Mar Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Yep, I'm just gonna take an ignorance is bliss attitude toward that rape quote because I truly believe he's joking and I don't want to be disappointed him. I really wish I knew German, these interviews seem so in-depth!
angry_robot Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Tré on the cover of Drum Heads: They found the right picture :lol:
Billie's Banana Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 did anyone read the interview in the Bravo a few weeks ago?
Hermione Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Thanks for these! And thanks for the translated bit lmao. Any more translations of anything would be much appreciated Thanks for the scans! ... The part with the duct tape and "öfter mal poppen" :lol: haha You've made me curious and google translate doesn't help , what does "öfter mal poppen" mean?
Drankolz Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Thanks for these! And thanks for the translated bit lmao. Any more translations of anything would be much appreciated You've made me curious and google translate doesn't help , what does "öfter mal poppen" mean? Have sex more often
Pieces of Truth Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Thanks for the scans! ... The part with the duct tape and "öfter mal poppen" :lol: haha Wenn das die Übersetzung zu "Banging" oder "fucking" sein soll, dann... I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
GuitarPunk94 Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 didnt read coz most times those german interviews just have the same info we already have from international magazines :/ but thanx anyway for the scans
Elena Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Thanks for these! And thanks for the translated bit lmao. Any more translations of anything would be much appreciated You've made me curious and google translate doesn't help , what does "öfter mal poppen" mean? that means something like "fucking more often" ...and btw was he serious when he said he doesn't knwo where Blue is?
Drankolz Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 So, I translated the article in the "Guitar and Bass" magazine. Please point out any errors, I didn't spellcheck or anything... Green Day – Creative Overkill The times of superior enemies like George W. Bush or Dick Cheney are over, just like the times of focused political activism. From now on it’s more about smaller things again for Green Day, things that are even more fun: Like surfing, sex and writing songs. This results in a real overkill for mastermind Billie Joe Armstrong: 3 albums in 6 months including 37 songs and a total length of two hours. Reason enough for “Gitarre & Bass” to take the first plane over to the U.S…. E. Balboa Street, Newport Beach, California, USA is not a typical punk rock address. Far from that: This is the promenade of a nice peninsula, about 90 minutes of driving in the south of Los Angeles, with glamorous beach houses which offer clear sea view, certainly cost a fortune and happen to accommodate Green Day, who here present their new album trilogy Uno, Dos and Tré – because mastermind Billie Joe Armstrong is a passionate surfer. And because they can afford the exclusive ambiance now. “I’m spending summer with ma family here”, tells the lanky, small man with black hair that totally does not look like 40. “It’s one of Americas best surfing beaches, even better than Pacifica and Santa Cruz, where I’ll go too sometimes.” What did not happen very often in the past two years, he admits. [super short biography from 1989 to the musical and the upcoming movie with Tom Hanks...] Billie Joe, after that, why do you have three albums in rapid succession now? (Laughs) That was not the plan. The original idea was to just record an album. But then we just enjoyed the process of writing, because it was totally different compared to the previous two albums. A bit more reduced and back to the roots – like the classical Green Day-Sound from the early 90ties. And there were more and more songs, splitting up into three directions. One was old-school punk-rock, the next one had more of a party and garage rock like feel to it and the third one was epic and monumental. And they became more and more (laughs). So we thought: Why don’t we just make a trilogy? A double or triple album does not really fit our times that are all about hit singles and downloads, but not about whole albums. So we went for the three records, with our faces on the covers. That was never there before. A little bit like Led Zeppelin or Van Halen, but completely different also. But not another concept album like American Idiot or 21st Century Breakdown? Not at all. It was just time for something else, for a new era. For something simple, where less is more. But at the same time, we still made three albums. Just because we love to create albums that surprise people and that challenge us. I mean, the whole thing still has a pretty strong concept: To release three albums in times where no one really does that anymore and where a real album turns into a lost form of art. But that’s just where we’re coming from – we make albums. And all our favorite bands made really good ones. That is why we wanted to try and create something in the tradition of “exile on the main street”. Something with a classic feeling to it. But something that we really enjoy at the same time. Something that rocks and parties hard, but that has a deep meaning and soul at the same time. It seems like there are no more real enemies like G.W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney. What is it that you’re fighting against now – or fighting for? I think America is in a transitional phase right now. There is a new movement that is just beginning to exist. It is inspired by the occupy movement, but draws clear line, because it has clear goals. It’s based on the slow demise of working class and middle class in America. People from a once secure social background who are becoming more radical as they are angry and express their anger. It results in demands like a stronger taxation of rich people or a free public health care system. And which is why the government starts to care more for its citizens. Meaning that it is easier to own a small business or be independent than to work for a big company like Walmart. Does that mean that you are content with Obama – even though he did not yet fulfill big expectations? I’m not disappointed to say the least. It was clear to me that it would be a long process, longer than expected. But you have to say that Obama took an extreme amount of responsibility and tasks at the same time – maybe too much for a single person to handle. But I think he is an intelligent man and definitely qualified for the job. The thing is that we had a complete idiot in the office previously. If Obama is reelected – what I hope – we are going to see a lot more progress in the next years. Homosexual marriage will be legal everywhere. And the legalization of marijuana will continue. Health care will be better and labor unions will be stronger. I’m pretty confident there. Is Obama doing enough for environmental protection, like he was planning to do? No, not yet. He didn’t do as promised yet. But he will, just because people will put more pressure on him in the upcoming elections. So one should give him another chance? Yes, absolutely. I mean, the alternative is Mitt Romney! (laughs) There’s no way he can become the next president, that would be even worse than Sarah Palin. But even the last redneck understood that by now. Concerning environmental protection, my wife is very active to. She manages one of those small organisations that find more and more audience, just because politic cannot ignore all these voters. But – and I can’t state that often enough – being a politician is not an easy job. I would hate to have to compromise all the time. That’s why I’m a musician, I don’t have to make any concessions. (giggles) So let’s talk guitars: How many copies of your legendary Blue, a Japanese Fernandes Stratocaster, do you own? There’s only one Blue - all the others broke. So, only that one exists, and it is untouchable. Allegedly you had a whole bunch of those Hendrix – Stratocaster rebuilds built just to preserve the original. Is that true? There were quite a few reconstructions. But that was just because I need different tunings for different songs. 