by wildwoman1313
Travis Barker had always been afraid of flying. Ever since he was a teenager, he was convinced he’d die in a plane crash. Last September, his biggest fear was nearly realized when the plane he was on crashed during takeoff, killing four of the six passengers aboard. Barker, drummer for the pop-punk band Blink-182, known for his mohawk and multitude of tattoos, managed to climb out of the wreckage, though he was drenched in jet fuel and on fire.
It wasn’t until he heard the screams of horrified onlookers that Barker, naked and holding his genitals, stopped running and hit the ground. By then, however, he had sustained second and third degree burns on his lower body and torso, injuries so severe they required 16 surgeries and almost cost him a foot when he hadn’t enough skin left on his body to graft.
At the time of the plane crash, Blink-182 were deep into a rift that began some 4 years earlier when they couldn't agree on whether or not the band would keep touring or take 6 months off. The disagreement had escalated to the point that they parted ways on such acrimonious terms guitarist Tom DeLonge changed his telephone number so Barker and Hoppus could no longer reach him.
As tragedies go, Barker's brush with death inspired a dialogue between him and his estranged bandmates. The trio not only cleared the air but began to rethink Blink, the band whose songs, like the bratty "What's My Age Again?" and the controversial "Adam's Song" from Enema of the State, had once made them mainstream gold. Ten months after the crash, Blink-182 took the stage at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas for the first night of their first tour since 2004. Their concern that the band had become irrelevant during the lengthy hiatus proved unfounded when the reunion tour brought fans out in droves. Blink-182 has received rave reviews as this summer’s hottest concert draw, with brisk ticket sales more than tripling those of prior Blink tours.
Back in 1992, when 20-year-old Mark Hoppus moved to San Marcos, California, to attend college, he was looking to form a band. His sister was friends with Tom DeLonge, a 16-year-old with similar aspirations, and so introductions were made. The two young men hit it off almost immediately and spent their days hanging out in DeLonge’s garage, cracking jokes and writing music for what was to be their punk band. DeLonge recruited friend and drummer Scott Raynor, whom he’d met at his school’s Battle of the Bands competition, and the three went on to record a few demos, several songs of which would eventually be re-recorded and re-released on the Blink albums, Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch.
The band were building a following, album by album, and saw the beginnings of commercial success with the 1997 release of their second album, Dude Ranch, which spawned the hit singles “Dammit” and “Josie.” Barker joined Blink in 1998 when original drummer Scott Raynor left, either to attend rehab or college, depending on whom you ask. With Barker onboard, Blink-182 released their best selling album to date, 1999's Enema of the State, which went on to sell over 15 million copies worldwide.
After a live album of their greatest hits was released in 2000, Blink continued their commercial success with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in 2001, which included the singles “The Rock Show” and “First Date”. The album marked a small change in direction for the band from Enema with its somewhat lighter scope and experimental effects. The record sold more than 350,000 copies in its first week. A European tour in support of the record was scrapped, however, in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, and rescheduled dates in early 2002 had to be canceled when DeLonge developed back problems. Later that year, Blink stumped for the record, co-headlining the Pop Disaster Tour with fellow punk rockers, Green Day.
The band next released their fifth studio album in 2003, the self-titled Blink-182, which resulted in the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down", and "Always." The album showcased a more mature Blink and was noteworthy for the absence of songs with toilet humor and jokes the band had been known for. Blink-182 was described as a “self-meditation on romantic decay.” The band toured with No Doubt in the summer of 2004 in support of the new record.
Blink were on a roll, gaining more and more ground with every album. And then it all went terribly wrong. Tensions arose between band members at the conclusion of the 2005 Warped Tour when DeLonge wanted some time off to spend with his family despite a planned spring tour. Things became so heated between them that their band manager was elected to deliver the news to Barker and Hoppus that DeLonge had quit the band. The members of the group all went onto form other bands in the intervening years following the break-up, although none managed to replicate the magic of Blink-182.
Barker's personal life took center stage after Blink-182 when he married former Miss USA, Shanna Moakler, and the couple was featured in MTV's Meet the Barkers. Their subsequent divorce and various failed attempts at reconciliation, along with Barker's high profile liaisons, made the couple fodder for the media. DeLonge meanwhile battled a raging addiction to painkillers prescribed for his back problems. Hoppus, he took up scuba diving.
At the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009, Barker announced Blink’s reformation. With the rancor behind them at last, and with a new lease on life and their music, Blink-182 has written a song entitled “Up All Night” and are headed into the studio to record an album of new material, although no target or estimated release date have been given. “Up All Night” is not being included in their set on the current tour because the group feel it isn’t quite ready to be heard live.
Blink-182 play the States through October. Check out their website for concert dates. The band plans to do a European tour in 2010, that is, if Travis Barker can convince himself that lightning never strikes twice.
