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punx — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 09:28:55 CDT

Here you can find everything you need to know about the one and only Green Day. From information about Green Day, pictures to a whole biography of Billie Joe, Tre Cool, and Mike Dirnt. Please Enjoy.

Billie Joe Armstrong was listed number three for most/best rock icons.
Green Day is in the New Simpsons movie!!!!

happy birthday billie joe!!!!!!

Oh MY Lanta. Green Day had an album but someone stole alll of them. It was after Shenanigans (dont judge my spelling) but the guys decided to just start again from scratch. They created American Idiot! The album was called Valentines and Cigeretts (again dont judger my spelling.)

Please Help The Polar Bears http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/biogems_polar_0107

Nothing is really going on, Billie Joe's co-owned record label. You can check it out on itunes here.
It is Jessie Malin, i think. Here is a picture of them , (Billie Joe and Jessie Malin) You can tell who is who, if you really love Billie Joe ................>..........>..............>below, no wasting room,

OH MY LANTA!!! GREEN DAY IS BEING SUED!
Green Day Sued By 'American Idiot'
Most folks have occasionally heard a new song and thought, "Gee, I feel like I've heard this somewhere before." But it takes a special kind of person to take things to another level, by coming to the conclusion that they actually wrote the tune sometime in their distant past, says AOL Music.

Paul McPike, a 30-ish grocery store employee from Medford, OR, placed himself firmly in the latter category this week when he filed a lawsuit charging that Green Day's "American Idiot" album is entirely made up of songs that he wrote when he was in high school. McPike says that he used to regale his high school pals with the "original" versions of "Jesus of Suburbia" and other classics back in 1992, and believes that some devious ex-pal surreptitiously recorded one of his performances and traded them to Billie Joe Armstrong and co. for 30 pieces of silver (or at least unlimited access to Green Day's backstage deli trays).
A U.S. District Court Judge seemed to take McPike's pile of evidence -- which consisted entirely of a copy of the album and a claim that the lyrics sung on the album don't match those in the sleeve notes -- with a barrel of salt, but suggested he could file a more detailed copyright infringement complaint in the future. An interesting suggestion -- and one that jogs our memory of the elementary school writing class where we wrote that line about "buying a stairway to Heaven."

Here is a scan of the back of the Kerplunk CD. Thank You to www.greendayauthority.com
Hey guys. This is pretty old news, but I relized I haven't posted this yet. Green Day has teamed up with the most effective environmental action groups. If you love the planet and really wanna make a change, or just help out your favorite band then check this web-site out, even for the fun of it. www.greendaynrdc.com

New cloths at www.adelinestreet.com They just like the ones Billie Joe wears!!!!!!!!!! The tie and everything!

I got some old news. just read the picture to the left of this. Oh my lanta, so sorry you can't read it but the fine print tells you all you need to know. And that they don't have a date set yet.

All Right. I found a web site with downloads. You probably no this but for the people who don't. It is really sweet, so if you got itunes your hooked-up. It has "Look For Love" by Billie Joe when he was five, and the interview with him. You will notice the beginning of the interview is the very beginning of the Green Day song "Maria". Yes, that little boy is our favorite punk rocker, the one and only Billie Joe Armstrong. http://greendayauthority.com/download/extras.php

Oh-Kay, guess what! Green Day is re-releasing 1,039 Slapped Out Slappy Hours. It is available in Circuit City. Check it out at Vh1.com

You probably all heard of The Network, and you probably heard the rumors that they are Green Day, so this isn't new but it's never a bad idea to check it out. This is The Network's website. The Network Home Web Site

Evolution of Billie Joe

punx — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:14:38 CST

Down Loads

whatsername — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:49:20 CST

Thank-you GDA

Song Name

1. Look for Love - Billie Joe
2. Food Around the Corner - Tré

4. Like A Rat Does Cheese
5. Why Does it Always Rain on Me?
6. Life During Wartime
7. I Don't Wanna Know if You Are Lonely
8. Teenage Lobotomy & Blitzkrieg Bop
9. We Are The Champions
10. 1000 Hours - Sweet Children
11. Minnesota Girl
12. Things I Heard Today
13. Billie Joe Interview - 5 years old	-

15. Favorite Son
16. Too Much Too Soon
17. Shoplifter
18. Governator
19. I Fought the Law
20. Ballad of Wilhelm Fink
21. Boulevard of Broken Songs
22. Alison - Billie Joe & Elvis Costello

Billie joe BIo.

whatsername — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:40:55 CST

Big Thanks to Wikipedia, this was all them. (I edited a lot of this.)

Armstrong grew up in Rodeo, California, the youngest of six children. The official name on his birth certificate is "Billie Joe" rather than the more traditional "William Joseph". His father, Andy Armstrong, was a retired Minor League Baseball catcher, who worked as a jazz musician and truck driver to support the family. He died of lung cancer on September 15, 1982 when Billie Joe was ten. His mother Ollie Armstrong worked as a waitress at Rod's Hickory Pit, where Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt worked during their teen years.
Billie Joe's interest in music started at a young age. He recorded a song titled "Look For Love" at the age of 5 on Bay Area label Fiat Records.[1] As a teenager he originally was into metal music, but got into punk after hearing the Sex Pistols song Holidays in the Sun. He attended high school at John Swett High School,later attended Pinole Valley High School, and dropped out on February 16, 1990, the day before he turned 18, to pursue his musical career. He was nicknamed "Two Dollar Bill", because he was supplying the school with joints for two dollars[2], and also played on the football team.

[edit] Musical career

In 1987, Armstrong formed a band called Sweet Children with childhood friend Mike Dirnt. In 1989 they joined up with drummer Al Sobrante and become known as Green Day. That same year they recorded the EP 1,000 Hours, on Lookout! Records. Sobrante eventually left Green Day in order to go to college, and was eventually replaced by Tré Cool, who made his debut on Green Day's second album, Kerplunk!. With their next album, Dookie, the band broke through into the mainstream, and have remained one of the most popular rock bands, (and the most successful punk band[9]), of the 1990's and 2000's with over 85 million records sold worldwide[citation needed].
Apart from working with Green Day, and side-band Pinhead Gunpowder, Armstrong has proved himself busy in the music world, collaborating with many artists over the years. He has co-written for The Go-Gos ("Unforgiven"), former Avengers singer Penelope Houston ("The Angel and The Jerk" and "New Day"), co-wrote a song with Rancid ("Radio"), sung backing vocals with Melissa Auf Der Maur on Ryan Adams' "Do Miss America" and recorded lead guitar with Green Day for two tracks, where they acted as the backing band for Iggy Pop on his "Skull Ring" album ("Private Hell" and "Supermarket"). Armstrong has produced an album for The Riverdales, and is also rumored to be part of a side project, The Network. The Network released an album called Money Money 2020. Many long-time Green Day fans who listened to the record remarked that it sounds just like a Green Day album, also Money Money 2020 was released on Adeline Records, the record label Armstrong co-owns with his wife Adrienne Armstrong.

[edit] Personal life

In 1990 while playing a show in Minnesota, Armstrong met local resident Adrienne Nesser when she went up to him after the show, asking where she could buy a copy of the band's album. The two kept in touch over the phone, and Armstrong arranged two tours around Minnesota, simply for the purpose of seeing her. In 1994 she moved to California, and the two became engaged. They were married two weeks later on July 2, 1994. Because of financial issues, the couple spent a week in the Claremont Hotel for their honeymoon, a 10-minute walk away from their house. The day after the wedding, Adrienne found out she was pregnant with their first son. He has two children; Their first son, Joseph Marciano Armstrong, was born in February 1995[3][4]and Jakob Danger (born September 12, 1998). Green Day played at a college in California and one of them he played King for a Day on a Kazou

[edit] Trivia

In 2003, he was arrested for drunk driving with a blood alcohol level of .18, more than twice the state's legal limit of .08.[5]
Provided the voice for Charlie Manson in the movie Live Freaky! Die Freaky! and sang Mechanical Man for the film. [6]
It may also (or maybe not) be worthwhile knowing that Billie's Birthday is also "National Cabbage Day"[citation needed]
Armstrong is registered as a Libertarian to vote in California.[7]
He can't stand when people chew loudly[citation needed]
His favorite food and drink are Vegetarian Lasagna and Root Beer[citation needed]

[edit] Awards

Esquire's awarded him an "Esky" for Best Front man in the Esky Music Awards in the April 2006 issue.
Kerrang! magazine awarded him the Best Dressed Star and Hero of the Year in 2005
The California Music Awards awarded him Outstanding Male Vocalist in 2001 and 2004
Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards awarded him the best band trophy and best song trophy for Wake Me Up When September Ends in 2005.

[edit] Discography

Bullet In A Bible (Green Day - 2005) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
American Idiot (Green Day - 2004) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
Compulsive Disclosure (Pinhead Gunpowder - 2003) -- Vocals, Guitar
Money Money 2020 (The Network - 2003) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
Shenanigans (Green Day - 2002) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
International Superhits (Green Day - 2001) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
8 Chords, 328 Words EP (Pinhead Gunpowder - 2000) -- Vocals, Guitar
Warning (Green Day - 2000) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
Shoot The Moon EP (Pinhead Gunpowder - 1999) -- Vocals, Guitar
Goodbye Ellston Avenue (Pinhead Gunpowder - 1997) -- Vocals, Guitar
Nimrod (Green Day - 1997) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Carry The Banner (Pinhead Gunpowder - 1995) -- Vocals, Guitar
Jump Salty (Pinhead Gunpowder - 1995) -- Vocals, Guitar
Insomniac (Green Day - 1995) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar
Dookie (Green Day - 1994) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Percussion on "All By Myself"
Fahiza EP (Pinhead Gunpowder - 1992) -- Vocals, Guitar
Kerplunk! (Green Day - 1992) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums on "Dominated Love Slave"
39/Smooth (Green Day - 1990) -- Lead Vocals, Guitar

[edit] Notes

^ http://www.recordmecca.com/view_item.aspx?id=82
^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/billiejoe.php
^ See the Rolling Stone Interview on GDA "Rock's Bad Boy" Billie Joe even said that his son Joey was turning 11 in February and that he was teaching him to play guitar.
^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/articles/rollingstone011206.jpg
^ http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/billiejoemug1.html
^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0197633/
^ http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/billie-joe-armstrong.html

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Billie Joe Armstrong

Green Day.com
Billie Joe Biography, as well as information on his stint in Common Rider
Billie Joe Armstrong at the Internet Movie Database
Green Day Online
Green Day Australia
Billie Joe Armstrong - Friend of Liberty
Billie Joe Armstrong Signature Les Paul Junior
Billie Joe's Mugshot and arrest details after his arrest in 2003 for drunk driving.

