A Teenage Affair With Blink 182

I cried when Blink 182 announced their ‘indefinite hiatus’ in 2005. Not just a singular shed tear, no, full on hysterical, snotty disgusting tears. I told my parents, who were understandably pretty concerned to see their teenage daughter having a bit of a nervy breakdown. My dad laughed at me. Fair enough. At the time I responded with, “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND ME, I’M RUNNING AWAY, I’M SO DEPRESSED.” I wore black for a week, didn’t talk to my parents and played ‘Shut Up’ on repeat really loudly, because that’s what angry ‘misunderstood’ teenagers do.

Of course, I soon learnt to live without my favourite trio of middle aged punk popsters. There were variations of Blink, in the form of +44 and Angels And Airwaves, the latter was described by Tom DeLonge as, “the greatest rock and roll revolution for this generation.” I tried to like them, I did. They just weren’t ever so good really.

They joined forces once again in 2009 after Travis Barker survived a plane accident.  DeLonge said, “When Travis survived his plane crash, it was something that pulled us all together pretty quickly.” So now they’re Blink BFFs again.

Their eagerly awaited new single, ‘Up All Night’ was released online last month and was a bit of a shock for me. I didn’t know how to react. My first thought- why does Tom DeLonge always sound like he’s got a blocked up nose?

My second thought- this is quite good actually. I think the single takes a couple of listens, as I said, when I first listened I wondered if Tom would like some Sudafed. It’s got all the components we loved Blink 182 for the first time around, we hear a bit of Tom and a bit of Mark, and Travis is beating the shit out of the drums as per usual.

From what I can work out- the new single is about some demons that keep them up all night, I expect these are a metaphor. The only downfall, a lot of it doesn’t really make a lot of sense, ‘Everyone wants to call it all around our life with a better name’- what does this mean?

The guitars are a lot heavier than a lot of their previous music, it has quite a metal edge at times, but the chorus softens the track and gives it the classic Blink 182 sound.

The return of Blink 182- some think it’s great news, others think it’s awful news. I think it’s just news. The new single is nothing we haven’t heard before, but it’s good that the boys have been able to stay together for the kids, because I miss you Blink 182 – always (See what I did there?).

Charley Bray