99 Revolutions Tour - Tour Identity Crisis and NY Times Dead-On Review

[Guest]

Jam band their shows can go for 8 hours with only 3 songs played think along the line of Grateful Dead but with half the talent...

Never heard of them, either... Maybe I should just leave

But damn that sounds.. Bad.

[WhiteTim]

Never heard of them, either... Maybe I should just leave

But damn that sounds.. Bad.

Wow you've never heard of Grateful Dead or Jerry Garcia? You can thank them for those tye dye shirts

[Abbey.]

I have such mixed feelings about this. Because, to my mind - while yes, we all want to hear new songs, it is important that the band caters to everyone at the show, young and old, new fan or old fan. And they do a great job of that. Playing 6 or 7 songs from the trilogy is quite a lot - not in comparison to how many trilogy songs there are, of course, but that is about how many they played off of AI and 21CB during those tours. Same thing. This tour is no different from other tours in that respect. Personally, I absolutely love hearing older songs. You can just feel the entire stadium overflowing with energy, and it is fantastic. While I love the trilogy songs live, the fact remains that not as many people know the music. I would go crazy over more trilogy songs, but the rest of the audience may not. A huge part of the show is the energy you feel from the crowd. It affects both other audience members and the performers, so it is a big deal if a large portion of the audience isn't as familiar with what you're singing.

And you know - when I went to Philly, I had a great time. They were spot on and it was an amazing night. That said, I'm not going to lie and say I didn't think something was amiss. Something most definitely was. And I will probably never know what it was that made me feel that way. Maybe I'm still too worried and wrapped up in the past few months in Green Day world (because I DO think they got back out on the road very fast). Maybe I was just having an off night, I don't know. It was a WONDERFUL show and Billie sounded amazing and the whole band seemed happy. But usually when I leave Green Day shows, I feel more strongly connected than ever to them. The morning after I woke up from Philly, I felt... weird. Nothing was wrong with the show. But it wasn't completely right, either. I don't know what I wanted from them, and I do feel like it is probably just a "me" thing. But thought I'd share. They're the best live band I will probably ever see, don't get me wrong.

I think the interview nailed the "identity crisis" bit perfectly, except I don't think it is a tour identity crisis. It is bigger than that. I think it is a slight band identity crisis we're dealing with, which is perhaps leading to a fan identity crisis as well. The band made the trilogy to let loose and change their image from the political punk rockers they had been known as for a while. Now they've been forced to reevaluate their image again, because of everything that happened with Billie. They're trying to find their footing and figure out their next move while performing in front of thousands of people every other night. We're all on the ride together as we figure out what that next move will be.

That was beautiful!

[Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap]

Why did Green Day mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the 21st Century Breakdown Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the American Idiot Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the Pop Disaster Tour? Etc etc etc. Because that's what Green Day do! That's what they've always done, added only a few new songs and stuck to playing the classics and doing all the little traditions they've developed over the years with them to ensure a well put together show with a mix of old an new and plenty of songs to get the whole crowd going and singing along.

Seriously, they've never been a band who drastically changed their setlists between tours or shows. Why are people suddenly acting like this is a new thing and moaning on and on about it? Why was anyone expecting them to change the way they've approached playing shows for the last 20 years? Why is anyone surprised that they're carrying on doing something the same way they've always done it? I don't get it.

I suppose the reason I'm a wee bit disappointed is because of the club show setlists and because of the latter half of the 21st CB tour where they'd play a few random songs and sometimes requests. After starting by interspersing the middle of the set with throwback songs, they then went and dropped all the big arena hits for the club shows. I thought now they might shake free of being that "greatest hits set" kind of band, that only puts them on a par with The Killers or Foo Fighters (both amazing live for the record but not up there as legends which is where I feel Green Day should be looking to go). But these setlists are like American Idiot era safe.

They are far too good a band to be relying on the same formula to start the show and same formula to end it. Maybe that's my main gripe more than the lack of new songs being played. The design of the set, opening on 99 Revs/KYE/SWTRLF and finishing on X-Kid/Minority/AI/JOS/Brutal Love is a bit too bland. With the 21st Century Breakdown tour, they had the title song as a ready made opener, and then the decision to do an acoustic encore limited the song choices to finish the set with. This time they have 3 new albums to promote. I just don't see why they can't open with Kill The DJ or Nuclear Family or just go back and kick off with Burnout, Welcome To Paradise or Nice Guys Finish Last. But mix it up a bit. Casual fans aren't going to care if they open with Basket Case or play it in the middle of the set.

Likewise with the end. I always feel underwhelmed when I'm at a gig and I know exactly how many songs are in the encore and what those songs are going to be.

