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Billie Joe 1993's interview for 360 Degrees fanzine


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P.O. Box 81623
San Diego, CA 92138

Green Day Interview
An Interview With Billy from Green Day

by Dave Quinn

If you've yet to experience the music of Green Day you're missing out. For
some, their ultra-poppy love/hate songs may be hard to take, and according to
rule #567348.32 of the punk rawk handbook, they are in direct violation of
the "can't let my friends see me with this uncool shit" code. However, their
sound is irresistible and crucial to anyone who has ever wanted what they
couldn't have. The real kick in the ass is how young these guys are combined
with their dead on insight into relationship crap.

DQ: You're playing in San Diego quite a bit lately, do you like it here?

I totally love San Diego... (holds arm up and begins to point to different
parts of it) Like San Francisco (wrist), the Bay Area (forearm), part like
that, then Northern California (elbow) and here in the armpit, that's where
L.A. is, and if you go down to the nipple that's where San Diego is. San
Diego's way cool. The whole attitude is you should be totally separated from
Los Angeles... (it) reminds me of Berkeley, but bigger with a lot more
beaches. It's cool. (He's just saying that because I'm bigger than he is.)

DQ: Have you ever hung around here long enough to check out the scenery?

We walked around today, checked out some cafes, hung out at the beach (P.B.)
on the boardwalk, looked at the shops. Lots of tourist trap bullshit going
on, but there were cool Mexican food places... I love Mexican food.

DQ: Word on the street is that you've been signed to Virgin?

I've heard we've been signed to Geffen. We're definitely going to a major
label, we have no idea yet... Dyno she-babes enter at this point.

Dyno she-babe: What kind of food do they have in here?

There's chips, some turkey breasts and cheese... iced tea. Eat up! What was
the question again?

DQ: Major labels.

There's five of them that are interested, we've gotta hold out as long as we
can so we know we're sure. I've heard of so many bands getting totally
destroyed by major labels. That's why we never really did it from the start;
we were seventeen, sixteen years old when we put out our first 7-inch. And I
wouldn't want to be labeled as a "young alternative rock band" or something
on MTV. We'd be in and out within six months, so we did everything on an
independent label. Now we're going to do bigger things, you know, movin' up.

DQ: Have you worn out your welcome with Lookout?

Lookout is totally cool, we talked to them about it and they're hip on it.
They knew it was coming for a while. We're doing one more EP on Lookout...
It's a decision that took a year for us to make... We're not going to do
anything cheesy, like put Lookout's logo on a major label, we'll make a clean
break.
DQ: How's the new crap different from the old crap?
Well, it's still the same kind of style, but the lyrics have changed a lot.
There's a lot less about love and stuff like that, and more about phobias and
stuff.

DQ: What do you hate?

My fears. I hate being insecure. I hate being neurotic. I hate neurotic
people. It's a lot of talkin' shit... there's also a friend of ours who was
killed in a car accident about a year ago, so Mike wrote a song called "Jar"
about him. Well, not really about him, (it's) about growing up. (Our new
record) is like both records combined. We want to put out the ultimate Green
Day sound. That's what we're trying to accomplish with the next record.

DQ: Are you going to lose a lot of your "old school" fans when you sign?

Yeah, definitely. There's going to be a few people who will be bummed out. I
have nothing bad to say about punk rock or the underground. I think it's like
the greatest scene in the world, but opportunity knocks. People ask "why are
you doing this, because you have a family or anything?" Basically, it's
because I fucking want to do it and so do the other members. The music hasn't
changed. We're not changing ourselves to suit some big corporate record
label. The music will be there if you want to listen to it. If you feel that
you're contributing to a major corporation I got nothing to say because one
time I said that, and now I've completely contradicted myself. There's not
much to say about it. Some guy came up to me in New Jersey saying, "I heard
you're signing for millions of dollars to so-and-so's label" and all this
shit and I'm like, "...yeah, that's what we're gonna do." I didn't really
have anything to say to him, and he's like, "Well, don't you know you're
supporting a multi-million dollar corporation..." and I said "yeah.. I'm not
doing it for them, I'm doing it for myself."

DQ: What changes with signing?

One thing changes when you get a bigger name. Stress. That's definite. It's
funny because there's some people who will be totally into Green Day, and
there will still be one person who will say "Oh, I think they fuckin' suck. I
hate that pop shit." Whatever. And for some reason you'll totally ignore the
people who think that you're good. You'll go to the people who think you're
bad and say, "Well, what's up?" (laughs) People are going  to say stuff to
you that's pretty shitty, but you gotta just throw it behind you and not look
at it. Not take it personal.

DQ: A lot of people judge bands on their "PC"-ness, but you're really more
personal as you grow older. Do you find yourself getting more political?

There's going to be songs on the next record about slaving. My mom has been
working at minimum wage jobs as a waitress for the past four years, and
there's definite problems in that. We're young and we don't know much about
politics, but now we're growing, getting out of high school and figuring out
that things aren't given to you on a platter--living free at your parent's
house, just going to school, now you gotta go out and have a job and all that
bullshit. That comes along with what you're programmed to do in high school.
I don't want to fuckin' live like that... I don't want a job, ever.

DQ: Make up our own question.

Wow. That's difficult... If I was a girl, who would I be?... Kathleen from
Bikini Kill.

DQ: From Bikini Kill???!!!

(His voice gets louder) I've never really listened to them before, but then I
heard a record when I was in Florida... she's got the radest voice, man. So
fuckin' hard and shit. She's dope, man. She knows what's up. For some reason,
I don't know... Kathleen from Bikini Kill.

DQ: Who did you lust after but never get?

Um... (long pause) ...that's a really revealing question.

DQ: Reveal! Reveal yourself! This zine won't go past San Diego--it doesn't
matter.

(laughs)... Wow, there was a girl when I was sixteen--my best friend's
sister. Her name is Jennifer. She's the one that got away. She's a couple of
years older than I am. You know, a sixteen-year-old wanting to be in love
with some girl. It wasn't quite there as far as she was concerned, but I was
there. I was down. I knew what was up, but she wasn't willing to take that
risk so... (laughs)

DQ: What song is about her?

The entire first seven inch.

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1 hour ago, Montclare said:

"This zine won't go past San Diego."

Fast forward 24 years... :lol:

@360Degrees Sorry.

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There’s something oddly endearing about teenage Billie talking about being unable to “get” girls. Especially considering how many would throw themselves at him now. If only he could see the future back then. :P 

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This is such a cool interview. Love the part about Kathleen Hanna, especially as they got her on Letterbomb ten years later :D Bit of early foreshadowing with that political question too. Nice find!

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On 11/24/2017 at 9:01 PM, ¡Jenn! said:

This is such a cool interview. Love the part about Kathleen Hanna, especially as they got her on Letterbomb ten years later :D Bit of early foreshadowing with that political question too. Nice find!

Thanks :dance:

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