Originally posted by ~Wålshy~
There's these two simpletons who were driving down HWY 101. The simpleton driving said to the passenger "Duh, check and see if my turn signal's working." The passenger said "Duh, ok." And he rolled down the window and stuck his head out. He looked and he said "Duh, yeah it's working. No, it's not. Yeah, it is. No, it's not. Yeah, it is. No, it's not...."
Introduction: A couple of weeks prior to doing this big Pacific Northwest/Canada kinda tour, Green Day came down for the weekend to play shows in San Louis Obispo and in Hollywood (At Rajis, of course). I found out that they'd be staying at ex-Flipsider Joy's twenty bedroom mansion in Pasadena (Former Flipside writers always retire in style) and so I jumped at the chance to interview singer/guitar player Billie Joe, bassist Mike and drummer Tre Cool. With five releases out, they're not really that young of a band anymore but believe me, they haven't lost their youthful whimsey. We started out by laying the groundwork for the definitive Green Day joke book, but unfortunately, they ran out of jokes...... Or alcohol..... Both, really. Here's what we ended up with:
Tre Cool: Unfortunately, this isn't a funny one 'cause it's P.C. But: There's these two simpletons who were driving down HWY 101. The simpleton driving said to the passenger "Duh, check and see if my turn signal's working." The passenger said "Duh, ok." And he rolled down the window and stuck his head out. He looked and he said "Duh, yeah it's working. No, it's not. Yeah, it is. No, it's not. Yeah, it is. No, it's not...."
Billie Joe: Mine's a riddle and you can turn to the last page and see how it comes out. A man and his son went out jogging. They go off a cliff and the man dies, but his son survives. The ambulance comes and they take him to the hospital. They bring him to the doctor and the doctor says "I can't operate this boy, he's my son!" What's the answer?
Tre Cool: Zing!
Mike: It was his mom!
Tre Cool: What was Mr. Chicken's favourite composer? Bach!
Mike: How many guitar players does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A hundred: One to do it and the rest to say "I can do that."
Billie Joe: What do you call guys that hang out with musicians? Drummers!
Tre Cool: What do you do if your kid can only count to four? Buy him a drum kit and call him gifted!
Mike: How many punk rockers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Tre Cool: How many?
Mike: Uhh... um... um... Let me think...... Two! One to screw in the lightbulb and the other to suck my dick!
Tre Cool:You have to put every single "Uh" and "Um".
Mike: I want everyone at home to know that Joy Aoki just laughed so hard she showered me with spit.
Bob: Ok, next topic: Hippies....
Tre Cool: I knoew this one hippie, Nerlene. She lived in this shack that was built by this dude. It was an old tar paper shack. And she had, like five kids. All of her kids, every single one of them, was allergic to milk. These children always put water on their cereal. You know, like, Corn Puffs. One time, my dad went down to Narlene's house and he asked her little daughter Sabrina "Is Narlene around?" and Sabrina said "No, she's down at the secret garden."
Bob: Any other hippie stories?
Mike: No, we don't associate with hippies anymore....
Billie Joe: Once I got slipped some acid from a hippie when I was in South Dakota. We were staying at this hippie people house and this guy comes up and he goes "Here." And he put these two stupid little pills in my hand. I go "What's this?" And he goes "Two will do ya." and he walked away. We crushed 'em up on the porch....and everyone in the van was waiting for our trip to come on....but nothing happened.
Mike: I dropped acid one time....You don't have to print that. My mom might read it and flip out. I'm kidding. My mom doesn't read Flipside. It's no bid deal. If you were Rolling Stone, my mom wouldn't read the magazine.....
Tre Cool: Your mom can't read.
Bob: New topic: Europe. What did you guys do to make everyone rave about you like that?
Mike: Walked around dressed like girls.
Tre Cool: I walked around naked.
Billie Joe: What do you mean we walked around dressed like girls? We walked around in our own clothes. They just happened to be dresses.
Mike: We played in our underwear, once.....
Billie Joe: When we were coming out of Spain, I don't know if I was having an anxiety attack or what, but I just freaked out! I didn't say anything to anybody. It was weird.
