USA: INTERVIEW WITH PUNK ROCK BAND GREEN DAY. / MUSIC VIDEO OF SONG "HOLIDAY" FROM THE ALBUM "AMERICAN IDIOT"

Record ID: 565586

  • Title: USA: INTERVIEW WITH PUNK ROCK BAND GREEN DAY. / MUSIC VIDEO OF SONG "HOLIDAY" FROM THE ALBUM "AMERICAN IDIOT"
  • Date: 16th April 2005
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREEN DAY BASSIST MIKE DIRNT SAYING: "We prided ourselves in - we've always pride ourselves in being able to play you know and make it intimate you know, if it's 50,000 people or 50 people. I think that's a quality that this band just has and you know, I've always hoped to be in stadiums and I think the world is ready for a big rock and roll show right now." SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMSTRONG SAYING: "If you're going to stop terrorism, you have to start at, you have to keep it at a level where you don't attack countries but you keep them from going into poverty and famine and you sort of relieve that debt you know and you don't look at yourself as the greatest country in the world, but the greatest asset to the world, the greatest help you can be, and that's how you not only build a stronger country within what's going on here but also stronger allies instead of people that have no respect for western culture."
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES/VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA37IMJ5QZ3SU7U3UYIJDNP420W
  • Story Text: Riding the success of their chart-topping album "American Idiot," punk rock trio Green Day prepares to play their first stadium shows in America.
    The U.S. presidential election is over, but Green Day is still on the campaign trail. This year, riding the success of their chart-topping album "American Idiot," the band is headlining big stadiums for the first time, using its growing pulpit to encourage fans to become politically active and to introduce them to organizations such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace.
    The politically charged "American Idiot" sold more than
    1 million copies in the United States since it was released in the fall of 2004, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
    The album features a bleeding heart-shaped grenade on the cover and contains two nine-minute, five-part songs -- veritable symphonies by punk standards.
    Referring to the success of the album, Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong said, " It's the biggest international record that we've ever had, so it's funny the insight that people tend to have as far as American politics that aren't American. It's been great."
    Critics called it a rock opera, hailing its indictment of the Bush administration and the U.S. media as an unexpected change of lyrical direction from a band that burst on the scene with a record called "Dookie."
    During shows, singer Billie Joe Armstrong tells crowds that his songs are not anti-American, but anti-war.
    Now, Green Day is clearly excited about their first ever stadium shows.
    "We've always pride ourselves in being able to play you know and make it intimate you know, if its 50,000 people or 50 people. I think that's a quality that this band just has and I've always hoped to be in stadiums and I think the world is ready for a big rock and roll show right now,"
    said bassist Mike Dirnt.
    The California pop-punk trio clearly see rock n roll as a medium for change and revolution.
    "It's a bold genre of music and it should have bold statements and content. For me it's not meant to just be chew-gazing and listening to records," said Armstrong about rock n' roll.
    The group raised money for various liberal causes last year and urged young people to vote as part of a larger, ultimately unsuccessful effort to defeat President Bush in the 2004 election.
    "If you're going to stop terrorism, you have to keep it at a level where you don't attack countries but you keep them from going into poverty and famine and you sort of relieve that debt and you don't look at yourself as the greatest country in the world, but the greatest asset to the world, the greatest help you can be," said Armstrong Asked whether rock 'n' roll can save the world, Armstrong said it was all up to the fans but that it could definitely serve as a soundtrack to a revolution.
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