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cherrylng · 5 months ago

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Summer Sonic interview - Green Day [INROCK (October 2000)]

GREEN DAY SUMMER SONIC

INTERVIEW: YUKO KATO PHOTOS: MIHO KATO

“Our music is punk rock, honesty, and life!”

I will never forget interviewing Green Day, no matter how many years pass. They always leave me with vivid memories. When they came to Japan two years ago, they were so absorbed in catching cockroaches with disposable chopsticks that they forgot about the interview, and I broke into a cold sweat, wondering what would happen. And now, the three of them are in Japan for Summer Sonic, and they are as energetic as ever. In an interview in the latest issue of an American music magazine, Tre said, "With our new album, Viagra is no longer necessary. I'm feeling it so much," and it seems that they put all their effort into this album.

Tre Cool (ds.): So how did you feel when you listened to this album?

I didn't feel any orgasms. All: (laughs) Oh!

I think I need Viagra. All: Oh God!

What did your girlfriends and wives say when they heard this? Tre: (in a stonking voice) I'm not gonna tell you what kind of tricks I use to make my wife cum! (all laughing) Billie Joe Armstrong (vo, g): We're pretty happy with the record anyway. It's a relief to get it done. We're just now getting to the stage where it's out in the open and people are going to listen to it and have their critiques and opinions, you know? So we're definitely a bit nervous inside. Tre: Not really, hahahaha. Billie: I know people will be pleased with it. So, well…

I hear that the recording process was the most enjoyable you've ever had, why this one time? Billie: A lot of it was because we produced it ourselves, so we had a lot of freedom. And if we weren't sure about something, we'd go to each other… I'd ask Mike, Mike would ask Tre… no one will consult me, though. Tre & Mike Dirnt (b.): Hahahahaha. Mike: We've produced half of the albums we've put out. We didn't have any budgets in the beginning, it wasn't like it was a big project. We had a budget of $700 for a tour or something like that (laughs). Tre: If you make a really good album with a $700 budget, you must be a really good producer (laughs).

You took a year and a half off after the last tour, didn't you? How long did it take you to make this album? Billie: The actual recording period? Two and a half months, I think. The songs were always written long before that, so it was like the album was done before we went into the studio. We were rehearsing five days a week, and when the last two songs were written, we decided it was time to go into the studio. Working this way speeds up the process of making a record.

What did you mean when you said, “We don't want any unnecessary hype for this album”? Billie: It's hard to explain, but we want people to treat this album as it is. We don't want to feel like we're selling something. Mike: We didn't want people to have expectations. We're happy with it, and if people like it, we're happy with it, and if they don't like it, that's their problem (laughs). Tre: But I like to brag and show off. I'd mark every single word of my comment about this album with exclamations. I think it's a great album. These two guys are humble, but I'm not (laughs).

A lot of people consider Green Day to be the longest-running punk band, what is your punk attitude like? Billie: I don't really know, but the essential element of playing in this band is to be honest. Being honest with yourself, that's what punk is all about. That's what punk originally came from. Punk was born because the music was getting more and more fake and covered in shit. Mike: Punk is brutally honest. Billie: Yeah. It's just that we clung to that attitude and didn't leave it, no matter what. If we didn't have that honesty, I don't think we'd be a band anymore. You can call the music we play punk rock, you can call it honesty, you can call it life. Mike: This album is worth as much as hairspray (laughs).

A lot of people think punk is vulgar and dirty, but your music is not. Tre: Well, we do vulgar and dirty things in our private lives too (laughs). Mike: Punk is a broad term, but there's a lot of different backgrounds. There are different kinds of punk, but we're doing Green Day World punk.

During the recording of this album, you said that you felt you were united. Did anything happen before you started recording? Did you need to feel like a gang? Billie: Feeling like a gang? The one thing we've always believed in is ourselves. The purest thing we have in the world for sure is the music we make with our guitars in our hands. Tre: I see Billie and Mike in my dreams too (laughs). Billie: You can't walk into our rehearsal room without feeling the vibe of the three of us. Most people, when they see us rehearsing, either a) they feel very welcome or b) their eyeballs pop out and they want to get the hell out of the room. Mike: There's a British expression, “I got your back”, which means that we think as you think and we care about each other, and I think that's the same in a band or in any group. I think the same can be said for any group in a band.

