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I don’t think that’s really fair. Billie directly said in interviews that a huge part of his rehab was getting counseling to get help for unresolved anxiety and other mental health issues. So @scottnz6789 wasn’t being a sorcerer. He was reminding us of this information. It could be that Billie was drinking to get numb before and now he’s just drinking socially. That’s a valid point.

I'm certain posting that with no caption is a trolling move lol

Anyone could not be doing fine at any time. But to me it makes sense that if someone (particularly someone you don't know) isn't fine it's up to them whether to tell you that information or not, not for you to speculate, and until they do you treat them as fine. So just seeing Billie doing something he hasn't promised not to do and that isn't new and that doesn't appear to be anything more than a happy social moment isn't a reason to have a worried discussion about him and have to have a whole debate and speculation about his addiction treatment. If Billie wants to share information about his addiction issues or health then we can react to it. Otherwise we should stop speculating.

No caption...

Honestly, no one knew Billie wasn't alright during the trilogy era. Irving Plaza is awful to watch now but at the time he was praised for just being "on fire" and the show as one of their best. In hindsight everyone thinks they knew and granted, a few people did raise eyebrows at the surprise Reading appearance. It wasn't many though. He's said he wasn't alright in 1997, but he didn't look like he did in the trilogy era then. Seeing photos and knowing he's with certain people doesn't tell us anything. I still don't think anyone can be blamed for worrying but even if going further wasn't invasive, there's no point because unless he tells us, we won't know what's going on. Edit: sorry Hermione, posted before I saw you'd said some of the same things

No I analyse things a bit more than most and have had first hand dealing with drug and drink addiction. Most I have found hit their poison to feel numb or better about themselves or both. On most occasions it’s the consequence of some sort of trauma from an earlier period of life. Part of that is coming to terms with yourself your demons etc. which Billie briefly mentions in ‘that’ interview. Now if he can deal with that it’s not like he’s exactly got a lot to worry about in life. He’s never gonna have to worry about cash, he’s been married 25 years, his kids are doing well and professionally he’s been very successful and as a consequence him and his friends have had opportunities to do thinks they never would if dreamed at 20. So as I say I don’t know him personally but he gives so much of himself to us as fans: interviews, songwriting etc is it doesn’t take much to know there has been dark times. But maybe now he’s at a point where he has come to terms with it and now only feels ‘gratitude’ and excitement that he can still go and tour the world with his old mates.

Not to drag this out, but I share the same concerns/worries as you. I only hope that he continues to be happy and healthy (whatever that "healthy" is for him). The band looked genuinely happy and excited to be making and playing music during RevRad. He looks genuinely happy when playing with the Coverups and Longshot, so hopefully he is a in really good headspace. We don't know that for sure. A family member can only do so much. It's up to the person to identify that they need help. Many times family members (and band members) do not know that there is a bigger problem (Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington are examples).

It's a freaking good song. But it's too short.

Again, there's no evidence. You can't tell how someone is doing from photos. He's looked fine most of the time when he wasn't.

I would say it’s a combination of biological and environmental factors. I think the most important factor in predicting relapse, from what I’ve read, is how severe the addiction was.

He did say he couldn't drink again though: “I can’t go there. That’s my last drink. Which is good - it’s documented. Anytime I feel like drinking, I can think about it." He also talked at length about how he can't just have one drink. I'm not saying that means we should worry, just that it's why people do. I'm not worried because I accept I have no idea what's going on and even if he's not alright, it's not my business anyway. Fans have no way of knowing whether things have changed since that interview, though because as strangers, seeing him with drinks doesn't actually tell us anything. Things might have changed, they might not have, but that's the last we heard from him so I don't think it's that ridiculous people panic.

Obviously Billie's drinking is none of our business and there are creepy fans who don't get that. Casually voicing concern isn't like stalking him to find out what he's drinking and exactly what it means, though. He's important to a lot of people and a pang of concern is hardly speculation. It's not trying to figure anything out, it's just what it is, a moment of worry. Saying he's happy and healthy isn't any less intrusive, if not more so because it is speculating about something we don't actually know. If we're not going to discuss things we don't know, then we just shouldn't discuss this at all.

He knows 😄

I liked that they brought back the harmonies for it. I’d been wanting to hear that again from them for a while.