Green Day

Billie Joe Armstrong | Mike Dirnt | Tré Cool

Al Sobrante

Discography

Studio EPs: 1,000 Hours (1989) | Slappy (1990) | Sweet Children (1990)

Compilations: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) | International Superhits! (2001) | Shenanigans (2002)

Live Albums/ Live EPs: Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking (1996) | Foot in Mouth (1996) | Tune in Tokyo (2001) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

DVDs: International Supervideos! (2001) | Riding in Vans with Boys (2003) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

Related Articles

Pictures

whatsername — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:38:12 CST

Billie Joe And Green Day Pictures

The definite Green Day.

Videoz (comment if you want me to add some of your picks}

whatsername — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:36:33 CST

Billie STOLE a vehicle! I love him!

Environmental video,
I truly recommend this.

The 1st environmental
video, by green day.
Moving America
Beyond Oil.

This is, good
but i don't know
how this person
knew all this.

This video is
absolutely hysterical.

Gardening tips.
Beware don't
enter his garden!

This is one of
the best diary
like videos.

Nickelodeon! Yes,
Who knows how to spell that!

Billie Joe and
Gwen S.

Great picture
slide show.

Great, lovely speech!
Six AWARDS!!!!

The Network Music Video's

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:20:01 CST

Joe Robot

Supermodel Robots

Green Day Discography

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:12:46 CST

Thank you to greenday.net

1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours
Release Date: April 19, 1991

Track Listing:
1. At the Library
2. Don't Leave Me
3. I Was There
4. Disappearing Boy
5. Green Day
6. Going to Pasalacqua
7. 16
8. Road to Acceptance
9. Rest
10. The Judge's Daughter
11. Paper Lanterns
12. Why Do You Want Him?
13. 409 in Your Coffeemaker
14. Knowledge
15. 1,000 Hours
16. Dry Ice
17. Only Of You
18. The One That I Want
19. I Want to Be Alone Information & Notes:
Released under Lookout! Records. Recorded at Art of Ears Studio, San Francisco. Produced by Andy Ernst and Green Day. All lyrics by Billie Joe, except Knowledge, which is a cover by Operation Ivy. 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is a combination of the vinyl EPs Slappy and 1,000 Hours. This album is the only entire album that features John Kiffmeyer (aka Al Sobrante) on drums. He later quits the band and Tre Cool joins the band.

Kerplunk!
Release Date: January 17, 1992

Track Listing:
1. 2,000 Light Years Away
2. One for the Razorbacks
3. Welcome to Paradise
4. Christie Road
5. Private Ale
6. Dominated Love Slave
7. One of My Lies
8. 80
9. Android
10. No One Knows
11. Who Wrote Holden Caulfield
12. Words I Might Have Ate
13. Sweet Children
14. Best Thing In Town
15. Strangeland
16. My Generation Information & Notes:
Released under Lookout! Records. Recorded in May & September 1991 at Art of Ears Studio, San Francisco. Produced by Andy Ernst and Green Day. All lyrics written by Billie Joe Armstrong, except for My Generation written by Pete Townshend fromr The Who, Dominated Love Slave, written and sung by Tre Cool, and Sweet Children, by Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt. Drums for tracks 13 - 16 by John Kiffmeyer (aka Al Sobrante).

Dookie
Release Date: February 1, 1994

Track Listing:
1. Burnout
2. Having a Blast
3. Chump
4. Longview
5. Welcome to Paradise
6. Pulling Teeth
7. Basket Case
8. She
9. Sassafras Roots
10. When I Come Around
11. Coming Clean
12. Emenius Sleepus
13. In the End
14. F.O.D. (Fuck Off and Die)
15. All by Myself* Information & Notes:
Released by Reprise Records. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day. All lyrics by Billie Joe, except Emenius Sleepus, which was written by Mike. This was Green Day's first major label release. An interesting fact about Dookie is that on the back of the original copies, it showed a crowd holding up a stuffed Ernie doll from Sesame Street. The band had to later reprint Dookie's back minus Ernie because they were threatened with lawsuits. Also some copies of Dookie come with a brown tray for the CD.

*Hidden track at the end of Dookie. To this day, this is the only Green Day album to have a hidden track.

Insomniac
Release Date: October 10, 1995

Track Listing:
1. Armatage Shanks
2. Brat
3. Stuck With Me
4. Geek Stink Breath
5. No Pride
6. Bab's Uvula Who?
7. 86
8. Panic Song
9. Stuart and the Ave
10. Brain Stew
11. Jaded
12. Westbound Sign
13. Tight Wad Hill
14. Walking Contradiction Information & Notes:
Released by Reprise Records. All lyrics by Billie Joe. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day. The artwork for this album is titled "God Told Me To Skin You Alive", by Winston Smith.

nimrod.
Release Date: October 14, 1997

Track Listing:
1. Nice Guys Finish Last
2. Hitchin' a Ride
3. The Grouch
4. Redundant
5. Scattered
6. All the Time
7. Worry Rock
8. Platypus (I Hate You)
9. Uptight
10. Last Ride In (Instrumental)
11. Jinx
12. Haushinka
13. Walking Alone
14. Reject
15. Take Back
16. King for a Day
17. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
18. Prosthetic Head Information & Notes:
Released by Reprise Records. All lyrics by Billie Joe. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.

Warning
Release Date: October 3, 2000

Track Listing:
1. Warning
2. Blood, Sex, and Booze
3. Church on Sunday
4. Fashion Victim
5. Castaway
6. Misery
7. Deadbeat Holiday
8. Hold On
9. Jackass
10. Waiting
11. Minority
12. Macy's Day Parade Information & Notes:
Released by Reprise Records. All lyrics by Billie Joe, except Misery, by Green Day. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day. There is also a limited special edition version, which contains a 52 page color book and a green Warning slipcover.

International Superhits!
Release Date: November 13, 2001

Track Listing:
1. Maria
2. Poprocks & Coke
3. Longview
4. Welcome to Paradise
5. Basketcase
6. When I Come Around
7. She
8. JAR
9. Geek Stink Breath
10 Brain Stew
11. Jaded
12. Walking Contradiction
13. Stuck With Me
14. Hitchin' A Ride
15. Time Of Your Life
16. Redundant
17. Nice Guys Finish Last
18. Minority
19. Warning
20. Waiting
21. Macy's Day Parade Information & Notes:
Released by Reprise Records. All lyrics by Billie Joe. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day. Maria and Poprocks & Coke were the only new singles on the album. A compliation of their videos, International Supervideos!, was also released. The DVD/VHS includes videos from Longview to Waiting.

Shenanigans
Release Date: July 2, 2002

Track Listing:
1. Suffocate
2. Desensitized
3. You Lied
4. Outsider
5. Don't Wanna Fall in Love
6. Espionage (Instrumental)
7. I Wanna Be On TV
8. Scumbag
9. Tired of Waiting
10. Sick of Me
11. Rotting
12. Do Da Da
13. On the Wagon
14. Ha Ha You're Dead Information & Notes:
Released by Reprise Records. All lyrics by Billie Joe except Outsider, which is a Ramones' cover, Ha Ha You're Dead, written by Mike Dirnt, and Scumbag, written by Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe. The song DUI, by Tre Cool was supposed to appear on Shenanigans. The track was scratched, and was said to be planned to be released only on the Japanese verison of Shenanigans. The Japanese verison was released, minus DUI. The CD inlay for the regular Shenanigans has D.U.I. on the inside, but it is spray painted out. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.

View the inside artwork here.

American Idiot
Release Date: September 21, 2004

Track Listing:
1. American Idiot
2. Jesus Of Suburbia
3. Holiday
4. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
5. Are We The Waiting
6. St. Jimmy
7. Give Me Novacaine
8. She's A Rebel
9. Extraordinary Girl
10. Letterbomb
11. Wake Me Up When September Ends
12. Homecoming
13. Whatsername Information & Notes:
This album was released by Reprise Records. Produced by Rob Cavallo and Green Day. There is also a limited special edition verison, which contains a 52 page color book.

Moving Pictures

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:00:15 CST

Tre Cool Quotes

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 08:30:27 CST

"It's not how you pick your nose, it's where you put that booger that counts"

"I wish people would turn off their computers, go outside, talk to people, touch people, lick people, enjoy eachother's company and smell eachother on the rump"

"Lick the goat"

"I never completed high school and I'm very rich and very successful"

"I like Fisher Price music, nursery rhymes and the alphabet song"

"They should legalize pot, do it!! do it!!

"Hey, I framed my crotch for you guys.. diamond dave!! "

"I'm the greatest rock and roll drummer on the planet and you suck"

"We have a thin candy shell, I'm surprised you didn't know that"

"It's better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't

done"

"I have a homosexual crush on most adolescents"

"You gotta play for as many people as you can. It's, like, if someone wants to see you, and they, you know, can't, then that's lame."

"We're charging what we're worth and we don't think we're worth $22.50. We take a lower cut than Pearl Jam."

"We keep our receipts kids"

"It's a good song, toot toot, fuck you. Robert Smith, eat our dust."

Mike Dirnt Quotes

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 08:28:45 CST

"I'll remember 1994 as the year that...ate shit..."

"It's like magic!"

"We used to go out and sell merchandise over our guitar case."

"A lot of shows on that tour had to be cancled because the crowds got too big"

"Then all of a sudden we got intorduced to punk music and it was the coolest fuckin thing"

"You're just mad cuz your in the rain, well, fuck you, i hope it rains so much you all get STUCK!"

"Hey, Bill, check it out, isn't this the wackeist thing you've ever heard?" (about Longview when Billie first wrote it)

"Green Day is just like sex, when were good, were really good, and when were bad... were still pretty damn good."

"All my religious beliefs are based on Star Wars."

