Everyone who has a slight interest in music will have their all time favourite band. Of course, everyone has more than one band that they like or are really in to, but there's always that band that tops everyone else, that you listen to all day every day, that has helped you through tough times and that you really don't know what you'd do if they didn't make music. For my best friend, It's The Script. For my Dad, Radiohead. And for me, It's Green Day. Green Day are the first band I really got into. My dad bought me a my sister both a CD for easter one year, I chose Green Day, which was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made. It was American Idiot. I don't know why I decided to choose them, I hadn't really heard them before but thought I'd see if I liked them. I remember coming home and listening to the album in one of those old walkmans and just thinking wow. When I was 8, I didn't appreciate the lyrics as much as I should've done, but I loved the music and that's pretty much the reason I started playing guitar. As I got a bit older I looked through there old music and started getting into them a lot more. I think from the point I first heard "Dookie", that was when Green Day became my all time favourite band.
So of course, in 2009, when I see Green Day on the front of NME for the first time in ages, I was exstatic. The band had played a gig in Oakland, California, where they're from, and announced that they were releasing a new album. I was so excited to hear the album, but I also thought that a new album probably means a tour. Which meant they would probably come to London and I would probably see them. That thought alone was extremley exciting. I downloaded the album "21st Century Breakdown" as soon as it came out. Although it's hard to choose, I think that is my favourite Green Day album, although it is in tough competition with "American Idiot" and "Dookie". I can't put my finger on why I love it so much, but I think its the passion you can hear coming from the band throughout the album. I can relate to every song on there, even if only a small part of the lyrics.
When Green Day announced their tour, I couldn't believe it. I told all my friends, all of whom replied with "Green who?" or "No". I had asked most of my friends. I was starting to think I might have to go with my dad, when I decided to ask a friend who I had only known a couple of months (she's now one of my best friends, but anyway) as soon as I mentioned it to her, she said she wanted to come. I hadn't realised she liked them, but I was so glad she did. So now I had a friend to go with, I just had to wait till the tickets were released. My dad said since my friend and I were both at school he would get them for us. I got a text about 10.30 in an english lesson saying that he'd got tickets for LG Arena in Birmingham in Row YY. He had tried to get tickets for Wembley arena, which is about 10 minutes away from where I live, but he phoned up at 8.59 rather that 9.00, went through a whole load of "press 2 for..." and finally was not allowed to buy tickets because he phoned to early. He knew how much we wanted to go though, so he agreed to drive me and my friend up to Birmingham. I was going to see Green Day. I was going to be in the same room as Billie Joe Armstrong!
The day finally came (28th October 2009, I'll never forget it). My friend and I both decided we should wear tutus for no apparant reason and of course, our Green Day T-Shirts. My dad picked us up and drove two extremley excited girls for two hours. We finally arrived, took our seats right at the back and waited. We saw the very end of the support act, Prima Donna, who weren't that great and then waited. I had never been so excited in my life. A man in a Pink Rabbit costume came out and did the YMCA with the whole crowd and then two minutes later, "Song of the Century" was played over the loudspeaker and the gig finally started. I can't believe I'm actually getting goosebumps as I'm writing about this, but it was amazing. Despite being right at the back, everyone still got up and jumped around and Green Day made it so it didn't matter where you were in the arena, everyone was there to have fun.
About a month after that, tickets were released for Wembley Stadium for June. My dad again got two tickets for me and the same friend to see them again. We were again, over the moon. Five days before the gig, my friend went into hospital and couldn't come. I was really upset at the fact I couldn't go with her again. I asked another one of my friends and she was over the moon. I was happy that I was still going but still upset for my friend that she couldn't come.
Again, the day came (19th June 2010) and again, we were in tutu's. We arrived outside Wembley Stadium at 9.30am ready to wait all day. The waiting seemed to go quite fast, despite it being freezing cold. We managed to keep ourselves entertained till 4.30, when finally they let us in. We were with the first group of people to be let in and as soon as the doors were opened, we power walked (they have an "if you run, we'll throw you out" policy, we weren't going to risk that) as fast as we could and got a space right up against the barrier. I couldn't believe it. Green Day, the band who I loved so much, were going to be so close. The time was passed for the next hour or so with the whole of the standing area playing with a ball, which kept going on the stage until some idiot rodie popped it. Anyone who was there reading this will know exactly how much entertainment the ball provided. Frank Turner, the first support act who I've since seen again, came on and did a brilliant set, followed by Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, who were also amazing. Once again the pink bunny came out and then finally over the loud speakers..."Sing us a song of the century, thats louder than bombs and eternity". Song of the Century meant Green Day would be on stage any second now. I couldn't believe it. Finally, they came on to "21st Century Breakdown" and gave me the best three hours of my life. The best song for me was "Jesus of Suburbia" in the first encore. I cried with happiness, it's my all time favourite song by my all time favourite band, I've waited 10 hours to see them and I'm in the front row. This is a dream come true. That was the best 10 minutes of my life, I'm not exadurating. It was the first time I had heard it live as well, I was quite upset when they didn't play it at Birmingham. So the best night of my life came to an end, and despite having ringing ears and sore throat for a week after, I was buzzing from it for ages.
I can't explain my love for Green Day, but I'm sure you have a band who you love just as much. Green Day have been there for me whilst I've been growing up, they've taught me not to follow the majority, they've taught me to have a political awareness, they've told me to tell someone if I love them, they've told me to have the time of my life and most importantly, time and time again, they've assured me that there's nothing wrong with me.
So, that's quite a lot about my favourite band, sorry if I rambled on a bit,
Emily
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