R O L L I N G   S T O N E   A R T I C L E
May 2000 issue

"We never rehearse too much," says Blink-182 singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge. "I think we need to do that more often. At least that's what people have been telling us for ten years." The trio isn't killing itself preparing for its upcoming nationwide thirty-three-date voyage, titled The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show. Weeks before the tour's kickoff, no one seems to be concerned drummer Travis barker is missing in action. Bassist-singer Mark Hoppus is hanging with his fiancee, and DeLonge is doing some home improvements. "I'm installing a security system for my house," says DeLonge, "so creepy little kids don't stare at me while I'm running around naked, smearing peanut butter all over my body."

Still, although it's near impossible to get a straight answer from Hoppus and DeLonge, they seem excited about this arena tour. "We're all superstoked about it," says the California bred Hoppus. "This is the dream tour that everybody wishes they could do," adds DeLonge. To make the jump from small clubs to large rooms, he has doubled the size of his amplifier rig. "I hope it works," he says. "All I know is I paid a lot of money for it." He's also ordered more Fender Stratocasters, custom-made for "my own specific style," he says. "Actually, they just make them look fancy with lots of different colors."

This time out, the trio is trying a different visual concept than running around naked. "We're going for the Fifties retro thing," says DeLonge, "like a big drive-in movie theater. I'm thinking B-movie footage of aliens and porno. Definitely stuff you don't want the kids to see." Hoppus is excited about the state-of-the-art lighting setup. "You know those lasers that you get for eye surgery?" he asks. "That's what we're using. People will watch us, and we will correct their faulty vision."

Much like Blink's pottycentric Poo-poo Pee-pee and Race Around Uranus tours of the last two years, the new shows, says Hoppus, will offer a healthy mix of songs from their first few records, with perhaps some covers tossed in. "I want to do 'So Lonely' by the Police," he says, adding that he also wants to pay homage to one of Blink's influences by covering "Coolidge" by seminal L.A. punk-pop band the Descendents.

DeLonge doesn't see it happening. "It's hard enough to learn our own songs," he says. "Mark's way into beastiality these days, and it's consuming most of his time. He won't even find time to pick up a guitar, let alone learn two covers." DeLonge's favorite part of the set is performing the unreleased gem "Shit Piss." Of course, the one thing that fans can count on being fresh every night is Hoppus and DeLonge's hilarious onstage banter. "That's the only time we have any creativity whatsoever," DeLonge says.

When their not performing, Blink spend most of their time on tour talking on the phone and watching movies. The young entrepreneurs also kill time working with their Web site(loserkids.com), selling skate gear and other merch. "We have all these little things going. We're also in a band," says DeLonge, "but I guess that's more secondary."