The reason I asked this question is because a lot of bands take a long time off because of relationship problems. But that's not the case with you guys at all, is it? Billie: We took time off for the opposite reason. We took time off because we love what we do but we don't want to abuse it. We didn't want to take advantage of the fans' feelings towards us and we didn't want to get too cocky about the opportunity. So we thought it was best to stop for a while and just enjoy what comes our way. Let's listen to the music we've made so far and be proud of it. Mike: You know how they say happiness isn't about the destination, it's about the journey to get there? It sounds cliché, but that's what we're going through right now. Tre: It's not cliché at all. That's so deep! I'm impressed.

Did you enjoy your year and a half off? All: Yeah! Tre: It's great to be back on the road again. Billie: Thanks to the break, I've started to enjoy band activities in general a lot more. I'm really looking forward to playing tonight. Tre: I can't wait to get on stage! Mike: I don't want to do interviews, I want to play guitar! (all laugh).

I know how much you guys are looking forward to getting back on stage. You went on the Warped Tour even though you knew how bad it was going to be. You could have been on a lot of other tours, even without the heat and nonstop Warped Tour, couldn't you? You've had a lot of offers from other people, haven't you? Mike: As long as I don't die, I'll be strong, don't worry. Tre: The Warped Tour was so fucking awful. It was just hard, but I didn't mind it at all. Other people were screaming, "It's hot!!" Billie: There were a lot of other bands there, and it was fun hanging out and making friends with everyone. I saw them skateboarding and stuff. I got on really well with the other guys on the tour. We're more friends with the guys on the Warped Tour than we are with Oasis or any of those guys. I don't have anything against Oasis. It's just that Oasis just aren't our friends. Mike: The Warped Tour went by really fast. I was so sad on the last day. I was like, I miss everyone (laughs). We hadn't seen some of them for a long time.

How about this Summer Sonic? Are there any bands you haven't seen in a while? Billie: Weezer!! (same manager) Tre: Yeah, Weezer!

Yes, I know! You went to the Weezer show yesterday, didn't you? Did you (Tre and Billie) both go? Where were you (Mike)? Mike: I had to sleep. I had lost my voice on the last tour and I was so tired yesterday that I had to keep my voice. I had to keep my energy up for the fans. Billie: You missed out on the joys of life. Tre: I was standing with the audience and everyone was jumping so much I thought the floor was going to come loose and we were all going to the floor below. (stomps his feet) It was like this the whole time, it was awesome!

The audience recognised you guys, didn't they? Didn't you cause any trouble? Tre: No, we didn't. We hunched over our backs and hid. Like old people (laughs).

Can you describe each song on the album? The first song on the album, ‘Warning’, which is also the title of the album, is about breaking out of the labels and signs with the word ‘warning’ on them that we see in our daily lives. What does this mean? Billie: I grew up in a place where there were labels and signs with "warning" written all over them. I think America has misunderstood the meaning of "freedom". And also when it comes to "security". You can see it in the label that says "warning".

“I don't want to change the world. I just want to change the small world I live in.”

So you're not preaching or really "warning" people? Billie: It's more about pointing out rules and things like that that I don't agree with. Just recently, the Republicans just ran a campaign, and George W. Bush (US presidential candidate) has no background. He's like an empty suit with nothing in it, and the Republicans have been busy filling it up and making him into some kind of leader to represent their ideas. It's scary to think that our future depends on a guy who doesn't know what he's doing. Mike: There's a phrase in this song "Question everything", which is a pretty bold statement for just a song.

You guys say rules should be broken, but do you really think so? Billie: It depends. Of course I don't want my son drinking a bottle of window cleaner or inhaling gas, but sometimes I give him so much advice that I feel like my intelligence is being mocked. Like, I wouldn't drink detergent, I'm not gonna inhale gas. Tre: Sometimes they're warning you what not to do, but there's also a lot of labels that are ‘warnings’ in the wrong sense of the word. That's how they put the word ‘warning’ all over the place and make up rules and tell you every single time that you shouldn't do this or that. Mike: The other day I was trying to climb over the fence to see the beautiful scenery on the other side of the fence. And it said, ‘Don't climb the fence’. Climbing the fence is not dangerous at all. An old man came and shouted, ‘Don't climb the fence!’ Is he trying to stop me from getting hurt? Or are you telling me not to climb the fence because you don't want me to climb it? That's an example of a ‘warning’ that doesn't make sense.

What's 'Blood, Sex and Booze' about? Mike: It's exactly what it sounds like (laughs). Billie: Yeah, it's about getting pleasure out of pain (laughs). I brought an SM girl into the studio and fucked the engineering staff. We whipped her. And then I put a microphone down and recorded the sound. That's the sound that's in the beginning of the song. Tre: Smack, smack!!

