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Green Day was the opening volume at the Lollapalooza in 1994, the founder of the festival, Perry Farrell, does not seem to have been a fan of the band. In the book “Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival”, more is revealed.
“Perry was a damn asshole”
John Rubeli, a former Stage manager of the Lollapaloozas, told in this regard: “I can never remember that Perry would have pushed a band back or inserted a veto-except at Green Day.” According to him, Farrell is said to have told that the group was a “boy band” and that he did not want to book it. Billie Joe Armstrong also remembers the time and adds: “Perry was a damn asshole, without question. He was not part of the conversation because he had deregistered himself, but they asked us if we wanted to play it, and we said yes. The first half should be contested by The Boredoms and the second half of us as an opening tape. And then he suddenly came back and ‘ have.’ Apparently he thought that we were a band, which was put together by Mo Ostin at Warner Bros.. ”
Ultimately, Farrell, who himself as a musician in bands like Jane’s addiction is or was active to have been persuaded. According to Rubeli, however, only on the condition that the Japanese rock band The Boredoms would also occur.
Green Day were probably disappointed
The front singer also revealed that the situation was disappointing for the band. “Perry was someone we really respected. I think that made us [Lollapalooza] Even more to play because we wanted to prove to him that he had his head very far in his own ass. ” Green Day was apparently able to let out her frustration with her music by dedicating the song “Chump” to the festival founder. The first lines of the track clearly convey the message when it says (in German): “I don’t know you, but I think I hate you.”
For a long time, however, the resentment did not seem to stop, because Armstrong and Farrell probably shook hands briefly in the 1994 Woodstock.
In “Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival” is also told by many other artists: inside and people from the music industry about the early days of the festival between 1991 and 1997. The stories and anecdotes were compiled by the authors Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour.
Green Day will be playing again at some festivals this summer – also in Europe:
- 13.-15. June-Download Festival, Great Britain
- June 15th – Firenze Rocks, Italy
- June 24th – Sthlm Fields, Sweden
- 25.-28. June – Tons of Rock 2025, Norway
- July 2 – Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
- 3.-6. July – Rock Werchetser 2025, Belgium