ARCHIVE - 2/7/08:
January Green Day Report
Green Day’s Ready to Rock the Vote, Are You?
Did you know that it’s almost Super Tuesday? On Super Tuesday, all the states that haven’t caucused or had a primary already vote for who they want to run for President. Are you supporting Democrats or Republicans? Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?
If you haven’t thought about it much yet, it’s time to start, because you can bet it’s something that the guys in Green Day are thinking about pretty seriously.
On Monday, Billie Joe and Adrienne posted an important message on the website for Adeline Street (http://www.adelinestreet.com/). Check it out:
Rock The Vote!
Hey everyone!
We want to wish you a very happy new year! Or a pre- Happy Valentines day.... We are a little slow with the writings these days.. But....This is OUR year...our year to make a change...from our president, our communities and our future. Here's to an amazing year!!!
Adrienne & Billie Joe
Oh..and If your not registered to vote already- please go to rockthevote.com and register!!
El Presidente Armstrong
A big problem with the Presidential election, most of the time, is that all the candidates seem like such douchebags, what’s the point of voting, right? But just imagine if, instead of dumbass politicians, we had musicians running for office. Who would be elected as President?
Turns out it would be none other than our very own Billie Joe Armstrong. That’s right, motherfuckers. Rock.com held an election (http://www.rock.com/election/), the people voted, and Billie Joe was elected President, beating out wannabes like Pete Wentz and Gerard Way, as well as moldy oldies like Bono and Ozzie.
The fact that a guy who coined the phrase ‘American idiot’ could be elected President just goes to show that most of us consider the larger part of our country to be completely off its nut. I think that if Billie Joe ever did become President, his first decree would be that we all start thinking for ourselves, and acting to make the world a better place, instead of sitting on our asses.
But come on, people, we shouldn’t need a President to tell us that stuff!
The only Republican on the list was that prick Ted Nugent, who snuck in at number five, proving once again that people who love music love left-wing liberty and hate right-wing oppression. Sweet. Let’s just hope that we can do the same later this year and election a Democrat to office.
New Album to Come Out This Fall?
Yup, we’re going to be electing a new President in November, and word on the street is that we can officially begin to drool over a new Green Day album at around the same time.
According to NME, Green Day’s label has confirmed that we can expect a new album out in 2008, although probably not until quite a bit later in the year. This makes sense, because if you’ll recall, American Idiot came out in 2004 just about a month before the election that was stolen by George Bush.
Will the next Green Day album be so political? And if so, what will the pre-election message be this time?
Politics, Punk, Foxboro Hot Tubs
There’s been a lot of speculation as to what the new Green Day album will be like. Another rock opera about activism and questioning your leaders? Or should we expect a traditional punk album?
OR could the tracks recently released by Foxboro Hot Tubs be a sign of things to come? According to an inside source, the guys have been working in the studio with Linda Perry. Linda Perry was the lead singer for 4 Non Blondes, and most recently has been working as a producer with artists like Courtney Love and Juliette and the Licks.
Anyway, rumor has it that Linda Perry has been getting the guys listening to a bunch of ‘60s US garage rock and psych bands like Electric Prunes and The 13th Floor Elevators. She’s also, apparently, got Billie Joe growing his hair long. Fuckin’ hippie.
Without actually saying so, the Green Day insider implied that Perry’s influence is where Foxboro Hot Tubs is coming from, so who knows? Maybe the new album will be some kind of wacky psychedelic surf rock shit.
What an age we live in.
Concert Rumors
On the heels of all this new album buzz comes the rumor that Green Day will be headlining at the Reading and Leeds music festivals this summer. Apparently, dude that organizes the events has said that three huge American acts will be headlining, and that one of them is coming back after recently having rocked the festival. (Green Day put on a legendary performance there in 2004).
Basically, everyone’s saying that the three bands are the Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, and Green Day. But don’t start to seizure with excitement just yet. While it’s a nice idea, Green Day has made it clear that they’re taking their time in the studio. They might not be ready to rock this summer’s festival season, especially if they’re planning a fall release of the new album.
Tickets for the festivals go on sale in March. By then, more details should be available.
Got Your Tickets to Pinhead Gunpowder?
While Reading and Leeds are still just speculation, it’s a happening fact that Billie Joe’s favorite side project, Pinhead Gunpowder, have a couple of shows lined up for the beginning of February.
That’s right, bitches. On February 3rd, Pinhead Gunpowder is playing at Chain Reaction, an all ages venue in Anaheim, CA. And on February 4th, they’re playing at the Troubadour in LA. There’s also a totally-probably-bullshit rumor that the band will show up at Gilman Street sometime after these two shows, so keep your dirty little ears to the ground.
For all you idiots who are like Pinhead what? Pinhead Gunpowder is a loud, traditional punk outfit fronted by Billie Joe, and also includes Green Day part-timer Jason White. The band hasn’t played live since 2001, and they’re website is old as shit and never updated, but you can check it out here: http://www.pinheadgunpowder.com/.
Assignments
You’ve basically got two jobs to do in the next month: stalk Pinhead Gunpowder (no word on if the shows are sold out!), and get everyone you know to start thinking about voting for a new President. You can even do stuff like start a blog about the election, or make some posters to put up that remind people to vote.
If Green Day has taught us anything, it’s that we all have the ability to change the way this country thinks, we just have to get off our asses and start mixing it up. Then, if you run into Billie Joe at a Pinhead Gunpowder show, you can tell him about what you’re doing.
Next month I expect to write an update full of Green Day fan activism. Don’t disappoint me! |
