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Flowers lashes out at Green Day

October 15th 2006 00:25

The Killers Brandon Flowers
The Killers frontman, Brandon Flowers, has made another publicity stunt. First it was The Bravery, Fall Out Boy, and now its Billie Joe Armstrong and his punk-rock outfit, Green Day. Flowers seemingly has problems with the way that Green Day is representing America with their last album, "American Idiot."



Flowers exclaimed that the recent Green Day live DVD, "Bullet in a Bible," had audiences screaming "I don't want to be a American idiot." His problem? The DVD was filmed in Britain.

"You have Green Day and 'American Idiot'. Where do they film their DVD? In England. A bunch of kids screaming 'I don't want to be an American idiot' I saw it as a very negative thing towards Americans. It really lit a fire in me."

He then proceeded to compare Green Day to Bruce Springsteen, the ultra-patriotic "Boss" who wrote such hits as Born in the USA. Of course, Flowers' standpoint is in no way surprising - the Killers' sophomore effort, "Sam's Town," had the sole purpose of making sure that the Killers were seen as American and not the British indie-rockers many mistook them for after "Hot Fuss." As a result, the album is unbelievably American, which some attribute to being a complete copy of Bruce Springsteen himself.

Green Day Bullet in a Bible
Fine, having a song like American Idiot in Britain, I understand Flowes' viewpoint there. What qualms me is his exclamation that "Sam's Town" is a much better representation of America. I know he's a Mormon and everything, so he maybe he's confusing Utah with the rest of the US, but from an external viewpoint, Green Day's "American Idiot" is a much better representation.

It's the 21st century guys - a place where the US has launched two unethical and unjustified wars. I'm not about to start bashing the US all of a sudden, but my point is that it seems that public support for the Bush government is slipping extremely fast, and their remaining supporters come Fox "News." So, an album like "American Idiot" - whether its good or not, is seemingly a more truthful representation of 21st century America, rather than the Killers' new album, a proclamation of American positivity.


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Comment by Aaron

October 16th 2006 01:49
Well, I am from Utah, and also a Mormon, and I agree with both representations.

'Sams Town' is more of the actual feel of America. The everyday goings on. Sort of almost like just everyone's lives rolling along. Not patriotic, but just meandering, and almost peaceful.

'American Idiot' quite acuratly describes what seems to be going on with all our crazy politicians.

I like both CD's. I think it's hilarious when artists have beef with each other.

Aaron.

Comment by Jimbo

October 16th 2006 02:01
The two bands are going in completely different directions, but funnily enough they both serve the purpose of representing the US in the 21st century. Green Day simply seems to be cashing in on the ever-increasing Bush-hating trend, whereas the Killers have tried so hard to affirm themselves as American that they are simply following in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen.

Comment by Anonymous

January 20th 2008 13:54
Well I love the Killers and I never really listened to that much Green Day (I love some of their songs though) but this has kind of made me think about what Brandon Flowers meant. (I'm from the UK btw.) I think I understand what he meant because if you're American you sing that song as saying you don't want to be blindly led into wrong by your leader, but if you're English it's just insulting Americans. So I get what he means by saying it would have had more meaning if it had been filmed in America (I heard Brandon saying that in another interview after this.) As for the Sam's Town v. American Idiot thing, I'm not American, I can't say, but being from London I get American Idiot's American message more than Sam's Town's one, because Sam's Town is pretty much about Brandon who grew up in smalltown America. But it nails the American Dream ethos pretty well, I think. (Though no-one can beat Springsteen for doing that.) So yeah, they just show different aspects of American culture (AI political, ST just life.) Anyway that was kind of long, but au revoir!

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