"I told Billie, 'Let's just take it as far as we can. Eventually we'll lose all the money and everything else, anyway. Let's just make sure we have one great big story at the end.' I think we will. In some ways we already do."

"Looks like dookie from here."

"If you wanted to hear music in our town, you had to play it."

"The one thing my family gave me is blue collar morals."

"You guys got tickets?" (Outside The Rave in Milkakee, talking to some idiots)

"I think I broke my nose." (from MTV's Live From the Ten Spot when he hit himself with his guitar)

"Dogs will take over the world, its a known fact."

"Stop throwing shit or I'll jump in there and beat your ass." (in San Deigo, yelling at Mark Hoppus of Blink 182)

"Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one."

"Are you down with JC that's the question."

Billie Joe Quotes

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 08:23:57 CST

Thank-you to Vital Signs the Billie Joe Armstrong Fanlisting

Music

"I always write, but this time I kept writing. It's like cleaning your kitchen every day."
"Honesty is the best part of any art form. If you don't have that, your kidding yourself and your listener." [About Brain Stew] "With that song I always think of how the guitar comes in. That 'dah dahn'."
"Mike wrote 'Longview' sitting on the floor, on LSD."
"Rock bands are such pussies, you know? I honestly think that people are looking for something that's more than just a piece of shit."
"Rock Music is about rebellion. It's supposed to be dangerous, and that's the side we choose. We're not looking to make everyone happy." "Punk sometimes has this defeatist attitude where you can't expand. I look at a band like U2 that started out more or less as a punk band but kept expanding and wound up being one of the biggest bands in the world. And I think it's okay to want that.''
"I think that Pansy Division is the kind of band that saves people's lives," says Armstrong. "They're catchy, and they're really educational. They're honest about their sexuality and that saves lives."
"We've seen a lot of genres come and go since 'Dookie,'" he explains. "There has been hip-hop metal and the Warped tour generation and emo. We just went straight through it. We would play festivals over the years and we'd be lower on the bill than some bands who were the flavor of the moment. But we just always wanted one thing - to be the best band up there."
"Rock 'n' roll can be dangerous and fun at the same time."
"Sometimes I think we've become totally redundant because we're this big band now, we've made a lot of money - we're not punk rock any more. But then I think about it and just say, 'You can take us out of out a punk rock environment, but you can't take the punk rock out of us.' When we started it was a proven fact that punk could not get popular. So we never played punk rock to get famous."
"You know if journalists ask you again and again the same questions about the same bands, then you'll end up saying that you hate them – even if you don't – just because you're so fed up with being asked all those stupid questions. People just take it too seriously."
"Punk is not just the sound, the music. Punk is a life-style. There are a lot of bands around who claim to be punk and they only play the music, they have no clue what it's all about. It's a life-style I chose for myself. It's not about popularity and all that crap. When we started out as a band, we played punk rock, the music. [Then] we changed our sound, but we didn't change. We're just as much punk as we used to be. We got a lot of shit, and we're still getting it, for being signed with a major label. So what? We didn't start the band to cash in a lot of money. When we started out, punk was probably the most unpopular music around."
"What annoys the hell out of me is the arrogance of some people. They don't even listen to our music, they decided in advance that they don't like it. You know even before we finished the album, before anybody ever heard just one track, some people had decided that it will suck. I don't give a shit about them. If they can't appreciate good music, it's their own fault."
"We're not into that whole ska scene. Operation Ivy is the only ultimate ska-punk band out there. They're the real thing. To listen to another band would be like... like... yeah like preferring an Oasis album over a Beatles album."
"I write better when I am stoned."

Family

[Asked if Adrienne gets mad when he gets naked] "Yeah, she sometimes gets mad. She's quite territorial about me in that way, and I'm the same with her." "I know what it's like being a kid. Being a kid fucking sucks. The last thing I want for Joey is for him to be known as my son. I'd rather keep the magazines and the fame away from him. Which will be impossible, but I think it's really important for him to develop his own identity. Let him make his own mistakes. I'd rather be the station wagon kind of parent, you know, like going to Wally World. I just want to be a normal dad." "Being a parent is the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my whole life. I'm totally self-conscious all the time, making sure I don't scream in front of Joey, trying to keep some sort of comfortable atmosphere for him. I'm not used to that. I'm usually like 'arrrgghh!'" "I'm trying to keep up my end of the bargain," says Armstrong. "It takes two, you know, a mom and a dad. Adrienne's an amazing mom. Mothers have got the worst jobs in the whole world. And I never realized that until I had a kid. I don't care what you do, or what job you complain about. Try to be a mother. You won't last a fucking day." "I'm the epitome of a latchkey kid," says Armstrong, the youngest of six children. "By the time my mom, who had me when she was 40, got around to raising me, she was like, 'You do what you want, I'm sick of being strict all the time.'" "One thing I want to teach my son is sensitivity to other people. I want to teach him not to be this macho freak." "Only a few days before he drew his last breath, he gave me my first guitar. He gave it a name - Blue - because it was a blue fender Stratocaster copy. It ended up battered, covered in duct tape and stickers, because I played it so much. It's become my trademark and I still use replicas on stage and in videos. My dad wouldn't have believed where that first guitar has lead. We're just a fuck-all, know-nothing band from California. He'd have shaken his head in disbelief." "My dad wouldn't have believed where that first guitar has lead. We're just a fuck-all, know-nothing band from California. He'd have shaken his head in disbelief." "Adrienne is the only woman I will ever love. If anything, anything at all would ever happen to her, I'd die of a broken heart, or better yet, kill myself so I could be with her." "I am not really into groupies as I have a wonderful wife to keep me company." "I'm a father now. I have a certain responsibility. It isn't just my life anymore. I don't want my kid finding bottles in the house or seeing his father completely smashed. I don't want him to get the impression that his father is a drunk, a bum. Having children is a big responsibility and I don't want to make a mess out of it. I don't want my son thinking that I care more for booze than I care for him. If you have children, you don't want to have drugs and drinks in the house. You know they might reach it. It's just not good." Humor

"The first time I ever saw him play, Tre Cool was wearing a tutu and an old-womans swimming cap." "We've made a lot of people feel good about the fact that they're lonely, loser geeks." "Nothing beats a good riot." "There are nice guys trying to be assholes and assholes trying to be nice guys. I am an asshole tying to be a nice guy." "Never run in the rain with your socks on." [Asked: If he's a romantic regarding a line in Church On Sunday] "What? Please! No... Man, I'm hard! I listen to Limp Bizkit man, gimme something to break!" "Throw mud at each other... See how many stupid things you can do to each other all at one time." "I thought it all up in my head. God, I know. Genius, right?" "I want someone to rob a bank in the name of Green Day. I want them to make masks of our faces and rob a fucking bank." "I'm new school with an old flavor in a new time in an old period of place." "I kind of became everyone's weird uncle. I was drunk all the time, wearing a fucking leopard g-string." "With the video for Boulevard of Broken Dreams we were going for something a bit like Ladykillers, you know? Pretty and demented at the same time...like me!" "What do you mean we walked around dressed like girls? They were our own clothes, they just happened to be dresses..." [Asked: What's one of the secrets to keeping the band together?] "Circle massage... we like to massage each other." [On participating on Tony Hawk video game] "For somebody who doesn't know how to skateboard, I'm going to be ripping it up." [2005 VMAs] "We met Mr. Scrappy, we saw the boys in Good Charlotte — we've seen a lot of gold teeth." "My name is George W. Bush." [boos] "My name is asshole." [cheers] "You know the Rolling Stones...Well, we're a little bit better than them. They were here in Toronto practicing. We were there. Keith Richards, who's at least 60, had the biggest joint I've ever seen. Of course, I smoked it!" "How old are you?" Fan: "18." Have you ever been laid?" [fan is speechless] "Well, you're gonna get laid tonight!" "If I'm into something I have to make sure it gets done. If I do drugs, I make sure that pile of fucking speed is done before the night is over." "We have fun onstage. I'm not going to be this fucking melodramatic smashing pumpkins moron." "[Our 'Waiting' video] was totally a failure. [MTV] doesn't show any videos anymore. If we had a booty video - if we had, like, McG, with girls shaking their ass in the video -- it would probably get played. Actually, I am just really bitter right now." "Yeah fuck me! I wish all of you could fuck me." "You want a drumstick? Like a ice cream cone or a chicken wing?" "My mom's got a cute ass! Total MILF." "Do you have a problem? I have a gun. I'll shoot you. No more problem." "If you can actually remember a good prank, then it never happened." "A guy walks up to me and asks 'What's Punk?'. So I kick over a garbage can and say 'That's punk!'. So he kicks over the garbage can and says 'That's Punk?', and I say 'No that's trendy!" "I sound like an Englishman impersonating an American impersonating an Englishman." "I'm not gonna say anything inspirational; I'm just gonna fucking swear a lot." "There's nothing wrong with being a loser, it just depends on how good you are at it." "We put the fun back in dysfunctional." "Punk rock is dead...and I fucking killed it." "School is practice for the future, and practice makes perfect, and nobodies perfect, so why practice?" "You say it to my face, you might be pickin' yourself off the ground." "When someone is in a car accident and they're driving at 100 mph, drunk, who's tape do you think he's listening to at that time? Think about it." "Just about 99% of the population masturbates while the other 1%, lie about it." "What? You can heckle me if you want, it's okay I won't understand!" (at a foreign concert) "A lot of people, when they talk to me, I can't wait for them to shut up. Like, shut up. You're a moron. I have nothing to say, you know?" "Well, you know, I look at myself in the morning and yes, yeah I-I am a God." Sports (i no i thought the same thing...)

