Green Day Cancel Voodoo Festival Gig, Discuss Billie Joe’s Rehab

Green Day have cancelled their forthcoming appearance at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience festival in New Orleans, following the hospitalization of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong last month.

The band’s withdrawal from Voodoo is the latest in a series of cancellations for the group. Armstrong entered rehab in late September, with a statement on the band’s Facebook page explaining:

“Billie Joe is seeking treatment for substance abuse. We would like everyone to know that our set was not cut short by Clear Channel and to apologize to those we offended at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas. We regretfully must postpone some of our upcoming promotional appearances.”

Regarding their canned Voodoo appearance, the band delivered a fresh statement this week, in which drummer Tré Cool states:

“Canceling shows is something we rarely do. We never want to let our fans down, and we are grateful for all of you being understanding during this time.”

While the band have previously remained quiet about Billie Joe Armstrong’s health issues, bassist Mike Dirnt opened up to BBC Radio 1 host Zane Lowe, explaining how the band’s promise to release three albums of new material in five months had taken its toll:

“With hindsight 20/20 it was a tremendous undertaking. Although we were having fun we didn’t take our nose out of the book for a long time. I think it catches up with you a little bit … We definitely just jumped off a moving train.”

Armstrong’s decision to enter rehab followed the singer’s very public meltdown during a September 21 performance at iHeartRadio. After being informed the band had to wrap up their set, Armstrong exploded into a foul-mouthed rant directed at concert organizers:

“I’m not f***ing Justin Bieber, you motherf*****s. You’ve got to be f***ing joking … I got one minute left.”

The group then proceeded to smash up their instruments before exiting the stage. Speaking to Lowe on Monday, Dirnt acknowledged that all had not been well with the group:

“There were signs of things hitting the fan. We hadn’t slept in forever and Billie had definitely had the worst of it. He’d been going through his own struggles […] We were there with him but you can only handle things on your own […] At the end of the day when we got off the road the most important thing was my friend’s life.”

The organizers of Voodoo confessed to being disappointed at the band’s withdrawal, but added that the health of Armstrong was the most important factor in the decision. Stephen Rehage, founder/producer of the festival, said:

“We, like everyone, were looking forward to having Green Day back at Voodoo. Their 2004 performance was one of the festival’s greatest. We are obviously disappointed in the news, but realize the health and well being of Billie Joe is the most important thing right now. We wish him and the entire Green Day family the best and offer them our full support.”