1997, for Nimrod, most tracks were in a regular E-tuning, for the first time ever. To play them on stage, I needed different guitars. To keep the tradition of Blue, I had copies made. They didn’t get very old. (laughs) At some point I said: Fuck it! Since then I mainly use Les Paul Juniors. What makes Blue so special to you? Blue is my first guitar. But it is also the one that suits my sound and style best. I mean, I never did anything but replace the original Pick Ups with Seymour Duncans. And that creates the typical Green Day sound - or better, the early Green Day Sound. When I play songs from Kerplunk, I instinctively use Blue. Because that’s what it is – this guitar. And it is a part of me. It is a symbol for a certain time, for a certain sound, for a lot of songs that were created on it. If I die one day, I’ll probably have myself buried with it. Where do you keep this guitar that means so much to you – in some sort of shrine? (laughs) Honestly? I have no idea where it is right now. Probably it is dissembled in its parts and with all our other equipment in a warehouse back in Oakland where we keep all our stuff. How extensive is your guitar collection at this point? I have a lot of Les Paul Juniors. Probably 30 or 40. I love them. Meanwhile I even have my own model that is being sold by Gibson. And there is to be a new one soon, painted like a televisions test picture and with my signature. That’s going to happen pretty soon, before Christmas. Just because I love Les Paul Juniors, they’re my main instrument. I also like Gretsch guitars. What is so special about a Les Paul Junior? I like the P-90 Pickups. They have a really punchy sound. And since we have a second guitar player with Jason White, who also plays a Les Paul or a Junior. It makes our sound a lot more broader, and I mean bigger. That’s due to this guitar, why I used it on the last 6 albums. On the three new ones also? Yes. I’m playing a Les Paul Junior and a Gretsch. Jason White plays rhythm guitar in some tracks too. If you listen closely: Jason’s in the right speaker, I’m in the left one. The Les Paul that also inspired your signature guitar dates back to 1956, right? Somewhen between 56 and 60, because I picked the thinner neck. Be honest. Can you really tell the difference between models that were built in the 50ies, 60ies or 70ies, and if you can, what is it? That’s probably something you only hear when you’ve been playing the guitar for 30 years – and that’s why I hear it. The sound of the early models is just stronger. It’s due to the wood. It is very dry, because it has been laying around somewhere for 50 years, and you can hear that. But the Les Paul Juniors are not being built anymore since the 60ies. They had a really thin neck. And that Gibson completely switched things up and made the SG, which has a very bassy sound. At some point they stopped making Les Pauls at all, for quite some time. The early models have a certain brightness in their sound that is really because of the wood, and it can only be described this way. So how about the new models? Do they suffer under the lack of wood that was used back then that doesn’t exist anymore? It’s difficult with the new ones. Sometimes you’ll find a really good one, but most of the times you’ll have to wait until the paint is really dry and kind of merges into the wood. What kind of amps do you use? On the new albums I use some really old Marshall amps from 1973 and 74, and a Vox. And we used some stuff that we built ourselves too. Like our own Marshalls. I mean, I like certain Silverstone amps. And at one point we started to build them. After that I discovered Bad-Cat-amps and Fender Bassmans. Some great vintage stuff that helps you achieve a really classic guitar tone. What do you mean with those self-built Marshalls? We constructed them completely, because we couldn’t find what we were looking for. Not for a reasonable price at least. And I refuse to pay insane amounts of money for something like that. So we did our own attempt, with our guitar techs and old pictures and construction plans. We stuck to the simplicity of early amps, because it is better. It sounds better. Especially the old Vox-sound: I never really got a good sound out of a Vox amp – I only did it with our self-built one on the upcoming records. Which is why everybody likes boutique amps [Drankolz: What is this, someone explain maybe?^^] these days I guess. The only good boutique amps I know are Bat Cat and Divided by 13. They are great, especially the old Divided by 13. But everything else is just too expensive for me – and not really good enough. You’ve been in the business for 25 years. How did your playing change in that time? What development do you see? I play more guitar solos. More than I ever did before. Why that? It’s just the music’s atmosphere, the music’s vibe. Because it gets more and more on an old, vintage rock’n’roll sound. And my guitar heroes are Johnny Thunders, James Honeymann-Scott and Angus Young. That’s why I decided to play more solos. Solos like they do. In the tradition of 50ties rock’n’roll, like Chuck Berry. But that also means not to overdo. No overkill for the listener. Just what suits each song, just what the music wants you could say. Is there someone you’d like to play with once? Who would it be? Keith Richards! I’d love to do something with Keith. For example, the other day I saw a youtube video from the 80ies, where Keith is hanging out backstage all alone and playing guitar. Just for fun. I can only say: What an amazing guitar player. Even if many people don’t want to believe it. And I love the Stones, what a great band. We were lucky enough to meet them once and to hang out, it was so much fun. And they really are the biggest Rock’n’roll band of all time. It’s always an inspiration to hear good new artists, but it is even more inspiring to watch someone like them, still touring and still releasing great albums. After 50 years. That is quite an accomplishment. What kind of music do you listen to? What do you like? I really like a band called Best Coast at the moment. And also the Biters, they’re pretty good. And I rediscovered the first album of 999. Other than that, it’s what I used to listen to, a lot of classic punkrock like the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Undertones. And the American stuff too. The Ramones, Fugazi, NoFX or the Dead Kennedys. Maybe I’m stuck there. But I still like it better than DJ XYZ. That means you don’t like Skrillex or Deadmou5, who play some kind of electronic punk? I don’t know much about that. I mean, I’ve heard the names, but I don’t connect them to a certain sound. Who’s that guy, DJ dead mouse? That’s supposed to be good? I’d rather listen to Amy Winehouse. Because she was very punk and rebellious in her own way? Exactly. She didn’t listen to anyone and did hear thing, to the last beat of her heart. That is admirable, and also tragic. I mean, she was a huge talent and she managed to bring old soul music to a modern era as a relatively young artist. That’s important, just because kids today don’t know anything about music’s roots, no matter if it’s Punkrock, Rock’n’roll or Soul music. Sometimes it’s a person with a good record collection, with the right vibe and a feeling where the music’s coming from. I think her death was a huge loss. It made me really sad. Did you ever meet her? No, but I always cherished her as a musician. Thanks a lot for the interview! Yeah, have fun
