Different view on GD from European people

[Metadon]

Hi everyone! I was just thinking about one big difference. I'm from Europe and for me and I believe as for many others from Europe, GD are really big stars and one of the most famous bands. For us is really extraordinary to go to their concerts. They are not around too often. Also we do not have as many famous bands and singers in Europe like fans from USA. So I would like to know how Americans ( not just GD fans but overall) treat GD? Do they still have that ''rock star aura'' or are they a bit smaller then in Dookie or AI era?  Thanks for answers and see ya in NovaRock 2017!! 

[pouty bitch]

I'm not American, but from what I have seen and heard, GD are still a big band in America, but I don't think they are as big as they were in AI era.

RevRad got to no. 1 on the Billboard 200. It's GD's third billboard no. 1. The other two were 21stCB and AI. So it seems that they are much bigger in America now than they were in trilogy era, but not as big as AI era.

[Billie Hoe]

As a European I don't feel like Green Day are like "really big stars" or "one of the most famous bands", like you said, at all - unless you live in the UK maybe. Right now I feel like I'm following some underground band younger people probably have never even heard of and even people my age are like "oh, they're still around?". Sure, the concerts sometimes sell out but only because they visit only 1 to 4 places in each country during every tour and every single fan in the country visits those places at once, plus people from neighbor countries. I never see them on TV, I never overhear other people around me talking about them (unless they are talking to me), never hear them on the radio (except maybe once a month when a radio station decides to play Wake Me Up when September Ends ) or see people walking around in GD shirts.

Please tell me where to find this fantastical European land you speak of where Green Day are big stars.

[Metadon]

1 hour ago, Billie Hoe said:

As a European I don't feel like Green Day are like "really big stars" or "one of the most famous bands", like you said, at all - unless you live in the UK maybe. Right now I feel like I'm following some underground band younger people probably have never even heard of and even people my age are like "oh, they're still around?". Sure, the concerts sometimes sell out but only because they visit only 1 to 4 places in each country during every tour and every single fan in the country visits those places at once, plus people from neighbor countries. I never see them on TV, I never overhear other people around me talking about them (unless they are talking to me), never hear them on the radio (except maybe once a month when a radio station decides to play Wake Me Up when September Ends ) or see people walking around in GD shirts.

Please tell me where to find this fantastical European land you speak of where Green Day are big stars.

Im from Czech Republic! And for us they have that kind of rock star aura  And for example look  at Nova Rock festival line up. System of a Down, Linkin Park, Blink and GD. But GD is the band who plays asthe last band of the festival. Revolution radio music is in the Nova Rock trailers etc.. The point is, Europe still treat GD much more than USA because we simply dont have that kind of bands. Also compare atmosphere of EU and US concerts and you will see difference

[greendepent]

From this side of the world, in my country they are looked like an emo sellout band that used to make some fairly decent songs, but now is just a crappy band that no one cares, except for a few minority

[RougeRogue]

This is an interesting thread, actually. Likewise, there are European artists that I listen to that I feel the same way about as an American. I guess I never thought of it for GD before.

But it's also hard to sum up the "American" opinion of them too though because cultures vary state to state and...in all honesty, I've spent my decade as their fan feeling pretty damn alone in loving them and I don't think I'm the only one with that experience. It's so strange to go to sold out stadium concerts sometimes because you look around and think "So where the fuck are all of us normally and why do we not know each other?" It's like we're a large body of individuals, but bizarrely spread out and never cross paths. The opposite of a "small world" I guess.

[Jesus of Seneca]

9 hours ago, Billie Hoe said:

As a European I don't feel like Green Day are like "really big stars" or "one of the most famous bands", like you said, at all - unless you live in the UK maybe. Right now I feel like I'm following some underground band younger people probably have never even heard of and even people my age are like "oh, they're still around?". Sure, the concerts sometimes sell out but only because they visit only 1 to 4 places in each country during every tour and every single fan in the country visits those places at once, plus people from neighbor countries. I never see them on TV, I never overhear other people around me talking about them (unless they are talking to me), never hear them on the radio (except maybe once a month when a radio station decides to play Wake Me Up when September Ends ) or see people walking around in GD shirts.

Please tell me where to find this fantastical European land you speak of where Green Day are big stars.

Actually that pretty much sums up my chunk of America, it's weird in the fact that it's almost become like following an underground indie band again, because 'm really hard pressed to find people who know and/or care about them.

[Beathe.]

11 hours ago, Billie Hoe said:

As a European I don't feel like Green Day are like "really big stars" or "one of the most famous bands", like you said, at all - unless you live in the UK maybe. Right now I feel like I'm following some underground band younger people probably have never even heard of and even people my age are like "oh, they're still around?". Sure, the concerts sometimes sell out but only because they visit only 1 to 4 places in each country during every tour and every single fan in the country visits those places at once, plus people from neighbor countries. I never see them on TV, I never overhear other people around me talking about them (unless they are talking to me), never hear them on the radio (except maybe once a month when a radio station decides to play Wake Me Up when September Ends ) or see people walking around in GD shirts.

