MORE than ten years of touring has turned Green Day into the kings of pop punk. But the Californian threesome seem far from keen to brighten up their act, with most songs being a re-run of the 2002 visit to Newcastle, complete with a take-off of Lulu's hit Shout.

Billy Joe Armstrong on vocals/guitar, bassist Mike Dirnt (Mike Pritchard) and drummer Tre Cool (Frank Edwin Wright III) can probably be excused this tardiness because a sell-out teenage audience enjoyed every repeat performance in this arm-waving, singalong, near sell-out extravaganza.

The boys from Berkeley opened with their first single from current chart album American Idiot and a surging mass of young females added some Westlife-style bouncing and screaming to the rift-thumping routines.

A band-inspired safety ban on moshing and crowd surfing proved particularly pointless, which made an interesting challenge when every ballad also produced a wave of lighters held aloft.

The best-known songs such as Warning, Minority and Welcome To Paradise were the particular crowd pleasers, although newest release Boulevard Of Broken Dreams sent everyone home happy.

Armstrong, who spent part of the night cavorting around in a crown and cape, attempted to forge better North-East links by claiming the band's backing trumpet was originally from Newcastle. A night on the Toon was certainly had by all.

Published: 10/02/2005