Bastard of 1967 Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 I think people are trying too hard to relate this stuff to the trilogy songs as well. Obviously he's said that the songs are autobiographical but it doesn't mean the whole lot is all related to this. You really have to have blinders on to *not* see the current chapters of Billie's autobiography written all over the Trilogy, whether explicitly or in various metaphors. He writes what he feels, that's what we know about him, he freely admits to it in the RS interview, and that's all I'm saying. No, he said alcohol gave him the confidence to do those things that he wanted to. He was still feeling the pressures of the sins of becoming a "rock star" out of the Gilman scene. I doubt he's going to go back now. American Idiot and 21st CB tours to massive sell out crowds have proved that! I suspect Billie will need to find out for himself how it feels to be out on stage without being in a substance-induced haze. Yeah, the drugs and alcohol helped him mute the anxiety but that couldn't have happened without muting the good stuff about him, and about being in front of a massive live crowd, too. Part of the rebuilding process from here will be for Billie -- and us as the audience -- finding out how it feels and just simply whether we LIKE how it feels. Billie will also have to learn for himself that he doesn't need to be on the sauce to be a succesful performer, to be the ringmaster at the show. He's got the talent, the experience, and the maturity, now he needs the confidence that only he can give himself -- and that's what comes at least in part from ditching the juice and just being true to himself. The RS article is one piece of that process.
Mykee Mexx Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Hell, this interview struck me... it reminds me so much of my ex-boss and a singer I knew. Both were drug-, pills- and alcohol-addicted. For many, many years. The only one who could stop and change it were they themselves. Both made it. My ex-boss is opening an exhibition about his addicted past this friday. He also don´t want pity, because he says he´not a victim. It´s in his responsibility, because he chose to go that road to hell. So I read BJ´s words, and I imagine it´s still a long, a lifelong road to go for him. It´s not this half a year, and everything´s fine. There will always be the sword of Damocles over his head. I wish him luck, strength and the courage to stay away from what destroys him. Or as my boss states: it gives you unique feelings, nothing compares to it - but you pay the highest price...
Ryan Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 This thread is getting very stupid again. Billie's job is Green Day. Playing live shows, making albums, doing publicity. He's not some 20 year old thrust into the limelight, throwing back beers because all of a sudden he's playing shows to 2,000 people instead of 200. He's a hugely successful rockstar who's been at the top of his game for almost 20 years. He'll be fine without the booze. He's a pro, for fuck sake. When is the last show that Billie played sober? Can you answer that? Because if you read the interview and everything that Billie was saying, my very educated guess would be that it was sometime prior to the Nimrod tour in '97...if it ever happened. He said that '97 is when the alcohol became an issue. So that's 16 years of Billie being a fucking rock superstar...while drunk or under the influence while on stage. So how can you be so sure as to how he's going to be when he has none of that to fall back on?
HolyHandGrenade Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 are you his therapist or what? haha how do you figure? i dont think he wanted a lot of things to happen... Anyway i find it hard to believe that some people are convinced that the core of billies performance abilities lies in booze without which he'll be lost. This is what he does Most of this thread is just pseudo-psychology. Oh well... By the way, you might want to change your profile pic.
Guest Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 When is the last show that Billie played sober? Can you answer that? Because if you read the interview and everything that Billie was saying, my very educated guess would be that it was sometime prior to the Nimrod tour in '97...if it ever happened. He said that '97 is when the alcohol became an issue. So that's 16 years of Billie being a fucking rock superstar...while drunk or under the influence while on stage. So how can you be so sure as to how he's going to be when he has none of that to fall back on? Hah, can you prove that he's drank before every single show he's done over the past 16 years? Can you account for every single drop of alcohol that passed his lips? Yeah. I know Billie will be fine. It seems this rehab has finally allowed him to find himself, and sort himself out, or at least start building the blocks.
Schlappy Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Most of this thread is just pseudo-psychology. Oh well... By the way, you might want to change your profile pic. yeah it is. It dont know why people are acting like they have any idea... they dont really. maybe i'm acting like that too, but i'm trying not too oh i didnt notice until now... a valid point
Ryan Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 are you his therapist or what? haha how do you figure? i dont think he wanted a lot of things to happen... Anyway i find it hard to believe that some people are convinced that the core of billies performance abilities lies in booze without which he'll be lost. This is what he does I don't think that he will be lost without it. Like I've said a few times now, Billie knows what he needs to do. My point is that the alcohol gave him the courage to do some of that stuff. We need to realize that without the alcohol he may lose some of that courage. My fear is that he will know what he needs to do, not be able to do it, and have a bit of a panic attack. These are very real possibilities from somebody that is recovering. As fans, we just need to be there to support him/them and give the band every fucking ounce of energy that we have in our bodies!!! That's all that matters!
