Green Day’s inclusion in the 1994 Lollapalooza lineup almost didn’t happen, according to Billie Joe Armstrong. In a new book titled Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival, Armstrong shared details about a significant disagreement between the band and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction.
Armstrong recalled that Farrell was initially opposed to Green Day’s participation, viewing the band—then riding the success of their breakthrough album Dookie—as a product of the music industry’s commercial machine. “He thought we were just a band made by a label,” Armstrong, now 53, explained. “He wasn’t a part of that conversation, because he’d checked out, but they asked us to play, and we said yes.”
Stage manager John Rubeli, who was involved in the festival’s planning, also remembered that Farrell had never opposed a band’s inclusion before, except in Green Day’s case. According to Rubeli, Farrell viewed the punk band as a “boy band” and wasn’t keen on having them perform. Despite the tension, Rubeli managed to convince Farrell to allow Green Day to join the tour. “To Perry’s credit, I went through Green Day’s history in the Bay Area and how they had released indie records before Dookie,” Rubeli explained. “Eventually, Perry agreed that Green Day could do half of the tour, but he wanted the Japanese band The Boredoms on the other half of the bill.”
The situation was disappointing for Green Day, especially because the band held Farrell in high regard. Armstrong, however, turned the situation into motivation. “I think that made us want to play even more,” Armstrong admitted. “We wanted to prove that he had his head up his own ass.”
Once the tour began, Armstrong made his feelings known by dedicating Green Day’s song “Chump” to Farrell during their performances. “I’m not going to take any s— from anybody,” Armstrong said. “Perry Farrell’s not going to take any s— from anybody, either. And when his minions came up to say, ‘Perry Farrell’s really angry that you dedicated ‘Chump’ to him,’ I said, ‘Tell him to stop acting like one.’”
Despite the early tension, Armstrong and Farrell eventually made amends, meeting for the first time at the 1994 Woodstock festival, where they shook hands.
Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival is now available for readers interested in the untold stories behind the iconic festival.
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