Green Day in German Visions Magazine

[Nobody_Likes_You]

^ No idea

So, you translated all of the interviews?

I'M THE SON OF RAGE AND LOVE,

THE JESUS OF SUBURBIA

Just shaved and painted in black, Billie Joe is greeting us at his piano in one of the huge recording studio rooms. „I could sit at the piano and write a song by command“, says he later, „it most likely just wouldn't be a good one.“ He's still finding it difficult to write a song at the push of a button - „I have my best moments, when I reactivate this naive fascination for music, that I sensed as a young boy: 'Man, Rock is the biggest thing in the World!' Unfortunately I can't control this moment till today. It comes whenever it wants.“ And he comes very often lately: As noticeable as the development of Green Day over their last LPs is the lyrical and storytelling ability of Armstrong. For „American Idiot“ he made the triangle story with Whatsername, St. Jimmy and Jesus of Suburbia – on „21st Century Breakdown“ two protagonists suffice. „These seem more profound.“(don't really know how to say this) Billie Joe Armstrong, a Storyteller for millions.

[.Brian]

Billie should have kept the bleached hair.

agreed. i always said so. they looked so great at the grammys, in Q mag and on this rolling stone picture

[Nele]

Ok guys I will translate the Tre part later ok? If you don'z mind of course. (I'm sure you don't.)

The interviewer is telling that he went upstairs to meet Tre there. There were a lot of shelves with drums, cymbals and other equipment. Everytime some of them moves, you can hear the drums and stuff because they are so sensitive. Tre's wearing the same outfit like the one at the DNA in San Francisco.

(some parts of the interview were posted already but I'd like to have it all in one rush too.)

What keeps the band together?

Tre: We love each other.

(pause)

That’s nice.

Yeah. It may sound weird to say it. Nobody of us could imagine to do something different, now or in the past.

Is friendship more important than ability?

At all points. That‘s my tip to all readers, that want to make a band in the future: play with persons you like! Play with friends in your group, not just with a random guy because he has better equipment. Just make music with your damn friends- even if you suck badly. At the end of the day you suck badly together and it‘s not half as bad. It‘s as simple as that.

The most band members that play together for over 20 years need sooner or later at least private distance. You never moved away from each other.

Where should we go? People frown when we enthuse about Oakland and ask us why we didn‘t move to Hollywood. My response is the same every time: „ I‘m not in the film industry, so that‘s not my business.“ I mean, there‘s nothing wrong with LA… Okay, actually there‘s much wrong in LA. (laughs)

You don‘t feel the need moving somewhere when you are in the studio or on tour for months anyway. Coming back home again after that is absolute luxury. We are all fathers and weren‘t always successful husbands. I have two ex-wives and with both one child. One lives in NYC one in San Francisco and I live in Oakland. It‘s already hard enough to manage this all from here.

Is your private life a bigger challenge than the band?

Without question. I have everything under control with Green Day. Sure I need some musical challenges. Therefore I was in Cuba for some weeks before the album sessions. I took some drum lessons with a Conguero.

I couldn‘t hear any congas on "21st Century Breakdown".

No, I didn‘t go that far. I just want to have a new weapon in my arsenal when we need this impulse for our music someday. For a drummer I think quite song-conducive - I afford that what the song needs. I take the moments to play the gallery wise. All in all I‘m pretty reserved. At least on stage. [oh really? ]

Not aside?

Let‘s say it this way: The problem in this band is that we‘re ill-reputed as party monsters - definitely not by accident. Wherever we are, the people want to party with us: „Hey, you are in Green Day? Let me buy you a drink!“ Or:“ Brother, take a puff from this.“

It‘s a constantly balancing: Is this the right moment? Or would be more sleep better for the gig tomorrow? Probably yes, but hey, when this guy want to drink a drink with me then I‘ll do it. There are many good beers to drink out there. Oh well. At least Billie and Mike are less… fatalistic in that case. (laughs)

The two are reckoned as a conspire unity - even before they made Green Day. Do you realize sometimes that you are the one who joined later?

There are some moments like this, bur they are pretty uncommon. They have some insiders that allude to their childhood - and that I don‘t want to scrutinize. (laughs) But that‘s so long ago. Today everybody has a leading role in Green Day.

Can you define the roles?

Let me see… I‘m the stud, Billie lift all heavy things and Mike wash the dishes.

Sounds fair. You are still sure that a trio‘s the perfect size for you, right?