Hermione Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 So, I translated the article in the "Guitar and Bass" magazine. Please point out any errors, I didn't spellcheck or anything... Green Day – Creative Overkill The times of superior enemies like George W. Bush or Dick Cheney are over, just like the times of focused political activism. From now on it’s more about smaller things again for Green Day, things that are even more fun: Like surfing, sex and writing songs. This results in a real overkill for mastermind Billie Joe Armstrong: 3 albums in 6 months including 37 songs and a total length of two hours. Reason enough for “Gitarre & Bass” to take the first plane over to the U.S…. E. Balboa Street, Newport Beach, California, USA is not a typical punk rock address. Far from that: This is the promenade of a nice peninsula, about 90 minutes of driving in the south of Los Angeles, with glamorous beach houses which offer clear sea view, certainly cost a fortune and happen to accommodate Green Day, who here present their new album trilogy Uno, Dos and Tré – because mastermind Billie Joe Armstrong is a passionate surfer. And because they can afford the exclusive ambiance now. “I’m spending summer with ma family here”, tells the lanky, small man with black hair that totally does not look like 40. “It’s one of Americas best surfing beaches, even better than Pacifica and Santa Cruz, where I’ll go too sometimes.” What did not happen very often in the past two years, he admits. [super short biography from 1989 to the musical and the upcoming movie with Tom Hanks...] Billie Joe, after that, why do you have three albums in rapid succession now? (Laughs) That was not the plan. The original idea was to just record an album. But then we just enjoyed the process of writing, because it was totally different compared to the previous two albums. A bit more reduced and back to the roots – like the classical Green Day-Sound from the early 90ties. And there were more and more songs, splitting up into three directions. One was old-school punk-rock, the next one had more of a party and garage rock like feel to it and the third one was epic and monumental. And they became more and more (laughs). So we thought: Why don’t we just make a trilogy? A double or triple album does not really fit our times that are all about hit singles and downloads, but not about whole albums. So we went for the three records, with our faces on the covers. That was never there before. A little bit like Led Zeppelin or Van Halen, but completely different also. But not another concept album like American Idiot or 21st Century Breakdown? Not at all. It was just time for something else, for a new era. For something simple, where less is more. But at the same time, we still made three albums. Just because we love to create albums that surprise people and that challenge us. I mean, the whole thing still has a pretty strong concept: To release three albums in times where no one really does that anymore and where a real album turns into a lost form of art. But that’s just where we’re coming from – we make albums. And all our favorite bands made really good ones. That is why we wanted to try and create something in the tradition of “exile on the main street”. Something with a classic feeling to it. But something that we really enjoy at the same time. Something that rocks and parties hard, but that has a deep meaning and soul at the same time. It seems like there are no more real enemies like G.W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney. What is it that you’re fighting against now – or fighting for? I think America is in a transitional phase right now. There is a new movement that is just beginning to exist. It is inspired by the occupy movement, but draws clear line, because it has clear goals. It’s based on the slow demise of working class and middle class in America. People from a once secure social background who are becoming more radical as they are angry and express their anger. It results in demands like a stronger taxation of rich people or a free public health care system. And which is why the government starts to care more for its citizens. Meaning that it is easier to own a small business or be independent than to work for a big company like Walmart. Does that mean that you are content with Obama – even though he did not yet fulfill big expectations? I’m not disappointed to say the least. It was clear to me that it would be a long process, longer than expected. But you have to say that Obama took an extreme amount of responsibility and tasks at the same time – maybe too much for a single person to handle. But I think he is an intelligent man and definitely qualified for the job. The thing is that we had a complete idiot in the office previously. If Obama is reelected – what I hope – we are going to see a lot more progress in the next years. Homosexual marriage will be legal everywhere. And the legalization of marijuana will continue. Health care will be better and labor unions will be stronger. I’m pretty confident there. Is Obama doing enough for environmental protection, like he was planning to do? No, not yet. He didn’t do as promised yet. But he will, just because people will put more pressure on him in the upcoming elections. So one should give him another chance? Yes, absolutely. I mean, the alternative is Mitt Romney! (laughs) There’s no way he can become the next president, that would be even worse than Sarah Palin. But even the last redneck understood that by now. Concerning environmental protection, my wife is very active to. She manages one of those small organisations that find more and more audience, just because politic cannot ignore all these voters. But – and I can’t state that often enough – being a politician is not an easy job. I would hate to have to compromise all the time. That’s why I’m a musician, I don’t have to make any concessions. (giggles) So let’s talk guitars: How many copies of your legendary Blue, a Japanese Fernandes Stratocaster, do you own? There’s only one Blue - all the others broke. So, only that one exists, and it is untouchable. Allegedly you had a whole bunch of those Hendrix – Stratocaster rebuilds built just to preserve the original. Is that true? There were quite a few reconstructions. But that was just because I need different tunings for different songs. 