In Green Day's Shadow
There have been debates over whether or not The Darkness should be headlining tonight – as The Offspring have been performing for almost twenty years whilst The Darkness have only a year of signed performance. What do the granddaddies of punk have to offer on a cool Northern evening?
Opening to 1998’s ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’, The Offspring launch into an energetic set that covers everything from Smash to Splinter. With two distinct crowds, the response varies dramatically between the older and newer material. As the newer songs cause the large pits and biggest crowd frenzies, it seems that classics like the finale ‘Self Esteem’ cause a unison of singing that overpower the PA.
The Offspring are an amazingly talented live act – and after twenty years in the business you’d expect no less. Considering how long they’ve been playing though, their performance is left in the shadows of Green Day – whilst confetti, popcorn and marshmallows may cover the crowd you do feel that The Offspring could offer so much more and that their claims about Leeds being better than Reading hold no substance.