Green Day mark Download festival debut by calling out “fascist” Donald Trump: “It’s up to us to fight back!”
Green Day mark their Download festival debut with a riotous set that takes aim at the Donald Trump administration.
Making their first appearance at the biggest rock festival in the UK, Green Day headlined Download on Friday, June 13th, alongside Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. Green Day are no stranger to using their platform for political commentary; recently, as residents in Los Angeles continue to protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the nation, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong shared his solidarity with the protestors via a post on social media.
They opened the Download headline slot with a riotous trio of hits: ‘American Idiot’, ‘Holiday’, and ‘Know Your Enemy’. Not two songs in, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong turns his attention to the world outside of Donington Park. “We are slipping into fascism. Donald Trump and his administration are a fascist government,” he warned the crowd. “It is up to us to fight back.”
Later, Armstrong resurrects an old “you fat bastard” chant directed at President Trump, and revels in the crowd’s vehement response. Despite garnering much engagement from the crowd, the band reveal that this is their last English show for a while due to the end of their touring cycle.
“England, you are in my heart forever,” Armstrong tells fans. “You will never get rid of me.”
Green Day also made headlines for a performance at Coachella when they used their set to make a political stance against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. When performing the 2004 tune ‘Jesus of Suburbia’, Armstrong sang the words “Runnin’ away from pain, like the kids from Palestine/ Tales from another broken home,” instead of the usual lyrics of “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimised.”
Download festival will see Sleep Token headline on June 14th and Korn headline on June 15th. Other performers hitting the stages at Donnington Park include Bullet for My Valentine, Spiritbox, Boston Manor, and Shine Down.
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