1997, for Nimrod, most tracks were in a regular E-tuning, for the first time ever. To play them on stage, I needed different guitars. To keep the tradition of Blue, I had copies made. They didn’t get very old. (laughs) At some point I said: Fuck it! Since then I mainly use Les Paul Juniors. What makes Blue so special to you? Blue is my first guitar. But it is also the one that suits my sound and style best. I mean, I never did anything but replace the original Pick Ups with Seymour Duncans. And that creates the typical Green Day sound - or better, the early Green Day Sound. When I play songs from Kerplunk, I instinctively use Blue. Because that’s what it is – this guitar. And it is a part of me. It is a symbol for a certain time, for a certain sound, for a lot of songs that were created on it. If I die one day, I’ll probably have myself buried with it. Where do you keep this guitar that means so much to you – in some sort of shrine? (laughs) Honestly? I have no idea where it is right now. Probably it is dissembled in its parts and with all our other equipment in a warehouse back in Oakland where we keep all our stuff. How extensive is your guitar collection at this point? I have a lot of Les Paul Juniors. Probably 30 or 40. I love them. Meanwhile I even have my own model that is being sold by Gibson. And there is to be a new one soon, painted like a televisions test picture and with my signature. That’s going to happen pretty soon, before Christmas. Just because I love Les Paul Juniors, they’re my main instrument. I also like Gretsch guitars. What is so special about a Les Paul Junior? I like the P-90 Pickups. They have a really punchy sound. And since we have a second guitar player with Jason White, who also plays a Les Paul or a Junior. It makes our sound a lot more broader, and I mean bigger. That’s due to this guitar, why I used it on the last 6 albums. On the three new ones also? Yes. I’m playing a Les Paul Junior and a Gretsch. Jason White plays rhythm guitar in some tracks too. If you listen closely: Jason’s in the right speaker, I’m in the left one. The Les Paul that also inspired your signature guitar dates back to 1956, right? Somewhen between 56 and 60, because I picked the thinner neck. Be honest. Can you really tell the difference between models that were built in the 50ies, 60ies or 70ies, and if you can, what is it? That’s probably something you only hear when you’ve been playing the guitar for 30 years – and that’s why I hear it. The sound of the early models is just stronger. It’s due to the wood. It is very dry, because it has been laying around somewhere for 50 years, and you can hear that. But the Les Paul Juniors are not being built anymore since the 60ies. They had a really thin neck. And that Gibson completely switched things up and made the SG, which has a very bassy sound. At some point they stopped making Les Pauls at all, for quite some time. The early models have a certain brightness in their sound that is really because of the wood, and it can only be described this way. So how about the new models? Do they suffer under the lack of wood that was used back then that doesn’t exist anymore? It’s difficult with the new ones. Sometimes you’ll find a really good one, but most of the times you’ll have to wait until the paint is really dry and kind of merges into the wood. What kind of amps do you use? On the new albums I use some really old Marshall amps from 1973 and 74, and a Vox. And we used some stuff that we built ourselves too. Like our own Marshalls. I mean, I like certain Silverstone amps. And at one point we started to build them. After that I discovered Bad-Cat-amps and Fender Bassmans. Some great vintage stuff that helps you achieve a really classic guitar tone. What do you mean with those self-built Marshalls? We constructed them completely, because we couldn’t find what we were looking for. Not for a reasonable price at least. And I refuse to pay insane amounts of money for something like that. So we did our own attempt, with our guitar techs and old pictures and construction plans. We stuck to the simplicity of early amps, because it is better. It sounds better. Especially the old Vox-sound: I never really got a good sound out of a Vox amp – I only did it with our self-built one on the upcoming records. Which is why everybody likes boutique amps [Drankolz: What is this, someone explain maybe?^^] these days I guess. The only good boutique amps I know are Bat Cat and Divided by 13. They are great, especially the old Divided by 13. But everything else is just too expensive for me – and not really good enough. You’ve been in the business for 25 years. How did your playing change in that time? What development do you see? I play more guitar solos. More than I ever did before. Why that? It’s just the music’s atmosphere, the music’s vibe. Because it gets more and more on an old, vintage rock’n’roll sound. And my guitar heroes are Johnny Thunders, James Honeymann-Scott and Angus Young. That’s why I decided to play more solos. Solos like they do. In the tradition of 50ties rock’n’roll, like Chuck Berry. But that also means not to overdo. No overkill for the listener. Just what suits each song, just what the music wants you could say. Is there someone you’d like to play with once? Who would it be? Keith Richards! I’d love to do something with Keith. For example, the other day I saw a youtube video from the 80ies, where Keith is hanging out backstage all alone and playing guitar. Just for fun. I can only say: What an amazing guitar player. Even if many people don’t want to believe it. And I love the Stones, what a great band. We were lucky enough to meet them once and to hang out, it was so much fun. And they really are the biggest Rock’n’roll band of all time. It’s always an inspiration to hear good new artists, but it is even more inspiring to watch someone like them, still touring and still releasing great albums. After 50 years. That is quite an accomplishment. What kind of music do you listen to? What do you like? I really like a band called Best Coast at the moment. And also the Biters, they’re pretty good. And I rediscovered the first album of 999. Other than that, it’s what I used to listen to, a lot of classic punkrock like the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Undertones. And the American stuff too. The Ramones, Fugazi, NoFX or the Dead Kennedys. Maybe I’m stuck there. But I still like it better than DJ XYZ. That means you don’t like Skrillex or Deadmou5, who play some kind of electronic punk? I don’t know much about that. I mean, I’ve heard the names, but I don’t connect them to a certain sound. Who’s that guy, DJ dead mouse? That’s supposed to be good? I’d rather listen to Amy Winehouse. Because she was very punk and rebellious in her own way? Exactly. She didn’t listen to anyone and did hear thing, to the last beat of her heart. That is admirable, and also tragic. I mean, she was a huge talent and she managed to bring old soul music to a modern era as a relatively young artist. That’s important, just because kids today don’t know anything about music’s roots, no matter if it’s Punkrock, Rock’n’roll or Soul music. Sometimes it’s a person with a good record collection, with the right vibe and a feeling where the music’s coming from. I think her death was a huge loss. It made me really sad. Did you ever meet her? No, but I always cherished her as a musician. Thanks a lot for the interview! Yeah, have fun Fantastic, thanks so much! Some interesting stuff in there, I liked hearing him talk about Blue.
