“We used to play music together, and we decided we’re going to play music together again. Blink-182 is back”

In 2009, Blink-182 announced their return at the Grammy Awards with the words that fans far and wide had been hoping to hear since an ‘indefinite hiatus’ was called four years previously. It was a break up that in turn broke many hearts – not just for the fact that Blink-182 were gone, but due to the bitter, poisonous circumstances that caused the break up, which came to light soon afterwards.

Names were called and (metaphorical) punches were thrown on both sides. Guitarist/singer Tom DeLonge claimed that his aim was to spend more time with his family, after band life started to take its toll. Close to a year later, he established Alt-Rock band Angels and Airwaves. Something didn’t quite add up.

Fellow band members Mark Hoppus (bass) and Travis Barker (drums) were less diplomatic when it came to explaining the break up. Having formed their own band, +44, rumours were flying regarding the undertones on several of their songs and the two finally opened up to address it. Barker said in an interview with MTV that “the only reason we were being cool and calling it an ‘indefinite hiatus’ is because that’s what this dork at the head of our record label was telling us. So that’s when you find out that everyone was conspiring against you. That makes you go, ‘Fuck you. Here’s a song about the real deal.’”

He added “We were on our way to go play a tsunami benefit and Tom didn’t call, but his manager did, and he said that Tom couldn’t contain his shit long enough to play a song for people who were suffering, which was pretty sad to me.”

Sparks were flying, and at that stage it seemed that there was no chance of water under the bridge and that Blink would ever reform. But as tragedy struck, and Barker was critically injured in a plane crash that killed friend DJ AM and four others, the band reconnected, with DeLonge claiming that “none of it matters when it comes to somebody getting hurt”. It was announced on 8 February 2009 at the Grammy Awards that Blink-182 was back.

It was a long old slog before we were given any new material from the band. A few reunion performances occured and in 2011 album ‘Neighborhoods’ appeared. It was a mish mash of different styles, drawing on influence from the three band members different interests and side projects. It felt disjointed – the reason for this could be put down to the fact that the band never actually recorded in the same studio. Blink fans accepted what can only be described as a substandard Blink-182 album on the premise that at least they existed. They were still here, and that’s all that mattered.

December 2012 saw the release of a Christmas EP entitled ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ which was far superior in its five songs than the entirety of ‘Neighborhoods’. The band seemed like they were back on the right track to working functionally as a group. The three members continued to work on their own side projects and kept in contact. Yes, we were still waiting for a full length follow up to ‘Neighborhoods’ but, of course, these things take time.

Let’s get back to the present day. 2015 is not even a month in, and it seems like once again, Blink-182 are no more.

The whole ordeal began when Blink-182 announced that Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba would be filling in for DeLonge at the Musink Music Festival. They released a statement which read:

“We were all set to play this festival and record a new album and Tom kept putting it off without reason. A week before we were scheduled to go in to the studio we got an email from his manager explaining that he didn’t want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavours”

It seemed like the entire planet was frantically asking ‘where has Tom gone?’. He responded by taking to Instagram and posting the following:

“To all the fans, I never quit the band. I actually was on a phone call about a blink 182 event for New York City at the time all these weird press releases started coming in… Apparently those releases were ‘sanctioned’ from the band. Are we dysfunctional- yes. But, Christ…..#Awkward #BabyBackRibs”

This bizarre contradiction left us more confused than before. In addition, in a tweet which was later deleted, DeLonge confessed that the band had previously spoken about parting ways with Travis Barker. The tweet read “A year ago Mark and I spent a week on the phone with managers debating parting with Travis… Don’t pretend there isn’t more to the story”.

As many Blink-182 tears were shed from fans, the story grew more chaotic and more ridiculous by the second. Dysfunctional doesn’t even begin to describe the image Blink-182 were painting of themselves. To clear up the situation, Hoppus and Barker explained things in an interview with Rolling Stone.

What appears to be the case is a lack of interest and ‘ungratefulness’ on DeLonge’s part. The story is long, complex and gives a distinct sense of deja vu to the ‘indefinite hiatus’ of 2005.

Hoppus said that “On December 30th, we get an e-mail from Tom’s manager saying that he has no interest in recording and that he wants to do his other, non-musical stuff and that he’s out indefinitely. There’s a flurry of e-mails going back and forth for clarification about the recording and the show and his manager sends [an e-mail] back saying, “Tom. Is. Out.” Direct quote. This is the exact same e-mail we got back in 2004 when Tom went on indefinite hiatus before.

Hoppus added that Delonge’s attitude had, for a long time, been “not excited and not interested”. After years of bending over backwards to accommodate the needs of DeLonge, the band have opened up about the guy who seems to have put anything else above the needs of Blink-182 since 2005. Barker admitted in the interview that “why Blink even got back together in the first place is questionable”.

What can be taken away from this flurry of shots fired on both sides is that Blink-182, as we know and love it, is over. But then again, from the attitudes that have come to light of Tom DeLonge, it seems that it’s been over for a while. DeLonge appears to have been thoroughly cowardly in his approach to parting from the band he formed over 20 years ago, making moves in a similar way to how he departed Blink in 2005.

While it could have been construed as bitter and childish, in 2005 Hoppus and Barker were open about the break up and (quite frankly) the shitty circumstances which surrounded it. Almost 10 years later, Hoppus and Barker’s loyalty to the band has seemingly never faltered, yet DeLonge seems thoroughly uninterested in the whole affair. As much as he has played the victim in the past and is attempting to play it again now, his approach to dealing with Blink-182 and his problems is nothing but deplorable.

It’s incredibly sad and hurtful for any fan to have to find out that the band they love is a lie – and that seems to be the case with Blink-182. How can anyone look back on the past six years and be pleased to know that Blink-182 were back? Their whole facade was a bitter misconception of what was happening behind closed doors. The truth is out, what’s said can’t be unsaid, and for Blink-182 it looks like it’s time to break up once more.

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