The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear at Green Day's Electric Ballroom Show
Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Written by Jack Terry
Pop-punk legends Green Day are back with a new album — that’ll be ‘Saviors’, which is out on January 19 — and a massive stadium tour slated for next summer. Dates in mainland Europe and North America will sandwich UK and Ireland shows at Manchester's Emirates Old Trafford, Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, Dublin's Marlay Park and London's Wembley Stadium (fingers at the ready, tickets are on general sale at 9.30am on November 10) but before all that Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have something more intimate in mind.
They’ve also announced a short-notice gig at London’s Electric Ballroom, giving fans the chance to see their idols up close and personal. With excitement building, we took a dive through 30-plus years of material and compiled the cuts that we NEED to hear from them in Camden, from career-making hits to old-stagers and new blood.
The American Dream Is Killing Me
Green Day have wasted no time in getting the singles out for ‘Saviors’ and they struck gold right away with The American Dream Is Killing Me. A starkly relevant song that complains of “Tiktok and taxes” and “People on the street / Unemployed and obsolete”, complete with string passages that furnish their knack for zeroing in on the issues that face us all. The spirit of ‘American Idiot’ lives on.
Jesus Of Suburbia
It feels like a cheat to pick this seeing as it’s essentially five songs in one, but Jesus Of Suburbia is an anthem that has really stood the test of time. This Bohemian Rhapsody moment is still just as exciting, moving and vital as it was 20 years ago and you’ll be hard pressed to find a fan that doesn’t have this high on their list of favourite Green Day songs.
Basket Case
The song that broke them to the world, Basket Case remains one of pop-punk’s greatest moments. “Do you have the time to listen to me whine?” asked Billie Joe back in 1994, and the rock world stepped up with an emphatic ‘yes’ that has kept this in heavy rotation ever since.
Bang Bang
This is a rock show, so let’s get moving to this ‘Revolution Radio’ rager. Bang Bang is a furious and frenetic number that the band once described as their “most aggressive single to date”. It’s a breathless and rousing performance that is impossible not to bang your head to, and a perfect selection to inject more energy into the room.
Welcome To Paradise
Welcome To Paradise is so good, Green Day released it twice on consecutive albums. First on 1991’s ‘Kerplunk!’ and then again on 1994’s genre-defining ‘Dookie’. It’s the ‘Dookie’ version that has become a mainstay, featuring on their ‘International Superhits!’ compilation in 2001, but we wouldn’t say no to something more closely approximating the rougher, earlier version either.
Going To Pasalacqua
Let’s go back. Back to a time before Green Day had garnered any global attention. A time when John Kiffmeyer was behind the kit. A time before we knew quite what Green Day would become and just how dominant they would be for the next three decades. And yet, it was all right here on debut album ‘39/Smooth’ and the grossly underrated Going To Pasalacqua. One for the old heads.
Stab You In The Heart
Make no bones about it, ‘Father of All Motherfuckers’ was a sterile dud, but there was a surprisingly good time to be found on Stab You In The Heart. The acerbic lyrics worked in juxtaposition with the rockabilly hoedown going on in the background, giving the album an uplifting centrepiece that would be sure to bring the party vibes to Camden.
Geek Stink Breath
Green Day had a tough act to follow after the success of ‘Dookie’, but ‘Insomniac’ gave it a good go, with the likes of Brain Stew, Brat and Jaded tapping into the trio’s scuzzier punk beginnings. But it’s Geek Stink Breath that really leaves a lasting impression as Billie Joe gives a candid account of the repercussions of drug abuse. It’s honest, it’s grotesque, and it rips.
Know Your Enemy
If following ‘Dookie’ seemed tough, following ‘American Idiot’ threw down a similar gauntlet. But when they did unleash 2009’s ‘21st Century Breakdown’ on the world, Green Day kept a lot of that same stomp and emotion intact. Know Your Enemy is a pretty straightforward cut but that’s what makes it so catchy, and with their fingers on the political pulse, you can’t help but think that this will be a perfect rallying cry at the Electric Ballroom.
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
Green Day were always looking to go hard and fast, especially in their early career, so when they dropped the stirring Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life), it revealed a mature and flexible band branching out. The delicate strings, Billie Joe’s vulnerable delivery and the roughness around the edges makes this one of Green Day’s all-time great live tracks, and it’s going to sound even more magical in this smaller setting.
Green Day Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri November 10 2023 - LONDON Electric Ballroom
Sat June 01 2024 - MADRID Road To Rio Babel (Germany)
Wed June 05 2024 - LYON LDLC ARENA (France)
Fri June 07 2024 - NUREMBERG Zeppelinfeld (Germany)
Sat June 08 2024 - NURBURG Runburgring (Germany)
Mon June 10 2024 - BERLIN Waldbühne (Germany)
Tue June 11 2024 - HAMBURG Trabrennbahn Bahrenfeld (Germany)
Sat June 15 2024 - INTERLAKEN Greenfield (Switzerland)
Sun June 16 2024 - MILAN Ippodromo Milano (Italy)
Tue June 18 2024 - PARIS Accor Arena (France)
Fri June 21 2024 - MANCHESTER Emirates Old Trafford
Sun June 23 2024 - ISLE OF WIGHT Seaclose Park
Tue June 25 2024 - GLASGOW Bellahouston Park
Thu June 27 2024 - DUBLIN Marlay Park
Sat June 29 2024 - LONDON Wembley Stadium
Mon July 29 2024 - WASHINGTON District of Columbia - Nationals Park (USA)
Thu August 01 2024 - TORONTO Ontario - Rogers Centre (Canada)
Sat August 03 2024 - MONTREAL Quebec - Osheaga Music and Arts Festival (Canada)
Mon August 05 2024 - NEW YORK New York - Citi Field (USA)
Wed August 07 2024 - BOSTON Massachusetts - Fenway Park (USA)
Fri August 09 2024 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Citizens Bank Park (USA)
Sat August 10 2024 - HERSHEY Pennsylvania - Hersheypark Stadium (USA)
Tue August 13 2024 - CHICAGO Illinois - Wrigley Field (USA)
Thu August 15 2024 - ST LOUIS Missouri - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (USA)
Sat August 17 2024 - MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota - Target Field (USA)
Tue August 20 2024 - KANSAS CITY Kansas - Azura Amphitheatre (USA)
Thu August 22 2024 - CINCINNATI Ohio - Great American Ballpark (USA)
Sat August 24 2024 - MILWAUKEE Wisconsin - American Family Field (USA)
Mon August 26 2024 - CHARLOTTE North Carolina - PNC Music Pavilion (USA)
Wed August 28 2024 - ATLANTA Georgia - Truist Park (USA)
Fri August 30 2024 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - GEODIS Park (USA)
Sun September 01 2024 - PITTSBURGH Pennsylvania - PNC Park (USA)
Wed September 04 2024 - DETROIT Michigan - Comerica Park (USA)
Sat September 07 2024 - DENVER Colorado - Coors Field (USA)
Tue September 10 2024 - AUSTIN Texas - Germania Insurance Amphitheater (USA)
Wed September 11 2024 - ARLINGTON Texas - Globe Life Field (USA)
Sat September 14 2024 - LOS ANGELES California - SoFi Stadium (USA)
Wed September 18 2024 - PHOENIX Arizona - Chase Field (USA)
Fri September 20 2024 - SAN FRANCISCO California - Oracle Park (USA)
Mon September 23 2024 - SEATTLE Washington - T Mobile Park (USA)
Wed September 25 2024 - PORTLAND Oregon - Providence Park (USA)
Sat September 28 2024 - SAN DIEGO California - Petco Park (USA)
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