I should have listened to that explanation at the beginning. I've only heard this song once. Billie: It's about dirty sex. Tre: It's sexy. Billie: Dirty is the pleasure of pain. Mike: Dirty punk rock. Billie: Not for some people (laughs)!

Like who? Billie: I don't know, I've never done it myself. Tre: Like people who trust in each other. You have to have a lot of faith in each other to avoid messing around (laughs).

What about ‘Church on Sunday’? That's an interesting song, isn't it? I thought it was a love song. Billie: It's a love song. It's about my wife.

Does she have to go to church on Sunday? Billie: No, she doesn't. When you've been together for a long time, sometimes you have to look at your relationship with each other. That's what this song is about. There are a lot of compromises you have to make for each other.

It's a very romantic song. Billie: Thanks.

What is the song ‘Fashion Victim’ about? Do you think one can live as an independent individual without the influence of fashion and the media? Billie: That's what this song is about. Sometimes people who are looking for individuality dress exactly the same. There's a scene in the film American Pie where there's a naked 17-year-old girl in a boys' room, and the cameras are rolling, and she has perfect breasts. That's what people think a 17-year-old girl should be. If you're a guy, you're supposed to have a big body, lots of muscles, and a big dick. But the truth is, everyone is different and I am who I am, that's what this song is trying to say.

Do you think people should be aware of what they're doing? Billie: I want to be aware of what I'm doing, and I just write songs about what I think I'm doing. Or I'm just writing songs about what I think about what I see, I'm not trying to preach to other people. I'm not trying to change the way people think, I'm just trying to change the little world I live in.

Do you have an opinion on any of this? Tre: Pass! Billie: (smirks) Hey, are you going to make me explain every song? Tre: Too much. Billie: Okay, let's do two more songs.

We'll have to pick something then. How about ‘Misery’? It's my favourite. It's kind of like a French pop song. It's got a bit of an old French feel to it, don't you think? Musically, it's very different from the other songs on the album. Why did you include it? It's quite a different type of song, isn't it? Billie: We just thought we'd try everything. Sometimes I think this is the most punk song on the album.

Is it punk?! I know it's a very dramatic song? Billie: But it's punk. Mike: There are no rules in punk. You challenge yourself and do what you want to do, even if other people don't like it. Punk is about sticking your tongue out at the world. Like in your neighbour's face (laughs). Billie: We just do what we want to do. Tre: People might think we're writing songs for them because we put out an album and a lot of people listen to it, but we're not. We write for ourselves. What we write ends up reaching a lot of people, but our songs are written for us, Billie, Mike, and Tre. We're not preaching to anyone, we're not telling people what to do. Mike: It's not punk to do what everyone expects you to do. Punk is about speaking your mind. Billie: Of course there's a sense of responsibility. You have to be aware of what you're doing as an artist because people are going to listen to you. You have to at least know what you're doing. Otherwise, you're doing it wrong.

Next song… Billie: This is the last one.

I know. I have to ask you about ‘Minority’, which is the first single. Billie: ‘Minority’ is about being yourself. So…

So that's why! You say "I want to be a minority" in the lyrics, right? I was wondering why. Because I wouldn't want to be a minority. In Europe and America we [the journalist] are a minority. Mike: We're a minority here now. We came here to be minorities (laughs). Billie: The problem is that you're taking the word too literally. When I say ‘minority’ I mean standing up for yourself as an individual, as an individual human being. This song is an anthem for being yourself. There's no nationality in it. It's an anthem for those who can't fit in with the people around them. Mike: We're punks. Billie: Yeah, we're punks. Mike: Especially in America these days, it's getting harder and harder to find your individuality as an individual. It doesn't matter if your neighbour is a weird guy with a green head or your mum's best friend has a nose piercing. I don't care about the world around you, you have to find yourself. Tre: (pointing to his tattoos) This is what you need (laughs). Mike: Like wearing your clothes backwards (laughs).

But there are a lot of people who are afraid of being an outcast in society. Billie: We're not afraid. I think everyone wants to belong or be part of something. Especially those who don't have a family. That's why we started the band. Mike: This song is about Billie's life. It was written by one of the three guys from Oakland. It wasn't written for the audience, and some people might relate to it, and others might say, "I don't want to be a minority! I want to wear a suit and tie!" Tre: Because we have each other. So it's fine. No worries.

