Name: Green Day
Country: USA
Genre: punk rock
Line-up: Billi Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar)
Mike Dirnt (bass)
Tre Cool (druns)
In 1987 Billi Joe Armstrong and his friend Mike Dirnt (real name Mike Pritchard) set up the two-piece band called Sweet Children. Two years later Al Sobrante (real name John Kiffmeyer) was invited to fill in the position of a drummer, the band took the name Green Day and the same year was marked by the release of their first EP "1000 Hours”. In those days Green Day was the part of independent punk-rock scene and in fact were quite popular among the fans of this genre. Later the band teams up with the independent label Lookout! Records (the producer who came to see the performance of Green Day called them "The Beatles at Shea Stadium”) and releases the full length "39/Smooth”. Shortly after the release and the nationwide tour Al Sobrante leaves the band due to college studies and he’s replaced with Tre Cool (real name Frank Edwin Wright III) who becomes the permanent member of the band.
Green Day began to tour round Europe, released their second album "Kelprunk” in 1992 which was sold over 50000 copies (which is quite a good number for indie scene). That’s how they got noticed by a major label Reprise Records and started recording there. Many fans felt abandoned and called Green Day a sellout, but Billie Joe said "The only thing I could do was get on my bike and go further”. Of course it was a great chance for the band and they couldn’t miss it. The first major release came out in 1994 and was called "Dookie”. The record was a bomb! Over 11 million copies of "Dookie” were sold worldwide and it won Grammy for Best Alternative Album. All the three singles ("Longview”, "Basket Case” and "When I Come Around”) topped American charts. Besides the band grounded their success by playing at Woodstock ’94.
The next release "Insomniac” wasn’t as successful as "Dookie” but nevertheless it had a great success, which can be also said about their third major release "Nimrod” (1997).
After a short break Green Day release their next full length "Warning” (2000). The members if the band themselves became the producers of the album. The single "Minority” topped American charts in just four weeks.
After releasing a compilation of rarities "Shenanigans” (2002) Green Day went to the studio to record new songs. But when 20 tracks were ready, they were stolen from the studio! Green Day decided to record absolutely new songs and vowed that this album would be the greatest ever. They were not mistaken! "American Idiot” (2004) debuted at # 1 in American Charts. It is a purely conceptual album, a real rock opera (in 2009 it was staged at Broadway).
"American Idiot” has won 5 Grammy Awards, the tour supporting the album became one of the hugest Green Day tours and the band has won numerous awards for the album and its major singles "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”, "Wake Me Up When September Ends”, "Jesus Of Suburbia”. To top it all in 2007 Green Day recorded a song "The Saints are Coming” with U2 which became quite an event considering the fact that the last time U2 recorded with someone was in 2002 with Paul McCartney.
In 2009 Green Day release one more conceptual rock opera "21st Century Breakdown”. The album has two main characters and three parts.
QuotesBillie Joe on what cartoon character are you?: 'Spider-Man! He's not one of these full-time freaks. He gets around, just eavesdropping and observing without really being seen. I've always been something of an eavesdropper-all of my lyrics come from stuff I catch while I'm just hanging around.
Billie talking about Punk: 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.
Billi Joe” "Minority is about being an individual. It's like you have to sift through the darkness to find your place and be that individual you want to be your entire life.”
Discography: 1990 39/Smooth
1992 Kerplunk
1994 Dookie
1995 Insomniac
1997 Nimrod
2000 Warning
2004 American Idiot
2009 21st Century Breakdown
Put together by Olga Polomoshnova
The information for 23/03/2010
