One of the best things about going along to see any band live is to observe how the crowd and the band interact.

It can make the difference between simply a good gig and a great gig.

Green Day in the O2 was a great gig.

Back to aforementioned crowd. It’s rare to see such diverse age groups mingle together to pay homage to the same band. All at once I was made to feel both young and very very old.

It seems that at some point over the past 20 years Green Day have become one of those few bands who can retain their long term loyal fan base while still attract the young ones too.

Arriving fashionably late circa 8.15, Green Day were already on to what I would expect was their second or third song of the evening. Squinty had got wind of the early start but Gigsoc don’t do 8pm starts (I thought 9pm gig starts was the unwritten rule around these here parts?) so the fact we made it by 8:15 at all was a big bonue.

Nevertheless, we were then treated to a blistering 2.5 hour performance from a band that must now be considered the most entertaining live band in the world.

I’ll leave the set list reviews and in-depth descriptions of the bands every move to the young ones.

For the older of us there – Green Day – you brought us back to our youth and made us forget all talk of recession, strikes and winters of discontent for a few hours.

For that you alone you get a big fat 9/10.

Green Day Encore O2 Dublin