Bob: What do you think caused it?
Billie Joe: I don't know. I had just become a vegetarian. I lost alot of weight. It was like.... I couldn't understand anybody. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, I loved the way the women danced in Spain....
Tre Cool: They shake their asses.
Billie Joe: I met this girl named Pili. Hopefully she'll read Flipside. It was my only romance in Europe. She had the same name as me, almost.
Bob: Are Green Day records getting over to Europe ok?
Mike: Just mail order.
Bob: Did people know who you were?
Mike: Some people did. There are mail order punks everywhere. That's rad.
Bob: It seems like "Paper Lanterns" has emerged as the quintessential Greem Day song....
Billie Joe: What does that mean?
Tre Cool: Like, the epitome of a Green Day song...
Bob: Is it the most popular?
Billie Joe: It's one of the funnest ones to play. As far as the lyrics go...at that time, for Green Day....
Tre Cool: Pretty weak.
Bob: Do you get alot of shit for doing mostly boy-girl type songs?
Billie Joe: That's a fallacy. Our songs are just like....life. They're not personal.
Mike: It's not the impact of our songs is going to be a person hearing it and going out to change the world. It's an idea. A feeling that comes across in a song. If a person relates to it, then right on. Ok, cool. Maybe that person's going to resolve their own thoughts.
Billie Joe: All those things do happen. I do have one of the shittiest love lives on this side of the earth.
Mike: What's wrong with girls?
Billie Joe: Nothing. I dig 'em.
Bob: Has the band been approached by any major labels yet?
Tre Cool: No. Next question.
Billie Joe: We've thought about doing an L.A. Gear commercial. I asked 'em for a free pair of shoes and they said "No way!" So we said "**** that!"
Bob: Did you guys just come down for the weekend or are you starting a tour?
Billie Joe: No. We just played in San Luis Obispo. At this Rock - Film festival.
Mike: San Louie a Go-Go. What a great place!
Billie Joe: We played with this band that was kind of a Teenage Fanclub kind of thing.
Mike: We played in L.A. last night with a band called ***-Dick!
Tre Cool: They were the Melvins! They had to be...
Billie Joe: Dick-***....
Mike: I'll tell you how they got the name: The singer was watching Barney Miller and he looked at Wojohoitz and went "Dick-***!" That's really what he told me!
Bob: What's the story on "The Diary of Laurie L" thing that appears on the album insert?
Billie Joe: I thought it was kinda lame. The story is great. Totally hilarious. But it was too mush. Kind of like turning us into a parody of ourselves.
Tre Cool: A little too ridiculous.....
Billie Joe: Too goofy. We're very goofy people but....
Bob: I thought it was funny, but I didn't give it any second thoughts. Who wrote it?
Billie Joe: It was something we did. But why keep pushing a bad joke?
Bob: On the new album there's a Catcher in the Rye thing. A song about Holden Caulfield.....
Billie Joe: It's a song about forgetting what you're going to say.
Tre Cool: Forgetting things in general.
Billie Joe: It's trying to get motivated to do something because your elders tell you, you have to get motivated. So then you get frustrated and you think that you should do something but you end up doing nothing. But then you enjoy it.
Mike: And then feeling bad because you got clubbed politically.
Billie Joe: I haven't had a job in two years.
Mike: I haven't had a job in seven months.
Bob: How do you get by?
Billie Joe: I'm not living anywhere, really. I have my stuff at my mom's house. I drive around and hang out with my friends and kind of end up where I end up that night. I don't live on the street. I hang out. I have places to go.
Mike: Places to go, people to meet.
Bob: Do the rest of you guys have homes?
Mike: I live in a crack house.
Billie Joe: It's ugly.
Mike: Actually, we've moved three times in two months, so we're like, total rock stars.
Tre Cool: Ever since we got that jet.....
Bob: You guys said before that you used to be into heavy metal....
Billie Joe: That was stuff we were into before we started Green Day. We were into shitty metal....we were twelve years old. Now, sometimes I listen to those bands and the guitar sound isn't quite as full.