Fuzz Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 When is the last show that Billie played sober? Can you answer that? Because if you read the interview and everything that Billie was saying, my very educated guess would be that it was sometime prior to the Nimrod tour in '97...if it ever happened. He said that '97 is when the alcohol became an issue. So that's 16 years of Billie being a fucking rock superstar...while drunk or under the influence while on stage. So how can you be so sure as to how he's going to be when he has none of that to fall back on? You can't say he's been drunk or sober or at every show. You don't know either way, so quit trying to assume you do.
Bastard of 1967 Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 I don't think that he will be lost without it. Like I've said a few times now, Billie knows what he needs to do. My point is that the alcohol gave him the courage to do some of that stuff. We need to realize that without the alcohol he may lose some of that courage. My fear is that he will know what he needs to do, not be able to do it, and have a bit of a panic attack. These are very real possibilities from somebody that is recovering. As fans, we just need to be there to support him/them and give the band every fucking ounce of energy that we have in our bodies!!! That's all that matters! Exactly - I think a big part of the long-term healing will be Billie learning that he doesn't need to medicate himself in order to do what he loves and what he does best. And to be honest, if it turns out that he does need to be doped up in order to perform, then for his own sake and for the sake of everyone dear to him he should not perform any longer. His health, his life, his friends and family come before any of us idiots.
Ryan Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 You can't say he's been drunk or sober or at every show. You don't know either way, so quit trying to assume you do. I never said that I know for sure, I'm just trying to ask what I feel to be very valid questions. What I can say is that, from reading the interview a few times, Billie made numerous mentioned of the fact that alcohol gave him the courage to perform the way he does on stage. Combine that with the fact that he talked about how he would drink prior to the show, drink excessively after the show, wake up in time to soundcheck and start the whole process over again and I think that the signs point to him being drunk more often than not. I mean, fuck, he referred to himself as a functioning alcoholic. Functioning alcohols rarely stop drinking. I've had two in my family, so I kinda know.
stories and songs Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Judging by the cycle that Billie described about touring, I have no doubt that he drank before just about every show. But there is a big difference between having a few drinks before a show and getting totally bombed. To me, there were specific, obvious performances where he was just completely wasted throughout the past several years. When he was super drunk, you'd know it. A lot of the time he probably drank a little to get himself pumped, but he wasn't exactly falling down drunk or anything. It isn't as though he was crazy out of it and none of us noticed for years. Just like he said he used pills to quiet his mind and needs to find new ways to achieve that, he'll have to find new ways to feel his most comfortable on stage. Its a process, but its doable! He has to adjust to sober living in all aspects of his life, and he'll be fine in doing so. It'll just take time. These things don't happen overnight.
Ryan Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Judging by the cycle that Billie described about touring, I have no doubt that he drank before just about every show. But there is a big difference between having a few drinks before a show and getting totally bombed. To me, there were specific, obvious performances where he was just completely wasted throughout the past several years. When he was super drunk, you'd know it. A lot of the time he probably drank a little to get himself pumped, but he wasn't exactly falling down drunk or anything. It isn't as though he was crazy out of it and none of us noticed for years. Just like he said he used pills to quiet his mind and needs to find new ways to achieve that, he'll have to find new ways to feel his most comfortable on stage. Its a process, but its doable! He has to adjust to sober living in all aspects of his life, and he'll be fine in doing so. It'll just take time. These things don't happen overnight. That is my point exactly. I never said that he was bombed before every show. But I'm willing to bet everything I own that he was always under the influence. Now he isn't going to have that influence anymore and has to find a way to make up for it. Thank you for being one of the few to realize what I was trying to say. Haha
lykwoah Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 oh my, how I cried. Even though I feel ridiculous for saying this, because I know there's nothing I personally could have done to help him, I still feel bad about not doing so. He's probably through the tough part, at least that's what they say, but I'm still worried about how he will cope with touring and, wow, just playing live, because everything is changed now. I just love him and green day so much, and I am so proud of him. They've been in my life since I was thirteen and I feel even more attached to them after this.
