by Adam Tait | Photos by WENN.com

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Green Day discuss 'nerve wracking' return for Reading and Leeds

Bassist speaks about singer's time in rehab

 

Green Day discuss 'nerve wracking' return for Reading and Leeds

Photo: WENN.com

They might have been confirmed as headliners for this year's Reading and Leeds festival, but Green Day say they're nervous about performing live after Billie Joe Armstrong's stint in rehab.

After cancelling a string of shows while their frontman dealt with his alcohol and pill addictions, bassist Mike Dirnt says the band are ready to hit the road again.

But speaking to NME he admitted that being back on stage was 'nerve-wracking'.

"It's nerve-wracking playing these shows after Billie Joe's rehab," he told the magazine. "The s**t really hit the fan but we're ready to get the f**k out of home again."

He also spoke of the effect of the singer's very public meltdown in Las Vegas. During a live show the band were told they had one minute of stage time left, which caused Armstrong to fly into a rage, smashing his guitar and ranting into the mic.

"It weas the first time in my life I've ever been in a position of being scared for my friend's life," Dirnt explains. "We're a close band. We don't want our personal lives in the tabloids, but this was as real as it gets.

"I was shocked. The first thing I did the next day was call Billie and go, 'What the f**k, dude? You're in a bad place, you've got to get better', and you know, he took it seriously," he added.

"You could sense it coming. That's the s**t thing, you knew something was going on but you don't know that's the reason his backpack would sound like a baby rattle when he put it on."

Watch Billie Joe's onstage meltdown below

He also said that the global propensity towards prescription pills and alcohol made it hard to challange the frontman on what was going on.

"We're a close band but it's personal s**t. You don't want to be like, 'Hey man, what are you doing?' You look around and everyone in the world is on pills and alcohol these days."

Having cancelled a stretch of planned shows while Billie Joe dealt with his demons, the band are now scheduled to play Reading and Leeds festivals at the end of a string of headline dates across Europe.

Below: Music's worst meltdowns: Green Day strop and more

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