first live performance at Rod’s Hickory Pit

A few months later, the band renamed to Sweet Children. One of their first songs written together was “Best Thing in Town”. 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”, who replaced Punjabi. It was around this time that Hughes also left the band, causing Dirnt to switch from guitar to bass. Armstrong cites the band Operation Ivy (featuring Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman , who would later contact Armstrong to fill in as a second guitarist for their band Rancid ) as a major influence in inspiring him to form a band.