MIKE DIRNT
Mike Dirnt (born Michael Ryan Pritchard; May 4, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and composer. He is best known as the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of American punk rock band Green Day. His stage name was originally a nickname that his friends from grade school had given him, as he would constantly play “air bass” and make a “dirnt, dirnt, dirnt” noise while pretending to pluck the strings. (More from Wikipedia)
Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals and guitar) and Mike Dirnt (bass) are from Oakland (across the San Francisco Bay from San Francisco) and formed a band called Sweet Children when they were just 14. Their first live show was on October 17, 1987, at Rod’s Hickory Pit in Vallejo, California. Drummer John Kiffmeyer joined the line-up in 1988; he was previously in Isocracy. By the time their first EP, 1,000 Hours came out on Lookout! Records in 1989, they had dropped the name Sweet Children, since it was similar to that of another local band, Sweet Baby. Their new name, Green Day was selected because of their fondness for marijuana.
(June 2017)