"I would definitely say the Oakland Raiders are the punk rock band of football. I don't think there's an NFL player that honestly couldn't say I would look really good wearing silver and black. Even when Jerry Rice came over, he just looked good. There was a sense of pride about him. It was like, 'Fuck yeah, I'm wearing the silver and black'." "My Dad would take me to see the A's play and I remember watching the last Super Bowl that Oakland was in before it went down to Los Angeles. The Raiders played the Eagles and I remember Kenny King scoring a long touchdown down the sideline. We grew up in the East Bay so there were 49ers fans and Raiders fans. All the tough guys in school wore Raiders hats. All the 49ers fans got beat up the Raiders fans when I was in high school." "The next night we played in Worcester, put on Red Sox hats and played We Are the Champions. That was probably the smartest thing I've ever done." "I ended up scoring the only touchdown pass the last game of the season. The lowlight was the first kickoff of the season. I received it. All of a sudden these monsters were running after me. I remember running down the sideline and getting past all these guys. I was just running for the fear of God. All of a sudden I was on the opposing team's sideline and I got blasted. I looked up and it was the fucking kicker. That set the tone for the entire season. Me running out for passes and getting blasted by free safeties." "I started getting into punk rock music. I started to hate the jocks. Blah. Blah. Blah. My brother David was a great athlete and I knew there was no way I could live up to that. I knew I could play guitar. I started getting into music and my grades got really bad." "Sometimes I think the steriod use gets sort of out of hand. It's steroids, it sucks, guys injecting themselves. At the same time I feel the media blows it out of proportion too. And I think people then lose interest because they can't find anything honest in sport. For kids, instead of trying to keep it under raps to a certain degree, this is what they hear. That baseball players and NFL players are all fucking junkies. It just gets blasted out of proportion and the kids don't find any positive things going on. No wonder the Oakland A's can't pack the Coliseum." "I took my kid to see his first baseball game at SBC Park and I went to see the Rolling Stones there and a couple of years later. Now here I am to do my own headline show. Amazing." "The thing I love about is that the athletes nowadays are such amazing physical specimens. The things that people do now in sports, you can't even believe. These are complete total athletes. To see what human beings can do in the highest level is amazing." "It's the way that athletes go from team to team all the time regardless if it's the money. I like the fact that you know Brett Favre will retire a Green Bay Packer. I like the fact that he's a franchise player. I think there's that sort of loyalty. You look at Favre and he has that loyalty to his team no matter what. The lack of loyalty, whether it comes from the owners or players, that's the part that bums you out." Enviorment Chipping in when tsunami-force tragedies strike? "For us, it just seemed like a no-brainer, a knee-jerk reaction — as soon as it happened, we were like, 'Well, we should do something.' "Every once in a while, more frequently now that global warming is heating up, the Earth makes clear who's really in charge. Especially the ocean. Even seeing my kids out in the water, wherever we're at — it's like here's this tiny little speck of human life and this giant, enormous ocean. I mean, not even a gun can puncture something like that." "There were a lot of political people there, and the environment was one of the issues that people talked about. Especially coming from such a highly polluted area, in Rodeo — it's a refinery town, and we ended up getting sent home from school because kids were having headaches and nobody could understand why. When, of course, 200 yards away from the elementary school that I went to was the biggest refinery in America." "The older that this generation of kids gets, they're thinking up more and more ways for kids to be indoors and away from anything outside, so a lot of these industries can cause damage to the environment. Look how many kinds of television stations are just applied to kids, that are advertised to kids right now. The distraction is starting so kids won't have the chance to judge for themselves what's going on in the environment." "There's a lot of kids who are getting into our band for the first time, so we're bringing out somebody like Greenpeace or Amnesty International to show what these injustices are. I mean, when we're creating a giant hole in the ozone layer, we are the product of our own demise." "To share an organization like USA Harvest, which is basically a canned-food drive ... it's not a big deal, it's very easy. ... Then it comes down to daily things that you do, whether it's composting or recycling or driving low-emission vehicles. I mean I still haven't given up hope that ... that someone out there will have a heart, you know?"

Politics (for a guy who hates 'em, he knows a lot about 'em)

"All I gotta say is like if you put every single army and all their weapons together in like one space outside the US, the US army and the US military service, ten times the amount of what's going on in the rest of the world combined. So if you don't wanna join the army, you don't have to." "We dont really have a fair system. Our social system doesn't work if you're poor in the US; you're dirt poor and the distribution of wealth is more than uneven. If you're poor and you get sick you have no health insurance, no financial sucurity, nothing. If that could be changed I wouldn't mind paying more tax, but I mind my taxes being spent on wars." "We never said anything that wasn't the truth. We've always just spoken from our heart and our gut instinct. And what anyone with half a brain can understand is that this country's made up of a lot of different opinions, and that's what the country is based on. Mine just happens to be very much to the left." "It's more of a discussion. It's not about whether who's right or wrong, it's about taking in the information and finding your own individual opinion. It's our opinion, and I think that's a very American thing to do." [Dallas, TX Show] "This is not a red state, and this is not a blue state. This is a Green Day state.” "You watch a journalist embedded in Iraq, and then switch the channel and see an ad for Viagra, and you end up confused. It's hard not to feel duped." "People are starting to see that it's not what they were led to believe. So I think now in the popular culture, people are starting to get the guts to come out and declare that they oppose this war." "If you're going to stop terrorism, you don't attack countries. You keep them from going into poverty and famine and then you relieve them of debt." "You don't look at yourself as the greatest country in the world, but the greatest asset to the world. That's how you build a stronger country here and stronger allies, instead of people that have no respect for Western culture." "You're the fucking leaders, you have the power. Don't let these bastards dictate the rest of the world, or dictate your own fucking life!" "It's scary anytime you start to throw your opinion around a little bit at the end of the day. So many are afraid to talk about politics, but that's sort of the time that we're in right now." "We have a president whose only purpose is to make himself and his friends richer." "I think the little Bush is a bit stupid and more or less the puppet of his old man." "It's a team of culprits," Armstrong says of the album's targets. But in conversation he singles out President Bush. "I find him more a threat to the western world than Saddam Hussein." "My main problem with a lot of the other artists that are talking about politics is that they aren't declaring themselves as opposite to what they see. They're the equivalent of moderate candidates." "Well, it's a culture war, and the country's divided, and there's a lot of confusion. And to be a kid growing up nowadays is pretty scary, because there are a lot of different things pulling you. And this war that's going on in Iraq that's basically to build a pipeline and put up a fucking Wal-Mart. It's a lot of information, and it's not only confusing for my kids, it's confusing for adults, too. Everybody just sort of feels like they don't know where their future is heading right now, you know?" "We pride ourselves on being a band that's connected to politics, or helping out in any way that we can as far as people who are less fortunate than us." "George Bush is more of a threat to the world than Saddam Hussein ever was," "I don't know, but I had an idea. I think how America votes on 'American Idol,' the next presidential election they should vote in the same way and have a massive TV show that's once a week that keeps you updated. ... The new way of voting. Screw singers. Let's go for the politicians this time." Personal "I believe in individuality, being yourself, and to hell with what anybody else thinks about you." "The older I get, the more I try to make my anger have a direction instead of just sort of wallowing in it." [On being a sex symbol] ''It's weird. I mean, I consider myself kind of an ugly guy.'' "When I was a little kid doing air guitar to my favourite records, I never thought I'd be doing it with an actual guitar in font of 60,000 people." "I write a lot about being a loser because I was conditioned to think that way." "All problems are all the same essentially, they're just packaged differently the older that you get." "My job description is that I'm a rock star. And I'm good at it." [On sexual preference] "I really don't think you have to tell anybody about that. It's only sexuality, it doesn't have a lot to do with you as a person. I've never had to tell my mother about what I am. She's seen me kiss other guys and I'm married so I don't know what I would classify myself as...human? I garuntee everybody fantasizes about the same sex. It's only human." [On the band's near breakup] "It was stuff like Tre telling me 'Welcome to Paradise' was a shitty song, and me getting pissed when they made fun of me." "I may be immature, but I am responsible." "I think I've always been bisexual." "I'm not really educated enough to write about AIDS, but I could certainly write about losing someone who's close to me. I'm more the type of person who would write about how ignorant and stupid people are about something like AIDS." "I fucking hate college students, to tell you the truth, because they've been able to go to school, get an education, live in the dorms, and get a free ride from their parents. I'm also envious, because I never had that opportunity to learn. I wrote a song on the new album called 'Brat' about waiting for your parents to die so you can get your inheritance. Which my son will probably be singing one day himself." "The fucked-up thing about being famous and having money is that if you complain about something, people are like, 'What the fuck are you complaining about? You don't have to work a real job. You don't have to worry about money, or a place to live.' I feel like I don't have anyone to vent my frustrations to because they won't understand." "Take Armatage Shanks, for example. When I wrote that song, it was right before Dookie came out, and I was really at odds with myself. I was like, man, do I really want to do this? A lot of the time I was thinking about suicide, how it's so easy to kill yourself, but so hard to stay alive. I was in a break-up with my then-girlfriend, a total, raving punk rocker who didn't approve of me being on a major label. She moved down to Ecuador, saying she couldn't live in a world with McDonald's and such. It was fucking me up pretty bad." I think we're actually a very friendly band. How many other bands stop shows if they see a kid falling in the pit? A lot of bands don't care about that. I want everybody to have a good time at a concert. I don't want anybody getting hurt. That's punk, playing a show, having a party, having a good time. "School for me, was holding me back from what I really wanted to do. I wanted to be in a band and I wanted to be a punk." "I never thought that being obnoxious would get me where I am now." "I hate celebrities. I really hate them." "I actually have less friends now than I ever had."

Touring

"This shit's boring. People don't realize how boring it can be on the road. They expect to see mounds of cocaine or something."

Unsorted

[When asked in 1992 where they would be in 3 years] "I’m going to point a gun at Tre. Tre is going to point a gun at Mike. Mike is going to point a gun at me." (Mike: "We’re going to count to 3 and pull the trigger.") [On Green Day slash fanfiction] "Tre reads the dirty ones. I've read a few. It's flattering and sort of weird at the same time. I don't really know what to think about young girls thinking about old men like that. But the ones I have read were very well-written and as long as kids these days are still being creative and writing, then I think it's cool." "Stand up in the back row! This is not television, this is a fucking rock ’n’ roll show!" [Regarding the 2005 VMAs] "I have to be prepared to be a gracious loser. I probably have more experience as the gracious loser than I do as the winner." "Success isn't a destination, it's a journey."

The Network BIo.

punx — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 06:54:17 CST

The Network

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, thank-you wikipedia

Jump to: navigation, search

The NetworkCountry Years active Genres Labels


USA
2003 – present
New Wave, Electronica
Adeline Records Reprise Records

The Network is a 6-piece New Wave band and a side-project of the band Green Day. They released their debut album Money Money 2020 on the independent record label Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. A re-release of the album, with two bonus tracks, followed in 2004.

