“I wanna say thank you Michael for an unbelievable catalog of music that has changed the history of rock 'n' roll”: Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt play Van Halen hits with ex-VH bassist Michael Anthony

On April 20, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony joined Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt on stage as part of their side project, The Coverups, at Costa Mesa’s Tiki Bar.

In a video recorded by surprised fans, Armstrong is seen saying: “I wanna say thank you Michael for an unbelievable catalog of music that has changed the history of rock 'n' roll.”

The unlikely trio went on to perform Kiss’s Rock and Roll All Nite with Green Day's Tré Cool on drums, and Van Halen hits Dance the Night Away and Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love. The 28-track strong setlist also included crowd favorites from The Buzzcocks, The Ramones, David Bowie, The Pretenders, and Nirvana, to name a few.

By playing Eddie Van Halen's riffs alongside the ex-Van Halen bassist, Armstrong came full circle. In a 2024 Guitar World interview, Armstrong talked about how he grew up admiring Eddie Van Halen's guitar work: 

“When I was a kid, I loved Eddie Van Halen and Angus Young and Randy Rhoads. And then something happened where it was like you had to be in the guitar Olympics. If you wanted to play, you had to be as good as those guys and be able to play as fast as Yngwie Malmsteen. And I was like, ‘Man, then I’m just gonna end up sitting in my room for the rest of my life. I’m never gonna be in a band, ever!’

“That’s when my tastes started changing and I started getting more into punk music and alternative, where it was more about rhythm playing. And also still about great guitar sounds and great solos.”

Green Day's cover band side-project features frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt. Touring guitarist Jason White, guitar and bass tech Bill Schneider, and audio engineer Chris Dugan complete the band's lineup. Their shows are sporadic but extremely popular.

This year, they played at The Garage in London on February 27, followed by the 100 Club on March 1. Their Costa Mesa show sold in under 14 minutes.

This isn't the first time The Coverups had a special guest joining them on stage. Courtney Love made a special appearance at both London shows, where they performed Hole's Celebrity Skin, David Bowie's Suffragette City, and Cheap Trick's Surrender, among other crowd-pleasers.