classics but from start to finish they didn’t disappoint anyone!

From the highly overplayed 21 Guns to 2,000 Light Years Away, almost everything they’ve recorded that has hit the airwaves came in between. You won’t believe it, but they even had time to cover Highway to Hell, Hey Jude and Shout.

Probably the most touching moment of the show was when the crowd sang along to ‘Are We The Waiting” and Billie Joe dropped to his knees and worshiped the crowd. An acoustic encore by Billie Joe of Last Night on Earth, Good Riddance/Time of Your Life and Wake Me Up When September Ends moved me to tears.

Fire away!

The brilliant showmanship, awesome record-quality performances and adrenaline were one part of the show, the other was the unbelievable backdrop of a changing city scape and pyrotechnics.

You could feel the heat all the way to the back of the standing area, so I can’t imagine how Tre Cool felt, being right in the line of fire.

Giving members of the audience in the cheap seats a chance to be a part of the action, the band even shot out t-shirts through a hand-held gun that reached all the way to the back of the dome! How’s that for loving your fans?

You know what? I won’t even try to do this concert justice with words. Here’s the song list:

Green Day Perth Set List:

-21st century breakdown
-song of the century
-know your enemy
-east jesus nowhere
-holiday
-static age
-give me novocaine
-are we the waiting
-st jimmy
-boulevard of broken dreams
-2000 light years away
-hitchin’ a ride
-when i come around
-iron man (cover)
-highway to hell (acdc cover)
-brain stew
-jaded
-longview
-basket case
-she
-teenage kicks (+ ‘satisfactions’ cover) – hey jude/shout
-21 guns
-minority

encore
-american idiot
-jesus of surburbia

acoustic encore
-last night on earth
-wake me up when september ends
-good riddance (time of your life)

Some clips! Very short though:

Know Your Enemy

Are We The Waiting

Give Me Novacaine

Basket Case

21 Guns

St Jimmy