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All of this. I had to step away from them during the FOAMF era because things seemed really not good to me and honestly I was a bit scared to feel too close to them in that moment if things did go sideways. I understand that relapse is often part of addiction and that I maybe should’ve anticipated some backsliding at some point, but after having the absolute best years of my life as a fan during RevRad — which just felt like such a positive, happy, healthy time for the band — I think I was a bit in shock that we were headed back in a dark direction and that they were embracing the party theme so fully in interviews and photo shoots. Green Day has never been a “sex, drugs, and rock n roll” or “party album” type of band to me, and particularly after all they’d been through during the Trilogy era, I did NOT want to go back there again and relive that. Billie is one of my favorite humans. His life and his health are his business, but I want him to be happy and healthy and with us for a long long time and so yes, seeing him sober and seemingly doing very well recently really thrills me. And if he did actually go back to rehab recently, it makes me happy to know either he or his loved ones are keeping an eye on when maintenance is required.

Leading up to FOAMF, I remember thinking the New Year's Eve show (19 into 20) was on one hand legendary, and on the other hand, an example of a spiraling Billie. He was pretty gone by the end of that night if I remember correctly. The new record/tour was coined as a "party" record, and they all seemed to be projecting that pretty hard, but Billie, due to his addiction, would not able manage that and maintain any kind of control. It's a disease, and it is one hell of a monster. I kind of wonder if canceling that tour and covid didn't save him in a way, ya know? Right now, he seems in a very healthy place, and he is firing on all cylinders. I hope he has the support he needs to stay that way. Touring is a very tough life style to be sober, but others have done it, but you also see why so many slip up time and time again. I like sober Billie... Drunk Billie makes me cringe (sorry lived with an alcoholic, so sensitive subject!) I also like alive Billie, and he has a much better chance staying alive this way, right? We don't need to know the deets, that's all his business, and he'll share what he wants, when he wants, but as someone related to more than one addict, I wish him nothing but the best in his attempt to stay sober.

Highly disagree. It’s been 10 years and it is pot. As a society we can’t walk on egg shells everywhere we go and with everyone we talk to. Part of being post-rehab is saying “no” in these situations. Alcohol and pot are part of society and while the respect towards people who do say “no” is rightfully and thankfully increasing, Billie will be in these situations for the rest of his life and can’t expect everyone to know his personal situation, especially in this case where it wasn’t made public.

It’s not. She’s talking about the apparent delay, that is, the unexplained gap between the making of this album and its release date (2021-2024)

Updated Billboard numbers- Alternative Airplay- stays at 2 Mainstream Rock Airplay- 1, up from 3 Rock and Alternative Airplay- stays at 1 for a second week Adult Alternative Airplay- 18, up from 21 Hot Rock Songs- 25, down from 21 Hot Alternative Songs- 17, down from 14 Hot Rock and Alternative Songs- 32, down from 26 Canada Rock- 1, up from 2

Plus he didn’t famously go to rehab for weed. It’s not like they handed him hard drugs or a bottle of whiskey and go “C’mon!” Billie’s happy to talk about high school weed stories. With the Dookie anniversary and a name like Green Day it’s unavoidable and even benign. What’s harder to avoid on tour is all the alcohol and other substances around you backstage and at industry events and places. But I agree with @Sanity Loan that’s part of the eternal struggle. The last show they played was literally a pub. I think that’s harder for Billie than being handed a joint, but he’s doing great.

Could have went to rehab as a refresher I used to have a neighbor who was addicted to alcohol and went to rehab for a long time (and for years and I'd assume still does but haven't seen or talked to him in a long time since he moved) every year or year and a half he would go back to rehab for a week for a "refresher to remind myself not to drink again" Billie could've done something like that

@lucky_starsTotally agree with you. The guys in Green Day may be wealthy now, but they still come from working class backgrounds and married everyday people, and that informs how they view the world. I absolutely believe the views they express are genuine, and it’s obvious from how freely and openly they talk about these issues in interviews. These are topics they’re familiar with and feel passionately about, and it shows. They also just still seem very down-to-earth to me. People who have found success are still people, and deep down, still the people they were when they first started.

He looks very happy and healthy and that’s the most important thing. As someone who has known people who suffered from alcoholism, I can tell you that addiction is a serious issue which can literally get people killed. I’m in no position to judge Billie‘s private life but I’m glad he’s getting the help he needs. I don’t know if this contributes to the overall positive vibe around the band right now but I can say that as a fan, I want these guys to enjoy themselves and be healthy. That seems to be the case right now, which makes me happy.

