Green Day The National Bowl, Milton Keynes.
19 June 2005.

Green Day’s helicopter glides down through summer Sunday sun-filled skies to touchdown beside the Bowl.
   65,000 expectant fans hail the arrival of their heroes. The atmosphere is relaxed, the audience, refreshingly eclectic, happy to just sit back and welcome whatever comes next. We’ve missed the first band.
   Jimmy Eat World have been playing for the last half hour. They’ve followed on from a brilliant set by Long Island rockers, Taking Back Sunday, who methinks, won over many new fans today.
   Green Day’s time has come. It has taken a while but their ‘American Idiot’ collection, in 2005, has entered the hallowed vault of the greatest rock albums of all time alongside classics like ‘In Rock’, ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, ‘Nevermind’ and countless other timeless greats.
   Just like the 65,000 good folks who were here yesterday, we know it too. Everyone senses tonight’s show is going to be something rather special.

The title track ‘American Idiot’ opens the show with a bang followed by four more choice cuts from ‘Idiot’, fired in quick succession. Billie Joe Armstrong works the crowd constantly, stopping the songs mid-flight to switch on everyone’s vocal chords with some spontaneous audience participation.
   The early highlights include ‘Jesus of Suburbia’, ‘Holiday’ and the anthemic refrain of ‘Are we the waiting’. Billie Joe thanks the fans for their support in recent years, explaining that today’s and yesterday’s shows are very special for the band. Surprisingly, it is the first time they have played in front of so many people.
   Bassist Mike Dirnt is Billie Joe’s right hand man of some 16 years. Like Armstrong, he is dashing from one end of the stage to the other so fast that the cameramen can barely keep up with him. Their animated images are blown up on three huge screens to ensure all the folks at the back can see exactly what’s happening on stage. Drummer Tre Cool deploys a full range of quizzical facial expressions in between boisterous drum breaks.
   This is all the more important when at one point Billie Joe calls up three lucky young musicians to join Green Day on stage. 14 year-old Oliver can’t believe his luck after strutting his stuff all along the catwalk. Billie Joe announces that he can keep the Green Day embossed guitar he’s had on temporary loan from Billie in order to play in front of 65,000 people!

Clearly, Green Day love Britain. Yet there is something remarkably British about some of their material. Explain that, please? ‘Minority’ is a case in point. This song sounds as great as ever tonight but I can’t help thinking there’s bit of ye olde sea shanty melody in there somewhere.
   Green Day’s stuff has a sort of folk song quality about it on occasions. This makes it seem almost home grown. Billie talks about Britain being the home of Green Day later on in the evening.
   More treasures from ‘International Superhits’, the album which was in many ways provided the blueprint for ‘American Idiot’, emerge as we are treated to stonking versions of songs like ‘Maria’ and the excellent ‘ Basket Case’.
   The finale for the two-hour set brings ‘King for a Day’ and ‘Wake me up when September ends’, the latter eliciting over one hundred spontaneous sparks from cigarette lighters held high to the heavens.
   The band return for ‘Boulevard of broken dreams’ before Billie Joe brings matters to a close with a poignant solo rendition of ‘ Good Riddance (Time of our lives)’ followed by a stunning firework display. Certainly, tonight’s show is one we will remember for some time to come! Rock on Green Day, the planet is yours!

To go back to the reviews menu click here

More reviews ... 2010 reviews here ... 2009 reviews here ...
2008 reviews here ... 2007 reviews here ... 2006 reviews here ...
2005 reviews here ... 2004 reviews here ... 2003 reviews here ...
home howardtowers.com by Email