Tag Archives: London

Highlights of The Breakdown – Green Day at Wembley Stadium

Punks Play for Autism

I missed Green Day’s show at Wembley Stadium. I had a ticket, but could not afford the airfare across the pond (told you Lushie luck runs out occasionally). My ticket had a fabulous time with Jax May, the folks at Nova-Caine, and the Raxorbax gig that happened the night before Wembley, at the Luminaire Club. The Punks Play for Autism gig raised over a £1000 for the organization. Major success! Hopefully some video will be coming from the show in the future, possibly a soundboard mix. The boys known as Green Day donated a vinyl copy of 21st Century Breakdown, the only one of its kind that is signed by the full touring band including Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, Jason White, Jason Freese, and Jeff Matika. How awesome is all of that?

Greet, a Lushie Nun Mother from Belgium who attended the Razorbax show was the successful bidder winner. And here’s the baby here:

21st Century Breakdown Vinyl signed by Full Green Day Touring Band for the Punks Play for Autism Benefit, London - Green Day 21st Century Breakdown Tour 2009-2010. Photo by Greet Druyts

Green Day at Wembley Stadium

I tried writing about this show, but frankly, I was a little sad that I couldn’t go, so it was a little hard writing about the show since A) I wasn’t there, and B), well, sadly, I wasn’t there. Sigh. I’ve been a bit whiney about it, too, but hey, it happens, lol. I hear from folks who went that it was great, and really, I believe it.

What I really missed out on was hearing for the first time on Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown tour, the band singing “Waiting.” Sigh.

“Waiting” – Green Day Wembley Stadium – June 19, 2010

I did watch several clips of this show and read every page of the Wembley thread at the Green Day Community, so I feel in a way that I was there, but it’s all in bits and pieces of lore. Some good stories, too, of long lines at Wembley, what Billie Joe said about leaving Green Day in a coffin, of how Tre sang during the “Shout” part of the night, and hey, Mike grabbed the mic at one point too and kicked his legs higher than Tre!

Green Day Blow Themselves Up at Wembley! What a Show! Photo by Unknown Photographer found by Greet Druyts

I also saw a clip of the pyro that went off during the “Minority” encore, but I saw it only on Facebook and can’t seem to locate it on the Youtubes at the moment. Suffice it to say, at the part where the blowers go off and confetti goes flying through the air, there were fireworks that seem to almost blow the band up! Luckily, they survived and appeared a few days later in Glasgow, and will be playing tomorrow night, 6/23/2010, in Dublin.

Ah, good times.

Here’s a Facebook link to Greet Druyts’ photos from London from both the Razorbax and Green Day shows. Take a look, they are fantastic!

With that, I’m off tomorrow to the San Francisco Bay Area! The Mystic Knights of the Cobra and Prima Donna are on a four-night mini-tour, and I’m going to go and dance a bit for two of them! And do some other stuff, too. Later!


More Foxboro Hot Tubs from London

Blood, Sex and Booze – Foxboro Hot Tubs

Partybiene uploaded several videos from the Foxboro Hot Tub’s secret show in London from November 1, including the rendition of “Blood, Sex, and Booze” above. Head on over to view a few more videos from this once in a lifetime show.

FBHT in Kerrang

Wild Night in London Town - Foxboro Hot Tubs

By the way, there are a number of inaccuracies in the article, but the pictures are nice.

*Scan courtesy of shadowgirl1 at the GDC


Highlights From The Breakdown: A Quick One While He’s Away

A conversation on Facebook comparing Green Day’s two shows at Madison Square Garden back in July and their two shows at London’s O2 in October prompted me to think of Green Day’s version of The Who’s “A Quick One While He’s Away.” Four people, including me, had seen all four shows and except for one, agreed that while both second nights were better, (because the second night is always better), we felt that London’s 2nd show was the winner for various reasons. However, Dawn, who I’ve mentioned before, had one caveat: Green Day’s performance of “A Quick One While He’s Away,” from the second show at Madison Square Garden.

This performance took MSG by surprise because no one in their right mind expected it. The song is one of four bonus tracks from the iTunes release of 21st Century Breakdown and unless you had that album version (the CD and I believe the vinyl versions have different bonus tracks) you were kinda lost as to what was going on.

I remember being a little nervous at the hesitant start for the band. It’s a long and slightly complicated song and who knows how many times they had actually rehearsed it. After a few bars they let go and went with it and I realized that what I was seeing was a very rare performance, especially since Billie Joe noted that it was the first (and probably the last) time that they had performed it. There may be good reason for that as the crowd took a while to warm up to it but I am not sure if the audience ever completely got into it. I did, but I was in the pit, behind one row of bodies and I was pretty damned happy with having heard it live at least once.