No, way back in the day that might have happened, but this past week he really was sick, as were other band members. It wouldn’t have been that recent, most likely sometime over the last year. Anyway, good for him for getting what he needs. He’s often talked about being concerned about his own long term health and longevity in the game and his self vigilance is what will help make that a reality. And he did not sound like he was joking. He laughs at his own jokes. This sounded more like an awkward pause in the face of a direct question and he decided to just tell the truth.

It’s common to be in and out multiple times. He quit drinking again last year so he may have gone back again for a tune up. Unless it interferes with some public obligation we’re not necessarily going to know that

I mean, they had their own Rock Band game. They’ve done multiple Converse collabs. They sell merch that isn’t cheap. The list goes on. It’s part of being a popular artist and IMO, not a bad reflection on them as people, nor does it mean that they don’t believe the messaging in their songs. If you want to be in the game, you need to participate to a certain extent. And you know what? I’m happy when rock music gets mainstream exposure in any way these days, because it’s woefully missing from pop culture right now. I don’t think having their song featured in a Taco Bell commercial is particularly weird or any sort of marketing shift for them. If they were used in a commercial for one of Elon Musk’s entities, yes that would be weird and upsetting lol. But Taco Bell is inexpensive food accessible to the masses and personally, I think quite a good post-concert treat! I am all for Taco Bell paying Green Day, lol.

And it's an illness. As such every person with this illness should not be judged, but be supported and helped. It's lifetime struggle. Billie Joe looks so well, and really happy on stage at the moment. Take care of yourself Billie Joe we will always be with you in spirit. ❤️ "You'll Never Walk Alone"

alcohol abuse is serious you never get healed again thats why you refer to people who are "clean" for the moment as "dry alcoholic"

Bands have been licensing their music for decades so nothing new here. Plus with people being able to instantly Shazam any song that they hear, they'll get some new fans and more awareness of the new album. Win win

And this one! Billie looks crazy young

Talking about the OG Basket Case lyrics here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cz6GYqFMLuI/?igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==

I've got a pretty decent grasp on how these things work through my career. Depends on the type of arrangement artists have with their publishers / record labels, but for the most part songs will be sync licensed without the artists approval. This is especially common with larger (usually pop) artists as there's just too many requests for them to personally approve usage. However (and I'm only talking about UK here) but I believe Green Day are on a pretty select list (relatively speaking) that require prior approval. This is common for bands and artists that are conscious of their brand and image. These campaigns are incredibly lucrative, though. This doesn't seem like a HUGE campaign - and it totally depends on media buy - but we could be talking a couple of hundred thousand dollars easy cash just for a few weeks on-air. It's a no-brainer (pun intended). On a separate note, creatively it's a terrible choice of song for an ad, given the lyrics. "Look Ma, No Brains"? What are Taco Bell trying to insinuate about their customers? 😆

Is something we must accept in the long run. If they wanna keep making money, they have to license things. And it will be more common now, because they own the masters of these songs. So the decision to lend Look ma to taco bell comes from them. And is ok. Maybe they will make a new fan or two along with some money. Is a win-win situation.

He looks like a little kid holding a security blanket! That face! How is he 51?? He looks like 21CB Billie!

Same! There’s no way they didn’t intentionally pick a song with the phrase “shit the bed” in it for a Taco Bell commercial.

I have constant beef with the camera people wherever Green Day plays, they don’t understand the MAIN OBJECTIVE. 😂

It's 800,000 in Canada. The US has almost 300 million more people than Canada. Statistically, 2% of Canadians own AI (800,000) and 1.9% of Americans own AI (6.6 million) so we are better fans 🇨🇦

Yes, there will still be plenty of new tracks on the album if they end up releasing 5 singles but I just don't see why you'd release 5 singles before the album release. Just really unnecessary. If they do end up releasing 5 songs and 1981/OEB aren't including within those 5 singles, then that'd be 7/15 songs that we would've heard before the album which is way too much regardless of how many tracks are on the album What are you even talking about? I don't think anyone here has heard the album or any other songs from the new album beyond the four that are easily accessible to anyone who wants to hear them (TADIKM, LMNB, OEB leak, 1981 live)

I think the full interview airs today so we should have it later

We live in a capitalist society. Money Money. It's all that really matters. I don't like it, but it's the world we live in (for now). That said, I'd rather them take money from corporations than increase ticket prices for us.

That’s our GDC friend @Clockwise . Great podcast!

I love it when you find the rare TV appearance where the camera operator is clearly a Fangirl because the camera never leaves the band 😂 bless them.

