Green Day at Marlay Park, Dublin | Live Review
“Tonight is not a party – tonight is a celebration!” says Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong during the band’s colossal 37-song set. The band’s Saviors Tour is exactly that; a celebration of the 30th anniversary of their major label debut Dookie, the 20th anniversary of their career resuscitating rock opera American Idiot, and achievements old, new and in-between.
Despite failing to sell out the venue, the inter-generational appeal of Green Day is on full display. Fans young and old descended on Marlay Park to celebrate these career milestones, unpredictable weather be damned.
After a rabble rousing opening set from riot grrls Maid Of Ace, and an energetic turn from Nothing But Thieves (which included a solid cover of Pixies classic ‘Where Is My Mind?’), fans are treated to a career retrospective video punctuated with Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and Ramones’ ‘Blitzkreig Bop’. Kicking off with ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’, the lead song from new album Saviors, the band are backed up by slot machine-like lights and pyrotechnics.
It’s hard to say at what point Green Day gave up punk rock ethics in favour of stadium rock showmanship, but they’re pretty unapologetic about it now. Armstrong, for his part, loves an audience “way-oh”. When you’re this good, though, who cares. Armstrong’s voice hasn’t aged a day and Tré Cool reminds us why he’s earned that moniker several times throughout the night with superhuman fills, especially during the likes of ‘Burnout’ and ‘Having A Blast’ from Dookie.
The band flawlessly burn their way through Dookie at a bewildering pace, bookended with Tré Cool busting out an orchestral version of the album’s hidden ode to masturbation, ‘All By Myself’. A career spanning six song interlude broke up the show’s first and second act, including blistering performances of ‘Brain Stew’ and ‘Minority’.
Then out came the iconic heart grenade backdrop. You’d think the band had already peaked, but it just gets better. Armstrong would tweak a line or two to better suit his time and place – on ‘American Idiot’ he sings “I’m not a part of the right-wing agenda”, while on “Holiday” he would declare “the representative from Ireland has the floor”. It’s clear that he’s having as much fun as his audience, testing its endurance during “Tales From Another Broken Home” by having them hold a note for as long as humanly possible, and fluffing his way through a chorus on “The Boys Are Back In Town” before the heart wrenching “Wake Me Up When September Ends”.
A recent fan favourite in “Bobby Sox” makes its way into the set before the night is closed out with an obligatory performance of “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”. It’s fitting – the former a reminder that while we’re here to celebrate bonafide classics, the band still have a bit left in their locker. The latter, while written as a “fuck you”, has taken on new meaning as an honest well wish.
Sure, they may have their critics, but Green Day always deliver the goods on a live stage. What’s more important, though, is you can tell they love every second of it.
