Details
Location:
Astoria Theatre in London, England
Date:
September 24, 1997
Notes:
- Recordings from this show can be found [url=http://www.greendaycommunity.org/topic/87339-19970924-astoria-london-england/]here[/url]
- The Guardian: "Californian three-piece Green Day are the sort of outfit Bart Simpson would idolise. Being the most successful punk band ever their 1994 album Dookie sold 10 million copies has not stopped them celebrating being young, loud and stupid. Returning to London after a two-year absence, and in the wake of their new album, Nimrod, they retain their status as pop's noisiest urchins. In concert they are a minimalist spectacle, unchanged since their beginnings in tiny punk clubs. From the moment Green Day took the stage, band leader Billie Joe snarling, 'We are here for a good time, yeah?', the Astoria's dance floor became a seething mass. Green Day's enthusiasm and wildly catchy songs pack a charge rarely found in contemporary rock. The secret to the band's success lies in their simple but smart buzzsaw sound, which manages to slip melodies and hooks into fresh songs, and a frantic live performance. Billie Joe plays guitar as if he gets an electric shock every time he changes chord. Twitching, dancing and kicking, he is a hell of a sight. 'This song's about speed,' he announced as they launched into Geek Stink Breath. The on-stage energy suggests a band who rely on something stronger than caffeine to keep them going. While Green Day pumped out a wall of noise, their youthful audience did their best to join them on stage. Determined to outwit the bouncers and touch the sweaty hem of Billie Joe's T-shirt, herds of teenagers led one stage invasion after another. This was followed by stage-divers ploughing into the crowd with inevitable, hilarious, consequences. Keeping up the chaos quota, fans were invited on stage to help sing and play songs. After a frantic hour, Green Day trashed their drum kit and left the audience soaked in distortion and beer. Five minutes later, they were signing autographs for those who had survived intact. Punk, it seems, remains an essential part of the adolescent experience."
Setlist
1. Going To Pasalacqua
2. Welcome To Paradise
3. Geek Stink Breath
4. Nice Guys Finish Last
5. Hitchin' a Ride
6. Chump
7. Longview
8. 2000 Light Years Away
9. Brain Stew
10. Jaded
11. Basket Case
12. She
13. F.O.D.
14. Paper Lanterns
Encore
15. Prosthetic Head
16. The Grouch
17. When I Come Around
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