A Backstage Conversation with Green Day
Apr. 8, 2017 / Comments
Rolling Stone met backstage with Green Day during their stop in Washington D.C.. They interview Billie, Mike, and Tre about what the shows feel like on this tour, how they're feeling about the political situation in the US, and where they see themselves going forward. It's really a great interview that's worth a full read over at RollingStone.com. Below are few excerpts.
[quote]You're doing seven songs off American Idiot. Do they feel especially timely now because of what's happening politically?
Yeah. If you look at our career, there's almost like before American Idiot and after American Idiot. Yeah, we play new stuff. We play stuff off American Idiot. It's hard to explain from my perspective because sometimes I'll just start saying to myself, "Look how unique this is. You're able to play in front of 14,000 people and everyone is singing along. Everyone's hands are in the air." We play a song like "Holiday" and its like a flock of birds or something.[/quote]
[quote]I noticed you aren't doing anything this tour from Uno/Dos/Tré. Why is that?
I really want to focus on the new album. When you're doing seven songs off a new album, there's not a lot of room. People want to hear other stuff, too. I have nothing against that record. We happen to not be playing anything from it.[/quote]
[quote]So what still drives you? What's left to prove?
Nothing. I have nothing to prove. I just want to follow the music. I love making records. I love playing live. That's it. There's nothing outside of that. I look forward to the weirdness that's in front of us every day.[/quote]
[quote]I mean Top 40 radio. In the 1990s, rock bands could have hits on that. It just doesn't happen anymore, to anybody.
That was a small window. There was a time between '91 and '95 where alternative bands and the like could get on the radio. But in the big scheme of things, it wasn't that long of a time period where you could. When it comes down to it, we're a rock band. I don't really give a fuck about the mainstream. The mainstream doesn't offer me anything. Why would I offer it anything? I love the world I have. I love the sort of subculture that Green Day represents.[/quote]
[quote]What do you guys want to accomplish in the next decade or so?
Dirnt: I feel like Revolution Radio kind of validated the next chapter of our life going forward, but we've never pre-thought things too much. It's just about writing, keep writing and trying to stay awesome [laughs].
Cool: It's also about not abandoning our past. I think a lot of older bands will either go and become a legacy band, saying, "Oh, man, shit was so much better in the 1980s or 1960s" or whenever their heyday was. Others will go, "I don't want to talk about my old stuff. I'm here to promote my new record." We realize that we've got songs stretching through generations and we've actually grown up with our fans. So we want to move forward, but still treasure the past and present it and rock the shit out of those old songs, but still move forward and write new stuff.[/quote]
Read the full interview at RollingStone.com.
[quote]You're doing seven songs off American Idiot. Do they feel especially timely now because of what's happening politically?
Yeah. If you look at our career, there's almost like before American Idiot and after American Idiot. Yeah, we play new stuff. We play stuff off American Idiot. It's hard to explain from my perspective because sometimes I'll just start saying to myself, "Look how unique this is. You're able to play in front of 14,000 people and everyone is singing along. Everyone's hands are in the air." We play a song like "Holiday" and its like a flock of birds or something.[/quote]
[quote]I noticed you aren't doing anything this tour from Uno/Dos/Tré. Why is that?
I really want to focus on the new album. When you're doing seven songs off a new album, there's not a lot of room. People want to hear other stuff, too. I have nothing against that record. We happen to not be playing anything from it.[/quote]
[quote]So what still drives you? What's left to prove?
Nothing. I have nothing to prove. I just want to follow the music. I love making records. I love playing live. That's it. There's nothing outside of that. I look forward to the weirdness that's in front of us every day.[/quote]
[quote]I mean Top 40 radio. In the 1990s, rock bands could have hits on that. It just doesn't happen anymore, to anybody.
That was a small window. There was a time between '91 and '95 where alternative bands and the like could get on the radio. But in the big scheme of things, it wasn't that long of a time period where you could. When it comes down to it, we're a rock band. I don't really give a fuck about the mainstream. The mainstream doesn't offer me anything. Why would I offer it anything? I love the world I have. I love the sort of subculture that Green Day represents.[/quote]
[quote]What do you guys want to accomplish in the next decade or so?
Dirnt: I feel like Revolution Radio kind of validated the next chapter of our life going forward, but we've never pre-thought things too much. It's just about writing, keep writing and trying to stay awesome [laughs].
Cool: It's also about not abandoning our past. I think a lot of older bands will either go and become a legacy band, saying, "Oh, man, shit was so much better in the 1980s or 1960s" or whenever their heyday was. Others will go, "I don't want to talk about my old stuff. I'm here to promote my new record." We realize that we've got songs stretching through generations and we've actually grown up with our fans. So we want to move forward, but still treasure the past and present it and rock the shit out of those old songs, but still move forward and write new stuff.[/quote]
Read the full interview at RollingStone.com.
