Blink-182 - Brixton O2 Academy, London - 25th July 2012 (Live Review)
Monday, 30 July 2012
Written by Owen Sheppard
It was colossal news for emos, punks, rockers, skaters, and rebellious teen sub cultures the world over when probably the world’s biggest and best loved pop punk band reformed in 2009, five years since their hiatus that saw hissy fits, uninspired side projects and one bizarre reality TV series. Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and their proudly potty mouthed front man Tom DeLong, whose trademark accent is now copied shamelessly by everyone from New Found Glory to Paramore, were best of friends again and Kerrang! readers across the land cheered.
To set tonight’s show in context, this was their supposedly one-off, up close and personal punk show which came tailing their run of arena dates in the UK where you could have seen them in a crowd of 20,000 at The O2 Arena. Whereas tonight, 4,000 rabid fans went ape shit crazy seeing them from only a beer cup chucking distance away at, one of the UK’s premier music venues: Brixton Academy.
The arena tour which kicked off last month was their first full tour of Britain this side of their 2005 departure. The tour was also controversially delayed by the band from last summer in order to prioritise the writing and recording of 'Neighborhoods' their full studio album since 2003.
It seemed imaginable while plodding up Brixton High Street on that scorching summer evening that Blink had brought some California sun with them to meet the scenes of nostalgia and excitement on the faces of tonight’s still young at heart but broadly mid-twenties audience. With the house lights dipping at 9pm, a black curtain falls and they walked on stage to a light show heavy stage set up flanked by a diorama of the grey 'Neighborhoods' cityscapes taken from the albums cover art.
Blink 182 were geared up for one priority that evening, and it was giving the fans nothing short of what they have waited years for: hit after hit after hit. They dipped in and out of records both old and new with confidence and enthusiasm. Their own feel good summer hit 'Feeling This' opened up the night quite appropriately, followed with a spell of sure fire crowd pleasers like new single 'Up All Night' before dipping in to the comedy skate punk classics 'The Rock Show' and 'What’s My Age Again?' closely followed by 'Down' and their emo big hitter 'I Miss You' which earned more girlish screams of delight than most.
Album tracks from throughout the band’s career like 'Dumpweed', 'Violence' and 'After Midnight' however seemed like filler tracks in a set where the vast majority of the crowd were only really counting on the singles. Thankfully, although Blink do indeed have a history of less than spotless records, each was still laced with unforgettable singles and for every sweat drenched dip in the crowd’s energy levels, there were still more hits like 'First Date', 'Man Overboard' their 90’s MTV dominating anthem 'All The Small Things'. Recent NoFX tinged album highlight 'Hearts All Gone' kept the pogoing and gleeful moshing going too.
South Park styled toilet humor and stage banter are things that Blink 182 have always celebrated, and despite their advancement in to middle-agedness and their parenthood there’s thankfully no shortage of it this evening as what most here probably see as gags and tracks quintessentially ranging from all things farting, testicle and bestiality related are sent forth to mass appreciation. 'Fuck a Dog' is lapped up, as is a second attempt at an improvised and so far unnamed track that goes “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could have a blow job, wouldn’t it be nice if I could have a rim job?”.
Unsurprisingly on this baking summer evening, Blink retired twice during their 2 hour slot to allow both them and us a pause for breath and upon their first return, we’re greeted by acoustic renditions of 'Reckless Abandon', 'Going Away to College' and 'Dick Lips'. Tom’s Travis’ and Marks’ kids even pop down to dance around and line the stage at this point which is both touching and perhaps a little concerning when you consider the band will happily sing songs about having sex with dogs and receiving oral sex in front of their own infant children but ho hum, social services don’t seem to mind as far as we’re aware.
A final encore sees Travis Barker, a man respected widely in the rock world for his menacing power with the sticks giving an 8 minute solo that needless to say had a few thousand sets of eye brows raised and jaws dropped to a beer soaked floor. But you can’t help but also see it as an act of concession from Tom and Mark, neither of whom have ever been known for using guitar or bass solos during the band’s career, of saying “Yeah, we’ll be honest, Travis probably is the only really technically gifted talented member of this band”. The final three to wrap up the night are tracks for the oldest and most die-hard fans: 'Carousel' 'Dammit' and 'Family Reunion'.
With an outsiders view Blink 182 probably seem like a prime example of a marmite rock band. They have never had an easy time from critics and you can see the wacky accents and catalogues of songs frequently about being dumped and rebelling against “the system” (whoever or whatever that is) being as easily perceived as tacky or as essential fan boy pleasing boxes to be ticked. You either grew up listening to Blink since your days attending after school detention, or you missed all the fuss completely and they’ll probably be lost on your forever. But needless to say this show was an easily fort victory for Blink and a special moment for the fans the majority of whom had probably never had a chance to see them before. They are in essence a band from quite a specific time and place for a certain generation of rock fans who will probably always find space in their heart for them regardless of whether their new material is any good. Ultimately their existence from now on is for the sake of the fans, plucking our nostalgia strings and letting us relive our adolescent days.
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To set tonight’s show in context, this was their supposedly one-off, up close and personal punk show which came tailing their run of arena dates in the UK where you could have seen them in a crowd of 20,000 at The O2 Arena. Whereas tonight, 4,000 rabid fans went ape shit crazy seeing them from only a beer cup chucking distance away at, one of the UK’s premier music venues: Brixton Academy.