~ Walking Contradiction Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 So, I translated the article in the "Guitar and Bass" magazine. Please point out any errors, I didn't spellcheck or anything... Green Day – Creative Overkill The times of superior enemies like George W. Bush or Dick Cheney are over, just like the times of focused political activism. From now on it’s more about smaller things again for Green Day, things that are even more fun: Like surfing, sex and writing songs. This results in a real overkill for mastermind Billie Joe Armstrong: 3 albums in 6 months including 37 songs and a total length of two hours. Reason enough for “Gitarre & Bass” to take the first plane over to the U.S…. E. Balboa Street, Newport Beach, California, USA is not a typical punk rock address. Far from that: This is the promenade of a nice peninsula, about 90 minutes of driving in the south of Los Angeles, with glamorous beach houses which offer clear sea view, certainly cost a fortune and happen to accommodate Green Day, who here present their new album trilogy Uno, Dos and Tré – because mastermind Billie Joe Armstrong is a passionate surfer. And because they can afford the exclusive ambiance now. “I’m spending summer with ma family here”, tells the lanky, small man with black hair that totally does not look like 40. “It’s one of Americas best surfing beaches, even better than Pacifica and Santa Cruz, where I’ll go too sometimes.” What did not happen very often in the past two years, he admits. [super short biography from 1989 to the musical and the upcoming movie with Tom Hanks...] Billie Joe, after that, why do you have three albums in rapid succession now? (Laughs) That was not the plan. The original idea was to just record an album. But then we just enjoyed the process of writing, because it was totally different compared to the previous two albums. A bit more reduced and back to the roots – like the classical Green Day-Sound from the early 90ties. And there were more and more songs, splitting up into three directions. One was old-school punk-rock, the next one had more of a party and garage rock like feel to it and the third one was epic and monumental. And they became more and more (laughs). So we thought: Why don’t we just make a trilogy? A double or triple album does not really fit our times that are all about hit singles and downloads, but not about whole albums. So we went for the three records, with our faces on the covers. That was never there before. A little bit like Led Zeppelin or Van Halen, but completely different also. But not another concept album like American Idiot or 21st Century Breakdown? Not at all. It was just time for something else, for a new era. For something simple, where less is more. But at the same time, we still made three albums. Just because we love to create albums that surprise people and that challenge us. I mean, the whole thing still has a pretty strong concept: To release three albums in times where no one really does that anymore and where a real album turns into a lost form of art. But that’s just where we’re coming from – we make albums. And all our favorite bands made really good ones. That is why we wanted to try and create something in the tradition of “exile on the main street”. Something with a classic feeling to it. But something that we really enjoy at the same time. Something that rocks and parties hard, but that has a deep meaning and soul at the same time. It seems like there are no more real enemies like G.W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney. What is it that you’re fighting against now – or fighting for? I think America is in a transitional phase right now. There is a new movement that is just beginning to exist. It is inspired by the occupy movement, but draws clear line, because it has clear goals. It’s based on the slow demise of working class and middle class in America. People from a once secure social background who are becoming more radical as they are angry and express their anger. It results in demands like a stronger taxation of rich people or a free public health care system. And which is why the government starts to care more for its citizens. Meaning that it is easier to own a small business or be independent than to work for a big company like Walmart. Does that mean that you are content with Obama – even though he did not yet fulfill big expectations? I’m not disappointed to say the least. It was clear to me that it would be a long process, longer than expected. But you have to say that Obama took an extreme amount of responsibility and tasks at the same time – maybe too much for a single person to handle. But I think he is an intelligent man and definitely qualified for the job. The thing is that we had a complete idiot in the office previously. If Obama is reelected – what I hope – we are going to see a lot more progress in the next years. Homosexual marriage will be legal everywhere. And the legalization of marijuana will continue. Health care will be better and labor unions will be stronger. I’m pretty confident there. Is Obama doing enough for environmental protection, like he was planning to do? No, not yet. He didn’t do as promised yet. But he will, just because people will put more pressure on him in the upcoming elections. So one should give him another chance? Yes, absolutely. I mean, the alternative is Mitt Romney! (laughs) There’s no way he can become the next president, that would be even worse than Sarah Palin. But even the last redneck understood that by now. Concerning environmental protection, my wife is very active to. She manages one of those small organisations that find more and more audience, just because politic cannot ignore all these voters. But – and I can’t state that often enough – being a politician is not an easy job. I would hate to have to compromise all the time. That’s why I’m a musician, I don’t have to make any concessions. (giggles) So let’s talk guitars: How many copies of your legendary Blue, a Japanese Fernandes Stratocaster, do you own? There’s only one Blue - all the others broke. So, only that one exists, and it is untouchable. Allegedly you had a whole bunch of those Hendrix – Stratocaster rebuilds built just to preserve the original. Is that true? There were quite a few reconstructions. But that was just because I need different tunings for different songs. 