Blasphemy & Genocide: Unpopular Green Day Opinions, Part 2

[Goofygoldfish]

Definitely different set list, even if they kept the favourites every show, have 5 or so which are changeable, and keep changing them!!! 

The hey-oh's are part of the fun for me, and are one of the silly things that me and by GD buddy are always saying to each other in jest, kind of romantic reminiscing, and makes us laugh! Same as 1-2-1-2-3-4!  (ok and a bunch of random lyrics, we just talk green day language 😂) 

 

 

[Hermione]

I love the hey ohs, all the extra stuff, and don't mind the structured setlist. Bring it on! I love GD shows. To call them "lazy" is crazy to me, playing the long and theatrical shows they do with so much energy and involvement of the crowd is no way more "lazy" than bands that play different setlists but just stand there playing through the songs and not much else. It's a different approach but not a lazier approach, there's more to a show than playing as many different songs as possible.

[Beerjeezus]

1 hour ago, Hermione said:

I love the hey ohs, all the extra stuff, and don't mind the structured setlist. Bring it on! I love GD shows. To call them "lazy" is crazy to me, playing the long and theatrical shows they do with so much energy and involvement of the crowd is no way more "lazy" than bands that play different setlists but just stand there playing through the songs and not much else. It's a different approach but not a lazier approach, there's more to a show than playing as many different songs as possible.

Even though nothing would make me happier than more varied setlists, I also agree with this. They put on a great show. It's scripted and theatrical but it's a way they can do something extra beyond just playing their songs. Most bands either just play music and don't attempt anything more or they do a lot more gimmicky stuff - all those bands in costumes, masks lots of pyro/effects, almost circus stuff...Green Day have a fantastic show but they make do with their music and performing.

[jengd]

I agree so much with @Hermione and @Beerjeezus and can I just remind people, Green Day actually play live and sound great doing it.  I know that shouldn’t need saying, but I have acts who mimed and acts who sounded awful.

[solongfromthestars]

I don't mind the hey-ohs or speeches at all. It's easy to get into the spirit when I'm there. They were similar at all my shows but not exactly the same. If they'd play more songs instead I wouldn't complain, but all of it has already been cut to almost half the time since the 21st Century Breakdown Tour and they're not playing more songs, the show is just shorter. Which is fine - they're almost 50 and still put on the most energetic show I've ever seen. If it's between more time on stage with hey-ohs or an even shorter show, I'll definitely take the former! I also appreciate in this case as one of the best live bands out there they know better than I do anyway.

[The Grohl]

So I don't mind the hey-ohs or Billie's speeches, even if I have heard them before. When I'm right there in the moment, it's perfect and it gets me pumped up. I'm loving every second of it because it's one big party. But I really want them to switch up the setlist. Don't get me wrong, I love hearing the best cuts from AI and Dookie, but they've played them so much. I'd really like to hear more from Insomniac or Warning. They have so much great material that they're just not playing. And that's what made the club tour so special. They took more chances with the setlist and it just sucks that they think if they leave off AI or JOS for a show, people will flip. I just really want to see some changes in the setlist. That being said it won't prevent me from seeing them live again. They put on an amazing show and I'm just smiling the whole time.

[Joe.]

Funnily enough the Foo Fighters have the same live problems as Green Day. Too many breakdowns/extended songs, too much of the staged jokes (a cover of Under Pressure every night ).

Wish both bands would do what Metallica do, they've never had the same setlist in 5 or 6 years once setlist.fm etc grew in prominence and there's always a surprise song that hasn't been played for years.

[The Grohl]

Yeah after seeing The Cure two nights in a row where they completely flipped their setlists, it made me realize how much Green Day doesn't change theirs and I've been super critical of it ever since. 

[Beerjeezus]

It's in fact kind of surprising that they don't switch it up, because they're a great live band, obviously they make an effort to do the best show they can, so why not take the one step to perfection? If I remember correctly, they said it'd prevent them from putting on the same show, but some on, this is the band that played shows over 3 hours long. What can't they do. 

