Months after releasing their 1994 breakthrough album Dookie, Green Day popped into the BBC’s Maia Vale Studios — less than a mile away from the equally famed Abbey Rd studio — for a wild four-song set. They played “She,” “When I Come Around,” “Basket Case,” and “2000 Light Years” (the latter off of their earlier album Kerplunk). Little did the Bay Area punk trio of Billy Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool know that they were on the brink of global stardom. And they probably also never imagined that this would be the first of four sessions over the next eight years that they’d lay down for the BBC at Maida Vale.
Now these four sessions are being released as the 16-track The BBC Sessions live album, out December 10th via Reprise. Along with that 1994 recording, is a 1996 session from the Insomniac run, a 1998 session from the Nimrod era, and finally a 2001 stop following the release of Warning. It’s the first time these recordings have been mastered, and a preview in the form of the “2000 Light Years” performance from that first session is out now, and it sounds well…flawless. All in all, this is a window into the lightning in a bottle that the band found early on and the magic they kept pulling out of the well as the years went on.
Listen to “2000 Light Years Away (BBC Live Session)” above, check out the album artwork and track list below, and see Green Day’s 2022 Europe tour dates here.
1. “She” (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
2. “When I Come Around” (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
3. “Basket Case” (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
4. “2000 Light Years Away” (Live at the BBC June 8 1994)
5. “Geek Stink Breath” (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
6. “Brain Stew/Jaded” (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
7. “Walking Contradiction” (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
8. “Stuck With Me” (Live at the BBC November 3 1996)
9. “Hitchin’ A Ride” (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
10. “Nice Guys Finish Last” (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
11. “Prosthetic Head” (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
12. “Redundant” (Live at the BBC February 12 1998)
13. “Castaway” (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
14. “Church On Sunday” (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
15. “Minority” (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
16. “Waiting” (Live at the BBC August 28 2001)
The BBC Sessions is out 12/10/2021 via Reprise Records. Pre-order/save it here.
Green Day is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.