Green Day's Mike Dirnt Opens Up About Billie Joe's On Stage Meltdown
Monday, 04 March 2013
Written by Elliott Batte
Mike Dirnt - bassist of American punk rock icons Green Day - has opened up about the band’s recent gig cancellations, and their frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s onstage meltdown.
The band shocked an audience at a gig in Las Vegas last year, after Armstrong exploded with rage after seeing their set-time cut short - resulting in him smashing his guitar and swearing at the stunned crowd.
Armstrong was quickly signed up to rehab after it was revealed that the star - who was once an alcoholic - had started drinking again, resulting in a relapse and the ensuing onstage incident. But now, they’re back on track, meaning Dirnt can open up and spill the beans about what the happened on that rather eventful day last year.
“It was very tense back there,” Dirnt told Rolling Stone. “They locked us in a room for about six hours. I won't say 'locked'. But I didn't want to hang out in the hallway with everybody's entourage. I felt like a rat in a cage. It was a confined space with a lot of weird people around, people we didn't know wandering in and out.
“When Billie showed up, it was, 'You're not right. What's going on?' I kept an eye on things, and it just went progressively downhill. Me and Billie - we don't play like 12-year-olds anymore. But at one point, I was like, 'Let's goof around. Somehow, we ended up wrestling backstage. I thought, 'If I can just get some of this out of him...' But with the mood depressants and alcohol, it doesn't end up in a jovial party.”
Dirnt continued: “You know, truth be told, I agreed with what [Armstrong] said, outside of mentioning anybody else. I know that's not Billie. But the bigger side of it - I actually agreed with the rant. But I was watching my friend and going, 'You're out of your fucking mind'. And we were dealing with a shitshow.
“For me, it started off as concern for my friend. Then it turned to anger. Then it came full circle to 'I'm angry for what you're doing to you. Whatever the fuck is going on, that's not you, and it's gone so far down. You're doing it alone, and you're not letting us in. Sometimes time you have a friend or loved one that needs you to shake them. They don't see a path out.”
Although they were forced to cancel a number of gigs, Green Day are now back on track and gearing up for more performances together. If you’re a fan of the band, check the dates and links below to find tickets to their gig in London’s Emirates Stadium this June - it’s going to be an epic show, so don’t miss out!
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