The forgotten 1978 classic U2 resurrected for a new generation: “Really right for the occasion”
Punk seemed to come and go with the rise and fall of the 1970s, but in the hearts of U2, the dream never fully died.
You can see that in every inch of all the songs they have ever made: the wrath, the fire, the power, that somehow seems to go beyond politics and land in a space of true universality, where they are simply standing up for what they believe in without linking it to any further form of agenda or ulterior motive.
In this sense, they almost saw it as their duty to continue the cause long after the original lights had gone dark, but to do this, they had to call in some reinforcements. By the time the 2000s had rolled around, that was bound to become harder and harder as bands took on other priorities and headed to other stages in the rock realm.
But then, they found Green Day. The California rockers may have seemed like a sceptical choice for some, but as soon as Bono and co looked in the whites of the eyes of Billie Joe Armstrong and his crew, they knew they had found their kindred spirits for a new generation. Now all they had to do was prove it.
That feat was actually a lot more difficult to pull off than expected. Performing something from either of their respective back catalogues could have come across as a cop-out, and in the Irish band’s usual way, there was a wider philanthropic cause at play here. As such, the forgotten classic ‘The Saints Are Coming’ by Skids was the perfect candidate to fit the bill, all to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
In many ways, as the groups were coming together, there could have been a battle of the bands over who plays what, but that was never the point. “That’s the great thing about punk rock,” said The Edge at the time, “It was anti the very concept of lead guitar. This song is pure 1978, a big inspiration to us at the time, and it couldn’t be more in the sweet spot of what Green Day are about. And it’s really right for the occasion.”
While forming a punk supergroup may not have been the most conventional form of charity aid, it was not only a reflection of both the bands’ histories but also the legacy that punk left behind as a whole. It was raucous and wild and sometimes overwhelming, but the whole point of its existence was to help pick the underdogs up until they were winners.
That does, indeed, feel very right. It was also a legacy that the original band, Skids, would have been very happy to unexpectedly receive just shy of 30 years after releasing the song, as suddenly their track was an international sensation hit with massive rock heavyweight backing. All of a sudden, punk was alive and well again.
It proves that while we talk about various musical eras as if they existed purely in days gone by, they can still be found thriving in little pockets everywhere. Punk is one of those things that still sparks when anyone shines their light. In the case of U2 and Green Day, they were giving it the full glow.
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