The American Idiot version of Green Day has been garnering headlines (and Grammy noms) thanks to a newfound political bite and some musical risk-taking, but no one has really taken notice of the band’s sudden sartorial flair: skinny ties, mod suits and eyeliner – lots of it.
All that eyeliner could be one reason why they’ve taken such a shine to New Jersey goth-punk quintet My Chemical Romance, with their dark suits and ringed eyes. The admiration is so intense that the guys from Green Day asked MCR to open for them on a leg of their next round of Stateside American Idiot tour dates.
Or maybe it’s just because they feel like hitting the road with yet another group of up-and-coming punkers they’ve had a hand in influencing.
“We like a lot of those [young punk] bands, and it’s flattering to hear you’ve influenced them,” Green Day’s Mike Dirnt laughed. “And all of them are going to forge their own path and catalog and career history someday. But the compliments are kind of hard to take. It’s like, ‘Congratulations, you’re old!’ ”
But rarely do the elderly maintain such a hectic tour schedule. Next week, Green Day start a three-month tour of Europe and Japan, and then it’s back to the U.S. for a few weeks of rest before packing up the tour bus yet again. And this is all after spending a large chunk of 2004 on the road with New Found Glory. But Dirnt feels all the touring is a necessity. It is the best way to experience their new album, after all.
“American Idiot was written from a live perspective. It has that feeling and energy throughout it. So we encourage the crowd to sing with us,” Dirnt said. “It’s really exciting and a little bit scary to play it for people who have never heard the record. But we like that fear and adrenaline.”
Green Day’s dates with My Chemical Romance begin April 15 in Miami. A full itinerary is expected to be announced shortly.
