Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has spoken out for the first time about his struggles with addiction and recent stint in rehab.

Armstrong was admitted to rehab last year after a now infamous incident at a Las Vegas gig when Green Day's time slot was cut from 45 minutes to 25 minutes to allow more time for Usher's upcoming performance. Armstrong launched into a verbal tirade against the concert's organisers, before smashing his guitar and walking off stage.

While this may have all seemed like a punk rock stint at the time, it later emerged that this Armstrong was struggling with addiction and his blowout was blamed on this. Armstrong and Green Day were forced to cancel a long string of dates while he sought treatment.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Armstrong said of that part of his life: "I couldn't predict where I was going to end up at the end of the night. I'd wake up in a strange house on a couch. I wouldn’t remember how. It was a complete blackout".

As for the Las Vegas incident, Armstrong's memory is hazy and he could only remember "tiny things". "The next morning I woke up and asked Adrienne (his wife), 'How bad was it?' She said, 'it's bad'".

Armstrong's manager then sent him to Oakland to seek treatment for alcoholism and has been released, and confirmed that Green Day are to return to the live arena very soon.