Tre Cool: Not as amazing....as mysterious.
Billie Joe: Back then, it was like, "Wow, that's amazing! How did he do that?" Now I listen to it and it sounds kind of wimpy. Like, I always liked Ozzy Osboum's (!!) first two albums......
Bob: What are your favourite songs?
Mike: I like "Help" by the Beatles. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a rad song. No matter how much they play it.
Billie Joe: I have to admit...."Bohemian Rhapsody" is a good song.
Bob: Not just because it was re-popularized in a movie?
Mike: No. **** that! You have to look past all that bullshit. Music is music. You have to look past Wayne and Garth.
Bob: So what are your favourite records?
Mike: Something on Lookout. My favourite record..... Probably the Saturday night fever soundtrack.
Billie Joe: As far as punk rock goes, Screeching Weasels have a good record out.
Tre Cool: They rock totally hard.
Bob: Do you guys still get a mostly eighteen and over audience?
Billie Joe: Yeah. The people that come to our shows are really young.
Mike: If we played a 21 and over show in Berkely...there'd probably be no one there.
Bob: How do you guys think you'll do in three years?
Billie Joe: I don't know. You can't always predict what's going to happen three years from now.
Mike: I can. We'll all have killed each other by then.
Billie Joe: I'm going to point a gun at Tre. Tres' going to point a gun at Mike. Mike's going to point a gun at me.
Mike: We're going to count to three and pull the trigger.
This interview appeared in August 1995 in a Dutch magazine called OOR.
The interview is taking place in the studio where the band is still recording (Insomniac).
Pictures: 1, 2
Interviewer: Are there any big bosses from record company's who have been watching here now and then?
Tre: There's some one waiting outside for me with a gun.
Mike: No Way. You are lucky to be here.
Interviewer: Can you say something about your new album?
Tre: Compared to Dookie its just a step further, but actually its more of the same. We play the same chords. It maybe forms a whole a bit more. And there are some more songs on it. Its just our next album.
Billie Joe: It's more agressive.
Mike: The album leaves a trail of black burned rubber behind.
Interviewer: Some bands tend to go into other directions after they have succes.
Mike: On this album i got the chance to develop my French Horn talents.
Interviewer: During your European Tour you seem to have a lot a fun. Are you still having fun?
Billie Joe: We're a bit fed up at the moment. Tired of all the hard working. But I cant wait to go on tour again. Thats the best thing there is and were on our best then.
Interviewer: Is there a lot of pressure on you?
Tre: Yeah, all the time.
Mike: There is a lot of pressure on us. We try not to pay attention to it. We take it seriously, but on the other hand not. Care but dont care. Do you understand?
Interviewer: That must have influence on the lyrics. The Dookie lyrics were most about being bored, frustration and loneliness. The telephone will ring a lot more now I guess.
Billie Joe: Yes. But the lyrics can still be understood by everyone. They are about accepting concequenses, searching for the meaning of life, and theres a lot of anger in it.
Interviewer: Where does this anger come from?
Billie Joe: Just from life. Moments in life that piss me off because of things happening around me. It makes my cynical. I even thought about leaving the band.
Mike: It's no use analysing your life the whole time. Those analyses wont help you when youre dead.
Billie Joe: And eventually we all die.
Tre: Life is like breakfast. You just mix all ingredients, cuz in your stomach it will all come together.
Interviewer: A few years ago you were part of the whole punk-scene. Band helping each other. Are you still in contact with those bands who werent so lucky?
Tre: Were taking the Riverdales (formerly known as Screeching Weasel) with us on tour. That band is really unlucky. They are all physically handicapped and perform in wheelchairs. We get lots of demo's from bands, they want us to do something for them.
Billie Joe: I've done some production work lately. For free. Just because I like doing it.
Interviewer: We ask this because we know from experience that best friends from the past dont want contact anymore when you are famous. As result: celebrities who are totally isolated.
Tre: Keeping in touch with old friends has the highest priority at the moment. The Riverdales are a good example of that.
