Posted on 12/08/2004 7:21:04 PM PST by crushelits
LAS VEGAS (Billboard) - With a No. 1 debut for its current album "American Idiot," and now Tuesday's news of six Grammy nominations, Green Day has found itself back in the spotlight. But if the punk-rock trio has its way, its Reprise album may yet fuel a crossover into an entirely new medium.
"We're definitely working on a film based on the album," bassist Mike Dirnt told Billboard.com ahead of the group's performance on Wednesday's Billboard Music Awards. "I mean, the story is already there. But to some degree, it will depend on who ends up doing the writing as to how involved we'll be."
"American Idiot" is up for album of the year and best rock album Grammys (news - web sites), while its title track will vie for record of the year, best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal, best rock song and best short form music video.
To be sure, the million-selling "American Idiot" has struck a major chord with listeners, fueling a successful fall trek which has found Green Day playing "more songs from a new album than on any tour we've ever done," according to Dirnt.
"Our shows are bigger than they've ever been," he enthuses. "We just played to 18,000 kids in Mexico City. I feel honored by our fans, especially those who have stuck around since the beginning. The fact that this album has done so well really verifies their belief in us."
Tuesday night, the band played "American Idiot" in its entirety during a special show at Las Vegas' the Joint.
"This is something we want to revisit the rest of our career," Dirnt says of these types of gigs. "It's like a new bullet in our arsenal, and it's great to step outside of our regular tour set."
The pool of available material for that set, however, has plenty of surprises of its own, including a host of Ramones covers and Green Day's takes on tracks by the Buzzcocks, the Clash and the Who.
"We even have a Midwest medley, which is 'Surrender' into (the Replacements') 'Bastard of Young' back into 'Surrender,"' Dirnt says.
Fans will also be intrigued to know that prior to the "Idiot" sessions, an entire album's worth of finished songs were accidentally erased from a computer drive. Could they ever see the light of day? "We could re-record them," Dirnt says. "The master tapes are gone. We still have some burned CDs but those are not good enough to release."
Green Day will begin a European tour Jan. 11 in Berlin and has dates on its 2005 schedule through March 22 in Sapporo, Japan.
First time I heard the song I figured the Democrats would love it. It's so very blue state.
Barf.
Billy Idol they are not.
Those were the good old days!...
Darwinism. The more losers who follow them, the richer and stronger we grow as they commit social suicide.
Now that was a band!
My 10 year old was watching this
His first comment was that "This guy is going to choke on his 'Goth'".
His father commented that he didn't "get" the song, my son said nobody did! further diatribe re: his pal who is an absolute "authority on everything"!
Then this Alicia Keyes Girl showed up, we all looked at each other and proceeded to change the channel. My husband and I lamented regarding the true meaning of the word "talent".
Green Day went WAY downhill after Nimrod. Warning was horrible. I guess they're trying to be punk again, but they've lost what they used to have.
Just where do these idiots think they got their millions? Could they have become millionares in Saddam's Iraq? Or the Taliban's Afghanistan. These people are freaking idiots.
I wonder if "American Idiot" would have been loved by the critics if it were a song that that praised America.
I'm getting sick and tired of hearing elite millionares whine about American capitalism.
Green Day isn't "punk." the New York Dolls, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, the Dead Kennedys - now THEY were punk.
Green Day is Cheap Trick (whom I love) without the talent.
Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new media.
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindf*** America.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Convincing them to walk you.
Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along in the age of paranoia.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
Convincing them to walk you.
Don't wanna be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information nation of hysteria.
It's going out to idiot America.
Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alien nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.