So cute😍 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz4rpAUOIJf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=ODhhZWM5NmIwOQ==

good for him! It’s good it stayed private too

Warning is the one that really turned around. I think it has to do with the evolution of the fanbase. Those that came around during AI and post AI eras are more likely to be open minded to Warning and receive it positively. The Dookie and early GD crowd were more likely to run but they were also the established audience when the album dropped. Warning was still a positive step for the band though, there was still a lot of Warning love for Green Day. The poster made it to School of Rock even. The Green Day logo from Warning was also one of the most prominent Green Day logos ever. If you grew up in the 2000s you can see the stick figure in your head right now. The album was also heavily downloaded at the time it dropped. If that wasn’t an option it would have atleast hit Platinum certification without issue.

Yeah billie needs to learn there's no such thing as moderation when it comes to being an alcoholic you can't half way quit it's gonna eventually pull you all the way back in it's best to stay away from it all together do like duff from guns n roses did try other healthier alternatives like working out take up art do something that's gonna fill the void left by quitting his addictions

I put this one in the Grey Cup thread but Billie's jacket reminded me of the John Varvatos photoshoot Billie hasn't aged at all. In fact he probably looks younger now!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzXk0AFrins/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I think the use of the song in the ad is weird but funny. Totally unexpected. And I understand the move. It's no worse than their collab with Angry Birds. Green Day is getting their paycheck and that's fine. Doesn't affect my love for the band and hey maybe it will turn more folks on to Green Day. It's not unheard of.

Here’s the full version of the ad. I think it sounds really good even if the lyrics don’t make much sense in the context https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cz6R20eudRq/?igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==

It's worth saying that the band would've been surrounded by PR, label and management people during this junket. If this was seen as problematic, someone would've instructed the radio station not to air that comment. So either this didn't happen for whatever reason, or the radio station did it anyway.

Uh mike didn't owns a marijuana business and the bands freaking name is green day. Who cares

It’s definitely a catch 22. Ultimately though the kind of exposure from corporate deals and performances is what makes them profitable and introduces them to new audiences. I want nothing more than for Green Day to dominate the music scene again, and sadly the corporate partnerships/opportunities are their best chance at getting exposure.

How much of a say do bands have in decisions like these? I can’t imagine the guys need to explicitly green light every ad that uses their songs right? Seems that’s more the labels doing than anything. They are already signed on a major record label, I don’t think them having a song on a Taco Bell ad makes them MORE corporate. With all that being said, I personally have no issue with the song in the ad. When I heard it the first time, I was actually excited

Found a new podcast for Green Day nerds.

I also felt kinda meh about this song at first. It looked super fun live but the song itself was just okay for me. Was listening to it in the car tonight and was dancing in my seat lol. It’s definitely a bop!

Just saw a longer version of the Taco Bell commercial during Monday Night Football. Includes the whole first verse (with “shit” silenced out) and ends mid chorus. Still an odd song choice for any company but I’m all for the exposure

Do we have a thread for links to interviews? As we are entering into to more promo, etc, it would be great to have a promo thread where we could put links to radio shows, interviews, print, etc. Sometimes I notice we start a new thread when there is one, but it would be cool to have them all in one place. Thoughts?

I really feel for any celebrity struggling with issues like this. It has to be so much harder with the party merry-go-round all the time. It's hard enough for anyone but a celebrity can't change their job or lifestyle to accommodate any changes needed or at least only to a certain extent

Omg I was screaming in my head STOP SHOWING THE CROWD BILLIE IS ON STAGE. LET ME SEE HIMMMMMMMMM! And when I saw that jacket? *Swoon* And seeing his cold red little nose reminded me of seeing them in the freezing cold in st. Louis and thinking how smart Billie looked in his coat 😏 Also he can't possibly be in his 50s. That's a lie. He's trolling us 😂 he just doesn't want to share his fountain of youth secret.

I agree with @pacejunkie punk but I’m not entirely sure he was serious, something in his voice at the very end. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Might be easier to tell if he was joking if we could see him. If he is just out of rehab and they’ve kept it quiet then why would he just drop it in there like that, he could have just said no? We’ll probably never know but on the other hand if he has been back it may explain what appears to be the delay in the album. Assuming there actually was a delay.

Good point. Although, @Christian's Inferno! made an alternative good point, that listening to the whole album from start to finish, in the order the band has issued it, especially for the first time, gives the listener the complete picture. Are the songs connected, is there a theme running through both the music and the lyrics, and just loosing yourself as you journey through the whole length of the album. So my preference is the latter, although I respect those who wish to stream individual songs. @Christian's Inferno!

Yeah the ads work in funny ways. As a fan, it makes me want to support Taco Bell just for supporting Green Day.

Remember when they recorded I fought the law for a Pepsi commercial in 2004