Billie Joe: Riverdales, Riverdales, Riverdales. It's an honour to be on stage with them.
Interviewer: Youre the first punkrockers with lots of money. What are you doing with all that money?
Mike: No, were not the first. That was the Offspring.
Billie Joe jumps out of his chair: Whaaaaat!?!
Mike laughs and says: Look, look, look!
Billie Joe: Shit
Mike: I bought a house for my mom. Thats what ive done with the money.
Billie Joe: I dont know. Life. Im glad I dont have to work for my money.
Mike: Im gonna buy diamond rings and gold necklaces now. Im also thinking about some Ferarri's and expensive perfume.
Interviewer: Punk always had this **** the power attitude. Youre the ones to put that into practice. You like a good joint. And thats illegal in the US.
Tre: We once lighted this very big joint on stage.
Mike: Yeah that was a good one.
Tre: It can do no harm to shoot a cop now and then.
Billie Joe: We performed for a project called Food not bombs. And we once gave away our salary to a agency for free medical help. We gave money to homeless people. People who are always the victim of everything. I can express myself. Being famous stands sure for attention. When I say something, people listen to it and they take it seriously. Even if it doesnt mean anything.
Tre: Having power puts pressure on you. People expect us to better the world. I have enough trouble with my own life.
Billie Joe: I refuse to be some sort of politician. I feel sorry for politicians. When they speak out in precense of friends, it will be in all newspapers the next day and it will become a scandal. It works the same for rockstars.
Interviewer: Some people say you guys are only doing it for the money. And it really looked like it. But last week you suddenly fired your management. Why?
Billie Joe: We had different interests. We try to have as few agents as possible. We do our management all by ourselfs now.
Mike: We played gigs in Arena's for 10 dollar. That never happened before. The only way to do that was to sacrafise our own part of the money. But thats not good enough. Sorry people, for letting me pay for what I do. Thats the biggest mistake i have ever made. When you get as big as we are now, you lose control. However. The name Green Day is living a life of its own now. Green Day is now an item to describe something, to support an idea or whatever. But I know what Green Day really is: three guys in a room and Billie Joe writing the songs.
Interviewer: Have you ever thought about how many people bought Dookie because of the music. And how many only because of the marketing?
Tre: Have to check my computer for that. Hmmmmm, I would say 100% because of the music and 0% because of the marketing.
Mike: I know we would never have sold 8 million copies of Dookie on Lookout Records. But I'm convinced you cant let people buy shit. Of course, the succes of Dookie suprised us. I dont give a shit about how many copies the new cd will sell.
Billie Joe: History will tell if we were really a good band or just a one day fly.
Interviewer: What do you know about Lowlands (Dutch Festival)?
Tre: They placed us in a small tent first. But they were afraid there would be disturbance, thats why were now in the big tent. After that we leave, we dont like festivals.
Mike: It's really not nice. All these bands together trying to be cool and saying you are cool. Its one big ego competiteon. I dont like that.
Tre: The audience is nice tough. Only backstage sucks.
Billie Joe: I see it as a Lollapalooza goes Europe. And one thing we dont want in Europe is meeting other Americans.
Interviewer: Though it looked very arrogant to claim the whole tent where no other bands could play. So that they had to play in smaller tents.
Billie Joe: I didnt know that. We just wanted to tour as comfortable as possible. We take our families on tour with us. Including two babies. It just has to be easy. We didnt want to go to Festivals in the first place, only Reading. But we did Lowlands, because its Holland. Holland is fun. The last time we played there, I bruised my ankle so we could only play two songs. So we had to come to Holland.
Originally posted by ~Wålshy~
you actually read that
It has some bigger bands playing in the big tents, and some very good underground bands playing in the smaller tents. Metal, hiphop, alternative rock or arena rock (like Bon Jovi or something I dunno. Well, not Bon Jovi. U2 maybe.) it's all there. And they have poetry readings and film screenings if you don't feel like listening to bands and what not.
Might go there this year. Pinkpop is a certainty, and I was thinking about Sziget as well though.