Blink-182 played for the first time without their longtime frontman Tom DeLonge last week, with Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio taking his place at the Roxy in LA. DeLonge’s departure from the band was announced in January, followed by his apparent lack of knowledge on the decision, followed by ongoing back and forth statements amongst band members.
Tom DeLonge Is Leaving Blink 182…Maybe?
In an interview with Billboard, drummer Travis Barker said the new lineup was “definitely a great feeling,” explaining:
“Oh, it was so fun ’cause you’re in a practice room for four weeks and I know how dope it sounds and I know how good the vibe is going, but no one else does. So it’s finally like, ‘Okay, we’ve heard Trav talk about it, we’ve heard Mark talk about it, we just witnessed it.’ Fans pretty much feel the same way. In San Diego during our encore, kids were chanting ‘Skiba, Skiba.’ It was awesome. I’m glad we did them too because this is a lot of people just to walk out in front of for the first time.
“It went off just like I thought it would. It was definitely a great feeling to see what I was feeling was reassured by the crowd response and by feedback via the Internet and social media.”
Meanwhile, DeLonge has shared a new acoustic track titled “The Invisible Parade.” Listen here.