You've been doing a lot of things during your time off, haven't you? Billie produced a couple of bands, right? The Criminals and One Man Army? Billie: Yeah. They're on a label called Adeline Records. One Man Army is a great band and we did the Warped Tour with them. Criminals are another good hardcore dirty punk band. It was fun, it was like doing it with friends. We didn't try to be so uptight and watchful and producer-ish. It was more like friends helping friends than producers. Tre: It was just one guy getting the other guy to do the wrong thing (laughs). Billie: Bwahahaha!! Tre: But, well, Billie's a great producer, so he did a good job, didn't he? Billie: We're musicians.

What about you? What do you do? Tre: I'm a great producer in my own world too (laughs). Billie: There's a lot of great artists in the ghetto in Oakland, so Tre played with a lot of Latinos, African-American artists, and a lot of other people. Pretty cool, right?

So being in Oakland gives you a lot of opportunities to work with other musicians? Billie: Yeah, there's a lot of different cultures in Oakland. But nowadays most of the internet companies are moving to San Francisco, so there are a lot of people leaving Oakland. Rents are going up, and it's not easy to live there. A lot of our friends have moved away too. So it's getting harder and harder for the artists' community to survive.

You mentioned internet companies, but with the whole Napster thing, your manager said he doesn't want to release this album until October. Billie: Managers don't rule, man. We don't speak for the manager. Mike: Around October is a natural release date. We just wanted to do shows early because we finished writing the album early and prepared for the tour. I don't want to call the Warped Tour a warm-up tour, though. I think it was good to do it as a way to show our appreciation to the fans.

I don't mean to speak ill of the manager, and I think he made the right decision in terms of protecting the band. I mean, you've got the problem with Napster because people can download music for free. Billie: I don't give a shit. I don't have a problem with Napster. I've heard a lot of stories about it, but what the fuck does it matter? Our aim is to release music and get people to listen to it, so I don't give a shit about Napster. I can't even comment on it.

A lot of musicians have said that it's okay to download songs on the internet, but fans still want to have CDs. Do you agree with that? Billie: We… Mike: If you have enough money to go to college and burn the music you downloaded to your computer onto CDs, you're not poor. Billie & Tre: Yeah!! (claps hands and laughs) Mike: I don't give a shit if you get the records for free or not. As long as you're honest, that's all that matters. Stealing records because you want to listen to music? I'm proud of you! If you want to read a book, steal this book (laughs). Tre: It's like some cars on the road are rickety and rattly and some are sleek and smooth, it doesn't matter which one you have. Mike: And people who drive BMWs make mistakes too.

Recorded on August 5th in Osaka

Green Day Visit to Japan

★The first time they came to Japan, they went bowling, the second time they played with air guns, and the third time they played karaoke. On the way back to Tokyo after the show at Fuji-Q, they sang Western summer songs (Queen, Madonna, etc.) that were installed in the salon bus, with dirty parodies, for two hours. The director in charge said that he couldn't look the female interpreter who was riding with him in the face because of the content.

★Mike's essential item is his favourite white pillow. He brings it with him from home, and it is said to be a very important pillow that allows him to sleep peacefully wherever he goes, whether in a hotel or on a bus.

★Tre boasts that he is responsible for all the legends of Green Day. This time, he brought all his fly fishing equipment from America to kill time, and was trying to catch some Nishikigoi carp at the luxury hotel where he was staying… He apparently called Mr. I to verify and was given a stern warning, so he gave up, but only God and Tre know what he actually did.

★Tre has a cute side to him, too. He brought a bat from America, saying it was a gift for the staff at the Japanese record company, to pray for a hit, and some coffee beans to relieve fatigue. Tre came all the way to Mr. I's room at around 7am to give him this gift. He's just a lovable guy.

★He and Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), a student at Harvard, have the same manager and are old friends. The Evil Trio also seem to approve of him, and they got along quite well, going to see his live show and having meals together during his visit to Japan. There are no educational barriers for musicians!

Translator's Note: Tre Cool reminding you once again, that he is a menacing gremlin to society. But the good sort who knows when to back down when told not to.

This interview is quite eye-opening for me in terms of how good of a journalist Yuko Kato actually is, especially after the short Muse interview that I translated previously. She can be respectful and gentle towards artists that are nervous to answer, but at the same time, she's capable of going toe to toe and dish it out just as the same with Green Day during interviews.

Adeline Records was founded in 1997 by Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, Screw 32's Doug Sangalang, Green Day touring guitarist Jason White, and professional skateboarder Jim Thiebaud. It has since closed down in August 2017.

