Listen: Green Day debuts new material, Amy Winehouse tribute at one-off gig

“We have been [sic] in jamming and writing new songs for the last few months.”

Simple enough. Green Day is starting to make a little noise, indicating forward progress on a new album or effort.

They posted a small missive and some lyrics on their site on Sunday, in lieu of a one-off charity gig they performed in Costa Mesa, Calif. last week. Billie Joe Armstrong and the rest reportedly played 15 new songs and song sketches to a small crowd at Tiki Bar 1700 Placentia.

“It felt great to play these new Green Day songs live and share our ‘work in progress’.. Stay tuned for more!”

One standout moment was when they performed a stripped-down tune, “Amy,” the lyrics and tone to which indicate it was written for the late Amy Winehouse.  In it, Armstrong makes references to a “lucky charm” tattoo, an old-school music sound, drinking problems and the doomed aged of 27, all highly indicative of Winehouse and her short life.

“May I have this last dance / By chance if we should meet? / Can you write me a lullaby? / So we can sing you to sleep,” he croons.

A fan posted a clip of the song online, though we must admit, the audio quality makes it tough to bear. Listen below.

Green Day’s last studio album, “21st Century Breakdown,” was released in 2009.

Armstrong has been confirmed to play St. Jimmy in the film version of the band’s own “American Idiot” musical; it is currently int he works for a 2013 release, produced by Tom Hanks’ Playtone productions, according to Hollywood Reporter. Playtone previously dropped the highly successful film adaptation of “Mamma Mia!”

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