Gig review: Green Day in Auckland
Green Day conjured up a carnival atmosphere at Auckland's Vector Arena with a little help from their fans. Reviewer Chris Schulz was there.
Green Day
Where: Vector Arena, Auckland
When: Friday, December 18
It takes a lot of skill, years of practice, nerves of steel and a cast-iron stomach to get up in front of 12,000 people, sing your heart out and come out of it unscathed.
So you have to give it up for "Anna," the fluorescent pink-haired girl who was hauled on stage during the first of Green Day's two sold out Auckland shows to sing their early hit Longview without the help of front man Billie Joe Armstrong.
That she was completely tuneless was beside the point; Anna stomped around the stage, jumped up and down, swore in all the right places and gave it her all as Armstrong took a back seat to give one of the band's fans a moment in the sun.
It ended with a sweet stage dive and was just one of the many highlights during Green Day's fan-friendly set that was surprisingly free of the political bluster of recent albums.
There wasn't even a George Bush speech, but there was plenty of crowd interaction with ringleader Armstrong cherry-picking fans out of the crowd, encouraging them to stage dive, sparking mass singalongs and creating a carnival atmosphere with "hey oh" chants between every song.
If you're looking for value for money in these recession-hit times, you couldn't get much more bang for your buck than a Green Day concert.
Here's what $103.30-plus-booking-fee gets you at a show by the Californian punk veterans: Fireworks, confetti, flame throwers, fire bombs, mirror balls, water pistols, wardrobe changes, two encores, toilet paper drops, free T-shirts and two-and-a-half hours of some of the best pop-punk around.
Most of it is centred around Armstrong, the band's wide-eyed and energetic singer who commands attention by racing around the stage for frequent scissor kicks, fist punches, soccer chants, occasional breakdancing and - at one point - a short striptease.
It was pleasing to see Green Day don't take themselves too seriously, and even during the show's more sombre moments, the band found a way to lighten proceedings.
For anti-war anthem 21 Guns, drummer Tre Cool made comical hand gestures up on his podium, and he spent the middle of acoustic singalong Minority diving between various band members' legs.
It may have been too comical at times - a midset medley of The Beatles' Hey Jude, The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction, The Doors' Break on Through (to the Other Side) and other well known covers was performed lying down and in fancy dress - but Green Day know how to serve up some rip-roaring rock.
They started with the one-two punch of Know Your Enemy and East Jesus Nowhere from this year's 21st Century Breakdown, as Armstrong's snotty lyrics and the jarring rhythms provided by Cool and bassist Mike Dirnt were punctuated by frequent bursts of hair-singing pyrotechnics.
They packed as many anthems as they could into the set, changing gears throughout the nine-minute epic Jesus of Suburbia and soaring during spine-tingling crowd pleaser Are we the Waiting, and saved some of the best for last with a fist pumping series of encores that included American Idiot and acoustic versions of Wake Me Up When September Ends and closer Time of Your Life.
They weren't afraid to awknowledge their three-chord cartoon pop-punk roots either, playing the moshpit-bouncing trio Hitchin' A Ride, Welcome to Paradise, and When I Come Around in quick succession underneath a banner of their bright green logo from the 1994 album Dookie.
Some might find that stuff a little immature when compared to this decade's decidedly more ambitious material, but it proved these three snotty punk brats who once wrote a song about masturbation sure have had an amazing afterlife.
And they know how to take their fans on one heck of a punk-rock theme park ride.
* What did you think of the show? Post your comments below.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Newest First
Oldest First
this concert was freakn awesome spec when billie mooned lol :)
I went with my two teenagers, knew a few of the songs, but, after Friday 18th Greenday have another fan. They rock! The show was fantastic, we would have gone again on the Saturday if we'd had tickets!!!
wish i was there
I MAY SAY, aLMOST HIS FANS (THEIR FANS) are GIRLS!!!!!! aND I'M ONE OF EM.. wISH I WAS HERE..
haha yeah hardout!!! it was intense singing infront of that huge crowd! even though my singing was absoluletly dreadful i had so much fun singing with billie!! they are such nice dudes :)
I am not a youngster anymore but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the concert......I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. I have listened to my daughter playing the music at home and in the car and often said "what is that crap you are playing"?!! but after the concert I have purchased several Green Day CD's and love them. I only really knew 4 or 5 songs prior to the concert. Billie has so much energy I was tired watching him..........GO GREEN DAY!!! I will definitely go again as it is such greatentertainment......
I am 10 years old. This was my first concert EVER. It was so AWESOME. I had the time of my life and I will remember it forever until I am a really old man.I have to give some big ups to my mum.MAN that chick can POGO for 2 and a half hours. LOVE you GREENDAY. I will keep up my guitar practise. JT.
Went to the Saturday show, have been to many concerts world wide and rate Green Day the best ever. What a great night!!! Their energy on stage was infectious, even way up in the seats, the only ticket I could get. Really felt like the band was there for us, the audience, they gave it heaps, played new and old stuff (I like all of it but especially love American Idiot, greatest album ever). Can't wait for their next tour cause I'll be there for sure. Thanks so much Green Day, you guys are legends, one of the greatest nights of my life!!!
Went to the Saturday concert, it was incredible! I have struggled to find the right words to describe how brilliant it was to people. Green Day made it not just a concert but an event. I loved how you could watch every band member and see that they were genuinly loving performing and being there! they would catch eachother's eyes or look out into the crowd and a smile would spread across their faces. Absolutely amazing!!! Good night, great fans, fantastic band, AMAZING concert!
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I went to the Saturday concert and i have to say it was the best night of my life. There are no words to describe how incredible it was. It is an experience i will never forget and if i ever get a channce to go to another Green Day concert I will be there.