Billie Joe Armstrong thanks alcohol for Green Day success

[clairex]

I don't really expect famous people to be role models, especially rock stars and to the point where people think they can tell them how they should behave and what they should do. It is the parents job to guide their kids to make the right choices in life not a rock band.

[Beathe.]

They don't look drunk though, I think BJ was just kidding.

They might take a couple of drinks before the show, but it doesn't matter.

[Alan86]

Yes, but this article gives the impression, whether that's exaggerated or not, that they have quite a few drinks before hitting the stage, not just two or three beers.

They've said on multiple occasions that they have something to drink before the show, but that was like a beer and one or two shots or something like that, not a six-pack and a couple of shots. And it's not really clear whether they mean that they're doing that now or that in one point in their career they did that.

If they are drinking the same amount regularly, they will build up a tolerence to it ,so thats why they would probally drink more and more before a show as the tour progresses. It dosent seem to affect there performance on stage in a bad way anyway

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

If they are drinking the same amount regularly, they will build up a tolerence to it ,so thats why they would probally drink more and more before a show as the tour progresses.

Tolerance or not, I still think it's a lot. Also, if you can drink that much and still only be lightly affected, then you got one hell of a tolerance which I can't imagine is something you acquire over the course of a half year.

Then again, I don't have that much experience with alcohol. So maybe my view of it is slightly exaggerated.

edit: Yeah, it doesn't affect their performance, so I don't think it's OMG root of evilllllllll or anything. I also said that in my first post in here, that it's probably not that bad considering they're still putting up amazing shows and I never got the impression they were drunk or anything. As long as they keep doing that (and don't get dependent on alcohol, because being dependent does affect it, imo), it isn't really our business how they do that.

[Stormy Haze]

Well, this isn't exactly great news... but if that makes them feel better and ready for the shows, I guess it's okay. It's not good for their health, but they're grown men and they should know what is the best for them. And as long as they don't forget what they have to play and generally just screw things up, it's okay I guess.

[Alan86]

Tolerance or not, I still think it's a lot. Also, if you can drink that much and still only be lightly affected, then you got one hell of a tolerance which I can't imagine is something you acquire over the course of a half year.

Then again, I don't have that much experience with alcohol. So maybe my view of it is slightly exaggerated.

I think half a year would be plenty enough time to build up a high tolerance especially when they were playing 3 to 4 shows a week on the first leg of their world tour

[valeria carci]

well that ain't big news to me tbh i always imagined that...

[mallorymaloney]

I can't believe everyone's being so open minded about this, and so closed minded about Billie's angry speeches on stage ... Being issued forth in, apparently, a drunken rage.

Personally, ((Assuming this is a real article? Reference, anyone?)) This actually makes me feel kinda sad. I'd say 'disappointed', but I hate using that word because it sounds so condescending. I don't know if there's any other way around it, though. I thought they were giving more energetic and more amazing shows because of their connection with the music, the audience, the atmosphere ... Not the fucking bottle.

No, I don't feel disappointed. I feel almost ... Cheated. Because obviously myself and the rest of the fans aren't enough for the band to feel revved up and energised and loose and ready to rock, and that almost hurts.

Edit: Yeah, I realise I sound like a total uptight asshole, and for that I apologise. It probably has something to do with me personally having had issues with drinking in the past ... And the fact I now eschew anything even slightly alcoholic altogether, to a near straight edge level of refusal. I don't even like using mouthwash because of the alcohol content sometimes, heh.

Still, though ...

Second Edit: Oh, and I don't give a fuck about them no longer being being good 'role models' because of this. That's fucking ridiculous.

[lawrahday]

i read this yesterday in Q and like written here he says there was a time when he would drink loads, not so much now i think but whatever if they drink before a show! i know i would.

[farley drexel hatcher]

I think Q mag. It has an article about them in it, and it says "he told Q magazine".

Where'd he say that?

also, even though he says "there was a time", he also says "in the middle of tour" which doesn't really in- or exclude this tour.

I'm not sure, some article in the last year ... he basically said he won't allow himself to get drunk before a show and has a beer and two shots to 'calm my nerves'.

I think you'd be able to tell if he was going on stage that drunk, to be fair. Maybe buzzed but never wasted ..

[lizziebix]

i read this yesterday in Q and like written here he says there was a time when he would drink loads, not so much now i think but whatever if they drink before a show! i know i would.

I thought, too, that in that article he went on to say that that was then, but now he doesn't drink as much before a show. I know I've seen where they have a celebratory shot before each show and I think that is all they do now. I could be wrong.

But whatever. Whatever helps them put on the best show possible is fine. They are not role models. They are musicians. Exceptionally great musicians, but as punkers they would be the first to tell you that they are not trying to be role models.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

I thought they were giving more energetic and more amazing shows because of their connection with the music, the audience, the atmosphere ... Not the fucking bottle.

