Blink-182’s wildest live moments
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From scrappy performances on the travelling Warped Tour to impressive festival headline gigs, Blink-182 have always been a chaotic, entertaining live group. There are few bands who can squeeze in that many dick jokes onstage, while still breaking hearts with emotional tracks like ‘Adam’s Song’ or ‘Stay Together For The Kids’.
Ahead of the classic lineup returning to the UK next week and the release of long-awaited album ‘One More Time’ on October 20, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to find the wildest performances in Blink-182 history.
Warped Tour, Miami (1996)
The second ever Warped Tour (and the first sponsored by Vans) featured just two stages, with bands alternating between them. The likes of Deftones, Beck, Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones all featured, as did a fledgling pop-punk trio known as Blink-182 who were only added to the lineup on the insistence of Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge. At this point, Travis Barker was yet to join the band with Scott Raynor on drums but already the chemistry between Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus was clear to see.
Famous Stars and Straps, California (1999)
With 1997’s ‘Dude Ranch’ and 1999’s ‘Enema Of The State’ turning Blink-182 into punk superstars, this pop-up performance to celebrate the opening of Barker’s Famous Stars and Straps store in California is sheer pandemonium. According to some fans, Barker got in a lot of trouble for shutting down the street for this celebratory gig.
Big Day Out, Sydney, Australia (2000)
Australia was one of the first countries to really embrace the giddy toilet humour of Blink-182. 2000’s edition of the touring Big Day Out festival was headlined by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails alongside appearances from Foo Fighters and The Chemical Brothers but the talk of the festival was Blink. Pulling a giant crowd, the band opened with the swear-tastic ‘Family Reunion’ and their zero-fucks attitude dominatined a set that was as carefree as it was brilliant.
Pepsi Smash, Target Center, Minneapolis (2004)
Celebrating the release of their iconic ‘untitled’ album, Blink-182 took part in Pepsi Smash, a televised live performance that saw the band power through recent hit ‘I Miss You’ and a turbo-charged ‘The Rock Show’. Showcasing a more mature, refined side of the band that was still capable of packing a punch, this is a snapshot of a band about to blow up.
Tweeter Centre, Camden, New Jersey (2004)
Travis Barker has been rightly celebrated as the missing piece that transformed Blink-182 from scrappy punk rockers to something more ambitious. This 2004 performance really highlights just how much of a beast he is behind the kit, playing the entire gig with a broken right foot without missing a beat.
Conan (2011)
Filmed during the first, short-lived reunion of Blink-182’s classic lineup, this appearance on late night television show Conan captures a band comfortably stepping outside their comfort zone. At the time, sixth studio album ‘Neighborhoods’ had its share of critics but it’s moments like this that showcase the underrated brilliance of that record.
Lollapalooza, Chicago (2017)
Tom DeLonge left Blink-182 again in 2015, with Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba stepping in to keep things going. During his seven-year stint in the band, Blink-182 released two albums (2016’s ‘California’ and 2019’s ‘Nine’) that paid homage to the bands roots but still pushed things forward.
Live, it was easy to miss DeLonge during classics like ‘I Miss You’ but Skiba really took ownership of newer tracks like ‘Cynical’ and ‘Bored To Death’, as seen during this headline set at 2017’s Lollapalooza Festival.
Coachella, California (2023)
Originally billed as a warm-up for their global reunion tour, Blink-182 ended up headlining Coachella Festival after Frank Ocean cancelled his appearance at Weekend Two. A warm, euphoric return from a beloved band, it was the sort of magical set that felt nostalgic, fresh and vital. The trio sounded tighter than ever, but still found time for a well-placed dick joke. No wonder there’s so much excitement around new album ‘One More Time’ and their ongoing world tour.
Blink-182 play:
Oct 11 – London, UK – The O2
Oct 12 – London, UK – The O2
Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Oct 15 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Oct 21 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival
Feb 9 – Perth, Western Australia – RAC Arena
Feb 11 – Adelaide, South Australia – Entertainment Centre
Feb 13 – Melbourne, Victoria – Rod Laver Arena
Feb 16 – Sydney, New South Wales – Qudos Bank Arena
Feb 19 – Brisbane, Queensland – Entertainment Centre
Feb 23 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena
Feb 26 – Christchurch, NZ – Christchurch Arena
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Blink-182 at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Fans from more than 30 countries have bought tickets on viagogo to see Blink 182 perform in the UK at the O2 this October. Ticket sales show that the majority of demand is led by UK based fans followed by US fans travelling to the UK to see this golden state rock band. Tickets on viagogo have sold for as low as 59 GBP.
The post Blink-182’s wildest live moments appeared first on NME.
Ali Shutler
NME