Please tell me where to find this fantastical European land you speak of where Green Day are big stars.

Minus that they visit every country on every tour, this is how I would describe it as well.

[Marki.]

^ I agree with this view as well, I don't really feel like they are "big stars" in Europe, but as for younger people, I had quite a different (and I'd say positive) experience lately. I have a younger sister, and she recently informed me that they were supposed to pick a popular band for a presentation, and there was a big dispute over Green Day  Of course, she's been influenced by me , but thanks to her I know that there are quite a few people who know and like the band in my former school, and I know a few of them went to see them when they played here in January. That might just be lucky, but anyway, the concert did pretty much sell out in a few hours. Overall, I definitely feel like this - 

5 hours ago, RougeRogue said:

It's so strange to go to sold out stadium concerts sometimes because you look around and think "So where the fuck are all of us normally and why do we not know each other?" It's like we're a large body of individuals, but bizarrely spread out and never cross paths. The opposite of a "small world" I guess.

 I was thinking exactly the same thing the last time I went to see them, especially as this is such a small country. 

[Billie Hoe]

3 hours ago, Beathe. said:

Minus that they visit every country on every tour, this is how I would describe it as well.

No, yeah, that's what I meant but I understand how what I said could be misunderstood.  They don't even visit every country, but I meant that they play at 1 - 4 places of every country they do visit. As far as I know, they haven't visited Finland or Spain in a while, or southern Europe countries in general, like Croatia, Bosnia ... So people from these countries visit other countries to see them live, which is probably one of the reasons the concerts sell out most of the times

[Beathe.]

10 minutes ago, Billie Hoe said:

No, yeah, that's what I meant but I understand how what I said could be misunderstood.  They don't even visit every country, but I meant that they play at 1 - 4 places of every country they do visit. As far as I know, they haven't visited Finland or Spain in a while, or southern Europe countries in general, like Croatia, Bosnia ... So people from these countries visit other countries to see them live, which is probably one of the reasons the concerts sell out most of the times

Basically it's all because of us in the crazy people going to lots shows thread.   They haven't played in Denmark for years either. Very disapponting. 

[Metadon]

1 hour ago, Beathe. said:

Basically it's all because of us in the crazy people going to lots shows thread.   They haven't played in Denmark for years either. Very disapponting. 

That's very easy. Management of the band send an emails about GD coming back to Europe and then it is up to every country agencies to bring them. Agencies need to prepare everything and meet requirements of the band management. It is not about GD want to play there or there... They really dont care.

[Beathe.]

49 minutes ago, Metadon said:

That's very easy. Management of the band send an emails about GD coming back to Europe and then it is up to every country agencies to bring them. Agencies need to prepare everything and meet requirements of the band management. It is not about GD want to play there or there... They really dont care.

I'm aware of how it works. I never said that they cared. Why would they. 

I said that it's disapponting to me. Since I go to several shows and use a lot of money on them, shows in Scandinavia would be ideal. 

[RougeRogue]

But I suppose at the end of the day, the things we're talking about here are exactly why GDC thrives so well, I think. It's what we needed to get that experience of having people to talk to and enjoy GD with, regardless of the opinions of those in our surroundings.

[St. Jonny]

Their hardcore fans from anywhere always enjoy them the most. People seem a lot wilder at the European shows but they are still wild in America too, like I said, the die hard Green Day fans are still going, and going nuts. I lost my mind at the shows I went to thus far.

[sara_gd]

In Spain they're viewed as the band you liked when you were 15 and it's still mostly people who are 15 that like them. Some older people still like AI but don't know that they're still making music. This is appart from hardcore fans of course, those are all ages. I found that their audience in America is older, probably because Dookie was much more popular in America than here.  When they come to Spain it's definitely a big thing, but they haven't come in 8 years (minus a practicly unaccesible festival in 2013) so it's understandable. To have seen Green Day live is not something very usual here, let alone more than once. In America there's many people who have seen them at some point, so I guess the "myth" goes away a little bit when seeing them is accessible. Although, maybe if you went to the parts of America where they don't usually play it'd be the same.

But I totally get that they have that  "American band" tag in Spain. I guess it's what you mean by "rock star aura". Even if they're not that popular, they're generally recognized and viewed as an interesting foreign band. It seems logical to me that people don't see them in the same way as in their home country in the rest of the world. I couldn't really speak for all countries in Europe because I'm not familiar with most, but I think in the UK and Ireland there's more of a brotherhood maybe...? As American culture is much closer to them.