A Few Green Day Related Thoughts...

[spark in the night]

I thought Pat was me, hehehe, I was like "what surprise? "

you're always full of surprises

[goodday]

you're always full of surprises

[mbk]

I believe that the gap between albums is disappointing. Those of you who said they owe us nothing are absolutely right, but it wouldn't kill them to at least give updates like the majority of other bands. It's been more than a full year since they've done any original work, and we've gotten so very few updates from them that it's quite sad.

There just seems to be this huge disconnect between fans and the band, and it's really annoying.

I agree with you, but I also have to wonder if some of that disconnect doesn't come from fans being so out of touch with what the band tries to put out as far as their values and what they think is important, so that the band doesn't feel maybe all that connected to their fan base.

When the band members try to raise issues and encourage fans to have a social conscience, we get so many people yawning in annoyance or saying insensitive things like trying to help make the world better is a waste of time, or stupid.

And even with their music, even their hardcore fans sometimes seem to miss that they're very serious and that the music they make is extremely meaningful to the band. Green Day has always gotten less credit than they deserve for their musicianship because they don't toot their own horns and are not full of themselves, and many of the fans seem to have bought into this idea that they're just a silly, fun band with little depth.

When you see the band interact with fans you sometimes get the sense that they're just grinning and bearing it, even though they're very polite and kind.

In the old days they were pretty open about disliking their core of boneheaded fans. Maybe they're just nicer now, but would still rather keep their distance?

[clusterbomb]

For starters, i wasn't comparing them one bit. I was saying that both of those bands have released two quality albums since AI. For seconds, Muse are one of the best bands on the planet, surely it's an honour to be compared?

nah m8, in comparison, muse are shit, yeh matt belamy can play the guitar and the piano really good but none of their songs are on the same level as any of green day's songs.

silly boy.

and all this not spending enough time on the music thing is a bit wrong isnt it. i mean look,

1994 dookie

1995 insomniac

1996 touring

1997 nimrod

1998 touring

2000 warning

2001 touring

2002 pop disaster tour

2004 american idiot

2005 touring

when was billies kids born? 1995 and 1998? look how much time he has spent in the band compared to how much time he has spent being a dad.

[Fuzz]

I agree with you, but I also have to wonder if some of that disconnect doesn't come from fans being so out of touch with what the band tries to put out as far as their values and what they think is important, so that the band doesn't feel maybe all that connected to their fan base.

When the band members try to raise issues and encourage fans to have a social conscience, we get so many people yawning in annoyance or saying insensitive things like trying to help make the world better is a waste of time, or stupid.

Well, don't you think it's a bit far-fetched for a band to assume that their fans will follow their every footstep in trying to change the world? I think a lot of fans, especially the ones I know visit GDA, appreciate them for their music, and for helping to fill some void they had in their life. Thats something Green Day is known for doing with it's fans, playing music that helps them in some way. I think it's honorable for Green Day to get involved in all the things they find important, and taking a stand for them. And there's certainly no harm in trying to get their fans into it, but it wouldn't kill them to send updates once in a while.

Honestly, a simple update like once a month just telling people whats up and how things are going isn't an impossible task. Sure, they are busy and have lives, but take 10 minutes aside to keep the people interested. There's no point in them trying to rally up their fans to participate in something if the fans feel so disconnected from the band.

[**nobodylikesyou**]

Andres are you feeling disconnected?

[clusterbomb]

^ im not, we know theyre making a video, and just recorded working class hero, they posted pix of building the house in new orleans, im happy

[**nobodylikesyou**]

i am happy too!

they could update once in awhile though. it wouldnt kill them.

nice post up there with the calendar, well said Leigh.

[mbk]

Well, don't you think it's a bit far-fetched for a band to assume that their fans will follow their every footstep in trying to change the world? I think a lot of fans, especially the ones I know visit GDA, appreciate them for their music, and for helping to fill some void they had in their life. Thats something Green Day is known for doing with it's fans, playing music that helps them in some way. I think it's honorable for Green Day to get involved in all the things they find important, and taking a stand for them. And there's certainly no harm in trying to get their fans into it, but it wouldn't kill them to send updates once in a while.

Honestly, a simple update like once a month just telling people whats up and how things are going isn't an impossible task. Sure, they are busy and have lives, but take 10 minutes aside to keep the people interested. There's no point in them trying to rally up their fans to participate in something if the fans feel so disconnected from the band.

Yeah, they could certainly send some updates, and I don't think they expect fans to become involved in social causes. They put it out there but it's pretty soft-pedaled.

But even when it comes to the music a lot of fans seem to be sort of clueless, and maybe that affects how they feel about staying in touch? A lot of fans do appreciate them, of course, but a lot of others seem to miss the point.

When they were answering the IC questions it looked like they were not into it at all, and they haven't answered any more in months. Maybe it was discouraging to them that the questions they got (which may not have been representative of the questions that fans actually asked) were kind of uninspiring. They've always had a kind of disconnected, sometimes love/hate, relationship with fans, going back to Dookie when a lot of fans actually hated them and they weren't too crazy about a lot of the fans either.

