Considering Blink 182 are somewhat well-known for being a bit of a comedy band, with their toilet humour-filled lyrics and immature onstage antics, the last five years have seemed like more of a drama for the Californian punk trio. First, there was the break-up. Then came the awful news of Travis’s plane crash. And finally, there was the emotional reunion. You can’t write this kind of stuff. But anyway, the Blink boys are back and, after two hugely popular headlining performances at Reading and Leeds this summer and with a new album supposedly on the way, it appeared that things were, once again, beginning to look bright and cheerful for both the group and their many, many fans.
There was, however, some cause for concern a couple of weeks ago, when Tom DeLonge’s other band Angels and Airwaves – yes, the one he started while Blink were on hold – announced some new tour dates for next February. How was this to be taken? Had the Blink 182 thing been just a temporary reunion before Tom got back to business with his full-time project? Fortunately, for those of you whose stress levels had begun to rise, the worry was short-lived. Just a few days later, all three members of Blink 182 announced plans for a new UK arena tour next July – their first major tour since their reformation. A huge sigh of relief was breathed.
The announcement will no doubt come as fantastic news to anyone who didn’t manage to get tickets for either of their summer festival dates. Reading and Leeds were, as usual, two of the fastest-selling festivals this year and this was largely helped by the fact that they were hosting the two big reunion shows of the summer: The Libertines and Blink 182. Unsurprisingly, both performances drew massive crowds of delighted fans.
Although, as previously mentioned, the band originally became known for their comical lyrics and live performances, Blink have come a long way since releases like their 1995 EP ‘They Came to Conquer Uranus’. Their debut album ‘Cheshire Cat’ may not have experienced a great deal of success upon its release in 1994, but it did have the good fortune to emerge during a big revival year for punk rock. ’94 was, of course, the same year that such classics as Green Day’s ‘Dookie’, Offspring’s ‘Smash’, NOFX’s ‘Punk In Drublic’ and Bad Religion’s ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ all first saw the light of day. This luck may not have done much for ‘Cheshire Cat’, but the follow-up, 1997’s ‘Dude Ranch’ and its lead single ‘Dammit’, both capitalised on their predecessor’s reception and achieved the band its first commercial success. The following year, original drummer Scott Raynor was replaced by Travis Barker, who is now known for being one of the most talented and versatile drummers in rock music.
Two years later, ‘Enema of the State’ was released and Blink 182 were dragged out from the underground once and for all. The rest, as they say, is history. Here we are, eighteen years after the group’s formation and things are starting to get serious again. Not only will the band be heading out on a major tour next year, but their long-awaited sixth album should hopefully be making an appearance. In addition to this and Tom DeLonge’s new work with Angels and Airwaves, Travis Barker will be working on a new album with the Transplants as well as his own solo record. 2011 could well be the Year of Blink 182.
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There was, however, some cause for concern a couple of weeks ago, when Tom DeLonge’s other band Angels and Airwaves – yes, the one he started while Blink were on hold – announced some new tour dates for next February. How was this to be taken? Had the Blink 182 thing been just a temporary reunion before Tom got back to business with his full-time project? Fortunately, for those of you whose stress levels had begun to rise, the worry was short-lived. Just a few days later, all three members of Blink 182 announced plans for a new UK arena tour next July – their first major tour since their reformation. A huge sigh of relief was breathed. 
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