It takes a big band and a hell of a lot of self-confidence to presume to step into those great Green Day shoes.
But Green-ish Day pull it off with style and swagger to spare. You can almost forget the –ish.
B.Jay Armstrong, the band’s answer to Billie Joe Armstrong, has got exactly the personality and presence he needs, a total showman from the moment the lights go down to the very last chord of the encore.
And clearly he can cope with anything – technical difficulties which robbed him of a guitarist for a while; a stag-night guy making an impromptu stage visit; and even Brook owner Dylan Clarke joining the band for a rousing final flourish.
B.Jay has got the chat, but more importantly he’s also got the skill, leading the group through a fantastic journey of Green Day classics. American Idiot, Basket Case, Minority, Boulevard Of Broke Dreams, Nice Guys Finish Last… they were all there.
But best of all (everyone’s entitled to their favourites) were Wake Me Up When September Ends and Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).
It helps, of course, that the Brook is quite simply the best venue for this kind of gig, a welcoming place with a great sound, great visibility and an atmosphere you’ll struggle to match anywhere else.
Phil Hewitt
Other gigs coming up include:
Sat 9th Feb No Jacket Required Play Phil Collins
Fri 15th Feb Larry Miller
Sat 16th Feb Bog Rolling Stones
Thu 21st Feb Toploader
Fri 22nd Feb The Neville Staple Band
Sat 23rd Feb Deborah Bonham Band
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