Before heading in to the adjacent studio to perform an incredible acoustic version of “45,” The Gaslight Anthem‘s Brian Fallon and Benny Horowitz sat down and chatted with KROQ’s Nicole Alvarez about one of today’s hottest topics – the “meltdown” of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong at a festival last weekend.

“I didn’t think it was that big of a meltdown,” said Fallon. “I was expecting a freak out. I was expecting like losing your mind.”

When Alvarez suggested the “meltdown” label may have been used due to the excessive cursing, Fallon responded, “He did exactly what people do when they get angry. They put improper curse words… like they just use it too much. He did what anyone else would have done. If I was him and somebody was flashing a big sign in my face that said you had one minute left during the middle of a song that would have taken longer than a minute to finish, I would have been irritated.”

Interview – Gaslight Anthem On Green Day’s Billie Joe

“You can never judge what someone does in public because you have no idea what the circumstances are behind that,” said Fallon. “He could have had the worst day ever. Honestly, last time I checked that was Billie Joe of the PUNK ROCK band Green Day. You mean a punk rocker acted angry? Oh, so surprising! Smash guitars? Wait, I thought that’s what punk rockers are supposed to do?”

The Gaslight Anthem are performing Saturday, September 29th with Rise Against and Hot Water Music. Their new album Handwritten is available now on Mercury Records.

Watch The Gaslight Anthem’s live acoustic performance of “45.”

– Cody Black, KROQ Los Angeles