Enema of the State

Background:

“We are not stars. We are just dorks in a band.” Mark Hoppus

American musical group Blink-182, who is currently comprised of guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker (replaced the original drummer Scott Raynor in 1998), achieved mainstream success with the multi platinum selling “Enema of the State” (1999), which spawned the No. 1 hit single “All the Small Things.” The band continued to gain success with the double platinum records ”Take Off Your Pants and Jacket” (2001), a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, and “Blink-182” (2003). The latter album released the gold selling singles “Feeling This” and “I Miss You,” before DeLonge quit the group in early 2005. They then went on a hiatus from 2005 to 2009.

DeLonge, who previously had a side project called Box Car Racer, formed a new group called Angels & Airwaves, in 2005. The group has scored three studio albums and Hoppus and Barker worked together in a group called +44.

Blink-182 was reunited in February 2009. They are currently working on a studio album.

Duck Tape

Childhood and Family:

Thomas Matthew DeLonge, Jr. (born December 13, 1975) was kicked out of school for drinking at a basketball game before attending Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego County, California, in early 1992. He made friends with Anne Hoppus at school and was later introduced to her brother, Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972). With the same hope of being in a band, the two decided to start a band together and recruited their friend Scott William Raynor, Jr. (born May 23, 1978). With DeLonge on guitars and vocals, Hoppus on bass guitars and vocals, and Raynor on drums, the trio began performing together as Duck Tape until DeLonge renamed the group Blink.

Due to problems with alcohol, Raynor was asked to leave the group midway through a tour in 1998. He was replaced by Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) of the group's support band The Aquabats, for the remainder of the tour. Baker later left The Aquabats to join Blink-182 as a full time member.

I Miss You

Career:

In May 1993, Blink-182 recorded their first demo called “Flyswatter” in the bedroom of drummer Scott Raynor. Because of the poor sound quality, they only released a small amount of the demo to their family and friends. They made their second demo, “Demo #2,” later that same year. It featured re-recordings of a few “Flyswatter” songs and also included new songs. Recorded in a studio in San Diego, the group's third and final demo, “Buddha,” which they self produced, was released in 1993 through Filter Records. Five years later, in 1998, a re-mastered version of the album was released on Kung Fu Records, an independent label owned by Joe Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald of the punk rock band The Vandals.

Thanks to their amusing stage shows, the band caught the attention of local San Diego record label Cargo Music and was eventually signed to the label. Their first full length album, “Cheshire Cat,” was released on February 17, 1994. It received generally positive reviews from music critics and charted at No. 187 in the U.K. and No. 27 in New Zealand. Although the album was not a commercial success, it is credited by bands and fans as an iconic release. “Cheshire Cat” marked the only official Blink-182 album to be released under the band name Blink.

The release and early popularity of the album soon gained the band a manager. It also gained anger from an Irish pop band of the same name. To avoid a legal dispute, the band added “182” to the end of their name. In 1995, the band released an extended play titled “They Came to Conquer... Uranus,” on Grilled Cheese, and relocated to Encinitas, California, the following year. After the move, they began working on their second album, “Dude Ranch,” which was released on June 17, 1997.

Produced by Mark Trombino, “Dude Ranch” peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard 200 and went gold a year after its release. It was certified platinum by RIAA in 1999. The album also went double platinum in Canada and platinum in Australia, where it peaked at No. 47 and No. 25, respectively. In the U.K., the album charted at No. 100. The lead single “Dammit,” which was written by bassist Mark Hoppus, was released on September 23, 1997, and became the band's first hit single. The song rose to No. 11 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and No. 26 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks. “Dude Ranch” also produced such singles as “Lemmings” (1996) and “Apple Shampoo” (1997) and Blink-1982 toured extensively in 1997 and 1998. In the middle of the tour in 1998, drummer Scott Raynor was fired because of drinking problems and was replaced by Travis Barker, the drummer of Blink-182's support band The Aquabats.

With a new drummer, Blink-182 entered the studio in October 1998 to begin work on what would become their breakthrough record, “Enema of the State.” Launched on June 1, 1999, via MCA Records, the album earned generally positive reviews and was a success worldwide. It rocketed to No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum within two months of its release. It has been certified 5X platinum by RIAA and made the Top 10 in Canada (#7), Australia (#4), Italy (#5) and New Zealand (#2). It also went platinum in the United Kingdom.