1997, for Nimrod, most tracks were in a regular E-tuning, for the first time ever. To play them on stage, I needed different guitars. To keep the tradition of Blue, I had copies made. They didn’t get very old. (laughs) At some point I said: Fuck it! Since then I mainly use Les Paul Juniors. What makes Blue so special to you? Blue is my first guitar. But it is also the one that suits my sound and style best. I mean, I never did anything but replace the original Pick Ups with Seymour Duncans. And that creates the typical Green Day sound - or better, the early Green Day Sound. When I play songs from Kerplunk, I instinctively use Blue. Because that’s what it is – this guitar. And it is a part of me. It is a symbol for a certain time, for a certain sound, for a lot of songs that were created on it. If I die one day, I’ll probably have myself buried with it. Where do you keep this guitar that means so much to you – in some sort of shrine? (laughs) Honestly? I have no idea where it is right now. Probably it is dissembled in its parts and with all our other equipment in a warehouse back in Oakland where we keep all our stuff. How extensive is your guitar collection at this point? I have a lot of Les Paul Juniors. Probably 30 or 40. I love them. Meanwhile I even have my own model that is being sold by Gibson. And there is to be a new one soon, painted like a televisions test picture and with my signature. That’s going to happen pretty soon, before Christmas. Just because I love Les Paul Juniors, they’re my main instrument. I also like Gretsch guitars. What is so special about a Les Paul Junior? I like the P-90 Pickups. They have a really punchy sound. And since we have a second guitar player with Jason White, who also plays a Les Paul or a Junior. It makes our sound a lot more broader, and I mean bigger. That’s due to this guitar, why I used it on the last 6 albums. On the three new ones also? Yes. I’m playing a Les Paul Junior and a Gretsch. Jason White plays rhythm guitar in some tracks too. If you listen closely: Jason’s in the right speaker, I’m in the left one. The Les Paul that also inspired your signature guitar dates back to 1956, right? Somewhen between 56 and 60, because I picked the thinner neck. Be honest. Can you really tell the difference between models that were built in the 50ies, 60ies or 70ies, and if you can, what is it? That’s probably something you only hear when you’ve been playing the guitar for 30 years – and that’s why I hear it. The sound of the early models is just stronger. It’s due to the wood. It is very dry, because it has been laying around somewhere for 50 years, and you can hear that. But the Les Paul Juniors are not being built anymore since the 60ies. They had a really thin neck. And that Gibson completely switched things up and made the SG, which has a very bassy sound. At some point they stopped making Les Pauls at all, for quite some time. The early models have a certain brightness in their sound that is really because of the wood, and it can only be described this way. So how about the new models? Do they suffer under the lack of wood that was used back then that doesn’t exist anymore? It’s difficult with the new ones. Sometimes you’ll find a really good one, but most of the times you’ll have to wait until the paint is really dry and kind of merges into the wood. What kind of amps do you use? On the new albums I use some really old Marshall amps from 1973 and 74, and a Vox. And we used some stuff that we built ourselves too. Like our own Marshalls. I mean, I like certain Silverstone amps. And at one point we started to build them. After that I discovered Bad-Cat-amps and Fender Bassmans. Some great vintage stuff that helps you achieve a really classic guitar tone. What do you mean with those self-built Marshalls? We constructed them completely, because we couldn’t find what we were looking for. Not for a reasonable price at least. And I refuse to pay insane amounts of money for something like that. So we did our own attempt, with our guitar techs and old pictures and construction plans. We stuck to the simplicity of early amps, because it is better. It sounds better. Especially the old Vox-sound: I never really got a good sound out of a Vox amp – I only did it with our self-built one on the upcoming records. Which is why everybody likes boutique amps [Drankolz: What is this, someone explain maybe?^^] these days I guess. The only good boutique amps I know are Bat Cat and Divided by 13. They are great, especially the old Divided by 13. But everything else is just too expensive for me – and not really good enough. You’ve been in the business for 25 years. How did your playing change in that time? What development do you see? I play more guitar solos. More than I ever did before. Why that? It’s just the music’s atmosphere, the music’s vibe. Because it gets more and more on an old, vintage rock’n’roll sound. And my guitar heroes are Johnny Thunders, James Honeymann-Scott and Angus Young. That’s why I decided to play more solos. Solos like they do. In the tradition of 50ties rock’n’roll, like Chuck Berry. But that also means not to overdo. No overkill for the listener. Just what suits each song, just what the music wants you could say. Is there someone you’d like to play with once? Who would it be? Keith Richards! I’d love to do something with Keith. For example, the other day I saw a youtube video from the 80ies, where Keith is hanging out backstage all alone and playing guitar. Just for fun. I can only say: What an amazing guitar player. Even if many people don’t want to believe it. And I love the Stones, what a great band. We were lucky enough to meet them once and to hang out, it was so much fun. And they really are the biggest Rock’n’roll band of all time. It’s always an inspiration to hear good new artists, but it is even more inspiring to watch someone like them, still touring and still releasing great albums. After 50 years. That is quite an accomplishment. What kind of music do you listen to? What do you like? I really like a band called Best Coast at the moment. And also the Biters, they’re pretty good. And I rediscovered the first album of 999. Other than that, it’s what I used to listen to, a lot of classic punkrock like the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Undertones. And the American stuff too. The Ramones, Fugazi, NoFX or the Dead Kennedys. Maybe I’m stuck there. But I still like it better than DJ XYZ. That means you don’t like Skrillex or Deadmou5, who play some kind of electronic punk? I don’t know much about that. I mean, I’ve heard the names, but I don’t connect them to a certain sound. Who’s that guy, DJ dead mouse? That’s supposed to be good? I’d rather listen to Amy Winehouse. Because she was very punk and rebellious in her own way? Exactly. She didn’t listen to anyone and did hear thing, to the last beat of her heart. That is admirable, and also tragic. I mean, she was a huge talent and she managed to bring old soul music to a modern era as a relatively young artist. That’s important, just because kids today don’t know anything about music’s roots, no matter if it’s Punkrock, Rock’n’roll or Soul music. Sometimes it’s a person with a good record collection, with the right vibe and a feeling where the music’s coming from. I think her death was a huge loss. It made me really sad. Did you ever meet her? No, but I always cherished her as a musician. Thanks a lot for the interview! Yeah, have fun thank you so much! I really like this part (it's a bit sad though): What makes Blue so special to you? Blue is my first guitar. But it is also the one that suits my sound and style best. I mean, I never did anything but replace the original Pick Ups with Seymour Duncans. And that creates the typical Green Day sound - or better, the early Green Day Sound. When I play songs from Kerplunk, I instinctively use Blue. Because that’s what it is – this guitar. And it is a part of me. It is a symbol for a certain time, for a certain sound, for a lot of songs that were created on it. If I die one day, I’ll probably have myself buried with it.