I'm pretty sure they are doing such excellent shows because of all you described. I think they use alcohol mostly to, as Billie said it, let go if inhibitions and get just a little more hyped up. I'm not all for "let's drink before a show to make it better", but they're not alcoholics. I wasn't all to psyched either when I read this, but after thinking, I don't think it's more than maybe just a couple of beers or one or two shots to 'get loose' or whatever. edit: or indeed a celebratory shot or something. [/end of edit] Which I don't really see much wrong with.

I'm not sure, some article in the last year ... he basically said he won't allow himself to get drunk before a show and has a beer and two shots to 'calm my nerves'.

I think you'd be able to tell if he was going on stage that drunk, to be fair. Maybe buzzed but never wasted ..

Ah, okay.

Yeah, that's true. Although then you get to the tolerance thing again.

I do think that it (6-pack+shots) wasn't talking about this tour though, now I've taken a minute to think instead of read and assume.

[Opezi]

If anyone is shocked I can't imagine why. Billie has always been an alcoholic. As far as Mike and Tre, its pretty obvious they drink too.

I thought they were giving more energetic and more amazing shows because of their connection with the music, the audience, the atmosphere ... Not the fucking bottle.

I'm sure they are more energetic and amazing because of those reasons its just i think alcohol is helping him to loosen up and not be so nervous yknow.

[Margo 39 smooth]

I can see alcohol helping them calm down before a show. But if they always perform drunk and thats how we always see them, i dont know if thats right. It kinda makews sense now though. I mean when ya think about it, they do kinda act drunk on stage...

[Mellyboots]

Oh no....what a shocker.

[farley drexel hatcher]

I don't know why people are over reacting to this, it's not uncommon knowledge that they drink, is it? But still I think common sense would show you they're not going onstage wasted. Look at a FHT show, then look at a performance of 21CB, the opening song of a Green Day show. It's just different.

Not saying they don't drink at all or drink throughout the show, but still.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

I keep seeing people going on about how they perform drunk.

You can also drink and not get drunk, just a little tipsy or energetic or whatever effect alcohol has on that person. Just because they have a couple of drinks before the show, doesn't mean they perform drunk. When was the last time you saw someone drunk play guitar behind their head? Indeed, just compare a Tubbies show with a Green Day show. There's a significant difference.

[CzechIdiot]

Their shows are amazing...so maybe the alcohol really helps

[Vespertine]

Am I the only one who's not surprised at all? It's always been so obvious to me, haha

I don't like alcohol and I think they seem to drink way too much, but oh well, there's nothing I can do about it. Their live performances are still great.

[Bastard of 1967]

I never got the impression they were drunk live

If they are, then bj's the most sober, calculated, controlled drunk I think I've ever seen. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he threw back a couple of beers or maybe a shot or two to help ease the anxiety -- we know he's a wired, amped-up, intense little sh*t to begin with and that kind of anxiety doesn't lend well to holding up in front of a large crowd. But that article makes it sound like Green Day performs rip-roaring drunk and they're just *too* good on stage for that to be believable at face value. Now when they're on stage as FBHT, that's another story entirely -- Billie - er, the Rev - could fill a 55 gallon drum what with all the beer he drains during that show...and we know that how he looks at the end of those gigs is a *lot* different than how he looks at the beginning.

[fadi_7]

i think it's a very cool thing

[petros]

I wouldn't give a shit if they were drunk or not if I had the chance to see them live!

[Nobody_Likes_You]

But they do have to be careful, as kids may read this the wrong way and go out and get drunk because "it's cool and Green Day does it" Like how Longview was written while Mike was on acid. Gotta wonder how many people went out and got acid -or any drug for that matter- to 'try and be creative', y'know?

Exactly my point. But yes, alcohol and drugs also connect to Green Day in some kinda way.

Oh and to me it seemed in Berlin and in Cologne at the Promo Shows für 21st Century Breakdown he'd drink a lot more beer on stage than he usually does, does he even drink any beer at shows, arena shows? I haven't seen that before. But Tré always has some kind of Cocktail with him

[Kayfabe]

Stewie agrees

but jeez. look at the idiot that thought Green Day's stage presence was natural and part of their talent. durr.

[Jaymee!!]

I find it a bit off-putting that he bases their on-stage success solely on their alcohol consumption. They're portrayed as having that kind of energy all the time. I mean, it doesn't bother me that they're buzzed up there, little does the crowd know right? Well...everyone knows Tre drinks on stage. It's kind of hard to miss

Doesn't really change my opinion of anything overall, but I mean...I wish he wouldn't credit alcohol as the only reason.