25 Green Day Facts You ACTUALLY Didn't Know

You've probably clicked on a few lists of things you 'don't know' about Green Day, only to find out that even your dog knew them all. Tré Cool went to clown school. Mike Dirnt wrote 'Longview' on LSD. Billie Joe Armstrong's first guitar is called Blue. Green Day's career started at 924 Gilman Street. Yes, we know.

Now, I'm not going to claim that every single fact on this list will be new to all of you, because the long-time fans have probably heard it all... but I hope at least one of them will surprise you. If you're new to Green Day, welcome, and you're in the right place to learn more here on GDA!

1. There was an Insomniac condom

It was a prize from KROQ. It expired in November 1998.

2. Billie Joe's parents met at a concert

Billie Joe's dad was a jazz drummer. He met his wife, Ollie, at one of his concerts - just like Billie Joe met his wife at a Green Day show.

3. The Foxboro Hot Tubs was born thanks to a drum kit

When Tré Cool bought a 1960s Rogers kit, he was inspired by its history and started playing old songs. Jason White joined him with an old Gretsch guitar. The rest of the band followed. Tré later told Zane Lowe, 'That one just dropped out of our bums,' and yeah, it kind of did.

4. Mike checked in to a hotel under the alias 'Seymour Butts'

Members of the band (unspecified) have also checked in to hotels as Rumpel Stiltskin and Joe Lies.

5. Tré took conga lessons with José Eladio in Cuba after the American Idiot Tour

'You mix the conga and cymbal parts together,' he told laut.de in 2009. 'It was fucking hard! Just another weapon in the arsenal in case I ever need to pick up women who are impressed by it.'

6. Billie Joe played metal before Green Day

We all know Billie was a sweet kid singing to people in hospitals while he was learning to sing at Fiat Music, but did you know he was also in a few metal bands? One of them was called Blood Rage.

7. Billie Joe bruised his ribs while recording the 'Holiday' music video

When you see him pounding his chest with the microphone in the bridge, he was actually hitting himself so hard that he bruised his ribs.

8. Mike shat on Juliette Binoche's balcony

It was Oscar's night in 1997. Mike did a poo over the edge of his hotel balcony. It landed on the one below. When Juliette Binoche found it, she unsuccessfully tried to get the band thrown out of the hotel.

9. Tré bought a diner for his dad

After Green Day hit it big, Tré bought a diner in Willits, CA, for his dad. It was called the California Diner. The walls were covered in Green Day posters and their songs were always playing. It's now under new management with a different name.

10. Billie Joe writes on acoustic

'I have a Silverine Harmony. But it sounds good. I just have it around the house, so I've written most of the songs on it.' -- Billie Joe in American Songwriter, 2000

11. The rarest Green Day item isn't 'Look For Love'

It's actually the white Slappy vinyl. There's only one copy in white. Larry Livermore sold it to a French collector on eBay in 2006.

12. Green Day's name came from Sesame Street

You've probably heard that Green Day is named after weed, but did you know the phrase originally came from Sesame Street? When Ernie said 'green day,' Billie Joe, Mike and John Kiffmeyer found it funny because of all the weed they smoked. So it became an inside joke that a 'green day' was a day wasted, smoking weed. After they recorded the song 'Green Day,' John wrote the phrase on the back of his jacket. That was when they decided to change their name from Sweet Children. Billie Joe has since said he hates the name.

13. Tré set his hair on fire in high school

'I was blowing gas out of my mouth like I was a torch or something. My hair was burned off, my eyelashes were burned... I looked like a monster.' -- Tré Cool in Crossbeat, May 1998

14. The name International Superhits You're Not Worthy of Owning was considered

Green Day wanted the most arrogant title imaginable for their first greatest hits record. They also considered Immaculate Collection.

15. Tré played jazz before Green Day

'It was hard because I played jazz for a while before joining Green Day. In the jazz band, I was constantly told to "play quieter," but then I was being told to "play harder and six times louder!" Also, in jazz, you're told to "play more," but in rock, you're told to "play one beat at a time," which is the complete opposite of how I play, so it took me a while to get used to it. But I kept playing and became a real musician.' -- Tré Cool in Crossbeat, May 1998

16. Billie Joe's favourite British food is fish and chips

Especially when it's covered in all the salt, vinegar and sauces they've got.

His favourite food of all time is pizza, though.

17. Tré was homeless, but wouldn't sell his drums

'Even when I was homeless and starving, I didn't sell my drums. I had no home, but I had my drums. Those drums kept me going.' -- Tré Cool in Crossbeat, May 1998

18. The name 'Warning' has a pretty deep meaning

'It's like a "warning" sign or label, or people saying "you can't do this." America is always talking about freedom, but even though it's saying that, subconsciously it's saying, "No, you're not free. Don't cross this line. Don't step on my territory." To me, rules are there to be rebelled against, at least on a healthy level. Rules are there to be broken. That's what "Warning" is about. I'm not telling people WHAT to think - I'm telling them TO think.' -- Billie Joe Armstrong in Crossbeat, August 2000

19. Tré was on crutches while recording 21st Century Breakdown

He busted his knee while moshing at a Fratellis concert and only had it sorted once the last track of 21st Century Breakdown was burned to a hard drive.

20. 'Before the Lobotomy' came from a San Francisco Chronicle article

'I got it from a headline in the San Francisco Chronicle. The article was about a guy who'd written a book about how he'd gotten a lobotomy because his dad thought he was too hyperactive. He was a problem child, so his father made him get a lobotomy. So the title of the article was "Before the Lobotomy." Or maybe that was the title of the book. I don't remember now. And the song could be about the dumbing down of society, but it all comes from personal experience, you know! Dumbing yourself with drugs and alcohol. Overdoing it.' -- Billie Joe Armstrong in Guitar World, 2009

21. At least one fan has seen Green Day over 200 times

Quite a few fans have been to 100 shows, but 200?! A crew member told me about this person in 2017, so it's probably even more now. I've no idea who they are. They must be doing it very quietly. There are probably even more of them we don't know about.

22. Billie Joe attended a GDA/GDC party while American Idiot was on Broadway

Seriously. It was February 2011. GDA arranged a party for fans at a bar in NYC and Billie actually showed up. He said he wanted to be 'closer to the fans.'

23. Green Day wore Christian Dior suits designed by Hedi Slimane in the American Idiot era

In case you don't know (I didn't), Hedi Slimane is a French photographer and couturier who was the creative director for Dior Homme at the time.

24. The first (and only) Dead Mermaids EP came with a fishing net

There's a song called 'My Fish' that is, indeed, about fish. We really didn't appreciate them enough.

25. The first time Green Day played in Bangkok, the floor nearly gave way

Some fans said it was the best show they'd ever seen. Some said it was the worst. However, almost everyone in MBK Hall that day will agree that they wondered if they were going to die that night.

How many of these did you know?

So what's the verdict? Were some of these facts new to you? Can you think of any that others might not have heard? Discuss it on the Green Day Community forum. And if you'd like to read even more random Green Day facts, we have a whole page for them.