Friday 6th March 2015
Green Date
The music of Green Day, celebrated at The Shed
Tonight we saw: We Are Puzzles, Beneath The Lights and Green Date.
What an entertaining night at The Shed! All the bands were good. Tonight we heard two kinds of music: songs that were original and performed by the musicians that had written them and covers that were made by other bands and performed by the bands that were here to entertain us with sounds that we knew well and loved more. Which ever song was being played, it was a musically satisfying experience.
Opening the show, Leicestershire band We Are Puzzles offered us their set of songs influenced by hardcore and grunge. A band that likes Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters and Deftones was sure to provide a set of songs that was full-on and laden with ear-grabbing riffs. With their solidly good playing and workmanlike stage craft, they launched the night with aplomb.
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One band that I have seen many times and have never failed to be impressed by is Beneath The Lights. This Leicestershire band always draws praise from the rockerati of the local scene – for their amazingly good original songs and their feverishly energetic stage presence. Tonight’s set offered iconic covers and some of their own songs, all delivered with sparkle and pizzazz.
See our feature article on Beneath The Lights
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Ever since I first started to listen to rock music (many decades ago) the music of Green Day has been a foundation of my musical taste. Along with Blink 182, Sum41, Korn, Linkin Park, System of a Down, Alien Ant Farm, Staind and Boy Hits Car, Green Day has always been in my record collection and my ears have never tired of hearing their songs whether coming from the Californian pop/punkers themselves of from the garrisons of local bands who cover their music.
Tonight, the best Green Day tribute band in the Midlands was on stage to bring us all that is good in the music of the band whose music they celebrate. Many would have seen Green Date last year at Glastonbudget; our man on the spot, Jamie Borland, wrote:
Green Date – the Green Day tribute act. Green Date played on the main stage, performing the classics from Green Day, as well as the band’s new material. Everyone wanted to hear Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, American Idiot etc. but I personally wanted more Dookie Era like Basket Case, She, When I Come Around, which is what we got – so that was totally awesome. The band got a guy from the crowd to play a song with them; which song I can’t exactly remember, though I do believe it was Longview. The front man of Green Date jumped off the stage to get the guy from the audience so luckily he sang Longview from the front of the stage.[Music in Leicester]
Photo: Digital Mechanic
Glastonbudget fans also enjoyed them in 2013 and doubtless some years before that. So to have Green Date playing here at The Shed was a significant achievement. Tonight’s stage has been trodden by many tribute bands in times gone by; after all, the Glastonbudget festival judges have held their auditions here for ages. Some stand out and some were never seen again but I well remember the performance of Kazabian.
Tonight we celebrated the songs of Green Day with a performance that was entirely credible from Billie Joe Armstrong look-alike and sound-alike Joe Sunday. His presentation of Billie Joe captured the star quality and glitter that did justice to one of rock’s great personalities. An artist with scintillating stage presence, Joe Sunday injected lashings of star-quality performance that brought the show alive.
Tonight was a memorable gig – for its entertainment value and for its quality music. One gig at The Shed that will not be forgotten in a hurry.
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