London Pub Crowd Treated to Surprise Green Day Set
Green Day performed in the cozy confines of the The Marquis pub in London on Thursday night ahead of their upcoming The Saviors Tour. Bar manager Tommy McGuinness told the BBC that he was asked earlier in the week if a “big U.S. band” could play at the Covent Garden pub. “Turns out [lead vocalist] Billie Joe loves the pub,” McGuinness said. “It’s the smallest place that Green Day has ever played.” He later explained, “We’ve got some great unsigned artists that always play the pub, so I’m always streaming that. And little did I know that Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day was watching these videos.” McGuinness said the gig was supposed to be a secret but fans somehow found out. “I think they were queuing to Trafalgar Square from us, so it was bizarre.” About 80 people were able to watch the pop punk band perform 13 songs, including “Welcome to Paradise,” “Basket Case,” and “American Idiot,” as well as “Walking Contradiction,” a first since 2001. “Everybody in the pub I can vouch for had the time of their life,” McGuinness concluded.