A Green Day in Sheffield (26/10/09)

This is late to be added, but it was a great evening...



Travelling 132 miles South to Sheffield is not a problem if Green Day are involved. On Monday 26th October 2009, that's exactly what my Dad and I did. (Yes I go to gigs with my Dad on occasions.) Leaving in the afternoon to arrive promptly, it's just as well we got there for 5pm (doors were at 6) as the queue - although already huge in length - was forever expanding, curling and loop-de-looping around Sheffield Arena.

Support band Prima Donna took to the stage earlier than expected, and hats off to them for at least trying. They received nothing more than polite applause (but honestly, no support act get much more than that) despite an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and impressive leopard-print attire. Their songs consisted of old riffs and stereotypical rock 'n' roll. They're like Motley Crue mixed with Aerosmith and a killer Hollywood attitude. They didn't make much of an impact, but give them a break, they were on before Green Day.

The legends made their entrance to around 13,000 cheering fans. Young and old, male and female - everyone loves Green Day. Bleached at 37 is not generally a look most can pull off, yet frontman Billie Joe Armstrong does it well - it seems his punk status has not faded over the course of Green Day's 21 year career. Taking to the stage to 'Song of the Century' (audience in perfect unison) before blasting off into new album opener '21st Century Breakdown' it seems the crowd know these newbie songs just as well as they do any Dookie or American Idiot.



The set list was impressive (see the bottom of the entry) spanning right across the board, young and old singing like their lives depended on it. But there were a few surprises too, say hello to 'She', 'Brain Stew' and 'Jaded' along with Billie Joe conducting his fans through a Mozart classic. (I'm not joking.)

What is most interesting about Green Day shows however, is not the crazy covers such as 'Iron Man' or 'Shout', nor is it the energy they have or the buzzing atmosphere they create as a result. It's the intimacy of the event, and how they make each individual feel like they're the only VIP there. How they keep the punk rock closeness in an arena which holds 13,000 is beyond any mere mortal like you or I. It felt like we we all crushed into a tiny underground venue, be it their starting point back in Berkley, 924 Gilman Street, or the NYC legendary (sadly now closed) club CBGB. If you want to sing this one and get up on stage, you can - just as long as you know the words. One shaggy haired guy stepped up to sing 'Longview,' but it came with a price... "You know the words? Swear? Okay, can I cut your hair off first though?" Billie Joe asks. It goes without saying he did it. We love this band. Roll on June 2010. Manchester here I come.

Setlist:
Song of the Century
21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Holiday
Give Me Novacaine
The Static Age
Are We The Waiting
St. Jimmy
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Murder City
Hitchin A Ride
Welcome To Paradise
When I Come Around
Iron Man/Rio/Crazy Train Jam
Brain Stew
Jaded
Longview
Basket Case
She
King For A Day
Shout/Stand By Me/I Fought The Law/Teenage Kicks/Satisfaction
21 Guns
American Eulogy
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American Idiot
Jesus Of Suburbia
Minority
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Last Night On Earth
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Good Riddance

The Kids Were United.

It doesn't take a political genius to realise that here in the UK, we need some kind of change in our governing system. Clearly, something needs to be said, and historically, the youth were the ones who said it... Whatever "it" was. Expression through music, art, dress and activity added to and fuelled the cause the kids felt so strongly about. Thousands became involved causing a 'movement' and defining an entire generation. I may be the only one who thinks this, but it seems like the majority of the youth today can't be bothered.

In Washington DC on 15th November 1969, more than 250,000 people protested against the war in Vietnam, the punks of the 70s were known for their anti-establishment attitude and lifestyle; they stuck a big, fat finger up at Margaret Thatcher and broke free from her grasp. Musical movements can scare the older generations; even jazz when it began to grow in popularity in 1920s and 30s America was approached with caution by the parents.

What I'm asking however, is what's next? Who will be the 21st Century voice to scream at Parliament, to 'scare' the elders? What will make my generation be taken seriously by those in power? Who will articulate what we want to say, but individually we can't? I don't know. In fact, I'm not even sure of songs which 'define the era.' As the youth we live in a time of High School Musical and Fame remakes, Disney is the (so called) musical 'big shot' with Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter and The Jonas Brothers.

For every decent song there are twenty horrendous ones. For every great artist there are one hundred ridiculous ones. Yes, we have decent bands, The King Blues express their views well, Oasis broke up before they got there (announcing to a crowd "everyone vote Labour!" was as politically expressive as it got), Jamie T is an amazing artist - perhaps not the most political person around, but he can communicate with my generation through stories we can all relate to. Although not wanting to be known as a political artist, his songs point out the broken Britain we live in, what the youth are up to and how many still feel proud of the Empire we once possessed. The sad thing is, one man can't make a movement. And no matter how much I can't stand it, most music today means nothing - you just need to watch X Factor to see the regurgitated nonsense Simon Cowell throws in our faces each year...

Sham 69 united the kids of yesterday, let’s reunite. Even if we don't know what as yet.


*Credit to www.flickr.com/jadeeey/ for the photograph of The King Blues letter to Gordon Brown billboard. I got it from Google Images, thanks.