{"id":49538,"date":"2025-01-26T22:34:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T22:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/african-music\/green-day-made-us-all-17-again-at-cape-towns-dhl-stadium-texx-and-the-city\/"},"modified":"2025-01-26T22:34:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-26T22:34:22","slug":"green-day-made-us-all-17-again-at-cape-towns-dhl-stadium-texx-and-the-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=49538","title":{"rendered":"Green Day made us all 17 again at Cape Town\u2019s DHL Stadium \u2013 Texx and the City"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A little-known fact about myself \u2013 though my reputation as the mother of the Mother City\u2019s club kids may precede me, I cut my teeth in the punk scene. Well, as many teeth as one could cut trying to hustle their way into Durban\u2019s Burn nightclub at 14.<\/p>\n

For all the Avrils and Amy Lees, no greater influence existed for my teenage self than Green Day. I\u2019ve come to realise this is because Green Day is actually like, quite G.A.Y<\/em>. Sure, there\u2019s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong\u2019s unapologetic bisexuality, but something in their anti-establishment theatre of subversion has always rung camp in a way that appeals to youth lost in the pre-queer awakening conundrum (American Idiot<\/em> on Broadway says hi). Armstrong\u2019s <\/strong>smokey <\/strong>eyeliner alone birthed a generation of sexually confused queers who once went \u201cboth ways\u201d \u2013 and now go all<\/em> ways.<\/p>\n

I had made peace with never seeing them live \u2013 which made their appearance on day two of this year\u2019s Calabash Festival in Cape Town feel like finding BINGO on this year\u2019s card. Diving into my closet, I unearthed my studded lambskin boots (battered, broken \u2013 would these survive the mosh pit???) spray-on skinnies, and a T-shirt I hadn\u2019t worn since 2010 but kept for some reason (this<\/em> would be the reason). A whole 17 years stared back at me in the mirror. I added a wing to my smokey eyeliner \u2013 to honour the journey, you know?<\/p>\n

American Idiot<\/em> became a bible of teenage disenfranchisement for my best friend and I \u2013 the soundtrack to our misfit cadenza growing up in Durban\u2019s neighboet<\/em>hoods. It was only right that she was my date for the night, both of us not fully comprehending we\u2019d see our teenage idols in the flesh as we did shots of almost-cold tequila in my lounge.<\/p>\n

We arrived at the DHL Stadium in Greenpoint amidst widespread ticketing confusion and general access bar queues as long as the three decades it took Green Day to touch down on South African soil \u2013 just in time to catch another 90\u2019s artefact, The Offspring, <\/strong>ending their set.<\/p>\n

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After finding the more accessible media and VIP bar (thanks, accreditation), we slinked through the Front Standing Zone to find the perfect spot. The crowd, as expected, were mostly 30 to 40-something millennials, with a sprinkle of trendy Gen-Z kids proving our generation\u2019s music has become a niche trend for Tik-Tok.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Calabash ran seriously on time. The Offspring offsprung promptly at 20:30, and a masterful stage crew transitioned the set and equipment before the unmistakable drawl of Queen\u2019s \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d filled the stadium at full volume some 15 minutes later. It makes sense that this track would be Green Day\u2019s music of choice \u2013 the band reveres Queen and, in many ways, they are the Queen of the late millennial, post-91\u2032 generation.<\/p>\n

Green Day hit the stage at 21:00 sharp, opening with \u201cThe American Dream is Killing Me\u201d from 2024\u2019s Saviors.<\/strong><\/em> It has all the bones of what makes a Green Day song so fucking great \u2013 angsty, grandiose punk, with a slick sheen of astute humour.<\/p>\n

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The set then splintered into a greatest hits run through from Dookie<\/em> to 21st Century Breakdown<\/em>, with newer tracks folded in between each section, clearly dividing the crowd into old and new Green Day fans. The setlist was nearly flawless \u2013 the perfect balance of big hits, fan favourites and new material that kept both sides engaged.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the set celebrated <\/em><\/strong>American Idiot<\/em>, while deep cuts like \u201cShe\u201d and \u201cLetterbomb\u201d proved that this was a show for fans, not posers. Speaking of the latter \u2013 there were definitely a good few amongst us. I\u2019ll start with the lady who asked my bestie to tie up her hair because it was bouncing too close to her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the front row\u2026<\/p>\n

At a punk concert.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It also became clear to us that the majority of our section\u2019s crowd were not that familiar with the band\u2019s music, and for the most part, stayed polite to a fault \u2013 that\u2019s to say, \u201cwhere was the fucking mosh pit?\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Green Day\u2019s <\/strong>rapport with the crowd was minimal and a bit worn in (Bullet In A Bible<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>disciples can you say \u201cENGLAND?\u201d), but the group held a near two-hour show without dipping once. Their energy was undeniable, even if the crowd didn\u2019t always return it \u2013 something Armstrong constantly attempted with his iconic \u201cayoooo<\/em>\u201c-ing.<\/p>\n

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At some point, bestie and I (lost in tear-filled elation at the fact that our idols were LITERALLY RIGHT THERE) decided that this whole thing was actually a private show just for us. We had the time of our lives rail bashing like we were 17 again, next to some lady scrolling Instagram during \u201cJesus Of Suburbia\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Green Day <\/strong>made a 50,000-strong stadium feel like a dive bar \u2013 a talent only true veterans possess. The vibe was intimate, familiar and beautifully honest \u2013 few frills, just letting their songs speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

A minor microphone hiccup during \u201cAre We The Waiting\u201d was easily sailed through by Armstrong. By the time \u201cGood Riddance\u201d rang out around 23:00, I\u2019d cried off my wings, and bestie caught Mike Dirnt\u2019s pick (who, by the way, is still poes<\/em> hot).<\/p>\n

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Overall, <\/strong>Calabash was a comfortable concert experience that could\u2019ve used a touch more discomfort. Hardcore fans were likely relegated to seats, while the Front Zone was filled with casuals, Offspring stans and random VIPs. <\/strong>We were definitely in the minority \u2013 but we wouldn\u2019t have had it any other way. Our teenage selves are healed, ready for the dawning of the rest of our lives. And as it turns out, those lambskin boots had one last mosh in them after all.<\/p>\n