Friday night could not come soon enough for the die-hard blink fans who had been waiting well over a year to see their beloved pop-punk jokers turned stadium rock band with a twist. The re-scheduled tour from last year gave the first opportunity for the trio to present their latest effort to their London faithful. Its safe to say that there was intense anticipation in the air throughout the warmup acts and before the curtain finally dropped.
The warmup acts themselves will not draw floods of discussion in relation to their performance. A quick set from the slightly heavier Four Year Strong, entertained the half full arena for half an hour or so, but was almost drowned out by the size of the venue in comparison to the enthusiasm of the audience. It seemed a strange selection for a blink companion on the first leg of their tour. Second up was the much more well known All American Rejects. They have a strong back catalogue, with plenty of radio play in Europe. Personally, i was looking forward to seeing them and hearing some of the songs that sprout memories from teen-hood, something many associate with Blink-182, making them a very sensible choice for a supporting act. However, Tyson Ritter's idea of humour met mixed reactions from the slowly filling crowd as he insisted on consistently insulted the seated audience, especially those in the boxes.... repeatedly. Not cool. Especially referring to them as 'rich kids', hard to comprehend as standing tickets usually cost more than a seated. However, a good performance enjoyed by most but still viewed as a procrastination by others rather than a warm up. Especially those who had had their ticket for well over a year.
Blink or, Blink 18eee2.....is......a tough one. An acquired taste... marmite. The same can be said for a live performance from three guys who do seem an odd fit. Like an old married couple, who clearly are sick to the core of the other's voice yet still have an evident love, lust (?) and understanding, Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus share their banter and toilet humour on stage. All the mean while the superior musician Travis Barker, spends his time getting on with things and putting on an exceptional, professional show. They ripped through their back catalogue and blended it nicely with the more modern anthems and the post break up tracks. Man Overboard and Josie providing an excellent triggers for personal memories of jumping into bushes and other teen antics. After this, i felt rather old. Then i realised everyone there seemed to be of a similar age. all between 20-30 and some above. To my surprise there were few of a younger age. Clearly the band maintaining their older fans through the bands trauma over most of the last decade. The show sounded and looked good and was topped off perfectly with the standard procedure of the Travis Barker solo, which makes his fellow band members appear as though they are performing in their garage. The gap between them is not as bad as it has been previously. Practice has clearly been had, and the gig seemed to flow better than it had done in the past. With Delonge at times actually sounding quite good. A rarity that only few had seen before. Hoppus performed with his usual enthusiasm and i cant help but feel sorry for him attempting to professionally get through his music despite Delonge forgetting words and the odd bum-note from his guitar. This however, is what a Blink show is all about. You don't go to listen to the fine music on display, you go to have a good time with mates you havent seen in a long time, and not take life to seriously. The band admit they never used to take it seriously (Whether they do now is a discussion for a different day) so why should we? An enjoyable show for those who love the band for who they are.
I love this band, and the strong set they have put together, they take me back to better times. If you spent your teens listening to them, go see them you wont regret it. As said before, Blink 182 are a Marmite sandwich. You would not go see Blink 182 if you like Marmite???
SET LIST
Feeling This
Up All Night
The Rock Show
What's My Age Again?
Down
I Miss You
Wishing Well
Dumpweed
Always
Violence
After Midnight
First Date
Heart's All Gone
Man Overboard
Ghost On The Dance Floor
All The Small Things
Josie
Travis Drum Solo (Can the Drummer Get Some)
Carousel
Dammit
(Blow Job/Family Reunion)
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