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

[WhiteTim]

They could play Panic Song right now and there'd be people bitchin "oh so they can play Panic Song but not Westbound Sign?" Or they could play Misery and it'd be "I don't see how they can perform Misery but not play Church On Sunday" they're damed if they do and damned if they don't

[HaushinkaSins]

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.

im gonna have to disagree. I think his fan interactions are on point. I personally wouldn't change it lol

[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.

If Billie never said Hey oh ever again I wouldn't complain. Just because the singer doesn't scream two syllables repeatedly at the crowd doesn't mean it's a shit show. That's the dumbest logic I've ever heard.

[Guest]

If Billie never said Hey oh ever again I wouldn't complain. Just because the singer doesn't scream two syllables repeatedly at the crowd doesn't mean it's a shit show. That's the dumbest logic I've ever heard.

I've run out of likes for the day so I'll just quote this stating the fact that YES THIS I AGREE.

[localinsomniac]

This has been a complaint for years. Outside of intimate/secret club shows, Green Day's set lists are formulaic and depressingly predictable. I hate knowing what song is coming based on what was just played, or how Billie's playing to the crowd, or the interludes.

Fine, maybe this tour is about the band re-establishing itself as an arena rock titan. But what about (give or take) the last 20 years? What about the fans that buy tickets to multiple dates only to see the same exact show, excepting -- at most -- a song or two? That's a disappointment. There was the time (I forget which tour) where they would take requests mid-set. But even then, I got the sense that a lot times he was just waiting for somebody to shout the name of the song he wanted to play.

At this point in their careers, these guys have more than enough material to put together a solid set that would appease fans new and old. They could probably have a dozen or so of those golden oldies to throw in when BJ feels like calling an audible. It can't be a matter of how confident they are playing some of those songs after X number of years; they've tried it before, failed, laughed it off and moved on.

There just isn't enough spontaneity in the arena tours.

[Hermione]

If Billie never said Hey oh ever again I wouldn't complain. Just because the singer doesn't scream two syllables repeatedly at the crowd doesn't mean it's a shit show. That's the dumbest logic I've ever heard.

It's not specifically that he's screaming two syllables though, it's that he interacts with the crowd better than any other frontman I've seen. He leads silly singalongs and has a funny "hey oh" chant that everyone knows so that everyone's in on a special little tradition and everyone's made to feel part of the show. If he didn't interact with the crowd the way he does the shows wouldn't be half of what they are. Being in a crowd that spontaneously started chanting "hey oh" over and over to bring the band back for the encore is one of my favourite Green Day moments of all time . I'm happy to him to do it as much as he wants.

[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.

Springsteen's been doing three-hour shows for 30 years. He and his band are used to it by now. A three-hour set every night for a band early in its tour cycle and not used to doing them is brutal. Green Day's liable to burn out quickly if they dump three hours onstage every night, and having seen a burned-out band live and plenty of videos of a band that's strung out mid-tour, it ain't pretty. The performance suffers, the interaction suffers, and the show is often average to bad.

Want three hours of burned-out Green Day, or 2h15m (which is still longer than most bands play, btw) of good, rested Green Day?

[Guest]

It's not specifically that he's screaming two syllables though, it's that he interacts with the crowd better than any other frontman I've seen. He leads silly singalongs and has a funny "hey oh" chant that everyone knows so that everyone's in on a special little tradition and everyone's made to feel part of the show. If he didn't interact with the crowd the way he does the shows wouldn't be half of what they are. Being in a crowd that spontaneously started chanting "hey oh" over and over to bring the band back for the encore is one of my favourite Green Day moments of all time , I'm happy to him to do it as much as he wants.

It's fine in moderation. But there's no need for Hitchin A Ride to become a 10 minute song, or for the tension at the end of Jesus of Suburbia be completely ruined by him shouting hey oh for over a minute. Sometimes it ruins the show. I personally would rather an extra 5 songs on the setlist.