Yes, in studio. We can produce nearly everything with overdubs there. But it‘s difficult to present the songs live - especially since „21st CB“, witch takes us to a new level. Therefore we brought after Jason Freese (Keyboard) and Jason White (Guitar) a third man to the live-line-up. His name is Jeff Makita and he'll play another guitar and a few vocals at the upcoming tour.

Don‘t you have to play the whole concept album „21st CB“, to take it into consideration?

That‘s going to happen in the next weeks and it happened yesterday at the Independent. We played all songs on it and after that the hits.

Why these secret shows?

Because it seem we couldn‘t play one and a half hour „21st CB“, before the crowd could hear an old song. But actually we want exact that: experience how the fans are experience it. To watch the reaction from a few hundreds of people who are listening to a new Green Day album and make a face as they just saw a ghost. (laughs)

What can we expect from the upcoming world tour?

Expect everything! I would repeat the thing with the flag in due time...

The thing with the flag?

When we were at Norway last tour, we met an old friend, James, who's really a giant. Sometime at night we climbed onto the roof of the hotel, took the Norwegian flag and hoisted one of Jame's huge boxershorts instead. There was a picture of it in the newspaper, with the comment: "Green Day are in Town..." So dear readers, if you ask yourself, in which hotel we're staying just look, what's waving on the roof of any hotel!"

[Nobody_Likes_You]

Oh man, I've translated it also

I: What's keeping this band together?

Tre: We love each other.

(break)

I:Thats great

T:yeah, even if it sounds strange to say it this way. No one of us three could imagine doing anything else – or ever did. And if we weren't in a band, we'd be together as friends.

I: Is your friendship beyond competence?

T:In every aspect. That's a hint to all readers: Play together with guys, that you like! Get your friends into the band, not any acquaintance, just because he's got the better instrument, the better PA or a van. Just make music with your fucking friends – even if you're totaly crappy at it. Cause at the end of the day, you are collective crappy and that hurts just half as much. It's simple as that.

I:Most Bands, that are together for over 20years, search sonner or later at least private for some distance. You never moved away far apart.

T:Where should we go? People knit their brows, if we adore Oakland, and ask us, why we aren't moving to Hollywood. My answer is always the same: „I'm not a part of the moviebusiness, so I have nothing to do there.“ I mean, there's nothing wrong with LA, it's just...Okay, there's a lot wrong with LA!(laughs) You also don't want to move if you were on tour or in the studio for month.

It seems like absolute deluxe to come home after those phases. We are all fathers and weren't the most effective husbands. I have two ex-wifes and every of them with a kid. One lives in New York, one in San Francisco and I live in Oakland. It's difficult to manage that.

I:Is your private life a bigger challenge to you than the band?

T: Without question. At the Green Day part, I have everything under control. I'm also searching for musical challenges, sure. Because of that I was on Kuba before the Album-Sessions started to learn something from a Conguero.

I: I didn't hear any Congas on „21st Century Breakdown“.

T: No, I didn't went that far. It was just about having a new weapon in my arsenal, if our music needs this impulse some day. For a drummer i think fairly useful – I can do, after whatever the song is asking. I choose the moments, to play to the gallery, wise. I'm pretty cautious at all. At least on the stage.

I: Apart from that not?

T: Let me say it this way: The problem with this band is, that we are ill-reputed as party animals – not accidental for sure. Where ever we are, people want to party with us: „Hey, you are from Green Day? Let me buy you a drink!“(<- most likely a beer:D) Or: „ Brother take a puff hereof!“ It is a constant balancing: Is it the right moment to let off steam now? Or would a bit more sleep tonight be good for the Performance tomorrow? It most likely would, but hey: If someone wants a Drink with me, then we drink one together. There is a lot of good beer out there and they don't drink themselves!Oh well. At least Billie Joe and Mike are less...fatalistic at this thing.(laughs)

I: The two of them are considered as one entity – even before Green Day was founded. Do you notice, till today, in some situations, that you are the one that got to them later?

T: There are Moments, even though their are rare. They have their Insiders, that allude to things from their childhood – and that I don't want to question. (laughs) But that dates such a long time back. Today everyone has a primary part in Green Day.

I: Can you define the parts?

T: Let me see.. I am the Sexswank, Billie boosts all the heavy things and Mike cleans the dishes.

I: Sounds just. You are still sure, that a Trio is the ideal dimension for you?

