Notwithstanding the tension and drama currently in the city, we are still having a fantastic time and really feel as though we are truly getting a feel for Sydney (much more so anyway than if we had only stayed in a hostel). That being said, the routine of work can get old pretty fast, and so we were on the lookout for something out of the ordinary to do. Luckily for us, one of the biggest bands in the world right now was about to have a monster concert at the Sydney Cricket Grounds.
It was as if it were meant to be that we attend the show. Originally priced at AU$86 per ticket, we managed to score two tickets off a guy at work for $60 a piece… good value if you ask me! With the year that Green Day is having, we expected a killer show and were really stoked for it. And the best part: we got the tickets only 2 days before the show, so that anxiety of waiting for a concert 6 months away was avoided.
The first opener was My Chemical Romance, a band I knew fairly well and that Leigh was vaguely familiar with. They put on a decent show, but nothing to write home about (although I guess that’s exactly what I’m doing haha!). Then came Jimmy Eat World which were great. They played their 4 hits and a few other solid songs, and overall, we were impressed. But the best was yet to come.
Green Day hit the stage to the roar of the crowd, which was deafeningly amazing. With 4 massive screens and amazing pyrotechnics (including fireworks!), the stage was amazing. Billy Joe was talking to the crowd all night and pumping them up with rugby cheers. AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, OY OY OY! And SYYYYYDDNNEEEEYYYY! and AUUUUSSSTRRAAALLLIAAAAAA!!! got the crowd into a frenzy all night long. What to say of the songs? Unbelievable. 2 Solid hours of honestly every Green Day hit, and a few lesser known but equally great songs that are familiar to any Green Day fan that bought the Dookie album (which is pretty much everyone). The also did covers the Ramones and Queen, and the crowd (including your faithful Canadian representatives) was singing along all night. Even though there was easily many thousands of people, the whole thing felt intimate enough, especially with the slower songs like “Wake Me Up When September Ends”.
Overall, with 2 Encores, it was the most amazing concert we’ve ever seen, and heaps of fun!
