Green Day wants to get 'American Idiot' out of office using new punk opera
Angela Pacienza
Canadian Press
TORONTO (CP) - A decade ago, any kid worth their salt knew the "in" thing was to embrace indifference about the local community, family, school and especially politics.
Now, one of the biggest role models from the "I don't care" era has done a complete 180-degree turn.
Using their famous three-chord melodies, the members of Green Day say it's time to take note of the "redneck agenda" and the "age of paranoia."
The spiky-haired trio has gone from singing about masturbation to lambasting U.S. President George W. Bush.
"It was a little hipper to be apathetic (back then)," admits Billie Joe Armstrong, in Toronto with his bandmates this week to do a slew of publicity for their new record, American Idiot. "Right now, it's more about facing danger. That's what growing up is all about."
But the album American Idiot isn't all about politics. It was written with a narrative, making it a politically charged "punk opera" of sorts. Think The Who's Tommy. The central character is Jesus of Suburbia, a rebellious teen who's been raised on soda pop and Ritalin.
"It's about a kid that is trying to find his beliefs and his ethics, coming from a broken home, being fed up with his hometown and his local 7-11," said Armstrong, who still circles his eyes with black eyeliner.
Jesus meets his alter-ego in Jimmy, also rebellious but with a lethal self-destructive side.
All members of the group say writing the record was the toughest project they've faced in 15 years together.
"We were up to the challenge. We're probably the best Green Day-type band there is out there," said bassist Mike Dirnt, referring to the dozens of neo-punksters who have mimicked the Green Day's signature sound.
Bands like Sum 41, Good Charlotte and New Found Glory consider 1994's Dookie among their most influential records.
The cultural criticism in American Idiot, Armstrong said, was spawned from channel surfing these last few years.
"Reality television meets news and war, these Geraldo-type characters in tanks following around, tanks going into Baghdad with splashes of Viagara commercials in between," said Armstrong. "I was just so confused about what was going on. It comes from that standpoint."
But why the sudden interest in politics from a band that made their living being bratty, snotty and goofy?
"It's unavoidable. Being in the United States right now, what's been going on the past couple of years," Armstrong says with a shrug, never quite completing the sentence.
Drummer Tre Cool adds that it's important for those in the public eye to make their opinions known.
"Even if they don't like Bush or war, a lot of bands and actors are so afraid of damaging their careers. They're soft," he said. "They don't stand for anything. That's not what we're doing."
The trio met U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry earlier in the week when they each appeared on Late Night with David Letterman
"They stuck us in a room with him for 10 seconds to take a photo and say a couple words," said Armstrong. "He said to me 'I can't wait to hear your anti-Bush song.' I told him 'You got my vote.' "
While the band clearly has a political loyalty, they don't want to be labelled as activists. Instead, Armstrong says Green Day is just continuing a long tradition of education through music.
"I've gotten most of my education through music whether it's the Dead Kennedys or Clash records or just something like the Replacements," he said. "Music can make a different in people's lives. It's not just there for entertainment. It's like watching a comedian, someone like Bill Maher who has a sense of humour and he's putting a message across at the same time."
The band plans to tour the new record this fall including stops in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
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