[Hermione]

I don't think it's a given that changing up the setlist a lot would equal a better show. The way they've put it together and gradually evolved it over the years means they've kind of perfected it, they have the rhythm/atmosphere of the different songs down and play a specific selection/order so that the vibe goes from energetic to quieter etc correctly. With all the effects, different stuff they do during each song and crowd interaction etc it's very complex and a lot of hard work and playing different setlists each night would mean they'd have to sacrifice a lot of that and play a different type of show. The way they currently do it (and have always done it) they knock it out the park every night. Knowing they have that setlist 100% down might benefit them massively in other aspects of putting on the show.

[alienlifeform]

Change the setlist is a very cool thing. I was in São paulo, 2017, and when they started playing different songs than the structure they've been playing the whole tour that night, that was an amazing feeling not knowing what will come next. It was that good that people didn't even miss 'She', and that is one of their greatest hits in Brazil.

They don't need to change the 30 songs every night, but 4 or 5 per show would make every night even more special

[pacejunkie punk]

12 minutes ago, Alf said:

Change the setlist is a very cool thing. I was in São paulo, 2017, and when they started playing different songs than the structure they've been playing the whole tour that night, that was an amazing feeling not knowing what will come next. It was that good that people didn't even miss 'She', and that is one of their greatest hits in Brazil.

They don't need to change the 30 songs every night, but 4 or 5 per show would make every night even more special

Thus reinforcing my belief that South American fans are lucky as fuck 😄

[Little Boy Named Booze]

13 minutes ago, Alf said:

They don't need to change the 30 songs every night, but 4 or 5 per show would make every night even more special

 

I totally agree.
The main aspect of the show can remain the same. They can start with the same songs and having the same ''Encore''. But in the middle of the show it would be fun to have different setlist. Like you said, 4-5 songs. 

[alienlifeform]

7 minutes ago, pacejunkie punk said:

Thus reinforcing my belief that South American fans are lucky as fuck 😄

People from Rio de Janeiro would not agree hahahhaa

[Goofygoldfish]

It doesn't matter to be what background music is played whilst I stare at Billie 😍

Oops wrong thread 🙄

[Beerjeezus]

4 minutes ago, Goofygoldfish said:

It doesn't matter to be what background music is played whilst I stare at Billie 😍

Oops wrong thread 🙄

During KFAD I'm like "you're so adorable but please stop"

[The Grohl]

I really like the whole KFAD performance, but I have to admit when I saw it for a second time live I was like "okay boys...we can wrap this up and move on." It's fun for sure, but it can get stale.

[Hermione]

Yeah I agree a few songs changed up would be cool. For me personally I don't find it important though.

I've seen KFAD 4 times and I'll be happy to keep seeing it . They change various things about it so it isn't exactly the same, and on the last tour they streamlined it quite a bit.

[Guest]

Everyone knows they put on a great show and personally I don't want them to quit with the hey-ohs and speeches completely, just want more surprises like different songs (!!!!!!!) and a bit less time spent with the BS because over the years it has started to take up way too much time. But mostly it's all just too damn predictable at this point and it takes away from the magic. If they ever get rid of the shit show that is KFAD live I'll cry because I absolutely love it every time. 

[Slave To The Network]

I don't like KFAD as a song. I hate the trumpets in it.

[AimieeSmith]

It would be "cool", if Tre would play this live on the next tour. 

 

[TheNimrodsPodcast]

Yeah I don't know if I'd want to completely lose all the hey oh, banter, and extended songs--that's definitely part of the fun even when it borders on ridiculous--but if trimming some of that meant a few more deep cuts I'd be stoked.

I'm sure they try hard to balance the show for folks who have seen them a bunch and folks who are seeing them for the first time. So as much as the KFAD schtick might be getting a little old because I've seen it plenty of times, there's always gonna be people in the audience who are seeing it for the first time and getting a big kick out of it. 