[hide]

[edit] Members

The only confirmed members of the band are Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool [1][2][3], all of whom are most famous for their work as the band Green Day. The stage names of The Network are Fink, The Snoo, Van Gough, Captain Underpants, Z. and Balducci.
Armstrong denies the involvement of any Green Day members in The Network. Although the style of music is different (New Wave as opposed to Green Day's punk-rock style), Armstrong's voice can be unmistakably made out on several Money Money 2020 tracks. In a recorded statement at the Green Day website, Armstrong says "I just wanted to talk about the rumours and the bullshit that has been going on lately. All I gotta say is fuck The Network. These guys are totally spreading rumours. I try to do those guys a favor by bringing them to this country and putting out their record and this is how I get repaid, by talking shit about my band. Unfortunately there is a contract and I have to put out their record. The only thing I can say is "fuck you Network, bring it on".
Warner/Chapell Music accidentally proved[4] that members of Green Day are involved in The Network by citing the three Green Day members as having writing credits to the The Network's song "Roshambo".

[edit] Instruments

Billie Joe Armstrong (Fink) - Vocals/Guitar
Mike Dirnt (Van Gough) - Vocals/Bass Guitar
Tre Cool (The Snoo) - Drums
Z - Keyboards
Captain Underpants - Keytar
Balducci - Guitar

[edit] Identities

Still unknown about The Network is which stage name goes with which musician. The following information may or may not link the members of Green Day to certain stage names in the band.

Fink - Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has written songs for Pinhead Gunpowder under the alias "Wilhelm Fink"[5]. Fink of The Network and Armstrong are also both born under the same astrological sign: Aquarius [6]. The official Network Web site also claims that Fink financed the band, when in actuality this was done by Armstrong. Another coincidence is that in the song "Spike" the character Branden moved into a warehouse in Oakland. It is well known that Bilie Joe used to live in a warehouse in Oakland with several other punk rock band members.

Captain Underpants - Green Day drummer Tré Cool went by King Underpants in the band The Lookouts [7]. However, Cool is most famous for being Green Day's percussionist, though he can also play guitar. Captain Underpants does not play percussion for The Network.

Van Gough - The bassist for The Network ("Van Gough") and the bassist for Green Day (Mike Dirnt) are both vegetarians[8].
The Snoo - Obviously Tre Cool in several pictures[9]. Also note that their first and last names each have the same number of letters.

There is a great deal of speculation as to the identities of the other members in the band. The two other members of the band could be Reto Peter (suggested to be Captain Underpants), a Swiss producer, and Chris Dugan (suggested to be Z), a sound engineer. This is supported by an obviously faked press conference seen at the end of the DVD Disease is Punishment where questions by the press are answered in Swiss German by one of the band members. Reto Peter is also the co-producer of Money Money 2020 and one of its songs is called "Reto". Chris Dugan is the sound engineer for Money Money 2020 and the mixer for Disease is Punishment. He is also credited with the production of a Green Day B Side "Governator". From what we can see under his mask, Balducci looks quite similar to Jason White, Green Day's touring back-up guitarist. Balducci even fills that duty in the Network, and is seen on stage in a similar stance to White's when he plays guitar. It has also been rumored that at least one member of Devo is a member of the Network.
The Network's manager, Dr. Svengali, is the director of Disease is Punishment, John Roecker. Dr. Svengali and the band claim that they are all members of the Church of Lushotology, which believes in "total intoxication".

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Money Money 2020 (September 30, 2003)

[edit] DVD

Disease is Punishment (November 9, 2004)

[edit] Album Re-release

Money Money 2020 was re-mastered and re-released by Reprise Records on November 9, 2004, with two additional tracks, "Hammer of the Gods" and a cover of the Misfits "Teenagers From Mars" which can also be heard on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. The original Money Money 2020 release came with a companion DVD with music videos directed and produced by Roy Miles of AntiDivision.

[edit] External links

Green Day

Billie Joe Armstrong | Mike Dirnt | Tré Cool

Jason White | Jason Freese | Ronnie Blake | Al Sobrante

Discography

Studio EPs: 1,000 Hours (1989) | Slappy (1990) | Sweet Children (1990)

Compilations: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) | International Superhits! (2001) | Shenanigans (2002)

Live Albums/ Live EPs: Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking (1996) | Foot in Mouth (1996) | Tune in Tokyo (2001) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

DVDs: International Supervideos! (2001) | Riding in Vans with Boys (2003) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

Music Video's

punx — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:24:23 CST

The Saints are Coming.

Wake Me Up When
September Ends.

The Saints Are Coming.

LIVE

Wake me up
When September
Ends.

sorry about the big gap.

Blvd. Of
Broken Dreams

Basket Case

Walking
Contradiction

Minority

Holiday

American Idiot.

Links

punx — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 07:57:06 CST

For an awesome Billie Joe Biography - here

For an awesome Tre Cool Biography - here

For an awesome Mike Dirnt Biography - here

For an awesome Green Day Discography - here

For an awesome The Network Website - here

For an awesome Green Day Website - here - here

Tre Cool BIo.

punx — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 07:45:54 CST

Tré Cool

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Tre Cool)

Jump to: navigation, search

Tré CoolCountry Genres Labels

United States
Punk rock, Punk pop, Alternative Rock
Reprise Records (1993-present) Lookout! Records (1990-1994)

Tré Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright III, December 9, 1972, in Frankfurt, Germany) is the drummer of the pop punk band Green Day. He replaced the band's former drummer Al Sobrante.

[hide]

[edit] Biography

Frank Edwin Wright III was born December 9, 1972 in Frankfurt, Germany, making him the youngest member of Green Day. Tré is 5.7 ft . He lived in Laytonville, California with his dad and his 2 older siblings. His dad, a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, decided the move the family there to insulate them upon his return to the United States. Tré's closest neighbor was future Lookout! Records owner Lawrence Livermore, who at the time was the singer of the punk band The Lookouts. At age 12, Livermore recruited Wright to join The Lookouts, and gave him the name of Tré Cool (a misspelling of 'Tres Cool', or approximately "Very Cool" in French). When Green Day's drummer Al Sobrante left the band they recruited Tré to play drums. Tré decided to drop out of high school his sophmore year. However, he passed an equivalency test and earned his GED, and began taking classes at a nearby community college. He had to drop out of college however, when the demands of Green Day's touring intensified. Tré's father, who owned a small trucking company, overhauled a used bookmobile, and even served as the driver on three separate tours. "I watched them go from a bunch of kids to a group of musicians with work ethic," says Tré's father, Frank Wright II. "On their first tour or two, it was more of a party than anything else. I still scratch my head and say, 'How in the hell did they make it?' They used to practice in my living room here -- a lot of the songs they did on Dookie. You hear it coming together, and you don't expect people are going to go out and buy it. But when it does, you just say, 'Wow, that's so cool.'" (Rolling Stone, January 26, 1995)
Tré had a daughter named Ramona in January of 1995, and married his long-time girlfriend Lisea Lyons in March. He and Lisea are now divorced, but Tré remarried in May of 2000, to Claudia. Claudia and him have a son named Frankito, which means "Little Frank". Tré and Claudia divorced in 2003. Recently, Tré has been linked to Donna C., drummer of The Donnas. However they are no longer together.

[edit] Drumming Equipment

In the earlier years of Green Day, Tré used a DW drum kit. Since the album Warning, Tré has got his own signature Slingerland drum kit, called the "Spitfire". However, on the American Idiot tour, Tré parted ways with his Slingerland kit, and now uses a Ludwig-Musser Classic Maple kit with a Shadow Purple paintjob. He says. He uses Zildjian cymbals and Danmar products. According to an interview with Drum Magazine, his most prized and "still go-to" snare is a Noble & Cooley which he purchased for $600 before making Dookie
His current drum kit is as follows:
Drums:

22"x18" bass drum
14"x6.5" Ludwig Black Beauty Brass Super Sensitive snare
14"x11" rack tom
16"x16" floor tom
18"x16" floor tom
A tambourine

Cymbals (From left to right):

Zildjian K/Z 14" Special Hi-hat (K Hi-hat on top, Z Custom Dyno Beat on the bottom)
Zildjian K 19" Dark Medium Thin Crash
Zildjian A 19" Medium Thin Crash
Zildjian A 22" Ping Ride
Zildjian K 20" Crash/Ride (centre right)
Zildjian FX 20" Oriental Classic China

Drumheads:

Snare: REMO Coated Emperor X (Batter), REMO Ambassador Snare Side Hazy (Resonant)
Toms: REMO Coated Emperors (Batter), REMO Clear Ambassadors (Resonant)
Bass drum: REMO Powerstroke 3 with a REMO Falam Slam Pad (back), Ebony Powerstroke 3 drum head with the American Idiot logo (front)

Drumsticks: Zildjian Tré Cool Artist Series
Hardware: DW

[edit] Singing

Tré sings and plays guitar on the tracks "Dominated Love Slave" and "All by Myself", from Kerplunk! and Dookie, respectively. He wrote the subtrack "Rock and Roll Girlfriend" from the medley, "Homecoming," featured on the album American Idiot. He also sang and composed the track "DUI" ("Driving Under the Influence"), which was recorded during the nimrod. sessions, and was due to be released on Shenanigans (a compilation of B-sides), but was inexplicably omitted.
During a radio interview at Washington DC's alternative station DC 101, Tré sang and played the guitar to a short song titled "Like a Rat does Cheese", a song about the pleasure of fellatio.
Several live tracks also exist, usually from early dates around 1993, such as "Food Around the Corner", a song from the 1943 Elmer Fudd cartoon "An Itch in Time".

