With the impending release of 2 more albums from the triple release Green Day have been planning, Billie Joe’s meltdown couldn’t have come at a worse time. However, as explained by Bassist Mike Dirnt, the pressure of taking on such a momentous project might just have been what tipped the punk rock icon over the edge.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, Dirnt said that the band had totally pumped the breaks, stopping everything for the next few weeks: “we had to put the life of our friend in front of everything.” Dirnt commented. When asked about the pressure of the triple album release, Dirnt explained that “hindsight is 20/20… it was a tremendous undertaking… It catches up with you a little bit. We definitely jumped off a moving train.”
The recent on-stage vent stole headlines all over the world. Armstrong let it all out after organisers shaved important minutes from the set to make time for other performers. Dirnt spoke of the meltdown, stating that “all that inertia. There were signs of things hitting the fan, we hadn’t slept in forever.”
It now appears that Armstrong is getting the help he needs. The bassist hasn’t seen his bandmate in “weeks”, one of the longest periods they’ve gone without hanging out since the band began. But he insists that in the near future, it’s back to business as usual: “We’re still getting ready for the next phase.”
With the first third of the release already out, fans can expect part 2 ¡Dos! on November 12 and part 3 ¡Tré! on January 14, 2013. You can also keep your eyes out for deets on an upcoming Green Day tour.
