The death of a beloved aunt combined with Green Day's crazy schedule sent punk star Billie Joe Armstrong spiralling into a drug and booze haze.
The American rocker recently emerged from a rehab stint and announced plans to return to the road with his band, rescheduling dates the group was forced to scrap last year following his meltdown onstage at the iHeartRadio festival in Las Vegas - and now he is recalling the events that led to his fall.
"I found out my aunt had passed away. I had to go back home,'' he explains.
"I helped my cousin pay for the funeral. My aunt - my mum's sister - was a big presence in my family. That hit me pretty hard.
"Then I started getting overwhelmed. We (Green Day) were doing press every day. There was the tour. We were thinking of another tour after that. I was overbooked and exhausted.''