The Network

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The Network

Country USA
Years active 2003present
Genres New Wave, Electronica
Labels Adeline Records
Reprise Records

The Network is a 6-piece New Wave band and a side-project of the band Green Day. They released their debut album Money Money 2020 on the independent record label Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. A re-release of the album, with two bonus tracks, followed in 2004.

Contents

[edit] Members

The only confirmed members of the band are Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool[1][2][3], all of whom are most famous for their work as the band Green Day. The stage names of The Network are Fink, The Snoo, Van Gough, Captain Underpants, Z. and Balducci.

Armstrong denies the involvement of any Green Day members in The Network. Although the style of music is different (New Wave as opposed to Green Day's punk-rock style), Armstrong's voice can be unmistakably made out on several Money Money 2020 tracks. In a recorded statement at the Green Day website, Armstrong says "I just wanted to talk about the rumours and the bullshit that has been going on lately. All I gotta say is fuck The Network. These guys are totally spreading rumours. I try to do those guys a favor by bringing them to this country and putting out their record and this is how I get repaid, by talking shit about my band. Unfortunately there is a contract and I have to put out their record. The only thing I can say is "fuck you Network, bring it on".

Warner/Chapell Music accidentally proved[4] that members of Green Day are involved in The Network by citing the three Green Day members as having writing credits to the The Network's song "Roshambo".

[edit] Instruments

  • Billie Joe Armstrong - Vocals/Guitar
  • Mike Dirnt - Vocals/Bass Guitar
  • The Snoo - Drums
  • Z - Keyboards
  • Tre Cool - Keytar

[edit] Identities

Still unknown about The Network is which stage name goes with which musician. The following information may or may not link the members of Green Day to certain stage names in the band.

  • Fink - Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has written songs for Pinhead Gunpowder under the alias "Wilhelm Fink"[5]. Fink of The Network and Armstrong are also both born under the same astrological sign: Aquarius[6]. The official Network Web site also claims that Fink financed the band, when in actuality this was done by Armstrong. Another coincidence is that in the song "Spike" the character Branden moved into a warehouse in Oakland. It is well known that Bilie Joe ued to live in a warehouse in Oakland with several other punk rock band members.
  • Captain Underpants - Green Day drummer Tré Cool went by King Underpants in the band The Lookouts[7]. However, Cool is most famous for being Green Day's percussionist, though he can also play guitar. Captain Underpants does not play percussion for The Network.
  • Van Gough - The bassist for The Network ("Van Gough") and the bassist for Green Day (Mike Dirnt) are both vegetarians[8].
  • The Snoo - Obviously Tre Cool in several pictures[9]. Also note that their first and last names each have the same number of letters.

There is a great deal of speculation as to the identities of the other members in the band. The two other members of the band could be Reto Peter (suggested to be Captain Underpants), a Swiss producer, and Chris Dugan (suggested to be Z), a sound engineer. This is supported by an obviously faked press conference seen at the end of the DVD Disease is Punishment where questions by the press are answered in Swiss German by one of the band members. Reto Peter is also the co-producer of Money Money 2020 and one of its songs is called "Reto". Chris Dugan is the sound engineer for Money Money 2020 and the mixer for Disease is Punishment. He is also credited with the production of a Green Day B Side "Governator". It has also been rumored that at least one member of Devo is a member of the Network.

The Network's manager, Dr. Svengali, is the director of Disease is Punishment, John Roecker. Dr. Svengali and the band claim that they are all members of the Church of Lushotology, which believes in "total intoxication".

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] DVD

[edit] Album Re-release

Money Money 2020 was re-mastered and re-released by Reprise Records on November 9, 2004, with two additional tracks, "Hammer of the Gods" and a cover of the Misfits "Teenagers From Mars" which can also be heard on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. The original Money Money 2020 release came with a companion DVD with music videos directed and produced by Roy Miles of AntiDivision.

[edit] External links

Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong | Mike Dirnt | Tré Cool
Jason White | Jason Freese | Ronnie Blake | Al Sobrante
Discography
Studio Albums: 39/Smooth | Kerplunk! | Dookie | Insomniac | nimrod. | Warning: | American Idiot
Studio EPs: 1,000 Hours | Sweet Children | Slappy
Compilations: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours | Shenanigans | International Superhits!
Live Albums/ Live EPs: Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking | Foot in Mouth EP | Tune in Tokyo | Bullet in a Bible
DVDs: International Supervideos! | Riding in Vans with Boys | Bullet in a Bible
Singles: "Longview" | "Welcome to Paradise" | "Basket Case" | "She " | "When I Come Around" | "J.A.R." | "Geek Stink Breath" | "Stuck With Me" | "Brain Stew/Jaded" | "Walking Contradiction" | "Hitchin' a Ride" | "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" | "Redundant" | "Nice Guys Finish Last" | "Minority" | "Warning" | "Waiting" | "Macy's Day Parade" | "Poprocks & Coke" | "I Fought the Law" | "American Idiot" | "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" | "Holiday" | "Wake Me Up When September Ends" | "Jesus of Suburbia" | "The Saints Are Coming" (with U2)
Related Articles
Cigarettes and Valentines | Pop punk | American Edit | The Network | American Idiot: The Motion Picture | Live Freaky! Die Freaky! | Pinhead Gunpowder | The Frustrators | Adeline Records | The Lookouts | Screeching Weasel | Other projects
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