Please do support me with my Ko-fi! ☕

#Billie Joe Armstrong #Mike Dirnt #Tre Cool #Green Day #Warning era #my scan #translation #interview #INROCK #INROCK October 2000

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cherrylng · 1 month ago

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Green Day in Nagoya interview [INROCK (May 1998)]

GREEN DAY

Punk rock is our body odour

INTERVIEW: YUKO KATO

“If you ask a question that they don't like, it's going to be a big problem later. They'll blow away other interviews for 2-3 days without a second thought…” Even without that, Green Day never ends normally. What's the point of scaring people before they even start?

When I entered the waiting room, the three of them were sitting around a table piled with boxes of family sushi. Tre Cool was the only one who had a bite. But it was not to Tre's taste, and he shoved the box into the trash can with his hand. Billie crossed his arms and stared at me with a glazed look. I thought I was being observed… But then, suddenly, he smiled at me innocently and I felt relieved. But he doesn't stop chatting with Tre even with the recorder going around, rudely throws around disposable chopsticks with his toes, and chasing cockroaches… No matter how old they get, even as fathers, these brats are still going strong.

Billie Joe: Is that your girlfriend? So? Tre Cool: She was a cheerleader in Michigan, but they fired her because she shaved her head. Billie: Wow, that's cool.

Since you started touring in the US, you have preferred club-like venues, but why does a band as big as Green Day bother with smaller venues? There's quite a high demand to see you in concert. Mike Dirnt: We hadn't toured for a long time and we felt like going back to basics. The more we tour, the more demand we get, the bigger the venues get. Billie: At first, we really wanted to play just for the hardcore fans. Mike: If we get 5,000 people, I think that's great. That's our standard size, no different to any other band.

But there's actually a fierce battle for tickets amongst the fans. Mike: Because our fans know that we're coming back and touring again. (Yes, that's right, says the other two) And we're planning to play bigger venues then.

“The best songs are written when you're in the moment.”

You've been away from playing live performances for a long time. Do you think this has made it possible for you to go on tour with a completely fresh mindset this time around? Tre: We've always wanted to tour. Even before we started touring, it wasn't like we were taking long breaks… Mike: We were looking forward to touring. We worked hard at home, wrote new songs, and spent four and a half months in the studio.

That was quite a long time compared to when you recorded your last album. Billie: Yes, it was. And we were working 12-15 hours a day. Seriously. It was quite long. After recording like that, we really wanted to tour. The only thing we were talking about in the studio was that we wanted to get out on the road and play the new songs we're working on live. Tre: We're a great live band, so we're like, BACK! BACK! TO! TO! (says something unintelligible, making the other two laugh).

Before your long break, you were quite frustrated after almost a year of touring, so when you started this tour, did you still plan to tour the same way as you did last time? Or did you change to a slower schedule? Billie: We're trying to slow it down a bit now. I'm aware that I've been working too much for the last few years. I've been touring too much, spending too much time away from my family, and too much time recording. I've neglected my personal time. But the best songs come out when I have a fulfilling life. I can say with absolute certainty that the last time we did the Insomniac tour, the show in Japan was the best of the tour. Absolutely. (Oooh, Tre chimes in beside me.) The reactions were great, the treatment in Japan was so much better than anywhere else, and I was in great shape. The Japanese fans were loyal to the last album. Tre: Goddammit, there's cockroaches in this place. They crawled out from under these rotten chairs we're sitting on (laughs).

It's an old building. Mike: Maybe a cockroach got in my pants? Oh, no. It's my finger.

How many songs from the new album will you be playing at the concert? Mike: Six or seven songs, I think. We've already got five albums out and we don't want to ignore what we've done before. Some fans like the old songs, so we try to play songs from all the albums as much as possible.

I heard that in the US you invited fans up on stage to play guitar. Tre: Yeah. Mike: It wasn't planned from the beginning or anything, it just happened naturally. It's what's called an accident. We only do it once a week or whenever we feel like it.

Don't you do it in Japan? Mike: We do. We did it in Tokyo too.

How do you pick your fans? What kind of fans stand out? Mike: It's random. Maybe the ones who come up when we say, “Who wants to come up!”

On this tour, you ended the show with “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” Why did you choose this song? In the past, you used to play The Beatles' “I'm a Loser” after the lights came on, but from now on, you're playing “Good Riddance,” right? Mike: There's no meaning to it. It just happened naturally. It's got nothing to do with the Beatles. Billie: It's a good way to end the show, and it gives everyone a chance to relax for a while, doesn't it? Mike: It's the perfect song to end on. In the end, it's like a breather after the storm has passed, so to speak.

“I don't want to pretend I'm 14 forever.”

