Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong has opened up about the emotion he felt on the band’s first night of the ‘Hella Mega Tour’.

Armstrong has been touring the US with Fall Out Boy and Weezer as part of the tour and spoke to Kerrang! recently about his feelings getting back to playing live after two years away.

“The crowd looked like this giant flock of birds freaking out,” Armstrong said of their first tour date.

“Coming offstage, afterwards, no-one could believe what was happening with this shared experience for all of us. And it was like that every single night. People were just grateful to be alive, to be around people again. It was awesome. We wanted to make it a special tour back in 2019, but when it ended up [happening] it was an unbelievable experience.”

Speaking about the opening night of the tour, Armstrong recalled the emotion he felt and feeling overwhelmed: “We sound-checked the day before and I was so overwhelmed by the size [of the place] – it was like the first time I ever played a stadium in my life…

“Everyone – the crew, every single person – was completely overwhelmed because no-one knew how this was going to go down. I was freaking out. Everyone was. We didn’t know what to think… the whole country had been through the fucking wringer. And here we are starting in fucking Texas.”

The Hella Mega Tour’ was first announced back in September 2019, but was postponed multiple times due to the coronavirus pandemic. See their full UK and European dates below:

JUNE 2022
1 – Berlin, Kindl-Bühne Wuhlheide
3 – Nürburg, Rock am Ring
7 – Copenhagen, Forum
9 – Ålesund, Color Line Stadion
11 – Johanneshov, Tele2 Arena
15 – Milan, Milano Summer Festival
16 – Florence, Firenze Rocks Festival
18 – Hradec Králové, Rock For People
19 – Vienna, Ernst-Happel Stadion
21 – Antwerp, Sportpaleis
22 – Groningen, Stadspark
24 – London, London Stadium
25 – Huddersfield, John Smith’s Stadium
27 – Dublin, Venue TBA
29 – Glasgow, Bellahouston Park

JULY 2022
2 – Paris, La Defense Arena

Earlier this year, Green Day previewed a snippet of new music in their latest “1972” teaser clip, with fans speculating that new music is coming soon.