Green Day "Bullet in a Bible" (CD/DVD) 2005***

A few days ago I was at a Green Day concert in Amsterdam, part of their "Revolution Radio" tour. It was a fantastic gig that exceeded my expectations. The band had tremendous energy and Billie Joe kept the audience on their toes, proving once again he's mastered the art of stadium rock. He continuously addressed the crowd, and had fans get up on stage to sing and play guitar along with the band - actually gave his guitar away to a lucky fan, now that's a souvenir! Ziggo arena (15.000+ capacity) was the perfect size, big enough for Billie Joe to run around and for the show effects (huge flames, light show, tons of confetti) but also not so big that you'd lose sight of the band. There weren't the usual giant screens, so you had to look straight at them - which helped in creating more intimacy. Of course, they also had a lot to say about the new U.S president: "Fuck Donald Trump" was their rather unambiguous message, while they dedicated "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" to the refugees Trump turned away in one of his first presidential decisions. Republican ultra-right presidents certainly energize them: if George W. Bush inspired them to create their masterpiece "American Idiot", imagine what the ever more colourful Trump will...  
After the gig I went home and played my "Bullet in a Bible" DVD, to see how much they've changed in the 12 years separating the two concerts. I must say it wasn't much. They were just as enthusiastic and energetic as their younger selves, and didn't even look a day older. Both concerts used an expanded band (from 3 people in the studio to 6 for the concerts) and a lot of the songs were performed in a similar manner (i.e. the King for a Day/Shout medley, though the Amsterdam version also contained snippets of "Hey Jude" and "Satisfaction"). Billie Joe kept talking to the audience and tried to get them more involved, sing along etc - in concert, this works better than on the CD. "Bullet in a Bible" was shot during the American Idiot Tour, and features most of the songs from that album - one which saw Green Day depart from the punk pop of their earlier albums to play thoughtful ballads ("September", "Broken Dreams") and rock mini-operas ("Jesus Of Suburbia") inspired by The Who, all in service of a concept album seriously attempting to paint the big picture of American society under a conservative warmongering government. The sheer ambition of that project already set them apart from the punk rock crowd, and when they took the show on the road they took it even further. This CD/DVD is recorded before one of the biggest audiences Green Day (or any punk band) ever played. They handle it like arena rock pros, beefing up the sound with extra guitars, horns and keyboards, employing stage props and giant screens. Billie Joe runs up and down the stage like Mick Jagger, nobody's idea of a punk rocker - just compare him to the leering audience-baiting Johnny Rotten, or the hunched-shoulders/hair-down stance of Joey Ramone. So what? He doesn't need a certificate of punk authenticity. He's gone past that, and anyway his audience seem like emo kids rather than punks. Still, in contrast to most stadium rock bands, Green Day try very hard (and partly succeed) to retain some intimacy with their fans despite the size of the place. The revolutionary preachers of "American Idiot" avoid taking themselves too seriously on the road, showing us that, at heart, they're first and foremost entertainers. This weakens the effect of the more political songs (with the exception of the rebel-rousing "American Idiot") but works great for the Celtic Punk of "Minority" and Ska/R&B-tinged "King For A Day" - the latter is performed as a 10(!) minute medley with the 60's classic "Shout!" and Monty Pythons' "Always Look at the Bright Side of Life", very un-punk-like but definitely one of the disc's highlights. The first half of the album is dominated by the "American Idiot" album, featuring the anthemic title track, and the equally hook-y "Holiday", mid-tempo sing-along "Are We The Waiting" and punky "St. Jimmy". The middle of the set features the older, punkier, numbers "Longview", "Hitchin' A Ride" and "Basket Case". Though devoid of the urgency of the original versions, their hooks and energy keep the fun level high. The grungy "Brain Stew" gives Billie Joe the chance to present the band. Lastly, near the finale, we get the ballads "Wake Me Up When September Ends", "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" - the latter also closed last month's concert. Hardly the concert's strongest moments, yet the fact that they can write and deliver sincere, emotive, ballads speaks well for the band's versatility. The sound quality of both CD and DVD (crisp stereo and 5:1 dolby surround) is excellent, while the DVD takes the form of a musical documentary, mixing interviews with expertly edited concert clips. *** for the CD, **** for the DVD, but really...you should have been there. Catch them live if you can!

**** for American Idiot, Holiday, Longview, Basket Case, King For A Day/Shout 

*** for Jesus Of Suburbia, Are We The Waiting, St. Jimmy, Wake Me Up When September Ends, Minority, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

** for Hitchin' A Ride, Brain Stew