The song “Grouch” from “Nimrod” is a very meaningful song. In this song you sing about old people living in cities, but you're still young and have a lot of power in the music industry. How did this song come about? Did you have any model? Billie: Every song I write is about what I feel. That feeling might last two minutes, or it might last a week. One day I felt like an old man. So I wrote a song about how I felt at that time.

Doesn't every person sometimes feel themselves as a boring old person? Tre: If you're Billie you can be a fucking old woman (laughs).

Do you have any philosophical memories or thoughts? Billie: I don't want to pretend I'm 14 forever. I think it's important to accept reality in order to grow old comfortably and stay young at heart. Tre: Keep that as an option too.

Do you ever feel like you're going to be a boring old man? Do you ever worry about that? Billie: Everyone feels that way at times. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and you feel so old… Sometimes it's later in the day.

Billie was answering seriously, but Tre's blonde hair hid under the dressing table, and then a strange scream was heard. Tre pointed to a large cockroach. “Oh, my god! That's disgusting!”, said Billie, who also found it amusing and started to wriggle out with a pair of disposable chopsticks in his hand. One minute later, he had captured the cockroach. (←see picture on the left)

Billie: Let's name it Max! Tre: Max the cockroach!! Billie: That's disgusting! Ugh〜.

You were eating sushi. Tre: I love sushi. But this… (he throws most of the remaining sushi boxes into the bin).

“Punk has been around for about 25 years now. It's been conveyed and passed down with very different meanings to different people. It's wrong to try to put it into just one category.”

In an interview with ‘Spin’, you said, “We're a punk band from a punk rock background. Punk helped us get out of our boring hometown. Punk was the best education.” Do you think punk music can be a positive influence on young people? Billie: I can't speak for other people, but for me it is. I lived there, I'm from there, and I couldn't get out of there. It was just a pointless act to pretend otherwise. So…

When I listened to this album, I thought Green Day had surpassed punk. I think you can no longer be pigeonholed as punk, can you? Billie: Punk is bigger than people think. It's not about the Sex Pistols or anything, punk has been around for about 25 years now, and it's been conveyed and passed down with very different meanings to different people. To try to put it into just one category is stupid. And it's up to us to decide what to do next. We don't rely on anything else. We're not trying to prove to people that we're punks. If we're trying to prove something, we're trying to prove the opposite: I don't know what people want from us, but we can write good songs.

So what do you think influenced you about punk? The attitude? Billie: I don't know. I can't even really explain what I mean by the punk I'm talking about. The truth… No, I don't want to overestimate it. Mike: It's not like we're trying to be cool or anything. Billie: It's like trying to describe a body odour that reminds you of your childhood. Smell is not something you can easily describe verbally to other people. Punk rock is our body odour.

But I think that's a good enough explanation. Do you think your music is helping to educate young people? Mike: Music has been an education for me. I don't know. I think it's really cool to be educated by music. But that's my own experience, and maybe it only applies to me. Everyone can learn something from what they want to learn. It could be music, it could be sport. It could be anything. Tre: I'd rather learn English from Green Day than from books.

I'm sure the Japanese people do. Billie: It's pretty hard though.

I asked our staff, who are Green Day fans, what questions they would like to be asked in an interview. They all said they wanted to hear your opinion on society. I wondered why they would want to ask you musicians about your opinion on society, but do you ever feel like the world wants more from you than music? Mike: Vitamins!!! I don't know. Tre: Isn't it better for everyone to wash their faces? Billie: Music is supposed to be an escape from reality for individuals, to isolate yourself from all that shit. It's not that hard for us, you know. It's very simple, man. We've been doing it for years because we love it. Music is an escape from reality for us, but it's also reality. I don't know how it relates to society. Maybe it's because we're escaping from society.

Do you ever get a chance to talk to your fans after a concert? Billie: Never. …Nah, I'm just kidding. Mike: Of course we do.

What do your fans have to say to you? About their situation? Or do they ask you any questions? Mike: Some people just want to shake hands, others ask to meet my parents. It's all kinds. We try to talk to everyone and not be like rock stars. We try to be friendly.

Is it really strange that people feel so close to you guys when you're such big stars? Billie: If you look at any photo and you see them wearing sunglasses, even the viewer can tell that these guys are cold. They're fucking bastards. Sometimes you can't blame them for having those pictures, but when you see all these guys wearing sunglasses… You know what I mean? (Tre immediately interjects and they all laugh).

I mean, it's like the fans feel like they share something with you guys, like there's a connection. Billie: Yeah, they do. They share good rock‘n’roll with us.

