I did it again. I went to another gig. This time, things were a bit different. That’s enough gigs for this month, anyway. That’s what I am going to be talking about today. Welcome to Monday, by the way. Let me tell you about when I went to Green Day in Marlay Park again.

It wasn’t long ago when Billie and I went to see Green Day. I have been talking positively about that gig ever since. To this day, it is one of the best gigs I have ever been to. Billie and I both agree on that. This time around, I didn’t expect anything less. I was right to think so.

The whole layout of the day was eerily similar to the last time we went to see Green Day at the same venue. However, the logistics did have an immediate change. Last time, the gates for the gig famously opened much later than expected. Having taken the same mode of transport and having to walk the same distance as last time, I feared the worst. Thankfully, things were different. I managed to enter the park within minutes of queuing. Billie was coming from work, so he wasn’t with me. I had a lot of time to kill when I entered the park. I had two goals: food and merch. I lined up first for the merch stand as it was relatively quiet. I didn’t have any official Green Day merch at the time. It was an exciting prospect to finally get some. I bought a T-shirt and, in the process, spent about half the money I expected to spend that day. Oh well.

Next, I knew I needed food before Billie arrived, and the park got even busier. I lined up and went to the Eddie Rockets, but it wasn’t the Eddie Rockets you know and love. It was some basic homemade burger and chips that looked and tasted like something I would have cooked up in college (which isn’t a compliment). It was edible, nonetheless. Billie arrived shortly after that, and we had a lovely time having a few drinks and watching the support bands Maid Of Ace, a punk rock band of sisters from Hastings, UK and Nothing But Thieves, who I used to listen to a few years ago. Both bands performed great, but I will never envy support bands because the crowd is rarely interested in them. I’m guilty of going to gigs late and not caring about the support bands. At least it wasn’t Slane Castle and an all-day affair. It was two bands and onto the main event.

Green Day eventually took to the stage and performed two albums from start to finish. 1994’s Dookie and 2004’s American Idiot. Both albums are arguably their most iconic, celebrating important birthdays this year. I wasn’t alive when Dookie came out, but American Idiot being 20 years old makes me feel very old. They are both incredible albums and made to be performed live. Interspersing the set with other hits not on either album and, of course, songs from their most recent album, Saviors, the set lasted over two hours, and it flew by.

Unfortunately, Billie once again had to rely on public transport to get home, so we made a somewhat early exit right before the very last song of the encore (Good Riddance, in case you were wondering). I managed to get home just before midnight; truthfully, I haven’t heard from Billie since. I know he was supposed to be doing some critical personal life stuff the day after, and I hope that went smoothly for him. If you are reading this, Bill, please reply to my text!

I have now seen Green Day live twice. Nick, who was also at the show, hadn’t seen them live in nearly 20 years. They are in their 50s now, and you would not guess that for a second. I can’t wait to see them live again. That’s enough from me. Thank you for reading and for your time.