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Belfast photo on new Green Day album 'will teach kids about The Troubles'

The black and white photo was taken in the 1970s and shows a young boy smiling and holding a rock while a car burns behind him
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

16.41 26 Oct 2023


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Belfast photo on new Green Day...

Belfast photo on new Green Day album 'will teach kids about The Troubles'

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

16.41 26 Oct 2023


Share this article


A new album from US rock band Green Day will help teach people about Ireland's history, one journalist has said.

A picture from The Troubles is front and centre on the album's cover.

The black and white photo was taken in the 1970s during a riot in west Belfast.

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It shows a young boy smiling and holding a rock while a car burns behind him.

Belfast Telegraph Journalist Niamh Campbell told Moncrieff where it came from.

"This photo was taken by a British, London-based photographer called Chris Steele-Perkins," she said,

"He was over in the late '70s in Northern Ireland as part of a collective of a few other photographers.

"I believe they were touring around inner-cities across the UK just looking at different urban areas of poverty.

"He works for a really prestigious photography agency called Magnum and they had an exhibition earlier this year and this print was up for sale.

"Now it's going to be on the front of a global punk rock band's album."

'Photoshopped'

Ms Campbell said the photo on the album is actually not the original.

"The kid's face has been photoshopped or altered in Green Day's version," she said.

"The kid in the photo would now be in his 50s or 60s; I don't think anyone's actually been able to identify him.

"A photographer friend was saying they've maybe edited it because they'd have to find him, get him to sign a modelling contract, they maybe couldn't use it for commercial use if they hadn't have done that.

"I think it'd be interesting to try and find the original kid and reenact the photo."

The Green Day album 'Saviors' featuring the altered image The Green Day album 'Saviors' featuring the altered image. Image via @GreenDay on X

Ms Campbell said the use of the picture will get other people curious about that time in Ireland's history.

"Since the local media here picked up on it, American publications are picking up on it," she said.

"I think a lot of people, maybe new generations of kids worldwide who didn't know what The Troubles were... are learning about it now.

"So, I think it's kind of cool that a piece of history is going to be forever remembered now on a piece of music as well," she added.

Listen back here:

‘Saviors' will be released by Warner Music on January 19th, 2024 

Main image: The altered image that appears on the Green Day album 'Saviors'. Image via @GreenDay on X

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Belfast Belfast Telegraph Chris Steele-Perkins Green Day Moncrieff Niamh Campbell Northern Ireland Photoshopped The Troubles

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