LIVE: GREEN DAY – Perth, 30 April, 2017

LIVE: GREEN DAY – Perth, 30 April, 2017
Perth Arena, Sunday, 30 April, 2017
Reviewed by Kevin Curran
Photography by Stuart McKay

It’s been a few years since I caught Green Day live and, back Down Under supporting latest release Revolution Radio, it’s amazing to see how far they have progressed, from a punk rock band with a couple of indie hits, to a stadium rock band with a huge catalogue of household anthems at their disposal.

To be fair, Perth crowds can be a little flat or need a bit of coaxing at times, but tonight Perth was on fire for Green Day, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong holding the crowd like putty in his hands all night long.

Opening with Do You Know Your Enemy, the band sounded like a million bucks, and with pyro galore it was truly an arena rock show from the start.

Most people would have to have lived under a rock for twenty years to not know at least a couple of Green Day’s songs, but you forget how many hits this band have had over the years until they deliver one after the other, with Holiday, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams and Longview all making an appearance early.

Armstrong has to go down as one of the best frontmen in the business, his charisma and showmanship second to none as he captivated everyone, not only with his performance but his message about getting everyone to love each other a bit more and all collectively have fun. It fostered a good time vibe in the Perth Arena which was the best I’ve witnessed.

Hitchin’ A Ride, When I Come Around and Minority followed, and with the odd newer track sprinkled in-between the older hits, the setlist couldn’t have been better.

The almost-three-hour set was highly entertaining from start to finish, Armstrong engaging everyone in attendance, and even bringing fans onstage to sing a verse or play a guitar riff, resulting in some humorous moments.

Green Day have kept the same core line-up from the very beginning – Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt – the trio now playing together for 25-plus years, and that is evident as the chemistry is bang on. Dirnt on bass has some great vocal harmonies that are integral in the overall sound, and although they may have added a few touring members, it’s these three guys that are running the show.

Breakthrough album Dookie was heavily featured in the set with Basketcase and She making an appearance, before blasting the crowd with American Idiot and the epic Jesus Of Surburbia, before ending the night with Time Of Your Life.

There aren’t many bands left that have had the longevity and quality of Green Day, and with a superb arena show like this and a back catalogue of hits spanning 20 years, you can expect Green Day to bring the masses out for years to come.

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries