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| The Network | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Genre(s) | New Wave |
| Years active | 2003–2004 |
| Label(s) | Adeline Records Reprise Records |
| Members | |
| Fink Van Gough The Snoo Z Captain Underpants Balducci |
|
The Network is a 6-piece New Wave band and a supposed 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. The band disbanded in 2004. Some fans have speculated that the band has evolved into a new side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs.
Contents |
Members
It is speculated that members of The Network include Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool and Jason White, all of whom are most famous for their work as the band Green Day.[1][2][3] 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 rumors. 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 proved that members of Green Day are involved in The Network by citing the three Green Day members as having writing credits for The Network's album Money Money 2020.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][1][12][13][14][15] In addition, the band's website (The Network) was registered by Green Day, Inc., on May 16, 2003. WHOIS details for the domain can be seen at Network Solutions. Green Day also utilized the domain in July 2007 to host their rendition of The Simpsons theme song for The Simpsons Movie. [1]
Instruments
- Fink - Vocals/Guitar
- Van Gough - Vocals/Bass Guitar
- The Snoo - Drums
- Z - Keyboards
- Captain Underpants - Keytar
- Balducci - Guitar
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."[3] Fink of The Network and Armstrong are also both born under the same astrological sign: Aquarius.[16] The Network is also signed under Billie Joe's record company, Adeline Records. 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 Billie Joe used to live in a warehouse in Oakland with several other punk rock band members. Another clue to Fink being Armstrong is that on the CD Short Music For Short People, Green Day plays a song called "The Ballad of Wilhelm Fink."
- Van Gough - The bassist for The Network is vegan. It was once widely believed that Mike Dirnt was a vegetarian, however, this was confirmed to be untrue.
- The Snoo - Tré Cool can be identified in several pictures (note the size and shape of the nose).[17] Also note that their first and last names each have the same number of letters. The Snoo claims to be a former Mexican wrestler in his bio on the GDA website. Green Day has, in the past, had a run-in with former ECW wrestlers Tazz and Tommy Dreamer. The Network was a faction representing TNN, now Spike, censors when ECW had a wrestling program on the channel. Spike is also the name of a song by The Network, telling the story of how a punk rocker becomes homeless when his girlfriend leaves him. On the GDA website Billie Joe Armstrong claims that his favourite joke from all of those he made up is ‘What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless!’ GDA
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". From what we can see under his mask, Balducci looks quite similar to Jason White, Green Day's touring back-up guitarist. Balducci even fills that duty in the Network, and is seen on stage in a similar stance to White's when he plays guitar. 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."
Discography
Albums
DVD
- Money Money 2020 Companion DVD (September 30, 2003)
- Disease is Punishment (November 9, 2004)
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 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. A segment of the song "Joe Robot" can also be heard on several VH1 specials like "All Access" and at least once on the MTV show "Pimp My Ride."
External links
- Official Network site
- The Network Bio on Green Day Authority
- Billie Joe Armstrong's bio on Pinhead Gunpowder's site
References
- ^ a b Roshambo
- ^ pinhead gunpowder
- ^ a b pseudonym
- ^ Joe Robot
- ^ Transistors Gone Wild
- ^ Reto
- ^ Supermodel Robots
- ^ Money Money 2020
- ^ Spike
- ^ Love And Money
- ^ Right Hand-A-Rama
- ^ Hungry Hungry
- ^ Spastic Society
- ^ X-Ray Hamburger
- ^ Hammer Of The Gods
- ^ undercover.com.au
- ^ GDA
