History Blink-182

1 history

1.1 formation , years (1992–94)
1.2 releases , touring (1994–98)
1.3 mainstream breakthrough , continued success (1999–2004)
1.4 hiatus, side projects, , barker s plane crash (2005–08)
1.5 reformation (2009–14)
1.6 lineup change, california, , future (2015–present)

history
formation , years (1992–94)

the band formed in suburb of san diego, california, seen here around time of group s formation in 1992.

blink-182 formed in poway, california, suburb outside of san diego, in august 1992. guitarist tom delonge expelled poway high attending basketball game drunk , forced attend local school 1 semester. @ rancho bernardo high school, delonge performed @ battle of bands competition, introduced drummer scott raynor. befriended kerry key, interested in punk music. key s girlfriend, anne hoppus, introduced brother, bassist mark hoppus—who had moved ridgecrest work @ record store , attend college—to delonge on august 1, 1992. 2 clicked instantly , played hours in delonge s garage, exchanging lyrics , co-writing songs—one of became carousel . hoppus, in trying impress delonge, managed fall lamppost in front of delonge s garage , crack ankles, injury put him in crutches 3 weeks.

—tom delonge in 2013, reflecting on band s foundation

the trio began practice in raynor s bedroom, spending hours writing music, attending punk shows , movies, , playing practical jokes. hoppus , delonge alternate singing vocal parts. trio first operated under variety of names, including duck tape , figure 8, until delonge rechristened band blink . hoppus girlfriend angered boyfriend s constant attention band, , demanded make choice between band , her, resulted in hoppus leaving band shortly after formation. shortly thereafter, delonge , raynor borrowed four-track recorder friend , collaborator cam jones , preparing record demo tape, jones on bass. hoppus promptly broke girlfriend , returned band. flyswatter—a combination of original songs , punk covers—was recorded in raynor s bedroom in may 1993. southern california had large punk population in 1990s, aided avid surfing, skating, , snowboarding scene. in contrast east coast punk music, west coast wave of groups, blink included, typically introduced more melodic aspects group s music. new york gloomy, dark , cold. makes different music. californian middle-class suburbs have nothing bummed about, said delonge. san diego @ time hardly hotbed of [musical] activity , band s popularity grew did california punk rock concurrently in mainstream. delonge called clubs in san diego asking spot play, calling local high schools, convincing them blink motivational band strong antidrug message in hopes play @ assembly or lunch.

the band became mainstay @ all-ages venue soma san diego; poster 1994.

the band on stage every weekend, @ elks lodges , ymca centers. band became part of circuit included likes of ten foot pole , unwritten law, , band found way onto bill opening band local acts @ soma, local all-ages venue located on market street band longed headline. big-name acts such nofx , green day played on main floor, while smaller acts relegated basement, area referred dungeon . original location closed doors , relocated before band promoted main stage (which required 100+ crowd attend). soma home away home. punk kids didn’t give fuck football games , proms or whatever came hang out @ soma, claimed hoppus. band s first big show on main floor took place on thursday, band opened face face. hoppus manager @ record store, patrick secor, fronted him money record demo @ local studio doubletime. result buddha (1994), members of band viewed band s first legitimate release. time, group had branched out venues such soul kitchen in el cajon, raynor s family relocated reno, nevada, , briefly replaced musician mike krull. band saved money , began flying raynor out shows, raynor moved in hoppus summer in band record first album , music video , gain more exposure.

early releases , touring (1994–98)

blink-182 @ showcase theater in corona, california in 1995.

the heart of local independent music scene cargo records, offered sign band on trial basis, o, guitarist local punk band fluf, , brahm goodis, friend of band father president of label. hoppus member sign contract, delonge @ work @ time , raynor still minor. band recorded debut album in 3 days @ westbeach recorders in los angeles, fueled both new songs , re-recordings of songs previous demos. although cheshire cat, released in february 1995, made little impact commercially, cited fans , musicians iconic release. m+m s , band s first single, garnered local radio airplay 91x , cargo offered band small budget film music video it. meanwhile, record drew attention of irish band blink. unwilling engage in legal battle, band agreed change name. cargo gave band week, trio put off decision more 2 afterward. eventually, cargo called blink-182, demanding band change name or [we ll] change you, after band decided on random number, 182.

the band had manager, rick devoe, associated larger bands such nofx, pennywise , offspring. in addition, band crucially drew attention of rick , jean bonde of tahoe booking agency, responsible spreading name of band far , wide , getting group many gigs humanly possible. surf film director taylor steele, friend of devoe, preparing national tour promote new surf video goodtimes, , band signed on first national tour, extended far east coast. band members purchased own tour van , embarked on goodtimes tour unwritten law, sprung monkey , 7 seconds. goodtimes tour continued , band whisked away australia, pennywise paying band s plane tickets. fletcher dragge, guitarist of pennywise, believed in band strongly. demanded kevin lyman, founder of warped tour, sign band 1996 festival, telling him re gonna gigantic. australia receptive band , humorous stage shows , pranks gained them reputation, made them ostracized , considered joke.

