The Moment Green Day Found Themselves in a Mud-Fueled Clash with Fans

In 1994, Green Day took the stage at Woodstock '94, a follow-up event nearly as unnecessary as the movie Titanic II (which, yes, actually exists

). They were slotted on the South Stage, far from the headliners like Spin Doctors, Allman Brothers, and Bob Dylan, who were performing on the Main Stage. As a result, the fans who gathered to see Green Day were the young, rowdy punks.

The South Stage field was a swampy mess, thanks to days of rain and the toll of a multi-day festival. Once Green Day began playing, the crowd began hurling mud—and the band fully embraced it. They dove right into the chaos, flinging mud back at the fans, cursing, shoving it into their mouths, and generally enjoying the mayhem—until fans rushed the stage, and a security guard accidentally knocked out Mike Dirnt's teeth. (He had to undergo emergency dental surgery right after the show.)

Woodstock '94 is fondly remembered by many fans, who dub it "Mudstock '94" because of the infamous mud fight. (Primus got a little mud thrown their way during "My Name is Mud," but they didn't have nearly as much fun with it.) The show also marked a major turning point in Green Day's career, as their album Dookie skyrocketed from #19 to #4 on the charts following the performance. Check out this video from their set, including "When I Come Around," as the mud fight kicks off. Stick around to see Billie Joe Armstrong's guitar get blasted with mud—but he keeps rocking out, no problem.

Here’s the complete 35-minute set. It quickly turns chaotic. Skip ahead to 23:30 to watch things spiral out of control. By 29:30, Dirnt is on the ground in a muddy pile, still rocking out. (He didn’t get hurt until later, though.)

By the way, Green Day is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.