Friday, July 20, 2001 | 8:53 a.m.
It's difficult to think of being called a "snot-nosed punk," in the grand tradition of ex-Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten, as a compliment.
But Mike Dirnt, bassist for Green Day, seems to revel in it.
That's not to suggest Dirnt is difficult or even disagreeable.
Thoroughly hung over from a party that lasted until dawn, Dirnt was about as pleasant as the situation -- a recent midmorning phone interview from his Oakland, Calif., home -- would allow, cracking jokes, mocking wanna-be punk rockers and those who say the band "sold out."
It was obvious, however, that promoting the band's Wednesday concert at the Thomas & Mack Center was not high on his priority list.
Still smarting from the recent breakup with his longtime girlfriend (hence the late-night partying), Dirnt said he couldn't wait to return to the band's U.S. summer tour and put the pain out of his mind.
Besides, he reasoned, playing music is what he and the others do best.
"People always ask, 'What would you be doing if you weren't playing music right now?' " he said. "Well, we'd probably be playing music right now. We all recognized that this is definitely what we do best and that this is what we want to do."
It doesn't hurt when a band has enjoyed the success that Green Day has.
The group's major-label debut in 1994, "Dookie," spurred on by the singles "Basket Case" and "When I Come Around," sold more than 12 million copies.
Green Day's successive works, though not the behemoths of "Dookie," have sold well enough. And the band's late-'97/early-'98 hit, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," became a pseudo anthem, popping up in the most unlikely of places: weddings; funerals; end-of-the-season video montages for sporting events. Additionally, it was probably the most memorable moment during the "Seinfeld" finale as it was played to a video of behind-the-scenes antics.
All the uses of the song seem a little "weird" to Dirnt, especially considering the song's origins: It was written by guitarist/vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong as a good-natured goodbye to an ex-girlfriend leaving for Ecuador.
Dirnt also contends most of those familiar with "Good Riddance" don't associate the sappy song, with its prominent violin layered heavily over an acoustic guitar, with the post-punk pop band.
"They just go, 'I heard this really good song a couple of years ago and I don't know who sang it,' " he said. "I really don't think -- especially at the time -- that people made the connection. There are so many things that (the song) was put out on. I got an enrollment cassette for the College of the Redwoods up north in California, and it said on it, ' "Time of Your Life" performed by Green Day.' That's our song!"
Formed in 1989 by longtime friends Armstrong and Dirnt, the original Green Day lineup featured drummer John Kiffmeyer, who was soon replaced with Tre Cool. It wasn't long before the Bay Area band developed a reputation in the California underground punk scene, which led to a record-label deal five years later.
Of course, such success -- especially for a group that came up as a punk band -- led to cries that Green Day "sold out." Not surprisingly, Dirnt takes exception to that declaration.
"If there's a formula to selling out, I think every band in the world would be doing it," he said. "The fact that you write good songs and you sell too many of them, if everybody in the world knew how to do that they'd do it. It's not something we chose to do.
"The fact was we got to a point that we were so big that tons of people were showing up at punk-rock clubs, and some clubs were even getting shut down because too many were showing up. We had to make a decision: either break up or remove ourselves from that element. And I'll be damned if I was going to flip (expletive) burgers. I do what I do best. Selling out is compromising your musical intention and I don't even know how to do that."
Certainly if Green Day had sold out, the band wouldn't be willing to push itself as musicians, instead staying its the safe (and successful) musical course.
That's not the case on the group's latest album, "Warning."
A combination of punk sneers alongside a newfound adult perspective -- all three are fathers -- "Warning" displays a lyrical maturity you wouldn't expect from a band that titled an album "Dookie." Even musically the band has grown up, incorporating everything from an accordian, harmonica, mandolin, farfisa and saxophone into its punk-as-pop mix.
The overall growth of the band is in stark contrast to many of its peers, who are content to bang out the same style of songs because it is what's sold in the past.
"I think a lot of bands, they get a certain fan base and they find safety in that and they're afraid to think outside of their own box," he said. "We've got to keep it interesting for ourselves, too. If you get bored ... or if you stop growing, you die."
Pausing for a moment, Dirnt seemed to weigh his options before he continued. It was obvious the hangover was taking its toll and he felt a sneer coming on.
"First and foremost," he said, "call us selfish, but we're doing this (stuff) for ourselves."
Johnny Rotten would be proud.
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