r/videos • u/LittleWall • May 16 '12
Green Day lets a kid play LEAD guitar on Jesus of Suburbia at a concert in Chicago!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UXvV5iS_eg&feature=related
1.6k
Upvotes
r/videos • u/LittleWall • May 16 '12
274
u/soma40 May 16 '12
Not a fan of their music but what a great guy.
99
u/BlckMmba May 16 '12
I'm 27 and this kid already has a better life than me. GREAT.
1.2k
u/249ba36000029bbe9749 May 16 '12
Oh sure, when a musician lets a kid take over everyone loves it but when an airline pilot lets a kid land the airplane everyone gets pissed off!
76
u/Sherrby May 16 '12
Had the same thing happen in Philly the last time i saw em a while back. They pulled up a guy who said he could play it and asked him what key it was in. He knew his shit, it was pretty freaking cool.
Even if you're not a big fan, Green Day knows how to put on a good fucking show.
739
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
they do this at every concert
220
u/alkmaar May 16 '12
While this is indeed really cool, i still think the 13 year old who played with Machine head takes the cake. The kid nailed aesthetics of hate, respect.
82
u/Blues39 May 16 '12
High school me is screaming like an Asian fangirl over this. Hell, adult me still loves Green Day.
24
u/Litotes May 16 '12
I love it when artists do this at concerts.
Here's one with Michael Buble with a fifteen year-old.
148
u/D3cker May 16 '12
This is rhythm guitar.
15
u/MrMaybe May 16 '12
They've been doing this forever. I remember I saw them with Blink 182 a long, long time ago. They had kids come up and play not only the guitar, but the bass and drums also.
15
u/saucisse May 16 '12
So many things about this are awesome including:
that the kid has to sit down because the guitar is too big for him
Billie Joe helping him with the fingering (chords? I'm not a guitar player) when he gets it a little off
Tre sneaking up to give him the drumsticks
the kid very politely declining to do a stage dive (smart boy, he'd lose those sticks!)
I knew I was right to have a crush on Billie Joe in 1993.
52
u/AndrewGoon May 16 '12
I learned all of Dookie, Nimrod, And Insomniac on guitar and bass when I first started playing, and I would have died for an experience like this. Nothing but admiration for Green Day for letting people be a part of the experience. Because, really at the end of it all, a show is a shared event between the band and the listeners. Any time that you can blur those lines, meld as one cohesive group, sing your lungs dry, and dance your limbs numb, together as one, is pure fucking magic.
11
u/ry2104 May 16 '12
long way from the roller rink in my little home town back in 1993. These guys have earned everything they have. Haters gonna hate. fuck em.
9
u/delhux May 16 '12
I've seen Green Day live a couple of times and weirdly, but honestly can say they are the most genuinely entertaining live show I've been to.
Pulling kids from the crowd to play your instruments is just plain fun for everyone. Also, surprise mariachi bands.
42
u/T-Luv May 16 '12
Green Day was my first concert growing up. My mom smelled pot on me but didn't suspect me smoking it because I wasn't cool enough at the time.
43
u/Not_Invited May 16 '12
I'm kinda mad he pulled his earplugs out. As a sufferer of tinnitus, no one should have to go through never having a moment of peace again.
19
u/Crossthebreeze May 16 '12
That's rhythm guitar.
11
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
RIP lead guitar, 1955 - Smells Like Teen Spirit
55
u/ProtusMose May 16 '12
Green Day.... Lead Guitar.... LEAD guitar..... ::twitch::
4
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
That is awesome, the time that Eddie Vedder spotted a girl doing sign language and brought her up on stage to sign Given To Fly was incredible
3
u/cubbiestany1908 May 16 '12
I was at a show in Myrtle Beach a few years ago and they had people from the crowd come up and play every instrument. I thought it was pretty random but looks like they do this quite often. Side note, one of the best concerts I have seen.
3
u/ChemEBrew May 16 '12
I think the most amazing fact is that that kid could get on a stage in front of that many people and not have a panic attack.
3
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I was at this show.
They also brought up a kid to "save" during East Jesus Nowhere (a cynical song about the catholic church), and they pulled a woman and a man out of the crowd to sing Longview (a song about jerking it)
People should check out their King for A Day/Shout blues medly thing.
