A Relentless Occasion AT The Garage.

By Lisa Booth

Sunday 1st Nov, Greenday had just played to around 20,000 fans at Wembley Arena that night, Which was the last show of their uk Tour. They were on their way to The venue only having the capacity to hold around 500 people! After a while a few hundred Green Day fans were all starting to turn up, wondering about, trying to jump the queue!! and had mostly all emerged from the Wembley show.

The doors opened around 12:30 am They let you in with wristbands,paid £20 on the door,

There was a Kerrang Magazine Journalist and a couple of other guys Whom were with the Green Day crew for the Filming & Pics hanging in the "press area" Which was a tiny area that they later got removed from! The young girl next to me had flown in from Norway especially for the gig.

The stage at this point was still being set up,having sound check by the Tech guys, but the microphone volume was low. We did try & tell them but they decided not to listen! While hanging at the front we had sneak peaks of The Green Day guys popping their heads around the corner where we later realised it was where they had taken pics.!

The time came when Foxboro Hot Tubs came on stage, Throwing Beer all over the crowd, downing a Can as quick as they can, Then Billie Joe was introducing himself as "The Reverend Strychnine Twitch". At that point Bursting into "Stop Drop n Roll" while the crowd went crazy!! Tre cool was also throwing Beer all over the crowd at this point, and then so was Mike! whilst kevin from Prima Donna, Jason White, supported the band play The Foxboro Hot Tub tunes & having a wild time!

The microphone at this point was still rather quiet, but we could still hear the clear vocals, 18mths after the release of the record, and theyre here playing an intimate gig to fans in London on a green Day tour!!!

What a truly Immense and intimate night it was, The setlist of many many songs went on through the night, covering the album front to back. playing Stop Drop & Roll, Mother Mary, Ruby Room, Sally, Alligator... Billie Joe Armstrong, - "The Reverend Strychnine Twitch" as he introduced himself as, was inches away from me at the front row, he crowd surfed on heads, held our hands, sung in our faces, kissed us, He basically entertained us to his full extend of what he could, whilst appearing to be very drunk & very capable, having "The time of his life"!! He rocked london hard! And We Loved it.!!

The crowd were singing along to all the tunes, Pedestrian was a huge hit, where The Reverend's coat had virtually got ripped off! At which point he had done many stage dives, his brown Reverends coat was all ripped, he was then dancing around on stage in a white shirt drenched in so much beer, The stage was a puddle of beer, Beer was everywhere he nearly slipped over. He was pulling fans up on to the stage to sing and dance driving everyone wild. It was full on hype all night!

When The band burst into 27th Ave Shuffle."The Reverend" started singing in the microphone to me..!!

Then all of a sudden, he put both his hands out to me, and said "you" get up here!! Then i was being pushing out of the crowd before i could refuse... The bouncers helped me up on stage with Foxboro Hot Tubs!

Billie Joe firstly gave me a beer Then he passed me his Maraccas and got me to shake them! I was a Bit Star struck at this point in a daze. he then carried on entertaining the crowd, and getting the attention to pull more people up, so i told him to grab my friend. and he did! He grabbed my friend Gaelle, dancing with Foxboro Hot Tubs, to 27th Ave shuffle. shaking Maraccas, and 2 other girls were also up on stage,

After our time on stage was over, we were seen off to the side and back to the audience, they carried on playing hard, bursting into dark side of night, Stop drop n Roll 6 times, "A quick one while hes away" playing The "You are forgiven" So many times!,

Through the show They also blasted The Network, "Blood Sex & Booze", & Johnny be Good, My Generation, and spoke to the crowd about how you pronounce "London Islington"!

They finished the show after and a good 2hour set, Playing at least 30 songs by the time you add 6 Stop drop & Rolls, and many ""you are forgivens's!

That Show Was The best gig i have ever & will ever experience,The intimacy of seeing Green Day as Foxboro Hot Tubs well Nothing will ever compare to that! i had a truly Momentus & very intimate night, Being entertained Personally by The Reverend Strychnine Twitch, That - i will never EVER forget. THANK YOU FOXBORO HOT TUBS. STING!