So, I got to thinking about the performance and wanted to watch it again, so I’ve posted it below. It’s not the best of videos, but it is the entire seven minute song:

Fast forward to that ficticious band, the Foxboro Hot Tubs, and their gig in London on November 1st. The Foxies (my silly pet name for them) broke the song out and repeated the ‘You Are Forgiven’ a billion times. Here they are having a crazy time with it and the two versions, from, um, two different bands, is like night and day. There are three short “A Quick One” clips on Youtube from the secret show in London and the clip below is the longest one. All of them are very short, which probably had something to do with booze.


Billie Joe Saves Ten in One Fell Swoop

As you may have heard, Green Day was on fire during their recent tour of Great Britain and the Emerald Isle, playing to massively sold out crowds, creating music and mania, and coming out to England as the Foxboro Hot Tubs.

Billie, who’s been wearing a vest with the name “Jesus” on it lately (maybe he’s Spanish, who knows?), has regularly been ‘saving’ young children and the ocassional adult on the tour. I saw him save two kids in San Antonio and I thought that was a lot!

Well, at Wembley on November 1st, the band brought up ten to be saved, including a great fellow by the name of Tony Anastasi (in the cowboy hat) whom I met while I was in England.

The two videos below are of this hallowed event, the first one being the song itself. The second video is very unique. One of the ten who were saved actually had his camera on, taping the moment from a salvation point of view. While the final “boom” of salvation isn’t taped, it’s great to see the actual saving huddle.

And Tony is very happy to have been saved by Billie, as one can well imagine!

A bird’s eye view of salvation:

An additional view:


Foxboro Hot Tubs Crazy in London

A few videos from last night’s mayhem from the Foxboro Hot Tubs. For those who were able to go, I salute you. I understand that they played the entire Stop, Drop and Roll album once, then ran out of songs, so did the song “Stop, Drop, and Roll” seven times, “Ruby Room” twice, “A Quick One,” “Supermodel Robots” (from The Network), “Johnny B. Goode,” “Blitzkrieg Pop,” and “Blood, Sex, and Booze.” The set lasted until it stopped, and an epic time was had by all.

From the GDC, here’s a link to an NME article on the gig.

“Dark Side of the Night”
From Elmo the Idiot.

“27th Street Shuffle.”
From Elmo the Idiot.

“Mother Mary”
From Elmo the Idiot.

Sorry that the links were messed up earlier. I’m still posting from my iPhone and it’s not easy!

There’s also a host of other vids at Elmo the Idiot’s YouTube Channel.
Thank you, Monkeyboy, for helping us worship!


Live from London

The Rev in London

Foxboro Hot Tubs Secret Show, 2:30 AM

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3869637&id=605682847#/photo.php?pid=3881809&id=605682847

Hopefully you’ll be able to see the FB pic live from London at about 2:30AM

Photo by Beth Wieman.


Church of Wishful Thinking One Week Too Late

Alas, the Reverend Twitch and his Cohorts have announced a session of Lushotology worship this coming Sunday at midnight right after they play Wembley. 600 lucky Foxboro Hot Tubs fans will party like there’s no tomorrow. The gig is at the Relentless Garage in London and from what I understand, you have to get a wristband first and over 18s only.

Have fun all of you lucky Alligators!

STINGGGGGG!


Rocktober Group Photo

Rocktober! Group Photo

Rocktober Idiots in London

This was only a fraction of the Rocktober Idiots who met up from around the world (including Germany, the U.S., Australia, Brazil, and South Africa) for a crazy weekend of Green Day at London’s O2. We had a fabulous time and sang loudly to Green Day music at the Slug and Lettuce restaurant. More to come!

*Photo by Mary O’Neill, American Idiot!


Green Day London, October 24, 2009

I got back to the hotel an hour ago from seeing Green Day for the second night at the 02 in London. I’ll have to write more about it when I get back to the States. I just wanted to write that of the shows I went to in the States and the first London gig, the second night at the 02 blew all of them hands down out of the water. The boys were on fire tonight singing several older songs but the treat for me was a full band rendition of “Give Me Novacaine.” “Novacaine” is my favorite song off of American Idiot and hearing it live was soul cleansing.

Anyway, I’ll write more when I get back to the States next week. I’m very sad to be leaving and not attending more of the English gigs, but really, my dreams of seeing them in England have come true. I got everything that I needed from this show. Plus, I’m bringing one of Tre’s drumsticks home with me.

Thank you, Billie Joe, Mike and Tre, tonight was kinda special. Thank you.


Rocktober is Out of the House!

Ok, that’s a pretty stupid headline, but I don’t care. I’m off to see Green Day in London. My flight takes off from JFK at 9:00 and I’ll be standing in London’s 02 tomorrow night. All I can say is… “Welcome to Paradise!”

GD UK Rocktober

GD UK Rocktober