Green Day Biography

[mechanicalman]

Sorry i haven't been able to put much attention here. I've been swamped with school work.

However, i've posted up the <a href="http://www.greendaycommunity.org/Forum/index.php?showtopic=42338" target="_top">Dookie Bio</a> written by emotion sickness.

That's good.

[Boston]

I'd love to try and write the Kerplunk! era, as I'm grounded for a week and have nothing better to do with my time .

Actually, I'll try my best and post what I've got in a few days time

[Cathy666]

Hi! I agree with the other guys to write GD bio by album!! I think we should also post a lot of photos, so people see how they changed!! I also would like to add interviews from GD!!

[giant_teabag]

^they've already written a lot of parts of it. I think you were a bit late to this thread

[Boston]

this needs work, but its kinda a rough copy. hope you enjoy

¿Whatsername?

December 10, 2006

The Kerplunk Era

With John Kiffmeyer away at college, Billie Joe and Mike were at a loss. With Billie being little more than a high-school dropout and Mike having squeaked by to please his family, the boys knew that if they didn’t find a solution to their problem, things would spiral downhill faster than they could say “GED”.

Enter Frank Edwin Wright III – known to loyal fans as Tre Cool. At the time, Tre was a young drummer in Larry Livermore’s misfit mountain band The Lookouts. The band in question were favorites at local punk rock club Gilman Street, where Green Day had played some of their first gigs with Al Sobrante still on board. Larry, who owned the record label Lookout! Records, knew Billie and Mike from the studio, as they had recorded 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours there in 1990. As if a calling from God, The Lookouts began to dismantle shortly after John went away to college. Knowing that Green Day was desperately in need of a drummer, Larry recommended Tre to Billie and Mike. After meeting the young, energetic, and talented drummer Green Day was a whole again, and they were rearing to head into the studio to record the album that would pave the way for their brilliant and successful futures.

In 1992, the newly completed band headed into the studio to record their second full-length album. The boys only had two days and a few hundred dollars to work with, yet they still managed to pull off one of the greatest feats any indie band had ever pulled off. January 17, 1992 marked a major turning point in the band’s existence. From this point on, they would be not only local legends, but national heroes. With over 700,000 copies sold and thousands of sweaty, fast, punk rock gigs attended, Kerplunk was possibly the biggest album in the history of not only Green Day, but in the history of Punk Rock itself.

The tracks on this album contain the basis of Green Day’s early writings – Billie Joe trying to coax his then affliction into being his lover, and the trials and tribulations of growing up in the “ghettos” of California. The first track, “2000 Lightyears Away” has gained love and support from fans then and now. It’s catchy and upbeat riff paired with its lovesick lyrics relate to teens across the board from every background, every city, and every situation imaginable. Another song that later became a major-label hit is entitled “Welcome to Paradise”. It’s about living in a crappy apartment with no money in a failure of a town and leading life day by day, wondering if you’ll get something to eat after your long and tiring gig. This song made it onto Dookie in 1994 and was made into a music video, though it scored least of the four released singles with fans. Other tracks include the very popular “Christie Road” and a cover of the Who’s “My Generation”.

During this period in time, frontman Billie Joe was into more than just the music. On the band’s 39/Smooth tour, he had met a beautiful, intelligent, and humorous girl by the name of Adrienne Nesser. Though they lived over 2000 miles away (now do we understand the first track of Kerplunk?) in Minnesota, he wanted her to be his own, and his whole being revolved around being close to her. In later years, Billie would marry Adrienne and have two boys with her, but that is a different story for a different day.

As they had in the past, intense touring schedules filled Green Day’s lives. Oftentimes, a hot meal and place to sleep was pay enough, but odd jobs such as Mike’s chef job paid for merchandise creation, food, and water. As word spread of the quick, catchy, and “totally punk” album spread, album demand intensified, and Lookout! was running the press nonstop to create enough copies. Green Day was climbing the ladder to success faster than they had ever imagined. Soon enough, side-lives, such as jobs and apartments, had to be abandoned because of touring demand.

All this touring captured the eyes of many major-labels looking for a new gig. Early 90’s grunge had worn out just about everybody, and this fast and catchy, yet still alternative band proved to be a path into a new scene. All of this plus the cute-appeal of Green Day had recruiters piling on top of themselves for the boys’ signatures on their dotted lines. At first, Green Day wanted to stay loyal and true to their scene, but after months of pounding, they decided to speak with Reprise, a division of Warner Bros. Records. After being promised what they wanted – control of their image, music, and touring, they agreed to sign. This move shifted Green Day from backwards stoners into famous backwards stoners, and the simple signing of a piece of paper changed their lives forever.

[audyisername]

Hi everyone! I've just read the bio posted here, but obviously I would need a little more time before I can actually make any editing suggestions, if needed. So far, it appears that it is very complete. I'll read it in detail during the next couple of days.