I wouldn't call it moaning, because I realise that you're not entitled to anything, but it's just slightly disappointing to see them "settle" after a bit of early promise last year.

[HaushinkaSins]

i agree with what everyone is saying but I think they just need to get themselves back together honestly. its their first tour since everything went down. they're probably just playing their hits right now because they need to feel wanted again. you like a little motivation for themselves to get their fire burning.

I have faith in them to switch it up once they get back into routine. theres no doubt in my mind that theyre doing this as a good tour run to get back into momentum.

and even so, when youre there in the audience, you really don't give a shit about the set list cause youre freaking out regardless.

at least that's how it was at Barclays. the energy was SO HIGH. and the guys REALLY went off that. and I think that's what they need for right now. just to feel the love again after everything.

[Abbey.]

Geez Hermoine, did ya have to make so much damn sense! Thanks for bashing it into the brain of someone (me) much denser than you. Its what they do. Simple as that, its what they do. Well said.

Why did Green Day mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the 21st Century Breakdown Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the American Idiot Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the Pop Disaster Tour? Etc etc etc. Because that's what Green Day do! That's what they've always done, added only a few new songs and stuck to playing the classics and doing all the little traditions they've developed over the years with them to ensure a well put together show with a mix of old an new and plenty of songs to get the whole crowd going and singing along.

Seriously, they've never been a band who drastically changed their setlists between tours or shows. Why are people suddenly acting like this is a new thing and moaning on and on about it? Why was anyone expecting them to change the way they've approached playing shows for the last 20 years? Why is anyone surprised that they're carrying on doing something the same way they've always done it? I don't get it.

[WhiteTim]

Why did Green Day mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the 21st Century Breakdown Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the American Idiot Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the Pop Disaster Tour? Etc etc etc. Because that's what Green Day do! That's what they've always done, added only a few new songs and stuck to playing the classics and doing all the little traditions they've developed over the years with them to ensure a well put together show with a mix of old an new and plenty of songs to get the whole crowd going and singing along.

Seriously, they've never been a band who drastically changed their setlists between tours or shows. Why are people suddenly acting like this is a new thing and moaning on and on about it? Why was anyone expecting them to change the way they've approached playing shows for the last 20 years? Why is anyone surprised that they're carrying on doing something the same way they've always done it? I don't get it.

If i could like this a million times

[Laura!]

Why did Green Day mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the 21st Century Breakdown Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the American Idiot Tour? Why did they mostly stick to playing the hits and a set setlist on the Pop Disaster Tour? Etc etc etc. Because that's what Green Day do! That's what they've always done, added only a few new songs and stuck to playing the classics and doing all the little traditions they've developed over the years with them to ensure a well put together show with a mix of old an new and plenty of songs to get the whole crowd going and singing along.

Seriously, they've never been a band who drastically changed their setlists between tours or shows. Why are people suddenly acting like this is a new thing and moaning on and on about it? Why was anyone expecting them to change the way they've approached playing shows for the last 20 years? Why is anyone surprised that they're carrying on doing something the same way they've always done it? I don't get it.

You've put my thoughts into words when I couldn't. Thank you!

[Akshat]

In the end it's Green Day's show.They play whatever the fuck they want.You don't like it, then don't attend.Although I wish they played Dirty Rotten Bastards live sometime in the future.

And come on, there are 37 new songs.They have two options-Either they play all the new songs in one setlist,ignoring their older hits or play their older hits only, considering the fact that the fans don't enjoy the new songs much.If I were green day, I would be in a crisis.

[Guest]

In the end it's Green Day's show.They play whatever the fuck they want.You don't like it, then don't attend.Although I wish they played Dirty Rotten Bastards live sometime in the future.

And come on, there are 37 new songs.They have two options-Either they play all the new songs in one setlist,ignoring their older hits or play their older hits only, considering the fact that the fans don't enjoy the new songs much.If I were green day, I would be in a crisis.

I'd just like to point out, those two options are the two extremes of the many options they have. They could just get rid of a few of the hits to make room for new hits.. There we go, 3 options right there.

[Misterglasshalfempty]

I didn't read though all the posts here, so this might have been mentioned already. It seems to me that as long as they keep doing the big arena shows, they sort of have to stick to their well-known songs. The whole atmosphere at an arena show is a bit more polished and "staged", if you will, making it harder to do an entire set based largely on new material. Green Day has been playing large stadiums for the past 8-9 years, and by doing so, certain expectations as to how the show is supposed to be have been created. And the new material doesn't fit in with those expectations, in my opinion. As the new albums haven't really taken off, their still filling all those arenas because of their other albums (Dookie and AI, primarily). With this new music, they actually have to prove them selves again, and that seems difficult to do in front of 50'000 people who are there because of their old classics. Sadly Green Day has gotten a little too big for intimate club-shows, but it seems to me that a setting like that would fit the new material much better.

