Most people probably know that Green Day are one of the biggest bands on the planet, releasing probably their most successful album to date last year, American Idiot. So it comes with no surprise that some sort of album was released this year to boost those sales, and to give the fans something else to sell their hard-earned money on. It comes in the form of a CD/DVD package, featuring a gig from their biggest 2 shows ever, the Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK.
When I heard about this, I was very excited, knowing my friends had been to the show and told me about it. The typical songs from the aforementioned album and their "hits" were played, but other rarely-played-live songs like 'Maria' and 'Homecoming' were also on the setlist. So when I heard about this, I was a little excited.
When I got the set though, it was another matter. The show had been cut down to 14 songs, all of them are the bog-standard songs they play live. I've seen them twice in the past year, and to be honest, the second time was one of the best gigs of the year. However, Billie's stage antics get tired if you've seen them. The first time, it's new and exciting, and you chant along with the other fans to every 'OI!' that he shouts, and you scream while he toys with the crowd. But after watching this DVD, I found myself shouting at the screen 'Play the song already!' a lot. It does wear thin if you've already seen them before, since they obviously have a routine for the shows at the moment.
Another thing is the setlist. Like I said, it has clearly been cut down. The actual reason I got this was because I thought the DVD would contain the full show, as I knew the CD only had the 14 songs on. I guess I was wrong. It has it's moments I suppose, with songs like 'Jesus Of Suburbia' and 'St. Jimmy' providing you with that feeling that you're there, and one of the people in the crowd. But a lot of the time, there's nothing new, no surprises to make you think 'Woah, they didn't play this the last time I saw them!'. Every song on this DVD/CD I have heard live, and it's disappointing to know that the band couldn't make an effort to change the setlist around for an event as big as this.
There's also the aspect of the way the DVD is shot. Inbetween most songs (Apart from songs which lead into each other like 'Are We The Waiting/St. Jimmy') are little clips from the band backstage, how the show was made, and stuff like that. It's interesting some of the time, with a lot of humour and more deeper moments. But it ruins the show, and takes you away from that feeling as if you're there, which I thought was the entire point of a live DVD. Tré is very fun on both the show (Constantly wasting drum sticks and making faces) and backstage (Dressed up like a mountie, and he sings a song about weed), which gives it a little boost I suppose. But I truely think Samuel Bayer should stick to music videos. His direction and 'effects' ruin a lot of this DVD, both backstage and in the show.
Overall, I highly suggest that if you've seen the band live, don't waste your money on this. The CD is pretty much just the show with no interuptions, and the DVD, although funny at some moments, feels slapped together and boring. If you have seen them live, you will know exactly what to expect on this DVD, and if you haven't, I suggest you just wait until they roll into town again. This is truely for avid fans
only.
[url]http://www.greenday.com[/url]