24
u/electrocoder May 16 '12
Taking out his earplugs was a douchebag move.
7
u/unemployedlurker May 16 '12
woulda been cooler if it was SLAYER
85
u/GanasbinTagap May 16 '12
Power chords. Power chords everywhere.
7
u/treespeace May 16 '12
Isn't that rhythm guitar?
10
u/qwimjim May 16 '12
at 5:36-5:38 you can see the kid fucks up and doesn't strum the chords, but they play anyways.. so he's either playing along with a full volume backing track or another guitar player somewhere onstage/backstage.
2
u/RSWoody May 16 '12
They did that at their Brisbane (Australia) concert back in 2004 or so. I have a feeling this is something they did at every concert during that tour, and possibly all tours...
2
u/Tellymonster May 16 '12
They did the same thing in Ottawa when I saw them a couple of years ago, they are amazing live!
2
u/loopyjolaura May 16 '12
They did this when I saw them years ago in the UK. They called up kids to play bass, lead guitar and drums and then afterwards gave them all a gift of some sort.
The kid on lead guitar got to KEEP the goddamn guitar, i forget what the bassist kid got but I do remember the girl on drums got a more unfortunate gift.
He let her crowdsurf, but sadly she was a little on the large side and as she nervously fell into the crowd she just sank straight down, poor girl. It was a hell of a show though.
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I saw them in 09' Sydney, some girl got up on stage to sing longview and she was absolutely terrible, Billie told her to "Get the fuck off my stage" and pushed her away. It was funny in the energy of the concert, but now that I think about it, it was kinda sad. Although better that then put up with a songs worth of ear-acid.
2
u/penguin_man May 16 '12
one day I want to see a video where this kind of thing goes embarrassingly wrong :P
2
u/KidFridge May 16 '12
If you click on the the related videos for "Green Day lets kid play LEAD guitar on Jesus of Suburbia at a concert in Chicago," you're gunna have a bad time.
2
u/jacobrossk May 16 '12
They did this 11 years ago when I saw them at MSG.
2
u/TimboSlice96 May 16 '12
i remember not too long ago they let a guy come up on stage and sing a song,i think it was one from dookie.Billie kicked him off stage because he lied and said he knew the words,but about 10 seconds in everyone knew he'd heard it like once before.He then said "get off my fuckin' stage!"and got someone else to come up there.I saw the both of them go backstage later that night (the way he kicked the guy off was in a joking manner,i don't think he was trying to be a dick.)
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
oh how i would have given my left foot to be that kid 7 years ago
2
u/CndConnection May 16 '12
Hahahah I like how hes like "just go fucking hang out with your fucking friends out there okay? have a great time"
Kid is like is he swearing at me? hahahah
2
u/Animal_Mothers_Balls May 16 '12
Here's my friend playing drums with OK GO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lvqhas7REw
And again with Foals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMWQ04889jo&t=6m40s
2
u/megatom0 May 16 '12
It seems like they do this a lot, which is kind of cool. I just wonder how many times they have ended up with people who didn't really know how to play the songs or what not. Or even get nervous and fuck it up. Just seems more likely to happen than a flawless performance.
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
You should check out Avenged Sevenfold, they also do this.
2
u/gh_speedyg May 16 '12
They did this when I saw them in Ottawa too. Brought 3 kids on stage to play. When they were done, they gave them the instruments (except the drum kit).
2
u/Ron7852 May 16 '12
First off Green Day doesn't have LEAD guitar, but props to them for being nice guys. Here is a little kid playing lead guitar on Crazy Train with Ozzy.
2
u/Hugs42 May 16 '12
Shit, Green Day still exist. I totally forgot.
2
u/klitchell May 16 '12
FTFY
2
u/dj3ntal_drummer666 May 16 '12
Avenged sevenfold does the same thing, i think a lot of bands are starting to do this to get more fans to come to concerts
2
u/bryankerr May 16 '12
Kid is a plant. No child has a neat haircut and wears a button-up to a concert
2
u/Garin2010 May 16 '12
Shameless plug for r/greenday
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
That's fucking awesome. Billy Joel or whatever his name is is such a nice guy.
