Green Day are one of the more generous rock bands when it comes to their fans, and during a recent show in Berkeley, Calif., they invited some very special VIPs from the Children's Hospital of Oakland.
It's not uncommon these days for bands to occasionally turn their video making over to fans, usually as some sort of competition. But Green Day just had one of their classic tracks turned into a visually interesting piece through the use of virtual Legos and it came about unsolicited from the group.
Friday (March 15) was a big day for Green Day at South by Southwest, as the band had two films screening and they made a welcome return to the concert stage at the Moody Theater. While 'Cuatro,' the documentary about the creation of their album trilogy, has appeared at other festivals, South by Southwest was the premiere of 'Broadway Idiot,' their film about the creation of their 'American Idiot' stage production.
Back in September, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong had an onstage meltdown during Green Day's set at the iHeartRadio concert in Las Vegas. Soon after, he entered rehab to battle alcohol and prescription drug addiction, forcing the band to cancel their remaining 2012 dates and to postpone their winter 2013 gigs.
The legendary 2013 Reading and Leeds festivals have just announced their headlining acts. Being held simultaneously from August 23-25, bands confirmed for the fests include Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, System of a Down, Deftones and more.
Green Day are starting to get back on track after their fall of 2012 and early 2013 were derailed by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's stint in rehab. Armstrong's troubles came to a head as their heavy promotional schedule took them to Las Vegas for a show last fall in which the frontman went on a guitar-smashing rant onstage. With the band preparing their return to touring, bassist Mike Dirnt addressed the past issues and their current state with Rolling Stone.
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong is about to re-enter the music world with a spring tour and an appearance at Austin's South by Southwest on the schedule next month, but the rocker, fresh from a rehab stint, is now speaking about the issues that forced him to seek treatment and leave the touring life last fall.
It was soon after Green Day began to launch into their '¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré!' tour in September when frontman Billie Joe Armstrong suddenly entered rehab for unspecified substance abuse. After an uncertain three months, Green Day have announced their triumphant return with a string of 2013 North American tour dates.
The latter portion of 2012 has found the members of Green Day mostly off the grid while singer Billie Joe Armstrong completes his rehab. But the band is taking the first steps in regaining their footing, beginning with a new music video and their first announced dates of 2013.
Green Day being down a rehabbing member hasn't kept them from releasing new music and even creating music videos. Rather than the band starring in the clip for their latest single, 'Stray Heart,' they've served up a concept video in which the stars are a guy with a gaping hole and his extremely mobile heart.