[edit] Trivia

Appeared in an episode of King of the Hill. [1]
Supports the legalisation of marijuana.[2]
Tré Cool is the godfather of both Billie Joe Armstrong's children. [citation needed]

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Tré Cool

Green Day

Billie Joe Armstrong | Mike Dirnt | Tré Cool

Jason White | Jason Freese | Ronnie Blake | Al Sobrante

Discography

Studio EPs: 1,000 Hours (1989) | Slappy (1990) | Sweet Children (1990)

Compilations: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) | International Superhits! (2001) | Shenanigans (2002)

Live Albums/ Live EPs: Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking (1996) | Foot in Mouth (1996) | Tune in Tokyo (2001) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

DVDs: International Supervideos! (2001) | Riding in Vans with Boys (2003) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

Related Articles

Mike Dirnt BIo.

punx — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 07:42:18 CST

Mike Dirnt

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Mike DirntBackground information

Birth name	Michael Ryan Pritchard
Also known as	Mike Dirnt
Born	May 4, 1972 (age 34) Rodeo, California, USA
Genre(s)	Punk rock, Punk pop, Alternative Rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Bass guitar
Years active	1989 - Present
Label(s)	Reprise Records Lookout! Records
Associated acts	Green Day, The Frustrators

Mike Dirnt (born Michael Ryan Pritchard on May 4th, 1972, in Rodeo, California) is the bassist and backing vocalist for the band Green Day. While at school, he would pretend to play the bass when unable to practice, making a noise of someone playing single notes (dirnt, dirnt, dirnt), resulting in the onomatopoeia that he later adopted as his stage name, Mike Dirnt.

[hide]

[edit] Biography

Dirnt was born to a heroin-addicted teenage mother, who soon gave him up for adoption at 6 weeks old. He was adopted by a Native American mother and a Caucasian father. He has one step-sister, Myla, who left home at 13. Soon after Dirnt's 7th birthday, his adoptive parents divorced, leaving him torn between his father, a prosperous computer programmer, and his struggling mother. "I grew up with my mom hating the white man and loving me," he has said. His mother later remarried. "When I was in fourth or fifth grade, my mom stayed out all night, came home the next day with a guy, and then he moved in. I'd never met the guy, and suddenly he's my step-dad." When asked about his stepdad, he says, "We didn't get along for years."
"Later on," Dirnt continues, "my mom moved away and my stepdad and I got real close. He instilled a lot in me. The one thing my family did give me is blue collar morals. But he died when I was 17." Mike had left home at 15 to live out of his truck, but later rented a space over Billie Joe Armstrong's garage. He attended John Swett High School, switched schools, and ended up graduating from Pinole Valley High School in 1990, and Green Day went on their first tour the day after graduation.
However, Dirnt almost didn't graduate. He had missed school because of work, and his mother wasn't around to sign absentee forms. Two unexcused absences caused him to lose a full grade point; and at the end of senior year, he had lowly results instead of the grades he'd worked to achieve. "I took my mom aside and I said to her, 'This is how it is. You have so much crap going on in your life, so if once every semester you ask me if I've done my homework and jump all over my case, that's not right. I haven't failed yet, have I? And I'm going to graduate if you stay off my back. The one time in your life you choose to have morals, and it' going to mess me up. Don't play mom once a year. It doesn't cut it.'"
Dirnt met Billie Joe Armstrong in 1982, in the Rodeo Elementary School cafeteria, a few months before Armstrong's father died. He first founded Sweet Children with Armstrong in 1988, then Green Day with Armstrong and former Isocracy drummer Al Sobrante in 1989. Some years before, Dirnt moved in with Armstrong because his adoptive mother and step-sister moved away from Rodeo. Dirnt did not want to move away from his new-found best friend and love for music.
Green Day's Woodstock '94 gig was one for the history books: a huge mud fight ensued between the band and the audience. So many mud-covered fans got up on stage by the end of the set that one of the security guards mistook Dirnt for a marauding fan, tackled him, and broke several of his teeth while attempting to haul him off the stage.
He used to play an old Gibson G-3 bass, but during nimrod., Tre Cool accidentally broke it onstage. Armstrong then sent Mike's bass tech out to get him a new bass. It resulted in a '66 Fender Precision Bass. He also learned to play guitar and drums. He later asked Fender to make him a custom P-Bass, and the result is modeled after the '51 P-Bass with a '59 Custom Shop "Hot Rod" Single Coil Pickup, a BadAss II bridge and a thinner neck. It was released in early 2004.
Dirnt is also bassist in another band called The Frustrators. He was the bassist for Chicago punk band (and Lookout Records labelmates) Screeching Weasel on the album How to Make Enemies and Irritate People and also appeared as a guest vocalist on the debut album by Squirtgun (yet another Lookout Records recording artist).
While growing up, Mike sometimes worked as a chef to raise money for the band and himself. He now is the co-owner of Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, located in Emeryville, CA. [1]

[edit] Trivia

He wrote the bassline for "Longview" while he was high on acid and forgot it the next day. [citation needed]
Mike took the picture of himself in the nimrod. booklet.
Mike was born with a heart problem and sometimes has panic attacks.
"Pulling Teeth" is a song about Mike and his wife before they got married, getting into a pillow fight and Mike ran around a corner, hit a lower ceiling beam and fell back breaking both his elbows. He had 6 stitches on his head.
Mike has written quite a few of Green Day's songs, including "Emenius Sleepus", "J.A.R.", "Governator", "Panic Song", "Ha Ha You're Dead" and "Nobody Likes You" from the medley "Homecoming", which appeared in their 2004 album American Idiot.

[edit] See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Mike Dirnt

[edit] References

Fender Australia: Mike Dirnt Precision Bass
Metal Hammer Green Day Collectors Issue

Green Day

Billie Joe Armstrong | Mike Dirnt | Tré Cool

Jason White | Jason Freese | Ronnie Blake | Al Sobrante

Discography

Studio EPs: 1,000 Hours (1989) | Slappy (1990) | Sweet Children (1990)

Compilations: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) | International Superhits! (2001) | Shenanigans (2002)

Live Albums/ Live EPs: Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking (1996) | Foot in Mouth (1996) | Tune in Tokyo (2001) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

DVDs: International Supervideos! (2001) | Riding in Vans with Boys (2003) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

Related Articles

Green Day BIo.

punx — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:49:10 CST

Big Thanks to Wikipedia, this was all them.

Green Day is an American rock band consisting of three core members: Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, lead vocals), Mike Dirnt (bass) and Tré Cool (drums). Their backup members are Jason White (guitar), Jason Freese (keyboards, saxophone, trombone), and Ronnie Blake (trumpet).
Green Day was originally part of the punk rock scene at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. Their early releases for independent label Lookout! Records earned them a grassroots fanbase, some of whom felt alienated when the band signed to a major label. Nevertheless, their major label debut Dookie became a breakout success in 1994 and eventually sold 20 million copies worldwide. As a result, Green Day was widely credited, along with fellow California punk bands The Offspring and Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk rock in the United States.[1][2] Green Day's immediate follow-up albums didn't achieve the massive success of Dookie, but they were still successful. Their 2004 "punk rock opera" American Idiot reignited the band's popularity, selling 15 million copies worldwide.[3]
The band has sold over 50 million records worldwide,[4] Their success has influenced prominent pop punk bands such as Sum 41 and Good Charlotte.[2] Green Day currently has three Grammy Awards under their belt for Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, and Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

[hide]

[edit] History

[edit] Formation and Lookout years (1986–1993)

Music sample:

"Android" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Sample of "Android" from Kerplunk!
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.

In 1986, childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt (both 14 years old) formed the two person band Sweet Children. The first Sweet Children show took place on October 17, 1989, at Rod's Hickory Pit in Vallejo, California where Armstrong's mother was working. In late 1989, Armstrong, Dirnt and John Kiffmeyer (aka Al Sobrante) formed Green Day, taking the name as a reference to smoking marijuana all day. Green Day performed their first show in the courtyard of Contra Costa College, a junior college in San Pablo, California that Sobrante attended.
Larry Livermore, who played guitar for The Lookouts and ran the Berkeley, California independent label Lookout! Records, offered the band a record deal after hearing them play. The band, he said, played the show like "The Beatles at Shea Stadium"[5][6] In late 1989 they released their first EP, 1,000 Hours, and quickly followed it up with their first LP, 39/Smooth in early 1990.

Early Green Day, before Tré Cool became a member of the band.

Green Day printed a fictional letter purporting to be from I.R.S. Records that claimed the label had made an attempt to sign them. In a mock reply to the fictional letter, the band made it clear that they were loyal to Lookout! Records, saying that I.R.S. was a cheesy and washed-up label.[7] They recorded two more EPs later that year: Slappy and Sweet Children, the latter of which included some older songs for the Minneapolis, Minnesota indie label Skene! Records. In 1991, Lookout! Records released 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, a compilation of the 39/Smooth, Slappy, and 1,000 Hours EPs. In late 1990, shortly after the band's first nationwide tour, Sobrante moved to Arcata, California to attend college. Lookouts drummer Tré Cool began filling in as a temporary replacement, and when it became clear that Sobrante did not plan on committing to the band full time, Tré Cool's position as Green Day's drummer became permanent.
In January 1991, Green Day wrote and recorded their second album, and first to feature Tré Cool on drums, Kerplunk!, it was released on Lookout! Records in 1992. The album included the track "Welcome to Paradise", which was re-recorded for Green Day's major-label debut, Dookie. The first track off of Kerplunk, "2000 Light Years Away", was also remixed with Reprise Records and was released on the Jerky Boys movie soundtrack. The band went on tour for most of 1992 and 1993, and played a stretch of shows overseas in Europe. They headlined a gig at the Hollywood Palamino club in 1992 with Jughead's Revenge and Strung Out, a show that would become legendary among the band's following. Kerplunk sold about 50,000 copies in the U.S.,[8] which was considered quite a large amount for the independent punk scene in 1992. It eventually sold over 2 million albums worldwide.

[edit] Mainstream success (1994–1996)

Music samples:

Longview (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Longview" from Dookie
Basket Case (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Basket Case" from Dookie
Problems playing the files? See media help.