the group playing whisky go go in los angeles in 1996.

by march 1996, trio began accumulate genuine buzz among major labels, resulting in bidding war between interscope, mca , epitaph. mca promised group complete artistic freedom , signed band, raynor held great affinity epitaph , began feel half-invested in band when passed on label. group, wary of purists attempting define punk , discouraged cargo s lack of distribution , faith in group, had no qualms signing major label fiercely criticized in punk community. after nonstop touring, trio began recording sophomore follow-up, dude ranch, on period of month in late 1996. record hit stores following summer , band headed out on 1997 warped tour. dammit , album s lead single, received heavy airplay on modern rock stations. dude ranch shipped gold 1998, exhaustive touring schedule brought tensions among trio. raynor had been drinking heavily offset personal issues, , fired delonge , hoppus in mid-1998 despite agreeing attend rehab , quit drinking. travis barker, drummer tour-mate aquabats, filled in raynor, learning 20-song setlist in 45 minutes before first show. july, joined band full-time , band entered studio producer jerry finn later year begin work on third album.

mainstream breakthrough , continued success (1999–2004)

the music video s age again? depicts band running naked through streets of los angeles.

with release of group s third album enema of state in june 1999, blink-182 catapulted stardom , became biggest pop punk act of era. 3 singles released record— s age again? , small things , , adam s song —that became major radio hits , mtv staples. small things became number-one hit on modern rock tracks chart, became crossover hit , peaked @ number 6 on billboard hot 100 chart. video parodied boy bands , pop music videos , won best group video @ 2000 mtv video music awards. although band criticized synthesized, manufactured pop remotely resembling punk , pigeonholed joke act due puerile slant of singles , associating music videos, enema of state enormous commercial success. album has sold on 15 million copies worldwide , had considerable effect on pop punk music, inspiring second wave of genre , numerous acolytes.

after multi-platinum success, arena tours, , cameo appearances (american pie), band recorded take off pants , jacket (2001), debuted @ number 1 in united states, canada, , germany. hit singles rock show , stay kids , first date continued band s mainstream success worldwide, mtv cementing image video stars. finn returned produce record , key architect of polished pop punk sound, , served invaluable member of band: part adviser, part impartial observer, helped smooth out tensions , hone sound. recording sessions contentious, delonge strove heavier , dirtier guitar-driven rock. time off touring, felt itch didn t feel locked in blink was, , channeled chronic pain , resulting frustration box car racer (2002), post-hardcore disc further explores fugazi , refused inspiration. refraining paying studio drummer, invited barker record drums on project , hoppus felt betrayed. event caused great division within trio time , unresolved tension @ forefront of band s later hiatus. barker explored hip-hop influences , teamed rancid s tim armstrong form rap rock band transplants.

tom delonge (front), mark hoppus (center), , travis barker (back) in 2003.

the band regrouped in 2003 record fifth studio album, infusing experimentalist elements usual pop punk sound, inspired lifestyle changes (the band members became fathers before album released) , side projects. blink s eponymous fifth studio album released in fall of 2003 through geffen records, absorbed sister label mca earlier year. worldwide touring schedule, saw band travel japan , australia, found 3 performing troops stationed in persian gulf. critics complimented new, more mature direction taken album , lead singles feeling , miss charted high, latter becoming group s second number 1 hit on billboard modern rock tracks chart. fans, however, split new direction, , tensions within band—stemming grueling schedule , delonge s desire spend more time family—started become evident.

hiatus, side projects, , barker s plane crash (2005–08)

in february 2005, geffen issued press statement announcing band s indefinite hiatus. band had broken after members arguments regarding future , recording process. delonge felt increasingly conflicted both creative freedom within group , toll touring taking on family life. expressed desire take half-year respite touring in order spend more time family. hoppus , barker dismayed decision, felt overly long break. band abruptly canceled performance @ music relief benefit show after rehearsals grew more contentious. further arguments had ensued during rehearsals, rooted in band members increasing paranoia , bitterness toward 1 another. delonge considered bandmates priorities mad, mad different, coming conclusion trio had grown apart aged, had families, , reached fame. breakdown in communication led heated exchanges, resulting in exit group.

in interim, hoppus , barker continued playing music in +44. group first began lay down electronic demos in barker s basement , hoppus dining room shortly after breakup. +44 s debut, when heart stops beating, released following year stalled commercially , received mixed reviews. barker starred in mtv reality series meet barkers then-wife, former miss usa shanna moakler. couple s later split, reconciliation , subsequent breakup made them tabloid favorites. meanwhile, delonge disappeared public eye, making no appearances, granting no interviews , remaining silent until september 2005, when announced new project, angels & airwaves, promising greatest rock , roll revolution generation. later revealed addicted painkillers @ time, recalling losing mind, on thousands of painkillers, , killed myself, , did not realize promise of revolution sounded highly ambitious. group released 2 albums in 2006 , 2007: don t need whisper , i-empire. during hiatus, hoppus shifted attention producing albums (most notably commit memory former tour-mate motion city soundtrack) , hosting podcast, himynameismark, while barker launched shoe line , worked on 3 other musical projects—the transplants, +44, , trv$djam, collaboration friend adam goldstein (dj am).