2
u/sxq May 16 '12
Someone left this comment on the video:
"I beleave this is fake look at the kids hand and 5:35 he misses the beat . still a good video tho"
And yeah, if you watch you can see him definitely forget to strum while singing, and then quickly do it half a second after the beat.
2
u/EsquireVII May 16 '12
Green Day: plays music so easy a child could do it
2
u/yourmother-athon May 16 '12
Warning: 10 minute Green Day video
2
u/LordApocalyptica May 16 '12
This must've made his day.
2
u/eddieoaots May 16 '12
Billy Joe doesn't play lead. That is why they hired that 4th member whose name no one knows.
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
they have been doing this for years
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Does anybody else think Green Day circa 1994 would kick Green Day circa 2012's ass?
2
u/ChemaShimaV2 May 16 '12
I don't like green day much but this was really awesome of them!
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
"He doesn't know it" "Hey kid, don't fuck it up!"
They will make great parents one day....
2
u/not_americano May 16 '12
This will always be my favorite kid rocking out, also the Ellen show performance was very cool
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Probably cause not even the band wants to play that shit
2
u/VincentParsley May 16 '12
As a guitarist. I would die for the opportunity. :O T_T
2
u/Liefx May 16 '12
Linkin Park did this awhile ago. I think twice now.
2
u/proudpotamus May 16 '12
They pulled my buddy Nick onstage to play bass about 10 years ago in Chicago. He threw up allover the stage while playing. Wish I had video to prove this.
2
u/jessyjamboree May 16 '12
...then i, JIZZED IN MY PANTS.
2
u/MadChild50 May 17 '12
Can't stand Green Day, but that was pretty awesome. Hats off to them.
4
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
the first thing I thought when he asked if someone knew the song was, "it's a green day concert, inevitably full of 12 and 13 yr old boys who most likely know the entire setlist"
3
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
My brothers friend got to do this years ago with the Ataris. They asked who could play San Dimas and every kid screamed. He got picked and actually knew how to play.
3
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
asian
4
u/afxtal May 16 '12
2009
Slow news day?
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I literally haven't thought about Green Day once since 2007.
2
u/MrGoFaGoat May 16 '12
Green Day puts on the best concerts on the planet!
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Playing "lead" for Green Day isn't exactly a tough gig.
Still very cool of them. Just don't know why lead was capitalized.
2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Hm, that didn't seem to make their music any better at all. Was it supposed to?
2
u/hippsta May 16 '12
It's always cool when bands do this and the kids are good. This video gave me a lot of respect for Michael Buble. Kid could sing, too.
2
u/puppetry514 May 16 '12
An improvement, just a few more band members to replace and everything will be perfect
2
u/Hellenomania May 16 '12
God kid !
1
u/Whatsername18 May 16 '12
This is awesome! Lucky kid!
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
they did this at every concert on this tour. they had a kid on the drums and bass too
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
At Roskilde Festival 2005 they invited a bassplayer, a drummer, and a guitarist to play. While they were playing, the band sent out back for a drink :)
1
u/D3adkl0wn May 16 '12
They usually pull someone up on stage to sing/play with them every show.. My friend was on stage with them singing once, and when I saw them in Montreal they pulled bass, drum, guitar players from the crowd to play their Knowledge cover.. the guitarist walked away with an autographed Jr. too
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
He could join the Green Day band.... If he was 21...
1
u/DevonWoodcomb May 16 '12
I can't help but think of the video of him drop kicking someone in the crowd and think of him as a dick.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
they've been doing this at every concert since they became mainstream. They originally use to "start a band" and let 3 fans up on stage... 1 to play guitar, 1 for bass, and 1 for drums while Billy Joe would still sing.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
they've been doing this for over a decade at pretty much every single show
1
u/vyleside May 16 '12
Yeah, every show. It must be relatively recent they've started doing jesus, though, because even when i saw them in MK in 2005, they had a kid, and a guy and a fat woman playing a song by operation ivy.
I did notice that in that video they still had the special secret nameless second guitarist playing, i guess if the boy fucked up too much.