Kerplunk!'s underground success led to a wave of interest coming from major record labels, and eventually they left Lookout! on friendly terms and signed with Reprise Records after attracting the attention of producer Rob Cavallo. Signing to Reprise caused many punk rock fans to regard Green Day as sellouts.[9] Reflecting on the period, Armstrong told SPIN magazine in 1999, "I couldn't go back to the punk scene, whether we were the biggest success in the world or the biggest failure ... The only thing I could do was get on my bike and go forward."[10] They then went to work on recording their major label debut, Dookie.
Released in February of 1994, and recorded in a mere 3 weeks, Dookie became a commercial sensation, helped by extensive MTV airplay for the videos "Longview", "Basket Case", and "When I Come Around", all of which sat in the #1 position on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. That year, Green Day embarked on a nationwide tour with queercore band Pansy Division as their opening act. The band also joined the lineups of both the Lollapalooza festival and Woodstock 1994, where they started an infamous mud fight. During the concert, a security guard mistook bassist Mike Dirnt for a stage-invading fan and punched out some of his teeth. Viewed by millions via pay-per-view television, the Woodstock 1994 performance further aided Green Day's growing publicity and recognition,[11] and helped push their album to eventual diamond status. In 1995, Dookie won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and the band was nominated for 9 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year.[12]

The full fold-out artwork to Insomniac, entitled God told Me To Skin You Alive.

In 1995, a new single for the Angus soundtrack was released, titled "J.A.R.". The single went straight to #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was followed by their new album, Insomniac, which was released in the fall of 1995. Insomniac was a much darker response by the band, compared to the poppy, more melodic Dookie.[11] Insomniac opened to a warm critical reception, earning 4 out of 5 stars from Rolling Stone Magazine, raving "In punk, the good stuff actually unfolds and gains meaning as you listen without sacrificing any of its electric, haywire immediacy. And Green Day are as good as this stuff gets."[13]Insomniac used a piece of art by Winston Smith entitled God told Me To Skin You Alive for its album cover. Smith said to drummer Tré Cool that if he ever needed album artwork, that he should call him. Singles released from Insomniac were "Geek Stink Breath", the radio-favorite double single "Brain Stew/Jaded", "Walking Contradiction", and "Stuck With Me". One track, "86," was a reference to the Gilman Street club refusing them entry after the release of Dookie, claiming that they had "gone too commercial." Though the album didn't approach the success of Dookie, it still sold seven million copies[9] in the United States. Insomniac won the band award nominations for Favorite Artist, Favorite Hard Rock Artist, and Favorite Alternative Artist at the 1996 American Music Awards, and the video for "Walking Contradiction" got the band a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Form, in addition to a Best Special Effects nomination at the MTV Video Music Awards.[14] After that, the band abruptly cancelled a European tour, claiming exhaustion.[15]

[edit] nimrod. and Warning: (1997–2003)

Music samples:

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" from nimrod.
Prosthetic Head (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Prosthetic Head" from nimrod.
Minority (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Minority" from Warning:
Warning (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Warning" from Warning:
Problems playing the files? See media help.

After taking a break in 1996, Green Day began work on a new album in 1997. From the outset, both the band and Cavallo agreeed that the album had to be different from their previous records.[16] The result was nimrod., an experimental deviation from the band's standard pop-punk brand of music. The new album was released in October 1997. It provided a variety of music, with everything from upbeat pop-punk, laid-back surfer rock, and peppy, silly ska, to an acoustic ballad. nimrod. entered the charts at number 10, thanks to the surprise hit "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", an acoustic ballad that singer Billie Joe almost did not place on the album for fear of it being "too girly." The success of "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" won the band an MTV Video Award for Best Alternative Video for the song's video, which depicted people undergoing major changes in their lives while Billie Joe Armstrong strummed his acoustic guitar.[17] Other singles released from nimrod. were Nice Guys Finish Last, Hitchin' a Ride and Redundant. Nimrod. also featured one of the band's live staples, "King for a Day", which, when played live, is accompanied by Billie Joe wearing a crown and/or cape. After the release of nimrod., Green Day took a two-year break, deciding to step back from the spotlight and spend some time with their new families.
In 2000, Green Day released Warning:, a step further in the style that they had hinted at with nimrod. Changes in their personal lives were reflected in the more mature and straightforward approach they took to their music, replacing nearly adolescent mantras of masturbation with more introspective statements. Critics' reviews of the album were fairly positive, although the album was greeted with mixed reviews within their fan base, who had grown accustomed to their 1990s pop punk sound. Though it produced the hit "Minority" and a smaller hit with "Warning", some observers were coming to the conclusion that the band was losing relevance, and a decline in popularity followed. While all of Green Day's past albums had reached a status of at least double platinum, Warning: was only certified gold. Although the band felt this was some of their strongest work to date, the decline of sales fueled questions regarding the band's future.
At the 2001 California Music Awards, Green Day won all eight awards that they were nominated for. They won the awards for Outstanding Album (Warning:), Outstanding Punk Rock/Ska Album (Warning:), Outstanding Group, Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Bassist, Outstanding Drummer, Outstanding Songwriter and Outstanding Artist.[18]
The release of a Greatest Hits compilation, International Superhits!, and the token complementary assemblage of B-sides, Shenanigans, only fueled the theory that Green Day's career was on the rocks. International Superhits and its companion collection of music videos, titled International Supervideos! sold reasonably well, going platinum in the U.S. Shenanigans sported the band's b-sides, including "Espionage" which was featured in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. "Ha Ha You're Dead", recorded specifically for the Shenanigans, is seen as the highlight of the album.
In 2002, Green Day co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with blink-182 helped to resurrect some of the band's popularity, and earned the group many positive concert reviews. The band decided to take some more time off after the Pop Disaster Tour closed, to spend time with their families.

[edit] American Idiot and renewed popularity (2004–present)

Music sample:

American Idiot (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "American Idiot" from American Idiot
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.

In the summer of 2003 the band went into a studio to write and record new material for a new album, tentatively titled Cigarettes and Valentines.[19] After completing 20 tracks, the master tapes were stolen from the studio. The band, understandably upset, chose not to try to re-create the stolen album (Armstrong feared that it would take their fan base "back to about 50"), but instead started over with a vow to be even better than before. In addition, they underwent serious "band therapy," engaging in several long talks to work out the members' differences after accusations from Dirnt and Cool that Armstrong was "the band's Nazi"[20] and a show-off bent on taking the limelight from the other band members.
The resulting 2004 album, American Idiot, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, the band's first ever album to reach #1, backed by the success of the album's first single, "American Idiot." The album was billed as a "punk rock opera" which follows the journey of the fictitious "Jesus Of Suburbia".[21] Also the album marked a significant growth in the band as musicians. American Idiot won the 2005 Grammy for "Best Rock Album" and the band swept the 2005 MTV music awards, winning a total of seven of the eight awards they were nominated for, including the coveted Viewer's Choice Award.[22]

Green Day's American Idiot album cover.

American Idiot also marked a major change of the band's image. Before, they dyed their hair wacky colors like pink, or green, and were getting into mud fights with the audience. American Idiot saw the band dying their hair more bland colors, such as black or white, and wearing eyeliner and makeup to concerts. Another change was the band's wardrobe. Instead of wearing t-shirts, the band constantly wore black and red clothes after the release of American Idiot, leading many to accuse Green Day of stealing The Icarus Line's "anti"-fashion statement by wearing black clothes with red ties, or vice-versa, while others think the band is following up with the colors of American Idiot's cover.

Green Day live in Germany during the American Idiot tour

Through 2005, the band toured, promoting the album with about 150 dates — their longest tour in their career — visiting Japan, Australia, South America and England, where they drew a crowd of 130,000 people over a span of two days - one of the largest crowds ever drawn for a rock concert. While touring for American Idiot, they filmed and recorded the two concerts at the Milton Keynes National Bowl in England, which was voted 'The Best Show On Earth' in a Kerrang! Magazine Poll. These recordings were released as a live CD and DVD called Bullet in a Bible on November 15, 2005. This CD/DVD featured hits from American Idiot as well as older songs from Dookie and nimrod., among others. The DVD featured behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and showed how the band prepared to put on the show. The final shows of their 2005 world tour were in Sydney, Australia, and Melbourne, Australia, on December 14 and 17 respectively. On January 10, 2006 the band was awarded with a People's Choice Award for favorite group.
On August 1, 2005, it was announced that Green Day had rescinded the master rights to their pre-Dookie material from Lookout! Records, citing breach of contract regarding unpaid royalties that had been ongoing for some time, and with other Lookout! bands as well. The pre-Dookie material is set to be reissued by their label, Reprise, on January 9, 2007.[23]
In 2006 Green Day won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"[24] which spent 16 weeks at the number one position of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks, a record it shares along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' Scar Tissue and Staind's "It's Been Awhile". Green Day was also nominated for Best Rock Video for "Wake Me Up When September Ends" at the 2006 MTV Video Music awards, but lost to AFI's "Miss Murder". Both the music videos "Wake Me Up When September Ends", "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" retired showing on TRL after being on the top ten for 50 days each.
In September 2006, Green Day teamed up with U2 and producer Rick Rubin to record a cover of the song "The Saints Are Coming" with an accompanying video, originally recorded by The Skids. The song is to benefit Music Rising, an organization to help raise money for musicians' instruments lost during Hurricane Katrina, and to bring awareness on the eve of the one year anniversary of the disaster.
[edit] Future plans The video of Jesus of Suburbia is stated to be a prequel to their upcoming film, American Idiot: The Motion Picture. In an interview with Billboard magazine, Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that the group are still considering turning their punk rock opera into a film, in much the same spirit as the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, Pink Floyd's The Wall and the Who's Tommy and Quadrophenia. The band has stated they have no intentions to act in the movie, although they may make an appearance. Lou Taylor Pucci and Kelli Garner from the "Jesus of Suburbia" music video could make an appearance if the motion picture does go into production. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has said "It's definitely unfolding. Every single week there's more ideas about doing a film for American Idiot, and it's definitely going to happen."[25] However, the movie has recently been pushed to the back burner, while the band works on their latest album.
The band's official website stated on September 2 that the band was back from their "summer vacation" and was back in the studio working on new material. A recent edition of NME has an interview with Green Day discussing future plans. The band said they have three albums' worth of material, all different types of music. The first is another American Idiot-style album, the second experimental type music (such as The Clash's Sandinista!), and the third, hard and fast punk music, much like their Insomniac album. Recently, in an interview with Kerrang!, Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that it will be a "fair estimate" that the new album will be released in 2008.[26]

[edit] Musical style and influences

We're A Happy Family, the Ramones tribute album on which Green Day contributed a cover to "Outsider".

