Billie Joe Armstrong Redeems Himself As Green Day Plays “Basket Case” at iHeartRadio Music Awards

Back in 2012, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong famously had a meltdown during the band’s performance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival. The band was in the middle of “Basket Case” when organizers gave them the wrap-it-up sign. “Give me a fucking break. One minute left? You’re gonna give me one fucking minute?” Armstrong responded. “Let me tell you something, I’ve been around since 19-fucking-88. And you’re gonna give me one fucking minute? I’m not Justin Bieber, you motherfuckers!” He then proceeded to smash his guitar and walk off the stage.

Following the performance, Armstrong entered rehab for alcohol and prescription pills. Discussing the incident in a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, the singer recalled: “The next morning, I woke up. I asked [my wife] Adrienne, “How bad was it?” She said, “It’s bad.” I called my manager. He said, “You’re getting on a plane, going back to Oakland and going into rehab immediately.”

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Fast forward 12 years, Green Day found themselves back on the iHeartRadio stage as performers at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards. In an apparent nod to their previous performance, Green Day once again ran through “Basket Case.” This time, not only did the band complete the song without incident, Armstrong even sang a bit of the song’s early demo lyrics. The band was also honored with The Landmark Award, and played “Bobby Sox” from their latest album, Saviors. So it seems that all’s well that ends well.

Green Day are gearing up to launch the “Saviors Tour,” which will see them perform both Dookie and American Idiot in full at each stop of the tour. They’ll also be joined by a stellar roster of opening acts that include Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas. Get tickets here.