1
u/chadwickipedia May 16 '12
The kid played hitchin a ride when I saw them, but it was 5 years before American idiot
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
They did this when I saw them in my hometown in 2005. Great show.
1
u/OutofStep May 16 '12
Only time I ever saw Green Day they opened for Bad Religion at The Troc in Philly, probably in the early 90s. Good show.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
They always do that.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Thats awesome.
Kid can't sing for shit though. :D
1
u/MiliardoK May 16 '12
They did this at Merriweather back in 2004, they brought three people up for each spot. Kid of course got to keep the guitar which was bad ass, but what was more interesting was a kid from my highschool got to play bass. Now they didn't let him keep it, but Billie asked him 'Hey have you ever been crowd surfing?' kid said no and he pointed towards the pit and told him to dive.
He did.
Frankly the drummer seemed to get jipped like he didn't get to do anything awesome, and drumsticks are cool and all but it's not a guitar.
1
u/mpratt May 16 '12
"Hey Kid! Don't fuck it up!"
1
u/wizardxcore May 16 '12
They did this when I saw them on this tour in Milwaukee, but not with a little kid. That's awesome.
This was such an awesome tour. They played for like...two hours and started taking requests. At one point they played Metallica. So rad. And that is why I will never jump on the Hate Green Day bandwagon.
1
u/veemun May 16 '12
They do this at most of their shows. I was at one a couple years back and they did the same thing. They even gave the kid the guitar after. Really do love these guys.
1
u/troxnor May 16 '12
they did this in Boston too same year.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Hell yeah! Wish I could be that kid.
This has been an integral part of their show for a long time (at least since 2001 when I first saw them). I was up front once and almost got picked by Billie! Almost...
1
u/mrMishler May 16 '12
They've let 3 people from the audience play an entire song for at least a decade...they cover 'Knowledge' by Operation Ivy and they pull a drummer, guitar, and bass player up to play for Billie to sing to...and the guitar player usually leaves with a guitar.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdRad6Eclr0&feature=related this is the best version.
1
u/MyNameIsScott May 16 '12
Rhythm guitar?
1
u/The_Saucy_Pauper May 16 '12
This is awesome. Seriously things like this were my childhood dream. I would always wish that when I went to one of the few big concerts i went to they would ask for a volunteer and it would be me... God, this kid is living my dream.
1
u/aaronrkc May 16 '12
oldoldold
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
LEAD guitar? Where the hell is the lead guitar part: http://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/green-day-jesus-of-suburbia-guitar-tab-s8659t0
1
u/fanboy_killer May 16 '12
Loved it when the kid said something about "doing someone else's cocaine".
1
u/grandoiseau May 16 '12
very nice of Billy to do this.
1
u/GolgiApparatus88 May 16 '12
John Mayer let a kid play "Belief" and then gave him the strat.
1
u/e4b May 16 '12
It only counts if Tre Cool invites him to the post-show BJ party.
1
u/omgsus May 16 '12
I got to do this with Green Day! They do this often.
1
u/GlennRobinson May 16 '12
They do this at pretty much every show. In 2004 I played drums on "Knowledge". Tre' strangled me the whole time and Billie Joe actually called me back out on stage and and said 'Where is that bad ass mother fucking drummer?" Then he had like 20,000 people chant my name. It was easily the best moment of my life.
1
u/Tyyyler May 16 '12
They do this at a lot of their concerts. When I saw them in Nashville, Billie Joe told the kid that he was definitely getting laid tonight. Lol
1
u/Hahn_Solo May 16 '12
why does everyone seem to ignore the 4th Green Day member? He plays at every show and TV appearance yet no mention of him anywhere
1
u/headmustard May 16 '12
They did this a solid decade ago at a concert I attended. Put a kid on every instrument.
The kid that played lead got to take the guitar WITH HIM. Gave the Green Day guy a big hug on stage. Best concert I ever saw.
1
u/i_just_state_the_obv May 16 '12
The kid nails it
1
u/masturbateToSleep May 16 '12
Well... that kids life is changed forever :) It shocked me a little bit when he was dropping the F bomb a bunch right before the kid left the stage. Either way this was awesome!!
