"American Idiot" Stage Set

Origin
"American Idiot is perhaps the most well known song of the punk-rock band Green Day, and is considered their most recognized song. It's lyrics have heavy references to the effects of negative media and it's role in keeping the nation paranoid and in line, the titular "American idiots". Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wrote the song intending it to be a call for individuality and bassist Mike Dirnt has called it a "voice for the disenfranchised".

The music video features the band in a large hangar playing in front of a backboard depicting the American flag colored green. Around halfway through, the paint begins to run from the flag, and erupting from the amplifiers in the back, covering the set and band in green goo. Some have called this an allegory for the toxicity present in American media.

Effects
The set consists of the large painted flag backdrop, two mic stands, two sets of amplifiers and a filming camera. When the camera is turned on, the instrumental for "American Idiot" will begin to play from the speakers. At around the 1:35 mark, the green paint on the backdrop will begin to run. At 1:48, green paint-like goo will violently erupt from the speakers, flooding the surrounding area.

This goo has the ability to corrode and destroy any form of anti-anarchic media, that is, any form of propaganda, political advertising or displays of national pride. It has no effects on living beings, besides being unpleasant to touch, although it can melt through clothing.

The effects last for a few minutes after the song ends and the goo will become inert, some returning to the flag to reform the artifact. If, however, vocals are added, the effects last longer and are more potent. Any inert goo can also be reactivated by playing the song on any form of audio device.

Collection
Collected after the music video was filmed after the backdrop refused to let itself be torn down. Effects were first discovered when the song played over the radio at the dump the backdrop was disposed of at, causing significant damage to the site.

The amps, mics and camera were collected at a later date after they were attempted to be reused in another video shoot. Effects were officially listed as a technical fault and they were reunited with the backdrop at the Warehouse, where they've remained mostly* inert.


 * Claudia Donovan and Peter Lattimer are no longer allowed in the Musical Section unsupervised.