By: Ryan Martin
Anyone who knows me personally knows my favorite band is blink-182. The personality of the band, combined with the music itself makes you feel like you know the band personally. Like they are singing in front of you and after they finish a song they crack a couple dick jokes to make you laugh. They get you. They hate the people you hate. They aren't afraid to be themselves. Blink-182 is also a perfect example of being true to yourself, when you are who you truly are, having fun with your friends on stage and making each other laugh, the fans will come. And the year is 2015 and the fans are still here. Eagerly awaiting new music from the trio who hasn't released anything since December, 2012. When suddenly, arguably the most iconic voice of the band, Tom DeLonge quits. It wouldn't be the first time he quit the band, as he's the main reason blink disbanded in 2005 for an indefinite hiatus.
So lets go back a little while to 1992. 25 years ago, Tom DeLonge was introduced to Mark Hoppus and the two hit it off immediately. Constantly making each other laugh, so when the idea struck that the two should form a band, they recruited now departed drummer Scott Raynor and started practicing. They put out their first album around 3 years later, Cheshire Cat, but they only started to hit it big with 1997's Dude Ranch including massive single 'Dammit', which is in just about every 90's teen movie you've ever seen. But 1999's Enema Of The State blew the socks off everyone's wieners. With the help of new and current drummer, Travis Barker, they exploded; arena tours, radio play, MTV, these guys were everywhere. So what happened? After their next album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Delonge started experiencing back pain that was painful enough that he became more depressed and more dependent on pain medications. He started writing darker, more abrasive music. DeLonge felt that the kind of music he was writing would fit Blink's sound so he formed a side project. Since he'd rather not pay for a studio drummer, DeLonge recruited Blink drummer Travis Barker and famously left Mark Hoppus, out of the lineup. This created tension. Around four years later in 2005, tensions had heated up so badly with DeLonge wanting to take a break from touring and recording and the others wanting to go back on tour that the band disbanded. But aside from fame, fortune and their fan base, three friendships were ruined. Three dudes who had become like brothers all lost one another.
In 2009, Barker was involved in a deadly plane crash that killed everyone on board except for him and his friend DJ AM (who died soon after of an overdose). Mark and DeLonge put aside their differences to meet with Barker seeming how they almost lost their brother and reconnected. Which eventually led to them regrouping the band and releasing 2011's Neighborhoods which gathered a mixed response. The trio had all done different projects since the disbanding, DeLonge with Angels & Airwaves and Hoppus and Barker with +44. The album sounded roughly like a mix of the two projects that flowed as smoothly as Salt and Sour. Two things that were great on their own but a little weird together.
So when DeLonge left once again in 2015, it would be an understatement to say Hoppus and Barker were upset. They felt cheated. DeLonge told them both that they would go into the studio in January 2015 after many delays on his part and a week before going into the studio, his management sent them a letter saying "Tom. Is. Out." Hoppus is a dedicated member of Blink and always puts it first, while Barker has many side projects like DeLonge, he always finds time for Blink. This announcement left the entire Blink-182 fanbase split. Team DeLonge or Team Blink. Many people say that Blink should just break up or that Blink will not be what is really is without DeLonge. Hoppus recruited Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio to fill in for DeLonge on a couple shows that were already scheduled and as of now Hoppus and Barker are recording with him.
What happened to the fun band we could all relate to in some way? That made us feel like we aren't alone as a teenager and could relate to all our short 6-month teenage romances that still hurt as much as a year or two. Yes, everyone has to grow up, but does that mean DeLonge has to leave the band that he is best known for? On some degree, yes. DeLonge has been getting bolder with interviewing lately and has been releasing more details as to why he left. It's not as simple as he didn't want to make music with them anymore. DeLonge has a butt ton of projects going on. He has created a character by the name of Poet Anderson and he is creating comic books, films and soundtracks to move along with the character. Under contracts and deadlines, DeLonge has dug himself a hole in which Blink is no longer accessible and to be honest, he seems pretty comfy in that hole too.
So should we be mad at him for leaving the band we all know and love and making us wait longer if not forever for new music from the original trio? That depends on how much heart you have and if you can bring yourself to remember that these are still just three regular dudes who love to create. Some on different levels than others. Let us hope for peace & Blink-182.