VisionsofGreenDay115 Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 I wonder if Billie reads all this as a Guest. Just to know what the fuck his fans thought.
jumpsalty Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 I believe that for a while he was able to go out there and perform relativity sober (not saying its fact.) I know back in the early stages of the 2009 tour, he said he will allow himself a beer and shot to get himself on stage and nothing more. Of course, there's no saying how long that lasted, given that his moods on stage got darker over time, but I think we'd be able to tell if he was totally wasted at every show. There was also a massive difference between that tour and the few shows we saw last year - like it or not, he was different and it was noticeable. At the same time though I don't think it matters, he's taken responsibility for it, he's doing his best to move on and we all should, too.
stories and songs Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 That is my point exactly. I never said that he was bombed before every show. But I'm willing to bet everything I own that he was always under the influence. Now he isn't going to have that influence anymore and has to find a way to make up for it. Thank you for being one of the few to realize what I was trying to say. Haha Haha, no problem, I got it! And I agree with your sentiments as well. The main thing that stuck out regarding drinking while touring was "liquid courage." That's precisely what he used alcohol for, which isn't making assumptions - that's exactly what he said. And liquid courage doesn't usually mean getting completely wasted, it means drinking enough to make yourself more at ease with a situation. That's all. I had a moment earlier (okay, a bit of a freakout) looking back at my time as a fan and wondering how many times I had seen him under the influence in interviews and whatnot and not realized it. Upon further reflection though - its just kind of common sense. If he seemed completely fine, then he probably was fine, or just very mildly under the influence of something. If he seemed really fucked up, then that's exactly what was going on. As I sort of said earlier - a lot of this is hard to take in, but when you think about it, it isn't really new information altogether; its just the extent of it that is surprising. But this information doesn't have to rewrite Green Day's entire history. What we know now is WHY things were bad when they seemed bad. But it doesn't mean that things were constantly horrible, either. He definitely had times when he talked about abstaining from alcohol over the years, so those times definitely existed.
Hermione Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 This thread is getting very stupid again. Billie's job is Green Day. Playing live shows, making albums, doing publicity. He's not some 20 year old thrust into the limelight, throwing back beers because all of a sudden he's playing shows to 2,000 people instead of 200. He's a hugely successful rockstar who's been at the top of his game for almost 20 years. He'll be fine without the booze. He's a pro, for fuck sake. Couldn't have said it better.When is the last show that Billie played sober? Can you answer that? Because if you read the interview and everything that Billie was saying, my very educated guess would be that it was sometime prior to the Nimrod tour in '97...if it ever happened. He said that '97 is when the alcohol became an issue. So that's 16 years of Billie being a fucking rock superstar...while drunk or under the influence while on stage. So how can you be so sure as to how he's going to be when he has none of that to fall back on? What's the point in worrying about it though, really? They're gonna be back on tour soon. I've got every confidence that it'll be great, but we'll see when the time comes. Not much point in guessing about how it might go wrong in advance.
AngelBlue_ Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 I wonder if Billie reads all this as a Guest. Just to know what the fuck his fans thought. ha! my exactly thought !
Shredder2 Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 To sum up this thread, Billie Joe is back and is ready to kick ass, and at the same time, recovering. He'll do fine.
WalkingContradictionPL Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Yeah but I don't think you can get the American RS in other countries? Come back to Poland and go to Empik RS is sometimes avaliable after a month, but it usually is.
Hero_Of_The_Hour Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Jesus of suburbia...I feel my extreemly sarcastic post was actually read as serious. Are some people here actual idiots?! By asking if people would as easily blame Adrienne as they seemed happy to with Mike & Tre I was pointing out their stupidity. People...we don't know their private lives. Lets leave it alone. Also try learning the meaning of sarcasm (to those who have yet to grasp it).
MaraGreenDay Posted February 27, 2013 Posted February 27, 2013 Yeah i think he will be fine, i don´t think that he needs to drink to show the awesome showman he is. This three shows that it´s happening in two weeks i think are gonna be the shows where he has to see how much he can do by his own, yeah, i think that it´s gonna be a little weird and awkard, specially for him and Mike and Tré, being in the same stage again after six months, but this shows are like the "push" to show Billie that he can do it, that he can go for a bigger crowd. And i think his gonna see he really don´t need "something" else to do the things that he does on stage, especially when he see the people, the excitement of them, when people sing to him, and when he gets contagious by the energy of the audience, so yeah, i think, for all this, he´s gonna be awesome on stage.....
musso_kn Posted February 28, 2013 Posted February 28, 2013 Cool. 8) Also, anybody else think Billie's head looks disproportionately big? I love how all his tats are being shown off, regardless.
blackandwhitestripes Posted February 28, 2013 Posted February 28, 2013 does anyone here have experience with the combination of anti-anxiety and sleep medication? i'm sure that too much of anything is bad, but it sounds like billie joe wasn't on any pain killers. in other words, were the "drugs" THAT bad..? to me, it seems like his big problem was alcohol. in fact, i don't remember billie joe saying that he was quitting the prescriptions in the article..
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