Edited May 24, 2019 by TheNimrodsPodcast

[The Bellie]

On 5/20/2019 at 7:41 AM, MiksuSH said:

1) Stray Heart is the worst song in Dos. I've always hated it how boring that song is and live perfomances were never good.

2) Drama Queen is still the worst song Green Day has ever made. It's not even the lyrics only; drums don't offer anything, guitar solo is generic, song is too slow and god I hate Billie's singing in that song.

3) I cringe everytime I hear ''My name is Billie and I'm freaking out'' line.

6) I hate every The Longshot song.

I disagree with these. Stray Heart is practically my fave from Dos. It is one of the songs I prefer to hear album version though. About the 1st line in Forever Now, it's an indirect but clear avowal of alcoholism, he uses a well-known phrase (but wouldn't it be more cringy to say 'My name is Billie and I'm alcoholic'?) and he just starts out with the feeling of being lost, scared, insecure, not knowing what to do, in short everything that's resumed in 'freaking out', admitting it's related to his addiction. I don't see what's so cringy about it... It's very raw and simple, and I like it. And yeah, hearing him say and sing his name is cool  and the way the song evolves is genius!

About Drama Queen, I think Billie's singing voice is amazing. His lyrics are daring, but great I think. Billie is really gifted with slow songs. 

On 5/20/2019 at 7:41 AM, MiksuSH said:

7) Stay the Night, Nuclear Family and Fell for You should've been only singles from Uno. 

8 ) Restless Heart Syndrome is definitely my favorite from 21st Century Breakdown. Great album with great songs, but I've always liked RHS the most.

I agree. Although I've kept loving more and more Oh Love, it wasn't immediate. While I fell in love with the three you mention right away.

About the eternal subject of the setlist, I think it's not a matter of laziness, and that they work a lot to do the shows the way they do. I really love it, the hey-hos (which demand quite some breath to Billie, and audience participation is awesome! I remember when people sang the hey-hos on their own during Stay The Night when it was played with The Longshot... it was beautiful!), the rants, everything. They do it the way they want to and their energy and stage presence, especially Billie's, is amazing. Also, I think it's good that they only stick to some constant songs because it's their choice, and not because all the others are bad, which is totally not the case.

Unpopular opinion: I often read that RevRad was a 'safe' record for them... I don't know what that's supposed to mean, like, what wouldn't be safe, as long as it's new? each song on RevRad is unique. I really don't see something that resembles Somewhere and Forever Now, Bang Bang or Still Breathing for instance in their previous albums. They're just making new stuff and giving each album its own identity.

[Hermione]

4 hours ago, The Bellie said:

 

Unpopular opinion: I often read that RevRad was a 'safe' record for them... I don't know what that's supposed to mean, like, what wouldn't be safe, as long as it's new? each song on RevRad is unique. I really don't see something that resembles Somewhere and Forever Now, Bang Bang or Still Breathing for instance in their previous albums. They're just making new stuff and giving each album its own identity.

Perhaps it's just that there isn't anything that crazy going on with the music, it's fairly straightforward and doesn't stray too far from a "traditional" Green Day sound. However I wouldn't describe the album as safe overall, I think the lyrics are more honest and personal than ever and it's a brave album in that respect.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, The Bellie said:

Unpopular opinion: I often read that RevRad was a 'safe' record for them... I don't know what that's supposed to mean, like, what wouldn't be safe, as long as it's new? each song on RevRad is unique. I really don't see something that resembles Somewhere and Forever Now, Bang Bang or Still Breathing for instance in their previous albums. They're just making new stuff and giving each album its own identity.

I call it safe because to me it's just a simple classic Green Day sound and we didn't get anything new or different from them. No experimentation at all. Still love the album though, I completely understand why they went that route and think it was the perfect release at the time.