Green Day is one of the biggest rock acts of our time. They’ve just three childhood friends who rose from the punk underground into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Their career spans over 25 years and they have released massive hit singles such as ‘Time of Your Life’, ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. Here are 10 fun facts you may not have known about the band:
- Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt grew up a few miles from each other on the outskirts of Oakland, California. They met in fifth grade after their schools combined due to bankruptcy in the school district, and immediately bonded over their shared passion for music.
- Billie and Mike’s first band was called Sweet Children, which got their first real stage debut at 934 Gilman in Berkeley. Billie Joe recounted: “Playing Gilman Street for us was like we have arrived. You know the first time I ever got on that stage, I just felt like wow, this is where I’ve always wanted to be. And I’m not like the guy that’s watching anymore. I’m the guy that’s playing.”
- Billie and Mike met drummer Tré Cool after their first drummer, John Kiffmeyer, decided to go away for school. John suggested they jam with “this guy Tre”, who Billie Joe recounted as “crazy – he insulted men, he insulted women, he insulted everybody. Including me.”
- Green Day released their major label debut Dookie after just three weeks in the studio. They didn’t expect it to do what it did – selling 10 million copies worldwide.
- When “Time Of Your Life” – the band’s biggest hit – was released as a single in 1997, the band wondered if their fans would accept it. Billie Joe did not know how it was going to go over with their more hardcore fans, and recalled getting “pretty drunk” before going onstage and performing it live for the first time.
- When the band was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, they were on hiatus and had no immediate plans to get together. Receiving the honour inspired them to return home and play a show where it all began – Gilman Street – and get back in the studio.
- The band have secret side-projects. The band have reportedly been very involved in the groups The Network and Foxboro Hot Tubs. Although the band denied being part of The Network, they did finally confess that Foxboro Hot Tubs was a side-project of theirs. Billie Joe Armstrong is also a member of punk band Pinhead Gunpowder and Mike Dirnt is a member of The Frustrators.
- Billie Joe Armstrong is also an actor. He has appeared in several shows and movies, as well as on Broadway.
- Armstrong started his musical journey at the age of five when he recorded the song “Look for Love.” It’s still available online if you want to do some digging.
- Green Day have their very own video game! In 2009, Green Day got their very own version of the popular video game Rock Band. Featuring ‘Dookie,’ ‘American Idiot’ and ’21st Century Breakdown’ in their entirety, as well as other classics from their repertoire.
PS – The band have just released a brand new documentary with MTV. ‘Green Day: The Ride’ airs this week on the music channel on the following dates:
Thursday 24 November @ 15:13 CAT
Friday 25 November @18:25 CAT
Saturday 26 November @ 13:05 CAT
Sunday 27 November @ 14:15 CAT
Sunday 27 November @19:50 CAT
Monday 28 November @ 20:25 CAT.
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