Green Day - Awesome AsFuck

Wed 30th Mar, 2011 in Music Reviews

The second live CD/DVD from Green Day comes off the back of their phenomenally successful 21st Century Breakdown world tour. ‘Appropriately’ titled Awesome as Fuck, the release is a collective mash up of the best recordings from the world tour, including one recording from their visit to Brisbane back in 2009. Having reviewed the Melbourne leg of the tour back in December 2009, it’s interesting to compare the release to the personal experience.

Right from the opening track, 21st Century Breakdown, I’m taken back to the gig. The live recording captures all the cheers, screams, on stage explosions and elements of the Green Day live experience. Much like during the live show, East Jesus Nowhere and Holiday are highlights on this release. Despite being one of the radio played tracks, Holiday sounds exceptional and gives the real live gig atmosphere within the comfort of the home.

It’s a nice touch that Green Day omitted a lot of their big hits from this compilation. Instead they provide live performances of their more obscure work and older, such as Jason Andrew Relva and Going To Pasalacqua. New track Cigarettes and Valentines gives us a short glimpse into the future. It’s best compared to Green Day’s earlier work during the 90s like Basket Case. Hopefully it indicates a return to the early years of material in favour of providing studio concept releases.

Unlike their previous live album, Bullet In A Bible, the compilation of Awesome as Fuck allows for the listener to be given a trip all over the world in the space of just over an hour. The choice of track composition is perfect, mixed so that you feel that you’re listening a single show, rather than a selection of ‘best of’’ tracks.

With the crowd singing along to When I Come Around, the finale countdown touches base in Brisbane with She being the chosen track from Green Day’s visit to our shores. There’s nothing like an Aussie crowd, you can tell from this release that Green Day’s Australian fans are some of the loudest, proudest and dedicated on the whole planet.

Naturally, the biggest tracks are chosen for last. 21 Guns sounds much better on this album than it did back in 2009 and American Idiot ends the main set with the expected bang, fireworks and explosions can be heard in the backing of the recording. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) ends the show and while it’s an obvious choice, it always hits the right spots giving closure to a strong live album.

The accompanying DVD showcases a full live set from Japan. At eighty or so minutes in length, it is beautifully shot and edited, throwing you right into the thick of the pit. Highlights from the DVD include Welcome To Paradise, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Geek Stink Breath.

While King For A Day, Longview and even Minority are absent here, it works in Green Day’s favour, becoming something of a history lesson for Green Day’s later fans and a nostalgic trip down the boulevard for their long time devotees.