[Guest]

It's not specifically that he's screaming two syllables though, it's that he interacts with the crowd better than any other frontman I've seen.

Freddie Mercury would take offense at that. Dave Grohl might as well.

[Guest]

Springsteen's been doing three-hour shows for 30 years. He and his band are used to it by now. A three-hour set every night for a band early in its tour cycle and not used to doing them is brutal. Green Day's liable to burn out quickly if they dump three hours onstage every night, and having seen a burned-out band live and plenty of videos of a band that's strung out mid-tour, it ain't pretty. The performance suffers, the interaction suffers, and the show is often average to bad.

Want three hours of burned-out Green Day, or 2h15m (which is still longer than most bands play, btw) of good, rested Green Day?

There's always a time to start. If Green Day wanna go down as one of the all time greats, adding on that extra half an hour would make a big difference. Energy has never been lacking for them.

[Hermione]

Fine, maybe this tour is about the band re-establishing itself as an arena rock titan. But what about (give or take) the last 20 years? What about the fans that buy tickets to multiple dates only to see the same exact show, excepting -- at most -- a song or two? That's a disappointment.

It shouldn't be, that's what they've always done so if anyone's expecting anything different it's really their own fault. Green Day put together a show and tour it around for different people in different places to see. If you want to see it more than once it's up to you but that's not what it's designed for.

Freddie Mercury would take offense at that. Dave Grohl might as well.

"...I've seen" . And I don't mind saying Green Day have the best crowd interaction anyway. Not only connecting with and entertaining the crowd (cheekily using Freddie Mercury's "hey oh"s ) flawlessly, but also totally breaking down the barrier between band and crowd by bringing fans up on stage to perform with the band, and getting stuck right into the crowd at club shows. Can't fault their crowd interaction.

[Guest]

There's always a time to start. If Green Day wanna go down as one of the all time greats, adding on that extra half an hour would make a big difference. Energy has never been lacking for them.

Let's agree for a second that, even if Queen isn't the best act of all time, they were certainly one of them. Their longest setlists ever ran right around two hours, with a typical show being more like 1h40m-1h45m. They're regarded as one of the all-time greats.

Led Zeppelin would frequently play right around 2h. Pink Floyd often played shows clocking in right around 2h (Roger Waters' Wall tour runs 1h50m, including an intermission). Hell, the Beatles rarely played longer than 40m on their last couple of tours! What's the old saying, quality over quantity? A band doesn't have to play for 3 hours to be an all-time great. They just have to play damn well for however long they're on stage.

[localinsomniac]

It shouldn't be, that's what they've always done so if anyone's expecting anything different it's really their own fault. Green Day put together a show and tour it around for different people in different places to see. If you want to see it more than once it's up to you but that's not what it's designed for.

The way ticket prices continue to rise, it kind of is. And I'm not saying I personally don't enjoy going and seeing them every time; always have and always will. But it is kind of a bummer shelling out that much money when you already know what's going to happen.

[Riotgrrl_GD]

Very interesting article.

Here's my opinion on this. I actually like them playing the greatest hits, mixed with a few fan-favorites. When they play songs that nobody knows, you immediately feel that in the crowd. I remember seeing Before the Lobotomy live, and it was kind of awkward how only a few people sang the line 'whiskey shots and cheap cigarettes' when they stopped for that.

Obviously that's fine when it's just a few songs. It needs to be done, for the big fans like us. But here's the problem: every trilogy song is relatively unknown. It's sad because I think that they're good songs, but it's true. And it doesn't help that they aren't even playing the singles (Kill the DJ and Stray Heart).

Another problem is that the typical stage antics haven't changed in years (King for a Day, Highway to Hell before Brain Stew, ...). Last time I saw a show, I heard people say that they're disappointed that these things aren't as spontaneous as they thought, since they did the exact same things the previous time.

