If you were a kid in the 90s The Offspring must have been one of those groups that made you shout and scream at life. Their groundbreaking album Smash was that breath of fresh air that my generation needed, after the hair-metal years, the dark pessimism of grunge and the GNR breakup. The simple and fast modern punk of The Offspring made you feel alive and ready to “live like there is no tomorrow” without caring too much about the future.
Last night at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire many kids from that generation were there, a bit older, maybe, but with the same look of yore in the eyes when the band started cranking up the volume, and Dexter Holland’s voice began singing in a way he only knows how. Actually, his voice was my main concern, after all these years, but it was surprisingly top notch and always up there, holding up like the old days.
The band immediately unleashed their energy by (unnecessarily) playing Ignition from beginning to end – it was the 20th anniversary of the album – and they did not stop until the very last beat. After a quick break they came back to deliver some pearls from the past – like Beheaded or Lightning Rod – some new tunes, and a few of the most popular tracks – like Come Out and Play, Self Esteem, or Pretty Fly.
The speedy and nervous guitar lines were laid down with new found vigor by Noodles, the bass was handled by Greg K with the usual experience and punk expertise, without flashing too much for appearance, but very effective. Pete Parada is the last of a few drummers the band have been changing since 2003, but he delivered some killer beats at incredible speed, maintaining the mosh pit always banging and slamming. But the crowd was all for Dexter and he gave them what they asked for: a brilliant and mature performance that made everyone enjoy the show.
Like them, we might have gotten older, more relaxed and disillusioned, but some things just stay the same.
“I’m not a trendy, I do what I want, I do what I feel like”.