“Enema of the State” generated three hit singles. Released on November 16, 1999, the single “What's My Age Again,” written by Hoppus, rose to No. 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 19 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It also peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 17 on the U.K. Singles chart. The follow up single, “All the Small Things,” peaked at No. 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks, No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the U.K. Singles chart. The video won a 2000 MTV Video Music for Best Group Video and was nominated for Video of the Year and Best Pop Video. The final single, “Adam's Song,” which was released on September 5, 2000, peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart.

On November 7, 2000, Blink-182 released a live album titled “The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!)” with Jerry Finn, the producer of their successful album “Enema of the State.” Despite receiving a mixed reception from critics, the album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified gold by RIAA. The albums spawned the hit single “Man Overboard,” which peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. Also in 2000, the band was handed the Best New Act honor at the MTV Europe Music Awards and the Choice Rock Group at the Teen Choice Awards.

Blink-182 released the album “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket” on June 12, 2001. Also produced by Finn, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 350,000 pieces in the first week of its release. The album also became a chart topper in Canada and Germany and went double platinum in the U.S. The album produced three hit singles with “The Rock Show,” “First Date” and “Stay Together for the Kids,” which went to No. 2. No. 6 and No. 7 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart, respectively. “First Date” received a nomination for Best Group Video at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

In 2001, the band won an MTV European in the category of Best Rock Act, a Kid's Choice for Favorite Band, and a Teen Choice for Best Rock Group. Also that year, Hoppus' sister released a book about the beginning of the band called “Blink-182: Tales From Beneath Your Mom.” After the group postponed their European tour in the wake of the September 11 attacks and DeLonge's back problems, the band shared the stage with Green Day in the Pop Disaster Tour during the summer of 2002.

In late 2001, while taking time off from Blink-182, DeLonge and Barker formed a side band named Box Car Racer with lead guitarist David Kennedy of Hazen Street. The group released the self titled debut album on May 21, 2002, and it was a success. The album peaked at No. 12 in the U.S. and No. 27 in the U.K. The band toured throughout 2002 before disbanding in 2003. Meanwhile, Barker was asked to join the group Transplant in 2002 and accepted the offer. The debut album, “Transplant,” was released on October 22, 2002. After completing their side projects, Blink-182 regrouped and entered the studio to work on their next album.

The album “Blink-182” was launched on November 18, 2003, on Geffen Records. It peaked at No.3 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 in Canada and No. 22 in the U.K. Released on October 2, 2003, the lead single “Feeling This,” which was written by DeLonge and Hoppus, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and was certified gold by RIAA. The next single, “I Miss You,” released in February 2004, went to No. 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart and became his second consecutive gold single in the U.S. It won a 2004 Teen Choice for Choice Love Song. The third single, “Down,” released in June 2004, peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, while the fourth and final single, “Always,” peaked at No. 39 on the same chart. Thanks to the huge success of “Feeling This” and “I Miss You,” the album was eventually certified double platinum in the U.S. and Canada and platinum in the U.K.

After internal problems, DeLonge decided to leave the band in early 2005 and the band announced they were taking an indefinite break in February 2005. A greatest hit compilation album, “Greatest Hits,” was released on October 31, 2005. The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum in Canada, Australia and the U.K. The single “Not Now” peaked at No. 18 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart.

After the breakup, DeLonge formed the group Angels & Airwaves, whose members also included former Box Car Racer guitarist David Kennedy, drummer Atom Willard from The Offspring and Rocket from the Crypt, and bassist Matt Wachter from 30 Seconds to Mars, who joined the group in 2007 after the departure of Ryan Sinn. Angels & Airwaves has released three studio albums titled “We Don't Need to Whisper” (2006, #4 US), “I-Empire” (2007, #9 US) and “Love” (2010). Meanwhile, Hoppus and Barker continued working together in a new band called +44. They released their debut album, “When Your Heart Stops Beating,” on November 14, 2006.

On September 19, 2008, Barker was injured in a plane crash in Columbia, South Carolina. He has since made a full recovery but while he was in the hospital, he was visited by Blink-182 band members Hoppus and DeLonge, a meeting that led to the reconciliation of the group. The threesome performed together at the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony on February 8, 2009. They went on to tour the U.S. and Europe throughout 2009.

Blink-182 is set to release a new studio album in Spring 2011.

Awards:

• Teen Choice: Choice Love Song, “I Miss You,” 2004

• Kids' Choice: Favorite Band, 2001

• MTV Europe Music: Best Rock Act, 2001

• Teen Choice: Best Rock Group, 2001

• MTV Europe Music: Best New Act, 2000

• MTV Video Music: Best Group Video, “All the Small Things,” 2000

• Teen Choice: Choice Rock Group, 2000