the band members did not speak breakup until 2008. august, jerry finn suffered cerebral hemorrhage , taken off life support. on september 19, barker , goldstein involved in plane crash killed 4 people, leaving 2 survivors. barker sustained second , third degree burns , developed posttraumatic stress disorder, , accident resulted in sixteen surgeries , 4-8 hour blood transfusions. hoppus alerted barker s accident phone call in middle of night , jumped on next flight burn center. delonge found out via tv news @ airport while waiting board flight; within minutes, crying in seat. thought going die, says delonge, reached out former bandmate, mailing him letter , photograph. instantly after plane crash, like, hey, want play music him again. trio met in hospital, laying grounds going band s reunion. eventually, arrangement made trio meet @ hoppus , barker s los angeles studio in october 2008. 3 opened up, discussing events of hiatus , break-up, , delonge first approach subject of reuniting. hoppus remembered: remember [tom] said, so, guys think? heads at? , said, think should continue ve been doing past 17 years. think should on road , in studio , love doing.

reformation (2009–14)

the first live performance of group s reformation in 2009.

eventually, band appeared first time on stage in 5 years presenters @ february 2009 grammy awards, announcing reunion. trio embarked on reunion tour of north america july october 2009, european trek following august september 2010. recording process neighborhoods, band s sixth studio album, stalled studio autonomy, tours, managers, , personal projects. delonge recorded @ studio in san diego while hoppus , barker recorded in los angeles—an extension of strained communication. self-produced album—their first without producer jerry finn—was released in september 2011 , peaked @ number 2 on billboard 200. singles— night , after midnight —only attracted modest chart success, , label interscope reportedly disappointed album sales.

despite growing evidence of remaining friction between members, band continued tour in 2010s. headlined 10th annual honda civic tour in north america in 2011, , toured europe in 2012. band left interscope records october, , subsequently released dogs eating dogs, ep, in december 2012. trio toured australia in 2013; brooks wackerman replaced barker on drums barker unwilling fly after plane crash. these dates followed small north american tour, , series of shows celebrating tenth anniversary of band s self-titled album november. band played european tour in august 2014, culminating in them headlining reading , leeds festivals; band s fourth appearance @ festival , second headlining slot.

blink-182 performing in 2011.

the reunion of band has been characterized dysfunctional both barker , delonge. hoppus commented on era of band in later interview: contentious. there strange vibe. [...] knew there wrong. in memoir, can say, barker claims delonge s behavior on tour introverted until money started coming in, after d excited blink. states delonge abruptly quit sometime in mid-2014, , rejoined following day. group planned begin writing seventh album in january 2015, had continually seen delays. d interviews , felt awful fans because promised albums years , couldn t it, barker later said. record deal finalized , sessions booked before delonge s manager informed band intended spend more time on non-musical activities , indefinitely depart group. in own statement, delonge remarked never planned on quitting, find hard hell commit. after these events, barker summarized band s reunion: why blink got in first place questionable.

lineup change, california, , future (2015–present)

blink-182 performing in 2016. matt skiba (right) replaced founding member tom delonge in 2015.

hoppus , barker decided continue on without delonge, , enlisted alkaline trio vocalist/guitarist matt skiba fill in 3 shows in march 2015. hoppus , skiba had been wanting work musically several years, first , person considered role. after legal battles delonge worked out, skiba joined blink-182 official member , began preparations new music. resulting album, california, produced john feldmann. group s first new producer since longtime collaborator jerry finn. california recorded between january , march 2016. band, feldmann, regularly spend 18 hours in studio day, aiming start , complete multiple songs in timeframe. wanted write best record [...] feel new beginning. feels when used tour , sleep in van because s wanted play rock music, said hoppus.

upon july 2016 release, california became band s second number-one album on billboard 200, , first in 15 years; reached top first time in united kingdom. lead single, bored death , became group s first number 1 single in 12 years. band supported album large headlining tour across north america between july , october 2016, , european leg in june , july 2017. deluxe edition of california—essentially double album including songs left off original album—was issued in 2017. california earned band first nomination best rock album @ grammy awards. critical reviews of album, however, mixed; many considered feldmann s input , throwback nature of songs formulaic.

when band completes touring california, plan take time off , begin recording eighth studio album. somehow, blink has had resurgence never expected, hoppus told kerrang! in july 2017. count myself lucky have been [playing in band] long have.