SOURCES

Beginnings (1990 - 1992)

Tre Cool in 2004

The origins of the band date back to 1988] when Billie Joe and Mike, two boys of fifteen years of Rodeo met and became friends. Both shared a special fondness for the current punk groups at Berkeley that developed at that time (Mr. T Experience, Operation Ivy, Crimpshrine) and other punk groups of the late 80s as Husker Du and Social Distortion.

Influenced by such groups, decided to form their own pop punk band, originally called Sweet Children, with John Kiffmeyer (aka Al Sobrante, who had previously played in the band neighboring Isocracy) on drums in 1989. The group debuted at Rod's Hickory Pit restaurant (where he worked Billie Joe's mother) to about 30 friends. Later the group settled permanently in Berkeley, one of the epicenters of the current California punk .

In the same year they recorded their first EP with Skene! Records simply called Sweet Children. It contained three original songs: "Sweet Children", "Best Thing In Town" and "Strangeland" (where is, with its catchy chorus, which comes closest to cultivate the group style that later). The fourth song on the EP was a cover of the famous "My Generation" by The Who. In that year they recorded under the name Green Day 1,000 Hours EP, which was well received in the punk and hardcore scene in California.

In 1990, the band officially changed its name to Green Day (the name of a song written when they were still Sweet Children), and after a demonstration in the rain to Lawrence Livermore, they signed to their label, Lookout! Records. The Green Day's first album, 1,039 / Smoothed Out Slappy Hours was released that same year, collecting previous work (1,000 hours, 39 Smooth and Slappy). Shortly after its launch, Al Sobrante longer the battery to resume their studies at university. [7] was then recruited Tré Cool, a resident of the founder of Lookout! Larry Livermore and battery Lookouts, who remains the band's drummer until now. Armstrong and Dirnt and Cool knew of several concerts and was even Sweet Children. The day after graduation from high school John Swett (where Mike graduated, and Billie Joe was sent the day after turning 18) began a tour of the mobile library Tré's father to places like Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Canada.

The band's second album Kerplunk was launched on 17 January 1992 by Lookout!, His latest album with the band. The CD version included four tracks from the Sweet Children EP. This album is even softer and more accessible than before, with songs paused as "Christie Road" and "No One Knows". With Kerplunk group fame transcended the borders of California, making them very popular throughout the country. The album sold 500,000 copies, a figure very good for a punk group in an independent firm. and to make extra money on the band and that which is indispensable