(Credit: Instagram)
Green Day have seemingly responded to the lighthearted feuding with fellow Coachella performer Charli XCX after sporting a ‘Miss Should Be Headliner’ sash following her set on the Main Stage.
Charli XCX performed just before Green Day, wearing the sash to poke fun at not occupying the band’s slot on the stage. This stirred some controversy among fans and audience members, who claimed it was an open criticism of the iconic band and their position on the bill.
Green Day seemed quick to respond, however, when frontman Billie Joe Armstrong asked to borrow a cap from a member of the audience, revealing a lime-green item that read ‘BRAT’. Drummer Tré Cool also posted a picture backstage taken by his wife, Sara Rose Wright, of him wearing a sash that read, ‘Actual Headliner’.
Although many claim the digs to be serious, with some even suggesting Charli XCX’s initial jab was a direct insult aimed at the American Idiot hitmakers, others suggest the rivalry to be lighthearted, generating unsuspecting entertainment between two acts who would otherwise remain disconnected in the music space.
Some even initially thought the two were openly commending each other, especially after Armstrong’s hat stint, until the backstage image of Cool made some question whether there was a subtle underscore of genuine rivalry beneath the surface.
However, this is likely the least of Green Day’s concerns after Armstrong altered some of the lyrics to their popular hit ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ during their set to address the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. “Runnin’ away from pain like the kids from Palestine / Tales from another broken home,” he sang, altering the words from the original line, “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimised.”
The distraction from such a move towards the Charli XCX clash hasn’t gone unnoticed, with some attempting to redirect discourse towards what they claim really matters. This became especially prominent during their second set when they altered the lyrics to the same song again, only this time taking aim at US Vice President J.D. Vance.
Green Day weren’t the only act to use the platform for political reasons, with Irish trio Kneecap currently under fire for projecting anti-Israel statements during their second set after the festival’s organisers reportedly censored their first.
“Not the only thing that was cut – our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either,” Kneecap wrote on socials, promising that, “Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted.”
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