But at the end of the day, even though there's room for some criticism, they're still one of the best live bands out there. And when you're actually there, you don't care about the setlist. It's just too fucking awesome.

There DOES come a time (after seeing so many shows) when you mourn that what you thought were "spontaneous antics" are actually "routinized."

Yeah, Phish, they're huge. This totally isn't only the second time I've ever heard of them, the first time being a Cracked article...

Just a quickie, I've never heard of 'Phish'.

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

But damn that sounds.. Bad.

You are showing your ages... or mine

[Hermione]

Green Day shows too short? Really?? They're 41 years old and still putting in more time on stage than most bands half their age, and putting maximum energy into every moment of it. Give them a break!

The way ticket prices continue to rise, it kind of is. And I'm not saying I personally don't enjoy going and seeing them every time; always have and always will. But it is kind of a bummer shelling out that much money when you already know what's going to happen.

Ehh I've seen them more than once on the same tour and have no complaints. The setlist isn't the be all and end all, there's so many other elements that make the experience of one show different from another. I guess the setlist is more important to some people than others, but it's not like it's a secret that it's not going to vary much so you can take it into account when you decide how many shows you want to go to.

[Riotgrrl_GD]

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.

Perfect.

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.

I miss GR, especially the confetti! Having that shit stuck to my sweaty face while pressed against the barrier looking up into what seemed like an endless storm... priceless.

[Mar]

So the mainstream press has finally started agreeing with that the fans have been saying for years? About time.

I think this tour is the most obviously formulaic one they've done recently, though. I'm actually amazed it is being addressed.

Another problem is that the typical stage antics haven't changed in years (King for a Day, Highway to Hell before Brain Stew, ...). Last time I saw a show, I heard people say that they're disappointed that these things aren't as spontaneous as they thought, since they did the exact same things the previous time.

But at the end of the day, even though there's room for some criticism, they're still one of the best live bands out there. And when you're actually there, you don't care about the setlist. It's just too fucking awesome.

I've said many times that I'd love for KFAD/Shout to be axed, partially because of this reason. I think the band could have fun in other songs, but they force themselves to do it for this song only just because they always have. I'm very curious how they feel about the song, actually.

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.

Those of us watching Philly on the livestream felt he was SUPER rushed. He didn't interact much with the crowd (not necessarily a bad thing if it cut down on hey ohs ) and the songs were sped up (some people were saying Temple had a curfew). I doubt that can speak to everything you felt, but what I'm trying to say is I don't think you're thinking absurdly.

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.

Interesting you bring up The Killers. I've been a huge fan of theirs for years and I finally got the chance to see them live in December, and to be completely honest? I actually think they did a great job combining new songs from Battle Born, the huge hits (Mr. Brightside, etc.), lesser-known singles and even album tracks that weren't singles (but are fan favorites). I was really happy with their setlist as a die-hard. Anyway, sorry, OT.

You mention the club shows, and yeah, the more I think about this setlist issue GD has, I think this is our problem as fans. As forum members, we follow these club shows like hawks. We have devoted regulars who will fly to there and back to go to these small shows and they'll do their damnedest to document them for us. They are legendary because we SEE a lot of the shows on bootlegs. We know everything about them. They are supposed to be special shows and they usually are, especially those 2011-2012 ones where they previewed the trilogy songs. But by coming on a site like this, the curtain is opened and those special shows become lore in our eyes and we probably create too high expectations because we think "Hey, they played that song that one time in Berkeley/Austin/New York and maybe they'll play it at my show!" Unfortunately, the vast majority of us are never gonna go to a secret show or a club show. We don't have the resources of the J'Nets and the Jaymees and whomever else I'm forgetting. We're lucky they're coming within 250 miles of us or wherever and we're gonna get them at a huge venue whether we like it or not (and I say "huge" as relative ... here in North America it's like, a 17,000 seat venue. In Europe, obviously, it's a different story! ). And we wouldn't like it, we'd like those small shows instead. But I've given up on Rust Belt secret shows a long time ago. I see them where I can see them, usually in big sports venues.

