Green Day Are Still Raging (Perhaps Even More So Now) – Sydney, March 3

Green Day turned Sydney’s Engie Stadium into a battlefield during their Sydney stop on the Saviors Tour. One that you just had to be there to experience.

The real rock moment of the night came when the band began to play American Idiot. They delivered the song with the same fury that made it a generational anthem. Despite the band being two decades removed from the album’s release, their anger hasn’t dulled—if anything, it’s sharper than ever.

The night was packed with energy, nostalgia, and a healthy dose of political fire. Billie Joe Armstrong wasted no time calling out modern-day targets. “Don’t want politicians to shut the fuck up?” he asked the crowd. “Do you want Elon Musk to shut the fuck up? Don’t you want Donald Trump to shut the fuck up?” The audience erupted, proving that Green Day’s message still resonates.

As the band tore through Jesus of Suburbia, Armstrong tweaked the lyrics to take a jab at Trump’s vice-presidential pick. Instead of singing “Am I retarded, or am I just overjoyed?”, he spat out “Am I retarded, or am I just JD Vance?” The song’s narrative of disillusionment and frustration felt even more relevant in a world still drowning in political chaos. Another line changed from “We are the kids of war and peace / From Anaheim to the Middle East” to “From Ukraine to the Middle East,” reflecting today’s global conflicts.

Green Day have never been shy about adapting their music to fit the times. This tour has already seen them turn American Idiot into a shot at Musk in South Africa, replacing the lyrics with “I’m not part of the Elon agenda”. Armstrong knows his words carry weight, and he wields them like a weapon.

Beyond the politics, the show itself was a reminder of why Green Day still commands stadiums. The band was tight, the crowd was wild, and every song hit with the same raw energy. The 38- song set saw Green Day perform both Dookie and American Idiot in full. The setlist also saw the band tear through hits like Bobby Sox and Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).

Whether the songs were from their early days or their latest record, it didn’t matter. Each of them hit with the same raw energy that catapulted Green Day to the top. All of it was living proof that Green Day are still here. Still pissed off and still loud as hell. It doesn’t look like that will be changing any time soon either.