tre_cools_lady Posted October 14, 2012 Author Posted October 14, 2012 I saw that slam article the other day, and I loved it. But since I have almost no money left for October, I decided not to buy it. It's not perfectly written, but has some cool stuff in it. I'll do some translating maybe. By the way, there's an interview with Tré in german drum magazine "Drumheads!!" too. I bought that one, and already translated it. I don't have scans yet though. I'll post it tomorrow! Oh you have it? That's awesome! I wanted to buy it but didn't have enough money left, like one euro was missing. So it'd be awesome to still be able to read it! Tré on the cover of Drum Heads: i already post (last week) those scans from Drumheads (GD news topic) but i can repost if you want. ----- to all: No problem
Drankolz Posted October 14, 2012 Posted October 14, 2012 Scans: + CD Grooves & licks => Tré Cool @Pieces of Truth: Bitte schön i already post (last week) those scans from Drumheads (GD news topic) but i can repost if you want. ----- to all: No problem Oh well I just hadn't noticed you already posted them... Translation: Song flood from working class Green Day belong to the winners in the Rock-biz since the early 1990s. According to drummer Tré Cool – aka Frank Edwin Wright III – this is due to the band’s working class attitude that provides the band with a high rate of song output. Green Day are going to release three whole Albums in the next months: “iUno!”, “iDos!”, “iTré!”. All but common… Being punk is an obligation. Live on stage, Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong occasionally likes to drop his pants. Big talking is business as usual. This applies to all of Rock business, even without being Punk. Green Day were “Epic as F***” and as good as creative as never before”, states the announcement for the new trilogy. Most notably, more talkative than ever before. We’ve been trying to get an interview with Mr. Frank Wright, better known as Tré Cool, for a long time without success. But now marketing has begun, the label invites music press to a pre-listening for the first new album, and the musicians have to answer questions. “Have to” or “want to”? The album is nothing special [this sounds too harsh, but I could not find a more appropriate translation] – typical Green Day songs. Then Tré Cool enters the meeting room “Arata Isozaki” in the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin (punk falls noble…) and is in a good mood – seems like he wants to have this interview. Although all other appointments had been cancelled beforehand. Actual Interview: DH!!: Tré, with Green day, you seem to have such an amount of new songs that you decided to split them into three new records that are going to be released one by one. How did you get to this position? TC: We’re a real working class band. We were having rehearsals for maybe a year – every day, five days a week. We don’t do anything else – just hanging around. (laughs) Or we’re going into the studio and hang around there… and write songs while doing that. So, we practiced excessively to really get the songs tight. We felt like a new, young band, like seventeen year olds. We did some voyages – to New York for example, or Oakland or Austin, Texas – to play the new songs in small clubs. While performing, we developed the songs. We went back to basics, you could say. After that, we were such an unit as a band, that it only took us little time to record the albums. We went to the studio on the 14th of February, and by May 27, we had recorded three new albums. DH!!: Do you already perform all the new songs live on this tour? iDos! And iTré! Are not going to be released until the end of 2012/the beginning of 2013. TC: Yeah, tonight (the interview took place before the concert in Berlin on August 30) we’ll play a new song of Tré and one from Dos. You know, ten years ago, when the internet still was a fairly new thing, record labels and bands made big mysteries out of new songs and tried to keep them a secret up to a certain date. We decided that times have changed and it doesn’t work like that anymore. So, or course we play the songs live. Of course, people will create bootlegs. So what? They’re in bad quality anyways. We focus on the music instead, and on making the new album, the actual product, more valuable. DH!!: In the internet everything else doesn’t make sense anyways, does it? The more you try so stay in control, the worse it gets… Tré: The big money has been made, the fat years are over. You can’t control how someone gets your music any longer. If nowadays, somebody likes your band and your product “CD” that much that he goes out and buys it – that’s a big thing now. In conclusion, we want to offer people some cool stuff to buy. There are other bands that used to be more successful who try other things now: Internet marketing and music downloads. I don’t think that’s the right way to do it. With Green Day we even still publish our albums on vinyl. DH!!: Does this development in the music market affect you too? You’re still megasellers… Tré: Well, we don’t earn as much as we used to (laughs). You used to sell 200 000 copies of a hit album per week in the US alone. Today, you’re glad if you sell a total of 200 000. Music industry is broken. There are barely any record stores left. Apple took 75% of the market. The rest goes to Wal-mart in the US. And they even want to censor and ban dirty words from your lyrics! The situation is really depressing at the moment. We sell our records via a guitar store chain for example, and at our shows. We think about new ways to sell our product. DH!!: At least you play in big arenas, it’s not going that bad. Tré: Yeah, true. Album sales don’t monitor how big your band is. Green Day is still gigantic. There are bands that have a number one hit and that are on every music magazine cover – and then you never hear of them again. With Green Day we always avoided that. Every step since Dookie was well thought. We didn’t want to overproduce Dookie, we didn’t want it to sound like a 90s record.We wanted it to sound timeless! We didn’t apply any producers tricks that were common back then. Most of them are useless anyways. DH!!: I just got to listen to the new record “iUno!” in the pre-listening. I found the Drumsound remarkable in some songs: Big, resonant toms and a compressed, crisp snare drum. But it wasn’t like that all the time. Do you use different tunings and setups in the studio? Tré: Yes. Well, let me break it down, concerning “iUno!”