Or I could be way off, who knows?

[Guest]

Just saying, couldn't they do a Springsteen and just play a bit longer? He's well into his 60s and he's doing it every night, they shouldn't have a problem with it. Stick half an hour onto the set, there's 10 songs (5 including Hey ohs) added on. Problem solved.

[Gwen Stacy]

I think we're seeing (more-or-less) the standard setlist for a few reasons. One, as it's been said earlier, Billie's had quite the experience getting sober and taking a long break from playing. This could be just him getting his footing back under him and relying on the familiar stuff for now. Second, and I think this has been overlooked, this is only the first leg of the tour. First leg setlists always tend to be more formulaic. This was true of the 21CB tour. It was really only during the second US leg that the setlist opened up and some deep cuts started making their way in. I think after some time has passed, Billie gets used to touring again and the band as a whole gets more comfortable with this tour the setlist will open up and some trilogy stuff will make its way in. No reason to panic just yet.

[Hermione]

I suppose the reason I'm a wee bit disappointed is because of the club show setlists and because of the latter half of the 21st CB tour where they'd play a few random songs and sometimes requests. After starting by interspersing the middle of the set with throwback songs, they then went and dropped all the big arena hits for the club shows. I thought now they might shake free of being that "greatest hits set" kind of band, that only puts them on a par with The Killers or Foo Fighters (both amazing live for the record but not up there as legends which is where I feel Green Day should be looking to go). But these setlists are like American Idiot era safe.

They are far too good a band to be relying on the same formula to start the show and same formula to end it. Maybe that's my main gripe more than the lack of new songs being played. The design of the set, opening on 99 Revs/KYE/SWTRLF and finishing on X-Kid/Minority/AI/JOS/Brutal Love is a bit too bland. With the 21st Century Breakdown tour, they had the title song as a ready made opener, and then the decision to do an acoustic encore limited the song choices to finish the set with. This time they have 3 new albums to promote. I just don't see why they can't open with Kill The DJ or Nuclear Family or just go back and kick off with Burnout, Welcome To Paradise or Nice Guys Finish Last. But mix it up a bit. Casual fans aren't going to care if they open with Basket Case or play it in the middle of the set.

Likewise with the end. I always feel underwhelmed when I'm at a gig and I know exactly how many songs are in the encore and what those songs are going to be.

I wouldn't call it moaning, because I realise that you're not entitled to anything, but it's just slightly disappointing to see them "settle" after a bit of early promise last year.

It depends what you think makes a good setlist/show though. Personally I love the "traditional" show they've developed over the years full of fun little on stage traditions and crowd pleasing songs. It's a formula but it's a winning formula. I don't think coming up up with a winning formula and sticking with it is an inferior way of doing it to mixing things up loads, it's just a different way. And different ways suit different fans.

I kind of see what you mean about the early promise, but as far as the promising loosening things up at the end of the 21st CB tour part goes it's too early to tell! There's a good chance they'll mix things up a bit more as the tour goes on, I don't think you can judge it yet while they're still just getting started. It would be a bit silly to expect them to play the same kind of show in an arena that they played in clubs though, I think that's just wishful thinking

[HaushinkaSins]

I think we're seeing (more-or-less) the standard setlist for a few reasons. One, as it's been said earlier, Billie's had quite the experience getting sober and taking a long break from playing. This could be just him getting his footing back under him and relying on the familiar stuff for now. Second, and I think this has been overlooked, this is only the first leg of the tour. First leg setlists always tend to be more formulaic. This was true of the 21CB tour. It was really only during the second US leg that the setlist opened up and some deep cuts started making their way in. I think after some time has passed, Billie gets used to touring again and the band as a whole gets more comfortable with this tour the setlist will open up and some trilogy stuff will make its way in. No reason to panic just yet.

exactly. them as a band has a whole new tour life to adjust to with keeping billie clean on the road. they need to get familiar with it all before they take the big dive in.

[Akshat]

I'd just like to point out, those two options are the two extremes of the many options they have. They could just get rid of a few of the hits to make room for new hits.. There we go, 3 options right there.

They are currently trying this option but I don't think people seem to like it.This thread exists because of this 'third' option

[Guest]

They are currently trying this option but I don't think people seem to like it.This thread exists because of this 'third' option

Typing 'third' like that makes it look like you think it's a hypothetical situation, like it could never work. I just think they haven't found their balance yet. 3 albums is a lot of work to incorporate with an already massive catalogue. A lot of the fanbase would love to hear the new work but at the same time, can't resist the golden oldies. As Caedog said, they could just extend the show to add a few more songs, reduce the hey-ohs, cut the crap. Not completely, just shorten it to make room for stuff that is probably more necessary than "HEEEEEEY OHHHH" for 20 minutes. That would easily solve the situation. I love their stage antics and most of it, I wouldn't ever cut but some of it, I doubt many people would be upset if they replaced that with actual performing.