Do you talk to your fans in Japan too? Tre: The more shows we do, the more powerful we become. I mean it's our show, but we share something with the fans. It's our show, it's the fans' show, and no third party can take anything away from us. Billie: It's theirs. It's not in anyone else's hands. We talk to our Japanese fans too. And more than any other fans (laughs). I speak fluent Japanese. We are very baka [stupid]!

In one of your interviews, you said that you can communicate with people by writing songs about things that you can't put into words. Is music therapeutic for you? Billie: Of course. I think that's why all our music has a strong autobiographical element to it. If you write your songs with your heart, it will come naturally. If you write down what comes to your mind, it will come naturally.

‘Nimrod’ contains a lot of different flavours. Did you start to add strings and other complications when you went into the studio? Or did you discuss this with each other before recording and decide to do it this way? Tre: It fits the record perfectly, that's all. We made a good album, and it had strings! Billie: We've had strings on all our previous albums. Tre: It's on the guitars (laughs loudly)! Mike: We're always saying stupid stuff like that. Tre: I always wear string bikinis when I play in the studio. It's pretty cool. Billie: It's a G-string, right? Tre: Yeah, a G, a G-string (laughs).

Do you guys feel you've succeeded in different directions? The three of you are together like this as friends and as musicians, but when you spend so much time together… Billie: Who the hell are you talking about? I'm getting sick of these guys, man.

Do you ever want to do anything else while you're still in the band, or do you get offers from elsewhere? Tre: I've got a 13-inch (approximately 33cm) penis, so I could always be a porn star. Billie: Yeah. Tre: I've always wanted to be a porn star. Mike: I want to skateboard. I'm terrible at it. I'm not even good at it. But I'd like to do it someday. For myself. Billie: I've had a lot of offers to be a professional baseball player, but I'm too busy touring at the moment. Tre: I'd like to go to a supermarket or something and just cut the price tag off the bottom with a knife or a box cutter and take it home.

Isn't that shoplifting? Tre: No, it's not. Billie: It's only shoplifting if you get caught. If you don't get caught, you're borrowing it forever.

Did you bring your skateboard to Japan? Mike: Yeah. It's hard, but I try to find places to skate. Like hotel corridors and lobbies.

Other than that, I hear you're into airsoft guns? Tre: Probably. We play with toys when we have them. Any toy is fine. I like toys. Billie: If there's Kiddy Land, I'll play with toys too. Tre: With Kiddy Land toys, they're guaranteed safe. Billie: We try not to give our kids toys that aren't safe. As they get older, we can recommend other toys.

Do you have a message for the readers of INROCK? Tre: Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep… Billie: To all the readers〜 Tre: Look at the pictures. Billie: If you can't stand my creepy face… Tre: Just doodle on it. Mike: You can run it over with a skateboard. Billie: Any good advice on how to look more handsome is always welcome! You can doodle on my face with a beard or whatever you like! Tre: You can erase my eyes with an eraser.

Recorded on March 17th in Nagoya

Green Day - Japan Anecdotes

March 12th (Thur) About half a year after their visit to Japan for the Fuji Rock Festival, the troublesome punk kids have set foot on Japanese soil once again. They arrived at Narita Airport at around 4pm. This time they left the airport smoothly without getting caught up by customs and went to their hotel. Afterwards, Billie and Mike decided to go see the Rolling Stones play at the Tokyo Dome, while Tre stayed quietly(?) at the hotel.

March 13th (Fri) On this day, they were interviewed for several programs, and in the evening they had an autograph session at HMV. The first 100 people were given autographs, but many other fans flocked in to catch a glimpse of Green Day, causing a commotion. The band, who were very service minded, not only signed autographs, but also threw CDs at the assembled fans, saying “It's free,” causing panic in the shop, and even left graffiti on Madonna's billboard. Dinner was at the Hard Rock Café. For some reason, all three of them became vegetarians this time, so we made do with vegetarian burgers, cokes, and nachos.

March 14th (Sat), 15th (Sun) The tour started with two days at Tokyo Bay NK Hall. They left the hotel around noon and rehearsed thoroughly at the venue. They always do some stretching backstage to improve their concentration before the show. The show was a great success, with about 6,000 fans at the venue. If a fan couldn't handle the guitar, they would keep bringing them up on stage until someone who could play came up. Because of this situation, there were times when the performance stopped for a while. Fans, make sure you master the guitar before the next show in Japan. From this time onwards, airsoft guns appeared as their plaything. There were about 30 guns of various types, and it turned into a big shooting contest with the staff…

March 16th (Mon) We interviewed them at the hotel around noon, then went shopping at the Harley-Davidson shop in Shibuya. For dinner, they had sushi, which they always eat when they come to Japan. They have favorite toppings like sea urchin and tuna, and apparently they order in Japanese (I'd like to see that…). They've also had sushi in America, and the three were very satisfied, saying, “Sushi is the best in Japan after all.”