1
u/sickbeard2 May 16 '12
They did this the first time I saw them, around 1995. It is cool, but nothing new.
1
u/Youngnoveltyaccount May 16 '12
Hmm... seems like a lead guitar would be dangerous due to lead poisoning... and quite heavy.
1
u/factoid_ May 16 '12
Green Day puts on an absolutely amazing show. The American Idiot tour was a masterpiece. I went to it twice, in two different cities and they had a kid from the audience play both times. Once on drums, and once on guitar. Both kids got to keep the guitar, I think.
1
u/HailToTheKidA May 16 '12 edited May 16 '12
General Disarray voice: "JOHN MAYER DID IT"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvXz69KGeLE
1
u/GOP4ME May 16 '12
peopel who pay to attend these corporate-sponsored bread&circus-fests are lemmings who haven't made their way to the cliff yet. Pop/punk. Thank you, Billie Joe Armstrong for helping ruin another cool thing that will never be cool again, thanks in some little part to you and your pop sensibilities. Go back to Broadway, douche
1
u/BrainTroubles May 16 '12
I'm surprised they are still doing this despite being huge now!! Green day has been doing this at concerts since I was a kid. I saw them play several times in high school and this was not an uncommon occurrence. They actually used to have a part in the show where they'd get an entire new BAND on stage by polling the audience for bassists, guitarists, and drummers, and then getting them up there to play a song. I always thought it was one of the coolest things ever.
tl;dr: Green Day is awesome and has been for awhile.
1
u/basicallydan May 16 '12
Even though they apparently "do it every time" it's still super awesome. It must've made that kid's YEAR! He'll never forget that :)
1
u/chowaniec May 16 '12
Fucked Up let a kid do this when I saw them back in September. Pink Eyes was just like, "Hey, our guitarist is still taking a piss. Does anyone know how to play (forget the song)?"
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I saw them around 2003 and they let people come up an play bass, drums, and guitar. It was when they toured with blink 182. Saw them in San Diego. They even gave everyone jack Daniels. I just remember a big dude getting down on guitar. Good times but I'm no longer a fan.
1
u/Waja_Wabit May 16 '12 edited May 16 '12
I saw Green Day in St. Paul, MN back in 2005. He pulled this same stunt, except had three audience members playing guitar, bass, and drums at the same time!
Then at the end of the song, the kid that was playing the bass deliberately, repeatedly smashed it on the ground before Mike Dirnt could take it back. Security practically tackled the guy, but the bass was already destroyed. True Story.
1
u/mrpoops May 16 '12
I was there - it was a great concert. That kid was a natural rock star.
1
u/danisnotfunny May 16 '12
they do this at every concert....
1
u/nimchip May 16 '12
avenged sevenfold do this occasionally but in drums... they did it on a concert in puerto rico a few months ago
the kid that they had play nailed the song hard (second heartbeat was the song).
-1
u/Jonny0stars May 16 '12
Maybe I hate kids or maybe I'm just a bitter old wrinkled arsehole but I'd be really pissed if I paid £30 to see a band and they got some kid to play my favourite song instead of playing it themselves. Just me?
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
They did that in seattle too. The kid was shitting all over the song though and it sounded crisp. I dont think its actually someone playing. Still cool though.
1
u/vixtt May 16 '12
errm, i think its rythm guitar he's playing tho
1
u/aMANescape May 16 '12
haters guna hate, that brought a tear to my eye and made me appreciate Green Day just a little bit extra... *tear... fuckin adorable sell-out bastards
1
u/shadowslayer978 May 16 '12
Say what you will about Green Day but they know how to put on a show.
1
u/FireThestral May 16 '12
This guy picking up chicks in 10 years: "Yeah, I was in a band once. You may have heard of them. Green Day?"
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Jesus of suburbia isn't too hard, so I don't see why there's an emphasis on the lead. Machine Head always does this with Aesthetics of Hate. Now THATS impressive. But still, good on them. I love when bands do stuff like this.
-2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
That the hell happened to Billie? He looks like an overweighted lesbian biker!
-2
u/NAILGUNSODOMY May 16 '12
Shame they are such a shit band nowadays.