. I have a new endorsement: Gretsch. Great drums. On “iUno!” you hear “USA Custom” Drums by Gretsch, in a matt sunburst finish – cool look! Gretsch had sent me rack toms in 12”, 13” and 15”, 16” by 14”, 16” by 16”, 18” by 18” floor toms and 22” by 16” and 24” by 16” kick drums. In the studio, I started out with the configuration 22”, 12”, 13” and 15”. On “Nuclear Family” from “iUno!” you hear a 15” floor tom in the verse for example. But then I started to mix it up. In the end I played 12”, 15” and 18” toms. Snare and cymbals are a different thing anyways, I change them from song to song, depending on what it needs. DH!!: What are the criteria? Tré: The speed and the basic vibe of a song. I have a gigantic drum collection, and I know pretty well what all the stuff is good for and where and when to use it. I just try it in the songs., maybe for example a Dunnett Titanium Snare, or a Gretsch Aluminum or a Noble & Cooley Alloy. For faster songs I use quick responding snares, for the slower ones those with a big, deep sound. DH!!: All the sounds, lice handclaps or tambourines you hear on the new album – are those your ideas and do you play them yourself? Tré: Yes. For us it’s the following: We’re pretty quick at recording. When the vocals are recorded and the basic recording is done, I’ll take the track to our second studio. We have two studios, next to each other. Then I record – let’s say – five percussion – tracks: That could be a sixteenth note tambourine, or one doubling the backbeat. I use different tambourines, I pick them by the songs vibe too. I also have a lot of percussion stuff – Shakers, Maracas… Whatever the song requires, I play it. I’ll give that to the producer, like here, I thint this and that would fit well here. He’ll say: Allright, I’ll take this here and we could use that one there and there… But in the end he got tired and was like “F*** it, we’ll take everything!” (laughs) We made three albums, so he was very busy all the time and didn’t have much time for the details. DH!!: Was it always like that? Tré: Yeah, of us three, I’m the first one to enter the recording studio and the last one to leave (laughs). DH!!: Really? Recording “Dookie” in 1994 proceeded exactly the same way? Tré: No, for “Dookie” I had my tambourine mounted on the hihat (laughs). I recorded everything at the same time. But for “iUno!”, “iDos!” and “iTré!”, we recorded together as band. DH!!: Will “iTré!” feature you in a special? Will there be more “Tré” that usual? Tré: There’s a good Drum Solo. Or… no real drum solo, but an extended drum fill part. In the Song “Missing You”, there’s a really good part. But mainly we thought the trilogy was a funny idea – three albums like Green Day Volume 1, 2 and 3. But “iUno!”, “iDos!”, “iTré!” with the portraits on the cover was more ironic and interesting, we found. DH!!: What part do you think your drumming contributed to the ongoing success of Green Day? Tré: I have always tried to invent “drum-hooklines”. And I always made an effort not to play to show off. I completely lived for Green Day these past decades. I think my playing reflects what this band means to me. There are always moments that tempt you to really go wild with fills and to show off a little bit. But I think it is important to learn to leave room – and to give the band room to breathe. Spot your moment – and then floor it! Jump higher than you ever did before. But in the first place, do what is important for the song. Don’t be an ego-centered drummer! DH!!: You also play the accordion, I read. An unusual instrument for a punkrock-drummer. How did you get there? Tré: Not accordion, but an Austrian concertina! I found that in a store in Vienna. I saw it in the stores window. On a Sunday, unfortunately. The next morning I had to depart, but not before I’d been to that store! I put my fingers on the buttons and pushed the bellows – and there was music immediately! It was like my fingers were led by a ghost – maybe one of my ancestors (laughs). I have german ancestors, so it might have been my grandfather that spoke through my fingers. That’s how it was… Interview by Cord Radke P 31 Information Born the 9th of December 1972 in Frankfurt/Main First Kit 60’s Ludwig Ringo Starr kit “… only borrowed in the beginning. It circulated to the punk scene and got stuck with me.” First Gig “Owens Pizza”, in Berkeley, California First Band The Lookouts Drumheroes Ringo Starr Charlie Watts Keith Moon The Animal Hobbies Fishing, Golfing and Shooting Sports. Website www.greenday.com Pictures: Page 32/1: Band – Jokester: He’s always good for some funny antic. Page 32/2: Distinctive Haircut and a soft spot for fancy suits: Tré Cool Page 34/1: Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and Tré have been playing together for more than 25 years. Page 36/1: The third record in the new trilogy should be named “iTres!”, but it sports his name instead: “iTré!” Page 33: Grooves and licks: 1: Favourite beat? Not a difficult question, he plays it from his iPod. 2: Favourite Green Day beat? Quite humble, he names Gine me Novocaine, a really simple Beat. 3: Blvd of broken Dreams: A Tré-trademark: Intensive use of the crash cymbal to accompany Bass/Snare 4: When I Come Around: Serving the song: Trés 2 bar groove for one of the bands biggest hits. 5: American Idiot: Solid punk drumming: Backbeat with toms and then the cymbals rind. Gear P 34: Drums: - Gretsch USA Custom12” Tom15”/18” Floor Toms22” Bassdrum(amongst others) 14” Gretsch Aluminum Snare Cymbals: [They compied the list from Zildjian.com, it is outdated. Check out Wikipedia for a more recent one] Drumheads: Remo – Snare: Emperor X, Toms: Emperor coated, Bassdrum: Powerstroke 3 clear Sticks: Zildjian “Tré Cool” Artist series Hardware: Gibraltar
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