Anyone who knows me personally knows my favorite band is blink-182. The personality of the band, combined with the music itself makes you feel like you know the band personally. Like they are singing in front of you and after they finish a song they crack a couple dick jokes to make you laugh. They get you. They hate the people you hate. They aren't afraid to be themselves. Blink-182 is also a perfect example of being true to yourself, when you are who you truly are, having fun with your friends on stage and making each other laugh, the fans will come. And the year is 2015 and the fans are still here. Eagerly awaiting new music from the trio who hasn't released anything since December, 2012. When suddenly, arguably the most iconic voice of the band, Tom DeLonge quits. It wouldn't be the first time he quit the band, as he's the main reason blink disbanded in 2005 for an indefinite hiatus.
So lets go back a little while to 1992. 25 years ago, Tom DeLonge was introduced to Mark Hoppus and the two hit it off immediately. Constantly making each other laugh, so when the idea struck that the two should form a band, they recruited now departed drummer Scott Raynor and started practicing. They put out their first album around 3 years later, Cheshire Cat, but they only started to hit it big with 1997's Dude Ranch including massive single 'Dammit', which is in just about every 90's teen movie you've ever seen. But 1999's Enema Of The State blew the socks off everyone's wieners. With the help of new and current drummer, Travis Barker, they exploded; arena tours, radio play, MTV, these guys were everywhere. So what happened? After their next album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Delonge started experiencing back pain that was painful enough that he became more depressed and more dependent on pain medications. He started writing darker, more abrasive music. DeLonge felt that the kind of music he was writing would fit Blink's sound so he formed a side project. Since he'd rather not pay for a studio drummer, DeLonge recruited Blink drummer Travis Barker and famously left Mark Hoppus, out of the lineup. This created tension. Around four years later in 2005, tensions had heated up so badly with DeLonge wanting to take a break from touring and recording and the others wanting to go back on tour that the band disbanded. But aside from fame, fortune and their fan base, three friendships were ruined. Three dudes who had become like brothers all lost one another.
In 2009, Barker was involved in a deadly plane crash that killed everyone on board except for him and his friend DJ AM (who died soon after of an overdose). Mark and DeLonge put aside their differences to meet with Barker seeming how they almost lost their brother and reconnected. Which eventually led to them regrouping the band and releasing 2011's Neighborhoods which gathered a mixed response. The trio had all done different projects since the disbanding, DeLonge with Angels & Airwaves and Hoppus and Barker with +44. The album sounded roughly like a mix of the two projects that flowed as smoothly as Salt and Sour. Two things that were great on their own but a little weird together.
So when DeLonge left once again in 2015, it would be an understatement to say Hoppus and Barker were upset. They felt cheated. DeLonge told them both that they would go into the studio in January 2015 after many delays on his part and a week before going into the studio, his management sent them a letter saying "Tom. Is. Out." Hoppus is a dedicated member of Blink and always puts it first, while Barker has many side projects like DeLonge, he always finds time for Blink. This announcement left the entire Blink-182 fanbase split. Team DeLonge or Team Blink. Many people say that Blink should just break up or that Blink will not be what is really is without DeLonge. Hoppus recruited Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio to fill in for DeLonge on a couple shows that were already scheduled and as of now Hoppus and Barker are recording with him.
What happened to the fun band we could all relate to in some way? That made us feel like we aren't alone as a teenager and could relate to all our short 6-month teenage romances that still hurt as much as a year or two. Yes, everyone has to grow up, but does that mean DeLonge has to leave the band that he is best known for? On some degree, yes. DeLonge has been getting bolder with interviewing lately and has been releasing more details as to why he left. It's not as simple as he didn't want to make music with them anymore. DeLonge has a butt ton of projects going on. He has created a character by the name of Poet Anderson and he is creating comic books, films and soundtracks to move along with the character. Under contracts and deadlines, DeLonge has dug himself a hole in which Blink is no longer accessible and to be honest, he seems pretty comfy in that hole too.
So should we be mad at him for leaving the band we all know and love and making us wait longer if not forever for new music from the original trio? That depends on how much heart you have and if you can bring yourself to remember that these are still just three regular dudes who love to create. Some on different levels than others. Let us hope for peace & Blink-182.