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Globe, Stockholm, Sweden.
11th October 2009
Green Day, Prima Donna

A large crowd was waiting outside of The Globe venue (or Globen as it´s called in Swedish) when the doors opened two hours before the show. Some people had been camping outside and beside the long line some parents were taking care of their children’s coats and belongings before they should enter the arena. There was some chaos when the doors opened but after some tumult we were finally inside. Everyone has high expectations of this concert.

When we came down to the area in front of the stage we were asked to sit down as we waited for time to pass. I was surprised that the area was not divided in two halves (one half close to the stage, a fence and then a second part) as it has been before, I asked a security person why and he said that it was because the band wanted pressure in front of the stage. I like the divided thing better because then it doesn’t become too crowded and hard to “be” in front of the stage. But what the band wants, the band usually gets and nobody was seriously injured during the show – as usual the security people had to carry away some people but I have been to concerts when it has been far worse than this and that was good.


Green Day


The American punkformation are Billie Joe Armstrong – vocals, guitar, Mike Dirnt – bass guitar, vocals, and Tré Cool – drums, percussion. The band was formed in 1987 and has released several good records through the years, their latest record is “21 Century Breakdown” is the bands eight studio album; it was released in May 2009. www.greenday.com.



Music & Performance

I am not a “true” Green Day  fan but I have listened to their older songs and really liked the band’s latest album “21 Century Breakdown” so I was looking forward to hear and see the band live for the first time. I did not really know what to expect from this band but from the very moment Tré Cool, Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe Armstrong came on stage and kicked off the concert it was full gas ahead. The band took no prisoners, did not hold back one bit they just really Rocked the stage! During one of my favourite songs on their latest album “East Jesus Nowhere” Billie Joe demanded to get a young child on stage and after some looking a young boy was brought up on stage. Billie Joe whispered instructions in the boy’s ears and then the song continued. The boy started to wave his hands over his head and the audience quickly followed his lead.

On “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” the audience sang so loud and well that Billie Joe just backed up and smiling watched the crowd, he said afterwards how impressed he was with how the crowd sang and how well they knew the lyrics. While playing “Brainstew” Billie Joe used a water gun to spray water on the front rows and then he sprayed toilet paper on them. The audience also got bombed with t-shirts and I bet the lucky ones who grabbed those thought that was the best thing that Billie Joe shoot away from the stage. I am really impressed how Mike and Billie Joe reached out to the audience, on many of the songs they reached out all the way up to the sitting people and got them moving and waving candles and cell phones.



During the intro to “Longview” Billie Joe announced that he needed someone who knew lyrics of the song. Billie Joe and Mike went looking down at the crow looking for someone that wanted to come up on stage and sing. One guy came on stage and sang the first part really well, then a second person – a girl got chosen to sing the second part, she was so lucky that she just ran straight to smiling Billie Joe to hug him. The last person – a guy got to sing the last part of the song together with Billie Joe and then after the chorus Billie Joe made him run all down the cat walk and stage dive. Billie Joe seemed surprisingly happy with all the three who came on stage wanted to hug him before they started to sing. All through the concert the band seemed to be on a really good mood, I was standing really close to the stage on the right side where Mike were standing most of the evening and talk about how that man connected with that part of the audience: really impressive and cool.



Billie Joe was more all over the place and that was fun to see. Tré did his best to charm his way from behind the drums and he did not save on the drum sticks, the way he threw them I was kind of happy he threw most of them straight back. GREEN DAY really did an impressive show, they really reached out and touched the audience with their music, interacted with the crowd and did the best to charm their way out to all the people that had came and filled the venue. The night also held impressive pyrotechnic with fire bombs, fireworks and fire fountains.

Setlist
01. 21 Century Breakdown
02. Know Your Enemy
03. East Jesus Nowhere
04. Holiday
05. The Static Age
06. Before The Lobotomy
07. Are We the Waiting/St Jimmy
08. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
09. Hitchin’ a Ride
10. Welcome To Paradise
11. When I Come Around
12. Brainstew
13. Jaded
14. Longview
15. Basket Case
16. She
17. King for a Day/Shout
18. 21 Guns
19. American Eulogy: Mass Hysteria/Modern World
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20. American Idiot
21. Minority
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22. Last Night on Earth
23. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Rating
Music: 10
Performance:  10
Sound: 10
Light: 10
Total: 10 / 10





All Pictures by Helena Torstensson

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