JAKARTA - The Observatory stage in Santa Ana, California, witnessed an emotional moment that brought together two pillars of the world's pop-punk scene.
Mark Hoppus, bassist and vocalist of Blink-182, paid a deep tribute to Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt, who was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Bass Magazine Awards.
In his speech, Hoppus called Dirnt not just a colleague, but an indirect mentor and "the heartbeat" that brought punk music to life.
"I feel like everyone here has their own origin story of how they fell in love with this bass player and this band," Hoppus said, quoted by NME, Monday, January 26.
"And even though they are all very different, I believe that basically they are all the same," he added.
The 53-year-old musician also recalled the early 1990s when he was still a student who dreamed of having his own demo recording. For him, Green Day was a catalyst that changed his perspective on music.
Hoppus' interest began when a friend lent him the album "Kerplunk", Green Day's work which he described as a unique blend of the energy of The Ramones and the melodies of Descendents.
He admitted that Dirnt's bass playing pattern on the album released in 1991 was crucial in shaping Green Day's musical identity.
"Throughout the journey, the heartbeat of the low frequency was this incredible bass player," Hoppus said.
Dirnt's influence on Hoppus is even permanently recorded in the history of Blink-182 music. The bass line in the song "What's My Age Again?" was born from an accident. Hoppus admitted that he tried to imitate the intro to Green Day's "J.A.R" song, but he played it incorrectly.
The massive success of the album "Dookie" in 1994 was also called by Hoppus as a turning point for the punk genre to enter the mainstream, especially through the song "Longview" which opens with a bassline from Dirnt.
Although their relationship is now very close, Hoppus does not deny the existence of a cold rivalry in the past, especially when touring together in the Pop Disaster Tour in 2002.
At that time, Blink-182 was at the peak of popularity through the album "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket", while Green Day was experiencing a phase of commercial decline before finally rising through "American Idiot".
Hoppus recounted how strange it felt to have to perform as the closing act of a concert ahead of his own idol. However, the competition was purely musical, because personally, Dirnt always gave Hoppus moral support, including when he was fighting cancer a few years ago.
"When I was sick with cancer a few years ago, Mike kept sending me short messages to check on my condition. He even sent me a bright pink Mike Dirnt signature Telecaster bass to lift my spirits," Hoppus recalled.
Closing his speech, Hoppus gave a strong definition of Mike Dirnt as a great musician who remained true to himself. "He is a mix of rockabilly and punk rock, very kind, and always the heartbeat for low frequencies," he concluded.
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