Billie Joe Armstrong Duets With Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson on Bowie Classics, Honors Jennifer Finch With Nirvana Cover
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's covers band The Coverups played two notable shows in quick succession — Sunday, July 20 in West Hollywood and Thursday, July 23 in San Diego — each generating headlines for different reasons. According to NME, Armstrong dedicated a Nirvana cover to the late L7 bassist Jennifer Finch at the first show, then brought out Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson for a David Bowie singalong at the second.
The two shows
At The Roxy in West Hollywood, California on July 20, Armstrong performed Nirvana's "Drain You" (from 1991's Nevermind), telling the crowd beforehand: "This one's for Jennifer Finch of L7." Finch had died two days earlier, on July 18, at age 59, following a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Her death sent shockwaves through the LA punk community.
On July 23, at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, the band welcomed a special guest: Bruce Dickinson joined them for a rendition of David Bowie's 1972 track "All The Young Dudes." The Coverups also covered Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" that night, alongside songs by The Strokes, Tom Petty, Buzzcocks and Bryan Adams.
About The Coverups — and what else is going on
Formed in 2018, The Coverups round out Armstrong with Green Day touring guitarist Jason White, sound engineer Chris Dugan, and touring manager (and Pinhead Gunpowder member) Bill Schneider. The band is known for loose, surprise-guest-heavy sets — Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan joined them back in 2018, and Courtney Love turned up at a London show last year.
Separately, Armstrong has formed a new supergroup, Cretin Family, with Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, and former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone; the group is set to play a Ramones 50th-anniversary concert in Los Angeles next month. Green Day, meanwhile, has announced the soundtrack for the upcoming coming-of-age film Nimrods and released a new song, "I'm Never Gonna R.I.P." Their most recent album, Saviors (2024), received a four-star review from NME.