Green Day's Mike Dirnt Comments on Billie Joe Armstrong's Vegas Outburst

Green Day’s Mike Dirnt Comments on Billie Joe Armstrong’s Vegas Outburst

2012-10-18

Story by Cat Badra

Green Day bass player could tell frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was under duress before Armstrong’s Vegas rant

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is currently in rehab for substance abuse, a move made after he launched into a profanity-filled outburst at last month’s iHeart Radio music festival. Now, bass player Mike Dirnt is opening up about Armstrong’s status in an interview with the BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, explaining that Armstong’s breaking point may have been realized by group’s busy schedule in support of their latest full-length, “¡Uno!.”

“There were signs of things hitting the fan,” Dirnt explained. “We hadn’t slept in forever and Billie had definitely had the worst of it. He’d been going through his own struggles. At the end of the day when we got off the road the most important thing was my friend’s life.”

Dirnt also said that he hasn’t been in contact with Armstrong since he was admitted to rehab. “I’m sure Billie’s had it really rough,” Dirnt said. “There’s been very little contact between us…but it’s a pretty heavy-duty process. This is probably the longest time we haven’t seen each other — I haven’t seen Billie in weeks. It’s an awkward position to be in, but we’re going to pander this out.”

In other Green Day news, the band recently put a nix to their appearance at New Orleans’ Voodoo Music + Arts Experience on Oct. 27. Even so, the group is currently scheduled to start their North American tour on Nov. 26 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Wash.

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.