The trio came together in the East Bay, and guitarist/vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassit Mike Dirnt cycled throught a few drummers before linking up with Tre Cool. Recording for the hip Berkeley punk label lookout, they built an underground following for their simple but catchy high-adrenaline tunes. The group proceeded to sign with Reprise, polished for the sound bit with producer Rob Carallo, and miraculously went multi-platinum.
At first Green Day seened to be much happier with success than, the last trio pull off a similar trick. (The raucous mud fight at Wookstock '94 would seem to stand as evidence.) But the bands second major-label effort, was a darker affair, and it subsequently sold far fewer copies.