Hella Mega Tour – A Review

On Saturday the 25th of June I went to the Hella Mega tour in Huddersfield with my mum and brother where I saw Green Day, Weezer and Fall out Boy while I have been to quite a few concerts – this definitely makes top 3. As COViD had delayed the event for nearly 2 years my hopes were high and I was definitely not disappointed. Not only was the music and atmosphere fantastic but the overall performance was incredibly inspiring. Each set had a unique tone brought by the music and the vastly different set design.

 First was Weezer, the band I was least familiar with and despite being the opener I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. While I knew most of the songs they played and enjoyed the new ones just as much, I was taken aback by the incredible set design. In just under an hour the stage went from bare (aside from the technical equipments) to a whimsical display of shapes and colours. The main set pieces were the blue lightning bolts, flown down and lit up periodically. The bright boxes and light-up W were also incredible as it really suited the feel of the music. I really liked how you could clearly see everyone on stage and emphasis was given to the drummer by having him centre stage with the band name in front. The only issue with the set was that the lighting wasn’t clearly seen due to it being light outside, however, it couldn’t be helped and from photos I’ve seen of other venues it looked magical and really added to the unique colour palette. I was truly amazed by the speed at which each set was changed and how incredible it looked without altering the sound quality or causing a hazard to crew members, I later learned that the boxes hid amps and other sound-enhancing equipment and in fact made it safer as cables could be put all in one place and not all over the floor.

Next up was Fall Out Boy, while I knew this would be an incredible performance due to them being one of my all-time favourite bands and having seen other live performances of theirs I was genuinely shocked by the performance they put on for a shortened set. The stage was totally transformed and a layered backdrop of a desolate forest, next appeared  a small cabin centre stage. Before the band appeared a voice-over introduced us to the story then backed up by the chosen songs. I was truly surprised how they had managed to create a dystopian space rock opera out of the popular crowd-pleaser songs. The use of fire made the story and overall look even more dramatic. I was thrilled at the use of traditional theatrical practices such as the layered background as it was incorporated almost flawlessly into the set allowing for easy appearances and disappearances replaced by a voice-over to help advance the story. I found the overall set near perfect the only issue I had was in the lore of the world setup, while I think it was impressively created and intelligent to incorporate a story to make the set more interesting, it came off as a bit rushed as due to a shorter performance time than normal it had to be rushed to reach a satisfying conclusion. That being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to relive it or recommend it to someone else. I can definitely say this performance definatel altered what I thought could be achieved live in a non theatrical way and had led me to further appreciate set design and storytelling through music.

Finally was Green Day. To say I was excited would be an understatement as they are one of the most well-known and loved rock bands of all time. Once again The set was totally different from the others and changed in such a short amount of time. The main feature was a large screen on the main stage which previously had been used only to show closer shots of the bands but was now being used to display a collection of iconic rock songs and interesting punk visuals. It was truly an incredible opener, the crowd screaming out a collection of Queen, the stones, and many more before the lights totally dimmed and fire spewed and Green Day finally appeared opening with American Idiot. The stage was more simplistic than for the other 2 performances, with few set changes aside from a raised central platform for the drummer. It was reminiscent of late 90s punk shows but on an even bigger scale. What I found particularly inspiring was Billie Joe Armstrong’s connection to the audience and charisma. While the previous sets had been purely performance-based due to the restricted time Green Day interacted with the crowd nonstop even criticising America for the recent overturning of Roe Vs Wade. I truly adored how they were able to put on such an incredible performance that seemed so loyal to punk culture and was so unique and different from the other performances.

Overall, this was one of the best days of my life and has influenced me creatively in many ways and has given me an even greater appreciation for storytelling through live music. I could never recommend it enough even if the daylight did have an impact on some of the visual elements. I was originally going to see this performance in London and while I’m sure the larger stadium would only enhance the atmosphere and performances I am truly glad I was able to be at this Gig as my seats were incredible and allowed me the best possible experience that I’m sure I will never forget. 

By Taylor Delaney

BFI Film Academy