[HaushinkaSins]

im honestly still confused as to what some really want though.

some are saying 'omg they took out 21 guns and good riddance' and then next I know the same people flop and say 'I wish there was more new stuff'... like I can see why green day would even get confused lmao

[Guest]

im honestly still confused as to what some really want though.

some are saying 'omg they took out 21 guns and good riddance' and then next I know the same people flop and say 'I wish there was more new stuff'... like I can see why green day would even get confused lmao

Because Good Riddance is a staple piece. It's been the show ender for so long, it's heart breaking to see a show without it. I'd honestly be devastated if my show ended without it. Some other stuff I wouldn't mind losing, but goddamn Good Riddance just can't leave okay IT CAN'T.

[Hermione]

i think for me at least, after watching the cuatro highlights in december or whenever, and after all the interviews and the club shows seeing the band talk about how they're done with the past and they want to move forward and how excited they were about all the new material...that's a big part of the reason why i was expecting so much trilogy stuff on this tour. i wouldn't necessarily say i'm disappointed, because the show in moline was hands down the best show i've ever been to and i had an amazing time, no complaints there, i just really think it's a bummer more of the new stuff isn't getting played. i have no idea if it's because billie is sober or if it's because the new albums didn't sell well or what, i just hate that they seem to feel like they can't play the new songs for whatever reason. especially because these are three amazing fucking albums and six or seven months ago the band seemed so fucking excited about them. now it just seems like they've completely written them off and i think that sucks. both for us and for them.

they could keep this exact same setlist without changing a single thing for the next ten years, and i'll still go see them every chance i get. i just hope they're playing what they want to play and having fun, not just pandering to what the average person in seats at a green day concert wants. they're an amazing live band no matter what they're playing and surely that would be obvious to everyone at a gd concert whether they're playing old hits or songs no one has heard at all.

I believe that they are, I really think they enjoy playing the classics/favourites, as well as seeing the reaction it gets. I mean, we might like to hear them play lots of new songs but don't forget they already got to play them at the club shows , however annoying it might be for us that might've satisfied their appetite for playing the new albums to death and they might be loving getting to play their old favourites again.

I felt the same about the relatively small amount of 21st CB material they played (it actually decreased as the tour went on ), but they have to do a balancing act between old and new that gets more difficult with every new album added to the list. I get the feeling that making sure the whole crowd has fun is their top priority and they absolutely love doing it, and that they genuinely don't mind not playing that many new songs to achieve it.

[WhiteTim]

In reality no matter what Green Day performs there will be people upset about it can't please everybody...

[Akshat]

As Caedog said, they could just extend the show to add a few more songs, reduce the hey-ohs, cut the crap.

It ain't a Green Day show without the hey-ohs.

It would be more like A Coldplay concert, where Chris Martin is singing, band members are playing their instruments and the crowd is yawning.Concerts are about fun and Green Day is a popular band because of the other shit they do during their concerts.

[HaushinkaSins]

Because Good Riddance is a staple piece. It's been the show ender for so long, it's heart breaking to see a show without it. I'd honestly be devastated if my show ended without it. Some other stuff I wouldn't mind losing, but goddamn Good Riddance just can't leave okay IT CAN'T.

oh gosh I know I love GR too. but I just threw that out there. I could have said another song but I just said whatever came to my mind first. lol

It ain't a Green Day show without the hey-ohs.

It would be more like A Coldplay concert, where Chris Martin is singing, band members are playing their instruments and the crowd is yawning.Concerts are about fun and Green Day is a popular band because of the other shit they do during their concerts.

this.

[Guest]

It ain't a Green Day show without the hey-ohs.

It would be more like A Coldplay concert, where Chris Martin is singing, band members are playing their instruments and the crowd is yawning.Concerts are about fun and Green Day is a popular band because of the other shit they do during their concerts.

They just need to reduce it, not get rid of it completely. I like the 'hey-ohs' as much as the next person but I'd much rather have songs than Billie chanting every 3 minutes & dragging out every other song and extra 15. I love that he interacts with the crowd but sometimes, enough is enough.

oh gosh I know I love GD too. but I just threw that out there. I could have said another song but I just said whatever came to my mind first. lol

It's all good, I just get emotionally when it involves Good Riddance

[HaushinkaSins]

It's all good, I just get emotionally when it involves Good Riddance

who doesn't? lol <3