The Network

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The Network is a six-piece New Wave band, which is suspected to be a secret side project of the members of Green Day. They released their debut album Money Money 2020 on Billie Joe Armstrong's independent record label Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. A re-release of the album, with two bonus tracks, followed in 2004. According to a recent interview (March 19, 2009) with John Roecker on DJ Rossstar's Punk Rock Show,^[1] The Network will be releasing a second record. The album may or may not be called Omega 3000, however, "Omega 3000" is definitely a song on the new album.^{[citation needed]}

Members

It has not yet been confirmed 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.^[2][3][4] The stage names of The Network are Fink, The Snoo, Van Gough, Captain Underpants 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 tracks including "Teenagers From Mars." Warner/Chapell Music almost 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.^{[5][6][7][2][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

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]

More evidence of The Network being Green Day came in the form of a recent Green Day release of 7" Vinyls of all their singles. Among these are songs by The Network and other side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs.

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."^[4] Fink of The Network and Armstrong are also both born under the same astrological sign: Aquarius.^[17] 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. And in another song, he mentions "The Ave.", which is a nickname for Telegraph Ave. in Oakland, on which the title of the song "Stuart and the Ave." on the Insomniac album is based. 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: Mike Dirnt is identified by most fans as Van Gough. Van Gough claims to be a vegan on the band's official biography on the website, even though Mike Dirnt is not vegan.
• The Snoo: Tré Cool can be identified in several pictures (note the size and shape of the nose).^[18] The Snoo claims to be a former Mexican wrestler in his bio on the Network's official 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 favorite joke from all of those he made up is ‘What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless!’ GDA Tre was seen wearing a similar mask while pranking supporting band "The Bravery" during a concert at Times Union Center in Albany, NY.
• Captain Underpants: He is believed to be Reto Peter, a Swiss producer. This is supported by an obviously faked press conference^[19] 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.
• Z: He is believed to be Chris Dugan, a sound engineer.
• Balducci: is most likely Jason White, Green Day's 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.
• Reto Peter: Is also the co-producer of Money Money 2020 and one of its songs is called "Reto".
• Chris Dugan: 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". It has also been rumored that at least one member of Devo is a member of The Network.
• Dr. Svengali: The Network's manager, 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." (The church is a parody of The Church of the SubGenius (which is the religion of Devo, The Network's main influence), and the name is a parody of the controversial Church of Scientology).

Discography

Albums

• Money Money 2020 (September 30, 2003)
• Omega 3000 (TBA)

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", MTV 2's "High School Stories", and at least once on the MTV show "Pimp My Ride."

External links

• Official Network site
• The Network Bio on Green Day Authority

References