The Network Explained

The Network
Image Upright:1.25
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Oakland, California, U.S.
Spinoff Of:
  • Green Day
Current Members:Fink
Van Gough
The Snoo
Z
Captain Underpants
Balducci

The Network is an American six-piece new wave band.[1] A secret side project of rock band Green Day,[3] [4] [5] [6] they released their debut album Money Money 2020 on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album titled in December 2020.[7]

History

Formed in the Summer of 2003, the band consisted of lead vocalist Fink, bassist Van Gough, and drummer Snoo, as well as additional members Captain Underpants and Z on keyboards and rhythm guitarist Balducci.[8] [10]

The band's debut album Money Money 2020 was released in September 2003 on Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong's record label Adeline Records. The Network concealed their identities by using accents and wearing masks.[11] They frequently released press statements denouncing Green Day.[8]

There is also an unsubstantiated rumor that members of the band Devo were involved, but their alleged participation has not been acknowledged by anyone in either band.

Shortly before the release of the debut album, Green Day's then in the works album Cigarettes and Valentines was reportedly stolen. Due to the timeframe of the theft and the release of this album, many people speculated that they were related, however, Billie Joe Armstrong has denied connections between the two projects in various interviews,[12] and in fact, that album was recovered and Armstrong and Mike Dirnt stated they had plans for it.[13]

Money Money 2020 was remastered and rereleased 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 while "Roshambo" is on the NHL 2005 soundtrack. The original Money Money 2020 release came with a companion DVD with music videos directed and produced by Roy Miles of AntiDivision.

In October 2005, the group opened for Green Day for several shows.[14] After this, they became inactive.[11]

In October 2020, after 15 years of inactivity, the band released a teaser trailer entitled "The Prophecy". In the video's description, the band announced the release of their forthcoming album .[15] On November 2, 2020, the band released a song entitled "Ivankkka Is A Nazi" to their YouTube page with an accompanying music video.[16] On November 20, 2020, the band released an EP entitled Trans Am to promote their upcoming album, which is when they revealed the full title of their new album.[17] Following music videos for the songs "Flat Earth" and "Fentanyl," the band released one-minute teaser videos for each group of songs (based upon the vinyl tracklisting) every day of the week of the album's release.[18] [19] [20] [21] On December 4, 2020, Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So! was released on streaming worldwide. On February 26, 2021, the band performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Identities

At the time, Armstrong denied the involvement of any Green Day members in The Network, saying "All I gotta say is fuck The Network. These guys are totally spreading rumors."[22]

However, the three members of Green Day are cited as songwriters for Money Money 2020 by the group's publisher.[23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] Several journalists also noted that many songs from the band contained vocals that were unmistakably that of Armstrong.[36] [37] [38] [39] Additionally, it was shown that Armstrong owns a guitar amplifier with the logo of The Network featured on it.[40] In 2023, Armstrong confirmed he was part of the group behind The Network after he posted an Instagram story about one of The Network's videos for their song, "Pizzagate", being taken down from YouTube.

In a 2013 interview, bassist Mike Dirnt finally revealed that the group was in fact Green Day, mentioning that Money Money 2020 was worked upon alongside other Green Day projects in the mid-'00s.[4]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details
Money Money 2020
  • Released: September 30, 2003
  • Label: Adeline, Reprise
  • Format: CD, vinyl
  • Released: December 4, 2020
  • Label: Warner, Joe Robot
  • Format: Streaming, CD, vinyl

Music videos

!Title !Album !Link
Supermodel RobotsMoney Money 2020here
Hungry Hungry ModelsMoney Money 2020here
Joe Robot Money Money 2020here
Teenagers From MarsMoney Money 2020here
The Prophecy here
Degeneratehere
Fentanyl here
Threat Level Midnight here
Trans Amhere
Asphyxia here

Notes and References

  1. Green Day Cut Secret New Album. Evan. Serpick. Rolling Stone. May 1, 2008.
  2. Web site: Green Day employs grungy, garage rock sound on ¡Dos! – Daily Trojan. November 14, 2012. [1]
  3. Web site: Check out Green Day's new side project, the Longshot – Riot Fest. April 12, 2018.
  4. Q&A: Green Day's Mike Dirnt on Billie Joe Armstrong's Recovery. David. Fricke. Rolling Stone. March 1, 2013.
  5. Web site: Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong shares entire debut LP from new side band – 105.7 The Point. April 23, 2018. November 9, 2018. November 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181109113713/https://www.1057thepoint.com/music-news/green-days-billie-joe-armstrong-shares-entire-debut-lp-from-new-side-band/. dead.
  6. Green Day Members Perform Secret San Francisco Show as The Coverups. Billboard. March 9, 2018.
  7. Web site: Non-Green Day Band the Network Share New Video for 'Fentanyl'. November 27, 2020.
  8. Web site: Green Day Unmasked?. October 16, 2003.
  9. Web site: The Network – Biography & History – AllMusic. AllMusic. They claimed they were "brought together by an ancient prophecy".[8]
  10. Web site: Has Green Day gone incognito?. Chicago. Tribune. Chicago Tribune.
  11. Web site: 11 of Green Day's most unforgettable moments – Alternative Press. Alternative Press. September 26, 2016.
  12. Book: Spitz, Marc. Marc Spitz

    . Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day. registration. Marc Spitz. 2006. Hyperion. New York. 1-4013-0274-2. 152–156.

