 In 1987, friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, 15-years-old at the time, formed a band under the name Sweet Children.The group's first live performance took place on October 17, 1987, at Rod's Hickory Pit in Vallejo, California.In 1988, Armstrong and Dirnt began working with former Isocracy drummer John Kiffmeyer, also known as "Al Sobrante".