Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and his bandmates in The Coverups have made a habit of announcing their sporadic shows at the last-minute. Tonight’s gig might come with more advance notice and a larger venue capacity (800, so hardly Wembley Stadium, which Armstrong graced with Green Day last June), but there's a pleasing spontaneity, and an air of mystery, about tonight's setlist, as they take audience requests and play songs on the spot.
Formed in 2018 out of boredom, The Coverups traditionally find Armstrong flanked by Green Day bandmate Mike Dirnt and their touring guitarist Jason White (guitar), alongside Bill Schneider (bass) and Chris Dugan (drums). Minus Dirnt tonight, they pay homage to their musical influences with a high-energy 90-minutes-plus set of unrehearsed, scrappy, and fun cover versions. Armstrong describes the collective as “a glorified karaoke band" and asks that we "dance, drink, and be merry." Done.
I must have missed the memo insisting upon the T-shirts and blazers dress code tonight, as everyone else in chatty audience seems to have liaised beforehand on their attire. But you know what? Everyone looks great, and the party atmosphere is contagious.
We get blasts through classic tracks from The Damned (Neat Neat Neat), Ramones (Rockaway Beach, I Wanna Be Sedated), The Undertones (Teenage Kicks) and many more, with the highlight being a rendition of Mott The Hoople's David Bowie-penned anthem All The Young Dudes, an influence upon Green Day’s 21 Guns. Billie Joe also slips in a track from his other side project, The Longshot (Love Is For Losers) amid songs that continue to inspire our generation's punk king. And while most of the set features male-fronted tracks, the frontman also teases a snippet of Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO!, stating “That is a good song” as the crowd erupts in agreement.
Towards the end of the show, the band delivers a heartfelt speech about the current LA wildfires, urging fans to support relief efforts and stay critical of media coverage. This serious moment aside, Billie Joe’s trademark humour shines through the rest of the set as he jokes with an audience member about not doing cocaine, then adds that he’ll happily sell it to them anyway.
Delivering a set as scrappy as any cover band you’d catch down your local, The Coverups make no claims to be anything other than what it says on the tin. But watching a group of friends celebrate the music that shaped them- especially when it’s one of your favourite artists - is a pretty unique experience, and their messy energy and sense of fun makes for a night to remember.
