For almost 40 years, the punk rock band Green Day entertained fans from all over the world as they released an impressive 14 albums. Their latest album releases on January 19 and is titled, Saviors. Not only will they share new music with fans, but they are also helming The Saviors Tour, slated to run from May to September. While excited about the release of the band’s new album, singer Billie Joe Armstrong recently discussed his battle with alcohol and how his struggles with drinking and drugs came from a severe case of stage fright.
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Given the decades that Armstrong performed on stage, in front of thousands of screaming fans, it can be somewhat hard to believe the singer fought stage fright. But when appearing on WTF with Marc Maron podcast, the singer detailed how long he battled with the emotions. “I get massive stage fright, it’s the anticipation of all day going on and getting ready to go on stage at a stadium or something.”
[See Billie Joe Armstrong And Green Day Live In Concert]
Finding ways to cope with his stage fright, Armstong turned to drinking. “I started around the record after ‘Dookie’, that I would get so nervous that I started drinking more before shows. I was like, ‘Hey that works, I’m gonna keep doing that’. Then I realised, ‘Woah I keep drinking after the show too and during the show’. It just kinda happened.”
Billie Joe Armstong Becoming The “Drunk Annoying Uncle”
While having a few drinks to shake the nerves isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Armstrong admitted that when he started – it was almost impossible to stop. “I’ll be fine for a few drinks then some other guy starts to come into the picture. Not angry, I start to turn into everyone’s drunk annoying uncle.”
Armstong even explained how sometimes his drinking led to funny moments, but it was his inability to stop that concerned him. “It can get really funny then it can turn where I can’t switch it off and I’m drinking until [4am]. There were other human garbage can moments where other drugs were involved but that’s the thing, I just want to keep going.” The singer’s drinking became such a problem that he eventually entered rehab in 2012 after an incident on stage at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas.
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(Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)
