After what seemed like forever away, a refreshed Green Day hit the road for their 99 Revolutions Tour. First stop was Pomona, California on March 10th and working their way through the US and Canada, and now heading through Europe.
I was fortunate enough to get tickets to their only UK stop: the Emirates Stadium in London.
June 1st, a delightfully warm day surrounded by fellow Green Day fans. We were all awaiting the arrival of our heroes. All Time Low and Kaiser Chiefs had got us all warmed up and it was almost time for the best moment of 60,000 people's lives. (FACT: Green Day broke the record for attendance at the Emirates as all 60,000 seats were filled that night, beating people as big as Bruce 'The Boss' Springsteen) Queen's hit Bohemian Rhapsody blasted through the huge stadium and almost every single body in that venue sang along:
It was one of the most memorable things i have ever been a part of (well apart from the show itself)...every time i see videos of it I get goosebumps. As soon as the 'Good, the Bad and The Ugly' theme song came on I knew it was time. The whole place exploded and the applause seemed to get louder the moment Billie Joe walked on stage.
The set list was awesome, though I did think they could have played a few more songs from the trilogy. There was still a good mix of old and new stuff. One of the songs that surprised me was Waiting. I had always wanted to hear it live as it is one of my favourite of their songs and it was one of the first that made me love them. It sounded so good:
"God I fucking love this fucking country, Jesus Christ" was what Billie Joe said during Boulevard of Broken Dreams as he watched the crowd sing his lyrics in awe. He had us all in the palm of his hand and he was loving it. You could see that he was grateful for all of the love that was currently surrounding him. He invited a young boy onto the stage, who held up a sign that said 'Green Day rocks!'. Two other fans got that opportunity: one boy to sing Longview, and a girl to play Knowledge (who also got kisses and cuddles from Billie...lucky girl)
The show was not short of the usual repeated cries of HEEEYYY OHHHHH and banter that we have all come to love from the band. He certainly knows how to get the crowd pumped.
One of the highlights of the show for me was King For A Day/Shout. I think it is always the best part of a Green Day show. Billie walked on in a jacket covered in diamantes and roses and he was holding a cane. He ran around the stage like a loon while the others donned fake mustaches and pirate hats. Tré did his usual 'I WANT YOU TO KNOW' leg kicks which just had me in hysterics. He is a genius and it is the best part of the song. Even my best friend was laughing, and still finds it funny a month on!
Brutal Love was the last song of the night, i don't think there was a single person in that place that did not feel emotional during that song (I cried...quite a lot). It was absolutely beautiful, Billie Joe's voice was so powerful and passionate, and the stadium was lit with thousands of white lights like stars. It was an incredible moment.
I can't wait to see them again at Leeds. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves. Only time will tell, but I can say that if it is anything like this show it is going to be incredible.
SETLIST:
99 Revolutions
Know Your Enemy
Stay The Night
Stop When The Red Lights Flash
Letterbomb
Oh Love
Holiday
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Stray Heart
Nice Guys Finish Last
Waiting
Missing You
Burnout
Sassafras Roots
Hitchin A Ride
Welcome To Paradise
Longview
Going To Pasalacqua
Knowledge
St Jimmy
When I Come Around
Basket Case
She
King For A Day
Shout (I Can't Get No Satisfaction, Teenage Kicks, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life)
X Kid
Minority
American Idiot
Jesus Of Suburbia
Brutal Love