T: In the studio yes, because we can compensate nearly everything with Overdubs. Live it's getting harder to present the songs as they are on the records – even more with „21st Century Breakdown“,

that sets new benchmarks at the arrangements for us. Because of that, we got a third man after Jason Freese(Keybord) and Jason White(guitar) into the Live-Line-up. His name is Jeff Matika and he's going to play guitar and sing a bit on the upcoming tour.

I: Shouldn't you play the new Album in it's whole on the Tour, to cope with it live?

T: That's exactly what we're going to do in the next weeks – and we already did it at the secret show at the independent a few days ago.We played the whole new record and after that the old classics.

I: Why are you doing these secret shows?

T: Because we won't get away with playing the whole new record one and a half hour and after that the first classic on the upcoming tour. But actually, as we finished the record, we want exactly this:

experience, who the fans experience it. To see the reaktions of a few hundret people, that heard the new Green Day Album for the first time and put on a face, as if they just met a ghost.

I: What can we expect on tour?

T: Expect everything! I would iterate the issue with the flag in due time.

I: The issue with the flag?

T: On our last tour we met an old friend, James, in Norway, truly a giant. Some time at night we climbed at the hotel roof, took down the norwegian flag and hoist one of his unbelievable huge boxershorts. There was a photo of that in the newspaper, short commented: „Green Day are in town...“ So, dear readers, if you're wondering, where we stay overnight, if we play in your area – watch out what blows on which hotel roof.

[Hermione]

Thanks so much Anja and Nobody_Likes_You!

Eeee I'm excited to read it, gonna do it now

[Nele]

Thanks so much Anja and Nobody_Likes_You!

Eeee I'm excited to read it, gonna do it now

I made one too.

Oh man, I've translated it also

mine is better.

(probably not)

[Hermione]

I made one too.

Aww I didn't see, I scrolled down too quickly. Thank you very much, two bananas for you! :banana:

[J'net]

Aww I didn't see, I scrolled down too quickly. Thank you very much, two bananas for you! :banana:

All these translations are just wonderful! Thanks to all of you for your hard work translating and then typing it in here. It means so much to read such in-depth comments and new information.

Mucho appreciation!!!!

[parinaz]

have anyone translated the interview with Billie?

[Foxboro Hot Tubs]

my brother just told me, that he found the magazine in a store .. wooohooo²

I hope he's coming home soon^^

[littlelune2003]

Thanks to those who made such an effort with the translations! A joy to read.

[green_melly]

i've never heard of this magazine before... bought it yesterday

great read!

the underwear part is hilarious XD

[IscoredWaddlesgoals]

Thank you thank you for the translations !

Mike = amazing

[Nele]

Aww I didn't see, I scrolled down too quickly. Thank you very much, two bananas for you! :banana:

wooohoo two bananas. dreams come true.

All these translations are just wonderful! Thanks to all of you for your hard work translating and then typing it in here. It means so much to read such in-depth comments and new information.

Mucho appreciation!!!!

no problem

have anyone translated the interview with Billie?

no i don't think so. I could translate that too.

[CarmenPunkGirl]

thank you all for the translations

can someone translate the interview with billie?

[justcause]

Probably the most interesting interview I've read so far - thanx so much for the translations!!

[Princess Consuela]

Thanks for the translations, guys! I really enjoyed reading them.

[Foxboro Hot Tubs]

I know that people often write Billie Joes name wrong... and well, that happens

but I don't understand why they write it right in some sentences and in some sentences they write it wrong in this interview.. :/ that really doesn't make sense

in the beginning it says Billy and then it says Billie. weird, weird

but as I said earlier in this thread. the interview is really really great!!!

[Nele]

Finally, Billie's interview. That guy's talking so much in so long sentences, so I hope I didn't make so many mistakes.

Do your kids like Green Day?

Billie Joe: My oldest son just turned 14 - that was the time I started to occupy myself with music seriously. He likes the Kooks or Vampire Weekend more. But yeah: He likes us. As if he had another choice. (laughs)

In any case “American Idiot” had hit the nerve of his generation: There’s one “Dookie”-nostalgic and there are three teenagers - and they were just born 1994. Can you explain why you could win such a totally new, young audience?

First, we sing about policy where it push open very many young people - even more than before 15 years. [i have no idea if this sentence is correct, but maybe you get what he said.] Not the ‚whether‘ but the ‚how‘ is important: political songwriting don‘t work if you just point with your finger on people. You have to write about policy in the way people can identify with your songs and even if you just ask the same questions as they do. A political song should come from the same point in your heart as a love song.

It‘s also surprisingly that not the single, but the album „AI“ got sold over 13 million times. In a time where people said the album-format is dead. Did that bring your belief back?