Green Day's sound is often compared to first wave punk rock bands such as the Ramones, The Clash, and the Buzzcocks.[27][15] The majority of their song catalog is composed of distorted guitar, fast, manic drums, and low, heavy bass. Most of their songs are fast-paced and under the average song length of four minutes (4:00). Billie Joe Armstrong has however said his biggest influences are seminal alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, and that their influence is particularly noted in the band's chord changes in songs.[15] In fact, Green Day has covered Hüsker Dü's "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" as a b-side for the song "Warning", and the character "Mr. Whirly" in the song "Misery" is a reference to the Replacements song of the same name.[28] Armstrong's lyrics describe alienation, ("Jesus of Suburbia", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Reject"), hysteria ("Basket Case", "Panic Song"), girls ("She", "80"), the effects of doing drugs ("Geek Stink Breath", "Green Day") ; The Ramones had similar lyrical themes, like hysteria ("Anxiety", "Psycho Therapy"), alienation ("Outsider", "Something To Believe In"), girls ("I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"), and drugs ("Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "Chinese Rocks"). Green Day covered their song Outsider on the tribute album We're a Happy Family and they have also covered the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop." Green Day's style also closely resembles that of other bands based around the 924 Gilman Street scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as Crimpshrine, Screeching Weasel, and The Mr. T Experience.

[edit] Criticism and controversy

Beginning with the release of Dookie, and the subsequent explosion of MTV Airplay it received, Green Day has received considerable criticism from those who prefer to see the punk genre as a social movement independent of corporate sponsorship. With the release of American Idiot and the subsequent draw of many new fans, much of this criticism has been revived.
Green Day were banned from 924 Gilman Street for a time, because they left Lookout! Records to sign with major label Reprise.[29] However, in recent years the ban has been lifted, as Green Day performed a surprise show at the venue in 2003.[30]
One of the more contentious issues is genre labeling. In reaction to both the style of music and the background of the band, some fans and musicians have taken heavy objection to the usage of the term "punk" when applied to Green Day. This is evidenced by the following comments issued by John Lydon, former front man of both the 70s punk band the Sex Pistols and 80s post-punk act, Public Image Ltd.. [31]:

"Don't try and tell me Green Day are punk. They're not, they're plonk and they're bandwagoning on something they didn't come up with themselves. I think they are phony.

"So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later a wank outfit like Green Day hop in and nick all that and attach it to themselves. They didn't earn their wings to do that and if they were true punk they wouldn't look anything like they do."

Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks commented on the band after meeting them:[32]

"I didn't have a clue who they were. And they're not punks."

Brandon Flowers of The Killers has recently gone on record claiming that Green Day's politically driven concept album American Idiot displays "calculated Anti-Americanism." He explained that he has problems with the album content itself and also the fact that the band's recent live DVD, Bullet in a Bible, was filmed overseas. The taping of the concert, featured on Bullet in a Bible, shows thousands of Europeans singing along to "American Idiot." Stating that he felt Green Day's DVD is a bit of a stunt, he said, "I just thought it was really cheap. To go to a place like England or Germany and sing that song - those kids aren't taking it the same way that he meant it. And he [Billie Joe Armstrong] knew it."[33]
Paul McPike, a grocery store clerk, recently filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Green Day claiming that he wrote the song "American Idiot" almost 15 years ago. He alleges that he performed the song at a high school and a recording of the song made it into the hands of Green Day. McPike is currently seeking a share of the album's profits. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Cooney attempted to dismiss the case in early November 2006, but it is expected that McPike will file an amended lawsuit, with additional evidence (at the first hearing, his only evidence was a copy of the "American Idiot" CD. [34]: This is not the first time McPike has filed a lawsuit against a band, as he also claimed blink-182 stole his song "Feeling This". This case was again dismissed.
More recently, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has criticized the song "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" for ripping off his own song "Wonderwall". Gallagher stated, "If you listen, you'll find it is exactly the same arrangement as Wonderwall. They should have the decency to wait until I am dead (before stealing my songs). I, at least, pay the people I steal from that courtesy. They consider themselves to be - and I quote - 'a kick-ass rock 'n' roll band'. They could not be less kick-ass if they tried." [35]

[edit] Related projects

Main article: Green Day related projects

Ever since 1991, some members of the band Green Day have branched out past Green Day and have started other projects with other musicians. Notable related projects of Green Day include Billie Joe Armstrong's Pinhead Gunpowder (which also features Green Day's live backup guitarist Jason White), The Frustrators in which Mike Dirnt plays bass, and The Network which many speculate has all three members of Green Day although under stage names.
Other projects include American Idiot: The Motion Picture, their charity collabortation with U2 (The Saints Are Coming) to help raise money for musical instruments lost in Hurricane Katrina, and teaming with the Natural Resources Defense Council for the "Move America Beyond Oil" campaign and other environmental concerns.

[edit] Members

Billie Joe Armstrong: Guitar, Lead Vocals (1989-present)
Mike Dirnt: Bass, Backing Vocals (1989-present)
Tré Cool: Drums, Backing Vocals (1990-present)

[edit] Touring members

Jason White: Guitar, Backing Vocals (1999-present)

Although not an official member, Jason White was featured as a member of the band in the video for "Wake Me Up When September Ends".

Jason Freese: Piano, Keyboard, Trombone, Saxophone, Accordion, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals, (2003-present)
Ronnie Blake: Trumpet, Timpani/Percussions, Background Vocals (2004-present)
Gabrial McNair: Trombone, Tenor Saxophone (1999-2001)
Kurt Lohmiller: Trumpet, Timpani/Percussions, Backup vocals (1999-2001)

[edit] Session Members

Rob Cavallo: Piano (For the American Idiot recording sessions)
Petra Haden: Violin (For the nimrod. recording sessions)
Gabrial McNair: Horn (For the nimrod. recording sessions)
Stephen Bradley: Horns (For the nimrod. and Warning: recording sessions)

[edit] Former members

Al Sobrante: Drums (1988-1990)

[edit] Discography

Main article: Green Day discography

Date of release Title Record label

April 1990	39/Smooth	Lookout! Records
January 7, 1992	Kerplunk!	Lookout! Records
February 1, 1994	Dookie	Reprise Records
October 10, 1995	Insomniac	Reprise Records
October 14, 1997	Nimrod.	Reprise Records
October 3, 2000	Warning:	Reprise Records
September 21, 2004	American Idiot	Reprise Records

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Cohen, Johnathan (2004). Green Day's 'Idiot' Fueling Banner Year (http). Billboard.com. Retrieved on July 27, 2005.
Cohen, Johnathan (2005). Green Day not ready to rest 'Idiot' (http). Billboard.com. Retrieved on July 27, 2005.
Spitz, Marc. Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day. New York: Hyperion, 2006. ISBN 1-4013-0274-2
The Green Day Story (Broadcast on Radio 1 Mon 20 June 2005) (Alternate Link)
Green Day Biography
Green Day Info

[edit] Notes

^ DeRogatis, Jim. Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's. Cambridge: Da Capo, 2003. Pg. 357, ISBN 0-306-81271-1
^ a b D'Angelo, Joe (2004). How Green Day's Dookie Fertilized A Punk-Rock Revival. MTV.com. Retrieved on July 26, 2006.
^ Kerrang Magazine
^ Myers, Ben. "Green Day: American Idiot and the New Punk Explosion" April, 2006.
^ Interview with Lawrence Livermore: An inside look at Green Day's early years. greenday.net. Retrieved on July 26, 2006.
^ Livermore, Larry. "Green Day's early history"
^ Their letter of response to I.R.S. is printed on the lyrics sheet of 39/Smooth.
^ Thompson, Dave. "Green Day". Alternative Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books, 2000.
^ a b Guitar Legends. "What Happened Next...". Retrieved on September 26, 2006
^ Smith, RJ. "Top 90 Albums of the 90's". SPIN. August 1999.
^ a b "Green Day". Behind the Music. Vh1, 2000.
^ Green Day Authority. "Band Awards - Dookie" "Green Day Authority".
^ Coleman, Mark. "Insomniac". Rolling Stone. November 1995.
^ Green Day Authority. Band Awards - Insomniac "Green Day Authority".
^ a b c Di Perna, Alan. "Young, Loud, and Snotty". Guitar World. August 1996.
^ Spitz, Marc. Nobody Likes You. New York: Hyperion, 2006. Pg. 128.
^ Green Day Authority. Band Awards - nimrod. "Green Day Authority".
^ Green Day Authority. "Band Awards - Warning:" "Green Day Authority".
^ Spitz, pg. 152.
^ Hendrickson, Matt (2005). Green Day — How the brats grew up, bashed Bush and conquered the world. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on November 24, 2005.
^ Di Perna, Alan. "Combat Rock". Guitar World. Holiday 2004.
^ Green Day Authority. "Band Awards - American Idiot" "Green Day Authority".
^ http://www.greendayauthority.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1166180174&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&
^ "Green Day's Grammy Awards" Grammy.com.
^ Green Day album update: The US trio speak out. NME.com (2006). Retrieved on June 15, 2006.
^ [1]
^ Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life. Little Brown and Company, 2001. Pg. 496. ISBN 0-316-78753-1
^ Di Perna, Alan. "Far From The Maddening Crowd". Guitar World. December 2000.
^ http://www.924gilman.org/booking.html
^ Spitz, pg. 139.
^ GIGWISE "John Lydon Calls Green Day "Plonk" Not "Punk"" Retrieved on September 11, 2006.
^ Steve Diggle of Buzzcocks comment on Green Day at ContactMusic.com
^ Rolling Stone Magazine Issue 1014 Nov. 30th - Q&A Brandon Flowers, by Ausitn Scaggs pg 36
^ Yahoo! Music "Grocery clerk sues Green Day" Retrieved on November 8, 2006.
^ Noel Gallagher angry ot Green Day

[edit] External links

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Green Day

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Discography

Studio EPs: 1,000 Hours (1989) | Slappy (1990) | Sweet Children (1990)

Compilations: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991) | International Superhits! (2001) | Shenanigans (2002)

Live Albums/ Live EPs: Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking (1996) | Foot in Mouth (1996) | Tune in Tokyo (2001) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

DVDs: International Supervideos! (2001) | Riding in Vans with Boys (2003) | Bullet in a Bible (2005)

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