Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Brings Out Bruce Dickinson for Bowie Cover at Comic-Con

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson made a surprise trip onstage with The Coverups, Billie Joe Armstrong’s rock covers project, during a Fandom/Z2 Comics party at FLOAT inside the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego on Thursday, July 23, 2026. The show kicked off San Diego Comic-Con weekend, and Dickinson joined the band to sing ‘All The Young Dudes,’ the 1972 song written by David Bowie and made famous by Mott the Hoople.

• Dickinson’s guest spot landed five songs into a 26-song set.
• He had already put his own stamp on the same song back on his 1990 solo debut, ‘Tattooed Millionaire.’
• The San Diego gig was hosted by Xbox’s ‘Halo: Campaign Evolved,’ with Suntory -196 Vodka Seltzer and Z2 Comics, which used the night to spotlight its graphic novel and film project ‘…And Out Comes The Wolf,’ among the sponsors.
• The performance followed a Coverups show at The Roxy in West Hollywood three days earlier, on Monday, July 20, 2026.

The Coverups’ San Diego Comic-Con Setlist

Beyond the Dickinson cameo, The Coverups worked through a wide-ranging set of rock and punk staples, including another Bowie tune, ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ plus cuts from Buzzcocks, Ramones, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Clash, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Poison and The Strokes. The setlist as documented from the July 23, 2026 show ran as follows:

1. “Hello There,” originally by Cheap Trick
2. “A Million Miles Away,” originally by The Plimsouls
3. “I Wanna Be Sedated,” originally by Ramones
4. “I Think We’re Alone Now,” originally by Tommy James & the Shondells
5. “All the Young Dudes,” the David Bowie composition, performed with Bruce Dickinson
6. “Sometime to Return,” originally by Soul Asylum
7. “Message of Love,” originally by Pretenders
8. “Summer of ’69,” originally by Bryan Adams
9. “American Girl,” originally by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
10. “I Fought the Law,” originally by The Crickets
11. “Do You Wanna Dance?” originally by Bobby Freeman, performed twice
12. “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve),” originally by Buzzcocks
13. “I Melt With You,” originally by Modern English
14. “Rockaway Beach,” originally by Ramones
15. “Ziggy Stardust,” originally by David Bowie
16. “Last Nite,” originally by The Strokes
17. “Drain You,” originally by Nirvana
18. “Fox on the Run,” originally by Sweet
19. “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” originally by The Clash
20. “We Got the Beat,” originally by Go-Go’s
21. “Crazy Train,” originally by Ozzy Osbourne
22. “Live Wire,” originally by Motley Crue
23. “Talk Dirty to Me,” originally by Poison
24. “Surrender,” originally by Cheap Trick

Billie Joe Armstrong Dedicates Nirvana Cover to Jennifer Finch

Days before the Dickinson appearance, The Coverups played The Roxy in West Hollywood on Monday, July 20, 2026, where they worked Nirvana’s ‘Drain You,’ from 1991’s ‘Nevermind,’ into the set. Armstrong told the crowd, “This song goes out to Jennifer Finch from L7,” before the band launched into it.

The tribute came just two days after Finch’s death on July 18, 2026, at age 59, following a diagnosis of an aggressive form of brain cancer. L7 released a statement saying the band was “shattered by the loss of our beloved bandmate, sister and friend Jennifer Finch, whose fierce spirit, humour and boundless creativity helped shape L7 and changed all of our lives forever,” adding that she was “a true original who lived entirely on her own terms.”

Adrienne Armstrong, Billie Joe’s wife, had contributed to a fundraiser covering the costs of Finch’s treatment, which pulled in $300,000 in under three days. Garbage, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch and Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament were also among those who gave to the campaign.

Who Plays in The Coverups?

Formed in 2018, The Coverups pair Armstrong on guitar and vocals with three other members drawn from Green Day’s orbit: touring guitarist Jason White, audio engineer Chris Dugan, and tour manager Bill Schneider, who also plays in Pinhead Gunpowder.

More Info

• Watch Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong cover David Bowie with Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson and dedicate Nirvana’s ‘Drain You’ to L7 icon Jennifer Finch with The Coverups | NME
• Watch Green Day side project The Coverups cover David Bowie with Iron Maidens Bruce Dickinson | BrooklynVegan
• Watch Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson make a surprise appearance with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s covers band to sing a David Bowie-penned classic rock anthem | Louder / Classic Rock
• Iron Maidens Bruce Dickinson Joins Billie Joe Armstrongs Covers Band At Comic-Con | Stereogum
• Bruce Dickinson Sings Cover With Billie Joe Armstrong | Loudwire
• Watch: IRON MAIDEN’s BRUCE DICKINSON Joins BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG And THE COVERUPS On Stage At San Diego Comic-Con Party | Blabbermouth
• Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson Covers ‘All The Young Dudes’ With Billie Joe Armstrong The Coverups | JamBase
• BRUCE DICKINSON Joined BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONGs Cover Band At San Diego Comic-Con | Metal Injection