  13. Web site: Green Day reveal the fate of 'lost' pre-'American Idiot' album 'Cigarettes and Valentines'. NME. November 18, 2016.
  14. Web site: Are Green Day Their Own Worst Enemy? Only Time — Or Concerts — Will Tell. https://web.archive.org/web/20140512203219/http://www.mtv.com/news/1510964/are-green-day-their-own-worst-enemy-only-time-or-concerts-will-tell/. dead. May 12, 2014. James. Montgomery. MTV News.
  15. Web site: The Network – The Prophecy. YouTube.
  16. Web site: (Non)Green Day Side Project, The Network, Returns With New Song. Ashley Perez. Hollingsworth. November 2, 2020.
  17. The Network . wearethenetwork . 1329652440883474433 . November 20, 2020 . For now, hop in and set your transistors to the Trans Am EP, out everywhere now. https://t.co/noieXM0xH5 https://t.co/qvzPdZf0R3 . en . December 24, 2020.
  18. The Network . wearethenetwork . 1333576960052776966 . November 30, 2020 . $$2020 Pt II: Side A https://t.co/E24aRdR1Hl . en . December 24, 2020.
  19. The Network . wearethenetwork . 1333825841663500288 . December 1, 2020 . $$2020 Pt II: Side B https://t.co/6s6yVwuoCU . en . December 24, 2020.
  20. The Network . wearethenetwork . 1334197143545012225 . December 2, 2020 . $$2020 Pt II: Side C https://t.co/PJ4vEXWs4N . en . December 24, 2020.
  21. The Network . wearethenetwork . 1334543766510850054 . December 3, 2020 . $$2020 Pt II: Side D https://t.co/Nk5oNxjzGP . en . December 24, 2020.
  22. Book: Boone. Brian. I love rock 'n' roll (except when I hate it) : extremely important stuff about the songs and bands you love, hate, love to hate, and hate to love. 2011. Perigee. New York. 9781101507919. October 19, 2017.
  23. Web site: Roshambo . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223040/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860993000&view=split . June 4, 2008.
  24. Web site: Joe Robot . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223000/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992200 . June 4, 2008 .
  25. Web site: Transistors Gone Wild . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223005/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992300 . June 4, 2008 .
  26. Web site: Reto . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223010/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992400 . June 4, 2008 .
  27. Web site: Supermodel Robots . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223015/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992500 . June 4, 2008 .
  28. Web site: Money Money 2020 . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223020/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992600 . June 4, 2008 .
  29. Web site: Spike . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223025/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992700 . June 4, 2008 .
  30. Web site: Love and Money . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223030/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992800 . June 4, 2008 .
  31. Web site: Right Hand-A-Rama . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223035/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860992900 . June 4, 2008 .
  32. Web site: Hungry Hungry . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223045/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860993100 . June 4, 2008 .
  33. Web site: Spastic Society . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223054/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860993200 . June 4, 2008 .
  34. Web site: X-Ray Hamburger . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223059/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860993300 . June 4, 2008 .
  35. Web site: Hammer of the Gods . June 4, 2008 . October 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223106/http://www.warnerchappell.com/wcm_2/song_search/song_detail/songview_2.jsp?esongId=860993500 . June 4, 2008 .
  36. Web site: Where does a successful Green Day go from here?. May 4, 2011.
  37. Web site: Did Green Day Secretly Release A New Album Tuesday? Only The Snoo Knows. https://web.archive.org/web/20160512061526/http://www.mtv.com/news/1479481/did-green-day-secretly-release-a-new-album-tuesday-only-the-snoo-knows/. dead. May 12, 2016. MTV News.
  38. Web site: The Many Sides Of Billie Joe Armstrong — Kerrang!. Kerrang!.
  39. Web site: Money Money 2020. Jesse. Lord. December 23, 2003.
  40. Web site: Ong . Daniel . Billie Joe Armstrong reveals amp that inspired MXR Dookie Drive . Guitar.com . 25 April 2024.
  41. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: The Network – Disease is Punishment (HD). December 19, 2020. YouTube.

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