Sure. Get me right: Singles are cool, singles got the whole Rock‘n‘Roll- ball rolling. Remember Jerry Lee Lewis‘ „ Great Balls of Fire“ und such classics. But the problem is that the market is very song-focused by now and bands just think in songs but the whole album would be a good place for showing their entire creative spectrum. And it‘s also about socialization: I grew up with albums in the 70.. and 80. And didn‘t find music in another way. Even if we had our successful singles, I always wanted to record our „Sgt. Pepper‘s“ our „London Calling“.

Did it already succeed?

I don‘t know but maybe „21st Century Breakdown contains things from both.

With that kind of constitution and the written style it is your most ambitious work. Did the distribution in acts helped you to write it?

Yeah, very much. It was a good way to bring arrangement in that chaos of songs and lyrics, that accrue in the months and had to be bring into combination.

That sounds like a makeshift not like a real concept.

Well at first it was exact that. (laughs) But right after we brought them into the three acts it all made sense. „Heroes and Cons“ introduce the persons of the story and their conflict- the optimistic Gloria and Christian, wherever he goes he leaves burned earth. „Charlatans and Saints“ is about more spiritual things. Like the sanctimony of religion but also the sanctimony of your daily routine. You think other people are the problem but you are your biggest enemy. „Horseshoes and Handgrenades“ finally tells how Christian can get out of the mess with the help of Gloria but he knows he can get back there any time. It‘s up to him. It‘s like a mental picture: To play Horseshoes but you throw a handgrenade.

Do you think about special persons in your life when you invite people like C and G?

No, but I‘m pretty surprised how they are like me when I look at them from afar. I don‘t see that when I‘m writing songs. But later I read it and think: „Shit I‘m a pretty fucked up guy!“ (laughs)

The title song of the album hints directly to your childhood in Rodeo. Is the situation 30 years ago the same like now?

It seems worse today. When you live in a broken home you question everything: the country, the policy, your teachers, friends, family, god… When the town where you live is small, the patience with those „outsiders“ is even smaller. I‘d like to give these kids with „21st CB“ my voice.

Regardless your past, you are millionaires. Doesn‘t seem the underclass far away?

Deciding is that you have to be approachable for the kids. And be true to yourself. It helped us a lot that we never moved away from here. We live in Oakland, not just because we don‘t need LA and the whole celebs thing, this is our home. We go to cheap bars and eat in middleclass restaurants, meet old friends. Of course we aren‘t an underdog with the band anymore. But we want to present the underdog.

Just musical you move more and more away from your punk roots. Didn‘t you had the self-esteem in the past to quote Queen or Lennon?

Well it was more like a lack of respect for the idols of our childhood. When we recorded „Dokkie“ or „Insomniac“ there was just one way: „It has to be punk! It can‘t have more than four chords.“ I exaggerate a bit but it was basically like that. Within time we realized that we repress something. That punk is a great aid to bring young people nearer to great artists like John Lennon, Bob Marley or Freddie Mercury.

Because punk-rock kids rather ask at the nearest CD store for „A Night At The Opera“ then Green Day‘s „21st CB“, witch is in some parts a real alternative to Queen?

(laughs) Yeah, like this maybe. What would you do?

I would ask for Green Day.

You don‘t like Queen?

That‘s understated.

I hope we can help you with the new album to change your mind.

Jeez, my english is horrible.

[thisisAB]

Thank you

I saved them in a Notepad document so I can read them later. Btw, the poster looks coooooooooooool

[rage-love-life]

Thanks for translating. Must have taken a long time.

Good reads, and Mike had an interesting way of the proposing thing. It's still cute though.

[Princess Consuela]

Thank you

[Hermione]

Thanks , you're so good at translating. Some really interesting stuff about the album in there, it was a great read.

Nooo not The Kooks!

[Rezurgam]

Thanks so much for the translations!

[Cerry]

In any case “American Idiot” had hit the nerve of his generation: There’s one “Dookie”-nostalgic and there are three teenagers - and they were just born 1994. Can you explain why you could win such a totally new, young audience?

First, we sing about policy where it push open very many young people - even more than before 15 years. [i have no idea if this sentence is correct, but maybe you get what he said.

It's a bitch of a sentence, and honestly, Billie's crapping on a bit. When I was reading it, I translated it as "Now we're singing in a very political time, and many young people are regurgitating evil - more evil than 15 years ago". But that's incredibly literal, because I'm hopeless at idiomatic German.