The Network
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Network | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Country | USA |
| Years active | 2003 – present |
| Genres | New Wave, Electronica |
| Labels | Adeline Records Reprise Records |
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.
Contents |
[edit] Members
Known members of The Network include Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool[1][2][3], all of whom are most famous for their work as the band Green Day. 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 rumours. 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 [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] 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.
[edit] Instruments
- Fink - Vocals/Guitar
- Van Gough - Vocals/Bass Guitar
- The Snoo - Drums
- Z - Keyboards
- Captain Underpants - Keytar
- Balducci - Guitar
[edit] 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"[17]. Fink of The Network and Armstrong are also both born under the same astrological sign: Aquarius[18]. 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."
- Captain Underpants - Green Day drummer Tré Cool went by the name of King Underpants in the band The Lookouts[19]. However, Cool is most famous for being Green Day's percussionist, though he can also play guitar. Captain Underpants does not play percussion for The Network.
- 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 - Obviously Tre Cool in several pictures[20]. Also note that their first and last names each have the same number of letters.
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".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
[edit] DVD
[edit] 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 Misfits "Teenagers From Mars" which can also be heard on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. The original Money Money 2020 release came with a companion DVD with music videos directed and produced by Roy Miles of AntiDivision.
[edit] External links
- Official Network site
- The Network Bio on Green Day Authority
- Billie Joe Armstrong's bio on Pinhead Gunpowder's site
- The Network Videos
- The Network Videos Alternate Link
- Smell of the Month Club: the Network Fan Site
![[20]](http://www.greendayauthority.com/TheBand/network/thesnoo.gif){kind=link}