Blink-182: Tom DeLonge Should “Man up and quit”

On the heels of Tom DeLonge announcing details about a forthcoming solo album said to feature some Blink-182 demos, drummer Travis Barker has spoken out once again about the personnel soap opera going on with his band.

In an interview with Alternative Nation, Barker was asked to reflect on the inner-workings of Blink-182:

“I think this is the third time [DeLonge’s] quit without anyone knowing about it because we didn’t announce the other times,” explained Barker. “But this is just the last straw. It’s just not cool for the fans. He’d always agree to go on huge tours and record albums, but when it came down to going into the studio, he’d find some excuse not to. And we wouldn’t even hear from him, it would be his management. It comes to a point where you decide you’re not going to force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do and it’s time to move on.”

Barker was subsequently quizzed on whether bad blood now exists between he and DeLonge. Barker explained that there isn’t, but went on to say that DeLonge should formally and quit lying to fans.

“As far as I’m concerned, no bad blood from me. I wish him the best in everything he does. I think the right thing for him to do would just man up and quit the band instead of telling people he didn’t quit and just be real with the fans. I think that would give him some closure too and really do what he’s passionate about. Even amongst all the other projects I do, I can always find a way to prioritize and still be passionate about Blink-182 when it comes around. I love playing, listening, and everything about punk rock. It changed my life. I think for Tom, he doesn’t like punk music and it was a phase for him.”

Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba is currently filling DeLonge’s vacated role for live commitments, namely Barker’s Musink festival later this month.

“We are two weeks in to practice and [Skiba’s] killing it,” offered Barker. “There are harmonies that have never been sung. He’s actually playing the guitar instead of just Pro Tools. It’s just fresh blood and having someone that’s motivated and stoked to be there makes a world of difference. In general, Skiba has a really charming voice and it couldn’t be a better fit.”