March 17th (Tue), 18th (Wed) We traveled to Nagoya by Shinkansen. They kill time on the train by sleeping, talking, reading, or listening to music. Sometimes they let loose too much, and the conductor noticed them… After arriving in Nagoya, we went to the venue, Diamond Hall, for an INROCK interview with them. Green Day are known for being fan-friendly but tough on the press, so the interviewer was even more nervous than usual. Unaware of her feelings, the three chased around a cockroach that had appeared backstage during the interview, caught it with chopsticks, and happily showed it to the cameraman… Even so, the person in charge said, “They were quieter than usual. Maybe it's because they're starting to get tired?” The photos were taken normally when they were in a group, but when they were taken individually, their personalities came out and they each posed in their own way. Billie did some sexy, silly poses, Tre flipped over on the table, and Mike sat in a lotus position on the table (like the Buddha). The next day, Mike, who has recently become obsessed with cameras, buys a camera lens. After the show, Mike went out with the staff to a club to sign autographs and take photos with the fans who had gathered there.

March 19th (Thu), 20th (Fri) Move to Osaka. Around this time, they started to get tired, and the number of times they fired their airsoft guns increased dramatically. The reason they didn't go bowling, which they love, this time was because they were using it to relieve stress… Apparently. On the 20th, Tre coloured his hair from blonde to green. The show at the IMP Hall was a great success and afterwards all the members went to a club. Mike and Tre were dancing, but Billie didn't drink or dance, he just sat and chatted. Billie was getting more and more relaxed and dignified both physically and mentally. Osaka is actually Green Day's favorite city, and he remembered the bar they went to when they first came to Japan two years ago, so he was able to visit it again after a long time. He also likes takoyaki, a specialty of Osaka. —However, they don't put their mouths on the batter, but only dig out the octopus inside, which is a strange way of eating.

March 21st (Sat) Move to Tokyo. The three vegetarians are so thorough that they even take the meat out of the chicken kamameshi that was prepared for them. Billie says, “There are no vegetarian meals in Japan”, and keeps his favourite Glico Pocky in his hand. Mike went to a music store in Shibuya and focused on his mini guitar, and the airsoft gun was forgotten (happily ever after). For dinner, even though they are vegetarians, they had Kobe beef. On their last visit to Japan, they were thrilled by the tenderness of the beef, but this time they only ate three or four slices.

March 22nd (Sun) Jaguar was staying at the same hotel that day, and since they both have the same Japanese record company, wea, they met. However, they only exchanged greetings and didn't seem to be good friends with them (!?). Tre went to look for a bike that wasn't available in America, but he didn't buy any, probably because he didn't find any good ones. The last performance of the Japan tour was held at Akasaka Blitz on the 22nd and 23rd. During the encore, the three appeared in sailor uniforms. They had previously appeared in school uniforms with stand-up collars, so I guess this was a sequel to that. All three are petite for Americans, so they look pretty good…

March 23rd (Mon) The last day of the Japan tour ended without a hitch. To commemorate the day, the record company gave them a platinum trophy in the shape of a bowling pin, and they were overjoyed, saying, “This is better than a Grammy Award.” In the evening, a wrap-up party was held at the hotel. The three, who don't usually drink, got drunk this time and had a great time.

<Bonus> The shopping was mainly done in Harajuku, where the three of them also bought souvenirs for their families. Billie: Barbie dolls for his wife and other Ultraman dolls. Mike: Several plush toys. Tre: Kitty-chan (Hello Kitty) and Doraemon goods

Translator’s Note: Whenever I need a breather, I translate Green Day interviews because there’s always something silly being said by the trio to make my day. And sometimes I get to find out how the journalists became so unfazed by the antics of other rockstars just by spending a few days with Green Day.

Also, reading what pre-9/11 Green Day shows were like sure showed me what a different era that was. Having 30 airsoft guns with them and their crew is quite the WTF moment of discovery in translating this.

Please do support me via my ko-fi! ☕

#Billie Joe Armstrong #Mike Dirnt #Tre Cool #Green Day #Nimrod era #my scan #translation #interview #INROCK #INROCK May 1998

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