I have no problem with the length, seems fine to me as a straight punk song, but I really feel like the production's smoothed the edge off what should be a hard-hitting angry song. I'd quite like to hear a Dookiefied version.

I just listened to Back In The USA for the first time in quite a while and it's better than I remember, I found it pretty bland when it came out but honestly I think that's the way it's been made to sound more than the song itself. Take out those echoing backing vocals, take the vocal filter off entirely, make the instruments punchier and it'd be solid. Production like Reject would suit it well.

Agreed. I also don't think people can be blamed for worrying, you can't help how you feel, but it also has to be said that doesn't mean it's ok to have a big discussion speculating about Billie's past, present and future health. It's up to him whether to decide to share information relating to his health or addiction issues with us or not, not for us to try and figure out (which we wouldn't be able to do accurately anyway).

Nobody noticed anything wrong at the time though, no one was saying this. Only with hindsight. There's been many times he's had addiction and health problems since the beginning of Green Day's career, not only during the trilogy time. There's simply no point in speculating about his health at any given time. The point is you can't judge someone's health one way or the other just by what you think you can tell by observing them. That's for him and his doctor to do. We don't need to try and do it here.

Fair point, but still there's no way to tell how he's doing now from old interviews. That's just a guessing game.

^^^ Those are actually just filters but they look like art they’re amazing!

Does it always involve some past trauma or mental health issue or is there not a biological component too in that a person may be in a good place but still be physically unable to resist abusing a substance?

You must be a sorcerer - he doesn't even know you exist and you know so much about his mental health

Guys quick response. I don’t know any better but here would be my observation. Billies alcohol and prescription drug issues were long standing and from how he explains it they related to issues that were long term unresolved. I would say the rehab and whatever follow up treatment occurred (there would have been some) would have allowed him to feel more comfortable and accepting of himself. My point is I can’t imagine for somebody who caused the damage he did to himself would be in a hurry to travel that path again. So if the issues were resolved then I could imagine that he would no longer need to feel ‘numb’. Meaning he can drink and party to have fun and not to medicate himself. I can understand why people have been concerned but I just think it is unmerited. The relationships he has in his life I’m sure would hold him to account if he was spiralling. Finally I think he achieved clarity and that clarity should remove or place into perspective most of the unfounded insecurities he carried/carries.

I just don't think it's necessary to call people intrusive for a moment of concern. Especially if in doing so we start speculating about his health or happiness or whatever him being seen with drinks means The only way to 100% avoid being intrusive is to just not discuss it - both the "worrying" and "reasonable" posts.

The bottom line is, we can't know for sure if he's okay or not and even if we knew, the most we could do is to shut up and let him live, so we might as well do that.

I see where you're coming from and I don't disagree with you on principle that it's not necessary to get upset over this, but firstly, he's said that iheart was his last drink, so by your own definition, the worriers have been justified in their worrying right from the start and secondly, you can't know what he's been drinking, saying that isn't different from any other kind of unnecessary speculation.

You can make the argument that it's pointless since there's not much we as fans can do, but it's not intrusive. Worry is a natural human emotion that a person can't help but feel. If you don't worry about him drinking, that's fine. But it's fine to worry as well.

Such a bizarre title for this article. https://metalheadzone.com/green-days-billie-joe-armstrong-shares-one-of-the-most-romantic-photos-of-his-lover/

I'm picturing Billie whining about "no one listens to those 3 albums" and then listening back to their old stuff, which all got more notable success, and being like: "omg! it's true that we've made all this stuff before. Let's put it on the playlist" caricaturing a bit . I love these older songs, but the ones that are left behind are always the same... GD rule for the older stuff but not for their trilogy? Seriously, I'm thinking of bringing a "huge trilogy fan" banner to that coverups show. I would like Billie to claim LOUD & CLEAR that he loves these albums too, instead of just throwing in a small club with the Shot that no one listens to those 37 songs he wrote... If I dared I would grab him and shake him like: "You're so so wrong, I keep playing and listening to those songs every daaaay"

Me everywhere any time I’m in the states 😂😂😂

When you’re in the San Francisco airport on a layover and look all over for anything that references the East Bay, Oakland, Green Day, etc.

Is that a baby jester? You Brits are weird.

Fixed