(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still / Spotify)
Pop-punk legends Green Day have been honoured with an official Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
The ceremony was announced last week. Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer, explained why they bestowed the honour on the pop-punk trio: “Green Day’s music has not only inspired generations but also served as the soundtrack to our lives.”
At the May 1st ceremony, US TV presenter, DJ, and music exec Matt Pinfield served as emcee. For his first public appearance since suffering a stroke in January, Pinfield had a flurry of proud words to address the musicians. He recounted how their album Dookie “made so many young people pick up guitars, bass, and drums and want to sing and write songs.”
He continued: “That is what punk rock, rock and roll music is all about. That beauty, that love, a passing on of that gift. And that’s the thing that’s so special about Green Day and why it’s such an honour to be here today.”
The band’s frequent collaborator, Rob Cavallo, also spoke, reflecting on his involvement in the production of their third album, Dookie. He then passed the microphone to Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds.
“Anyone who knows me knows how deeply invested I am when it comes to certain songs in the films that I produce or co-write,” Reynolds explained. “I get attached in a way that words are not agile enough to express.” Sure enough, the Green Day anthem ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) was used in the end credits of Deadpool & Wolverine.
He called the trio iconic, continuing: “And I had this thought about the end credits sequence of the movie. To me, it felt like an opportunity to do something that expressed warmth and gratitude and love – instead of it just being what they usually do in these movies […] I wanted this to be something that felt poignant.” He noted that Green Day unanimously bring people together.
Last, Reynolds celebrated Green Day for being at the “intersection of both nostalgia and evolution” before gushing about his recently formed friendship with all three musicians.
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was taken aback, arriving at the podium incredulously: “Wow, this is crazy. I didn’t write anything down, but I just wanna thank my family. This is for my mom – this is like my mom’s Super Bowl right now […] This is kinda like being at your own funeral.”
Tré Cool expressed his gratitude, whilst Mike Dirnt added: “Thank you so much for giving us a safe place to have band practice, giving me a safe place to live when I was in high school […] I’d like to thank my mom, for telling me that you can do anything you wanna do ’cause you’ve got nothing to lose.”
Green Day recently made headlines at Coachella when they used their set to make a political stance against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. When performing the 2004 tune ‘Jesus of Suburbia’, Armstrong sang the words “Runnin’ away from pain, like the kids from Palestine/ Tales from another broken home,” instead of the usual lyrics of “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimised.”
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