Green Day‘s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong joined covers band Borderline Toxic in London last night (May 13).
The frontman jumped on stage to sing his band’s classic hit ‘Basket Case’ in Slim Jim’s Liquor Store in Islington. Originally released in 1994 as the third single from Green Day’s game changing ‘Dookie’ record. You can view footage below.
Posting on Instagram, the venue wrote: “We are still in shock! Last night, Billie Joel from @greenday hopped on stage with @borderlinetoxic, and they played Basket Case together. How awesome is that?!”
Green Day also posted: “When you walk into a pub and the cover band starts playing your song @slimjims_liquorstore.”
You can see the post here.
Borderline Toxic also posted their own clip from the gig and added: “The moment your band gets joined on stage by your childhood idol to sing their own song with you… in your favourite dive bar!! Billie Joe Armstrong… @greenday !! THANK YOU, YOU LEGEND! This was the first band to get me into rock when I was 11 years old and I’m honestly just so made up.”
Check out that clip here.
It is unclear why Armstrong was in the venue and why he played with the band.
Meanwhile, Maisie Peters also recently covered ‘Basket Case’ on Australian alternative station Triple J.
“I wanted to do something slightly unexpected and Green Day were one of the first bands I discovered when I was 12. I loved that song, I loved ‘21 Guns’ [from 2009’s ‘21st Century Breakdown’] and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ [from 2004’s ‘American Idiot]. They were real pillars of my adolescence,” Peters explained at the time. “I loved the spirit of all of those Green Day songs. I loved the energy and the fire.”
Green Day also recently celebrated the 33rd anniversary of their debut album ’39/Smooth’ with a never-before-seen video and photos.