[ElecSPARKY]

This topic is confusing the hell out of me I am so torn I'm trying to be a true fan by saying they need time out to be with thier families and to do charity work, which I think is great. But on the other hand the wait is killing me, I know we have recently had updates and the working class hero video is due out, but does that mean the new album is coming soon, or do we have to wait longer for something else to happen.

I think its the not knowing thats getting everyone worked up

I don't why we are all doing this to ourselfs?

[Dearlybeloved666*]

well I'm glad their making the new video. i can't wait till it comes out.

[clusterbomb]

nice post up there with the calendar, well said Leigh.

ye lol, well imagine being away from your kids all the time? then u realise you spent all your life working and the next thing you know the kids are in their 20's living on their own starting their own families and you just missed them growing up, you would feel like you hardly know them.

i know i would be lost without my mom and dad.

[Freyja]

Well, don't you think it's a bit far-fetched for a band to assume that their fans will follow their every footstep in trying to change the world? I think a lot of fans, especially the ones I know visit GDA, appreciate them for their music, and for helping to fill some void they had in their life. Thats something Green Day is known for doing with it's fans, playing music that helps them in some way. I think it's honorable for Green Day to get involved in all the things they find important, and taking a stand for them. And there's certainly no harm in trying to get their fans into it, but it wouldn't kill them to send updates once in a while.

Honestly, a simple update like once a month just telling people whats up and how things are going isn't an impossible task. Sure, they are busy and have lives, but take 10 minutes aside to keep the people interested. There's no point in them trying to rally up their fans to participate in something if the fans feel so disconnected from the band.

i agree. Yes, they can have a family life and still keep fans connected and let people know what is going on, and i dont mean in their personal life, i mean professionally. They are musicians, that is their job and in this business, your fans mean everything. They are the ones who make it possible for them to work as musicians, the fans have brought them to where they are now. So, yeah, I think they owe us to at least let us know how the album is going or something .

[Jose Luis]

i think it's too selfish to think green day don't care about us and they owe us too much. we can't say "Green Day owes us too much because we're the reason they're famous", that's just... wrong. obviously, they care about us and they have never sad "We don't give a fuck about our fans, we just want to save the world", and i hope they never do. they know what they do, and they do it because they know most fans will find it as something good and helpful. and also, they're saving the world WITH MUSIC, PLAYING MUSIC, CREATING MUSIC, don't say "get back to your job!" since MUSIC is their work, and they do it as good as they can

[Freyja]

i think it's too selfish to think green day don't care about us and they owe us too much. we can't say "Green Day owes us too much because we're the reason they're famous", that's just... wrong. obviously, they care about us and they have never sad "We don't give a fuck about our fans, we just want to save the world", and i hope they never do. they know what they do, and they do it because they know most fans will find it as something good and helpful. and also, they're saving the world WITH MUSIC, PLAYING MUSIC, CREATING MUSIC, don't say "get back to your job!" since MUSIC is their work, and they do it as good as they can

well i never said they dont care about us, and they dont literally "owe" us anything, i just think they should try and keep us updated every once in a while

[Jose Luis]

well i never said they dont care about us, and they dont literally "owe" us anything, i just think they should try and keep us updated every once in a while

i wasn't talking about you, but you're right

[Freyja]

i wasn't talking about you, but you're right

oh im sry

[Maru]

They've always had a kind of disconnected, sometimes love/hate, relationship with fans, going back to Dookie when a lot of fans actually hated them and they weren't too crazy about a lot of the fans either.

Yes and that's why I love them.

Of course they have to thank us fans cause we maintain the bastards but they don't owe us their whole success either. I'm not expecting them to go and update whether they are going to a cruise or saving the world every day because they OWE it to us... that's their business.

And honestly I don't believe they don't care about us, but they don't die for us either.

But I definitely believe their affect towards fans have changed over the years. They used to hate fans because we/they whether condemned them for their fame or worshiped them ...and I still believe they hate teenies or posers. So...us, TRUE fans of their music, they love

And....I can wait patiently for another CD. As long as they never stop playing music I'm ok.

[Frank's Penis]

and singing about politics doesn't automaticly make them politicians. in fact isn't AI the album that bashes politicians? What about the Sex Pistols and the Dead Kennedys? they made political songs and they weren't even close to ever being "politicians" so comparing Green Day to politicians was a pretty dumb thing to do....

REALLY shouldn't have used DK as an example there. Their lead singer ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1979 and the New York State Green Party drafted him as a candidate for the Green Party presidential nomination in 2000.

There’s always room for Jello

[Fauxfink]

I dunlike jello

[FJ]

I dunlike jello

Ah, so you're one of the punk police then.

EDIT: Or maybe you don't like the foodstuff. D'oh!

[Dearlybeloved666*]

REALLY shouldn't have used DK as an example there. Their lead singer ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1979 and the New York State Green Party drafted him as a candidate for the Green Party presidential nomination in 2000.

There’s always room for Jello

haha yeah that's true -my mistake