On their seminal album’s pearl anniversary, Green Day came to Bellahouston Park to cement their reputation as all-time great rock performers.

The first supporting act, Maid of Ace, are an all-girls punk-rock group who brought a lot of energy as we sat down to eat. A strong performance with an un-repentant attitude, it was a nice introduction for the high-octane performances to come. Nothing but Thieves followed, mixing rock with electronic. While outshone by the previous act, some fans were intoxicated by the 80s-esque vibe and soprano vocals.

Blasting through 34 songs in just two hours, Billie Joe Armstrong proved that, at 52, he has no intention of slowing down. Opening with ‘The American Dream is Killing Me’, from their 2024 Saviors album, they set a high-energy tempo that was held as they burst into their album Dookie.

Starting with ‘Burnout’ before launching into the crowd favourite, ‘Longview’, the energy of the crowd was fitting for the calibre of Green Day. By the time they reached their most streamed song, ‘Basket Case’, the crowd were having the time of their lives, though it was here that I realised I should have practiced more cardio before attending, as this stands as the most tiring set I have attended. 

Even the interlude between Dookie and American Idiot saw a mix of classics and popular new releases, keeping the crowd pumped. While some of the audience did not yet know the lyrics of the new music, Armstrong brought up members of the audience during ‘Dilemma’, who hit every note. Here he forged a highlight not just for those fans, but for the whole crowd  – something many artists struggle with for new releases.

Nineteen years on from winning its Grammy, American Idiot did not disappoint. From its titular song to tracks like ‘Holiday’ and ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, this album showed the performance definitely was not burning out, as the sky started to get gloomy and crowds peaked in excitement. For enjoyers of a mosh pit, it was here they reached their peak. While I received a nasty elbow injury for my troubles, the etiquette was good, and it was safely managed by the veteran fans.

The arrival of ‘Give Me Novacaine / She’s a Rebel’ and later ‘Wake Me up When September Ends’ – a touching ode to Armstrong’s deceased father – showed the band’s range. The crowd got firmly behind the band to help them through this important song in the set.

Concluding the set with two fan favourites, ‘Minority’ and ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ are two classics that are easy to sing along to. This was a perfect encore to a brilliant set, and the band has a clear philosophy of giving the crowd what they pay for. Providing all the energy and excitement you would expect from musical veterans, Green Day are a must-see artist for any punk-rock enthusiast, and well worth the elbow.