I still say the setlist is safe and the ratio of trilogy songs to non-trilogy songs is still way off-balance, as is the balance of old lesser-knowns to old standbys/hits. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that we as GDCers take our fandom to another level and while I know the band loves us for it, we are still, really, in the minority (no pun intended) in the grand scheme of things. Our expectations and experiences are skewed because we know everything about this band and their shows, from the one-off club shows to the setlists of previous tours. I'm a total Debbie Downer so it's weird that I'm now starting to be a little less harsh on them, but, eh

[Abbey.]

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/conquering_green_daze_sxdF8nTslsiJ7FrtgMhiuI

The NY Post had a different spin on the Barclays center show. Tanya posted this somewhere, and Ive reposted it above.

I loved the last line of the review, because it boils it down to the essence of their live show: "Armstrong’s experience in rehab and the associated fallout may have complicated his inner-psyche dramatically, but outwardly, the equation is still pretty simple; If you don’t like Green Day, you probably don’t like having fun."

Being that we're all superfans here, we are infinitely more aware of the subteltlies of each show, but their goal is still the same as always, and I think they still hit the mark, in giving ticket paying folks a fun fucking night out at the best live rock show out there.

[K!ngForADay]

If they dropped all the tiresome covers and endless Waaaay-Ohhhhhhhhhhs they could fit in 4 or 5 trilogy or old, rare songs... Would be cool if they would also mix around the set's order, like not always starting and ending with the exact same stuff..

[Lauren]

I thought the setlist was amazing. They don't design it for people who are going to more than one show. I was blown away the first time I saw them this tour. I liked it. It felt much more intimate than the 21st Century Breakdown Tour, and I was actually closer during that tour.

I keep forgetting how much work goes into them playing... if it was just Billie, Mike, and Tre loading in themselves and playing small venues, sure, they could just make a guideline setlist and then play a bunch of rare songs. but this involves like a hundred people setting up! The lights are choreographed, there are so many effects they need to have queued up, other people playing with them, etc. The new songs require these different sounds and effects. If they were simply just to play pre-Nimrod stuff, they wouldn't need any of that. but I do love hearing the new stuff, too!

[The Grohl]

I also think they're not changing the setlist too much because they're getting back touring and adjusting to that life again after what Billie's been through. Plus, they're probably;y still seeing what works best from the trilogy.

[Clayish]

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.

They played the same exact setlist for American Idiot almost every night of the tour.

21st Century Breakdown tour introduced the oldies/request section, included the acoustic encore, WAY more 21st Century Breakdown songs.

[That Dude]

My feeling about the new tour is this: They are trying to make sure the tour is successful since they just had this huge epic project that flopped. I'm sure the shows are still great, but I'm always disappointed when I go to setlist.fm and see the exact same songs played in the same order. I want that "to reminesnce is to die" Green Day, where they just come out and play 30 brand new songs, or rarities and then leave the stage, damn the torpedos, nevermind the bullocks. I am thrilled about Brutal Love being the new closer though. Good Riddance is a brilliant song, but it's been 17 years. Time to change it up a bit.

[Guest]

Lauren nailed a good point: most bands on arena tours (or larger) have tons of lighting and effect cues which have to be mapped to each song. Mapping to 50+ songs when you only play 25-28 each night is insane.

[Lauren]

Lauren nailed a good point: most bands on arena tours (or larger) have tons of lighting and effect cues which have to be mapped to each song. Mapping to 50+ songs when you only play 25-28 each night is insane.

yeah, so it's not three people remembering all like 200 songs green day has, it's more like twenty. I mean, I guess they could just set up the guitar effects for Dookie, have just the three of them play, have an automatic light thing, and play some songs from there. but still, they have to plan everything out.