UK trips #3- London's 'American Idiot'

And finally I was able to see 'American Idiot'- second time lucky. This last weekend I went up to London for the day with a couple of friends to see Green Day's musical and we were so excited and definitely not disappointed at all. It was incredible hearing all these amazing songs live and I really loved their version to many of the songs, like 'Whatsername' really stood out to me as it worked out so well with the harmonies and beginning and ending with the piano and string instruments.


My favourite Green Day song, '21 Guns' was also extremely well performed, with absolutely stunning harmonies as well. 'Wake me up when September ends' was really beautiful with the three main characters playing their own acoustic guitars and singing together on the stage, it was so emotional and then joined with the drums that sounded like a heartbeat. It was just all perfect with the storyline itself being so emotional, and at times you wanted to cry from the pain and hardships the characters have to go through.
Set in a post-9-11 America, the story is about three young guys who are best friends who plan to leave their small hometown, but find themselves taking separate paths: one staying behind to be with his pregnant girlfriend, another going to join the army, while the other falls into a world of drugs and addiction. It was really intense.

I was so impressed with the musical and it made me so proud to be a Green Day fan (I also bought the tee-shirt for the musical), and I completely understand how 'American Idiot' was the winner of two Tony Awards as well as the winner for the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. I would definitely see this again if I had the chance (unfortunately I don't because it's closing on the 22nd November and I have heaps of uni stuff happening in the meantime), but I'm so thankful that I did get the opportunity to see it. 'Mary Poppins' used to be my all-time favourite musical, as well as 'Sunshine on Leith' but I think 'American Idiot' has now taken over and found it's place as number one. One day, in a dream world, I would love to act in it (all three musicals, actually).

Of course, the day was also brilliant because of the food: before the show, we found a relatively cheap (well, cheap for London) place for lunch, where I had a steak that came on a hot plate so you cook it yourself, with salad and fries with a mustard seed mayonnaise dipping sauce, which was so good! And then after the performance, we went to a kebab place which was delicious, before we made our way to Abbey Road to see the famous studio and crossing. Unfortunately it was getting dark and also pouring down with rain at the time, but still, it was inspiring to go to a place so iconic. In a way, the day was a music pilgrimage.