DeLonge should man up and quit Blink says Barker

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker wants estranged frontman Tom DeLonge to “man up” and officially quit the band.

He believes his former colleague lost interest in punk rock – and he’s speculated about the chances of recording with stand-in Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio.

The details of DeLonge’s departure remains unclear after Barker and Mark Hoppus said in January that he’d left “indefinitely” – but the frontman insisted he hadn’t bowed out.

Now Barker tells Alternative Nation: “I think this is the third time he’s quit without anyone knowing about it, because we didn’t announce it the other times. This is just the last straw. It’s not cool for fans.”

But he says there’s no bad blood, adding: “I wish him the best in everything he does.

“I think the right thing for him to do would be just man up and quit the band, and just be real with the fans. That would give him some closure too, to really do what he’s passionate about.”

And he reflects: “I love 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.”

Blink-182 will play Barker’s Musink Festival later this month, with Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba in DeLonge’s place. “There’s really a great vibe and everyone’s stoked,” says the drummer. “Skiba is killing it.

“If we did make an album with Skiba it would be unreal. I don’t know if that’s a possibility yet – right now, there’s a vibe in the rehearsal room that we haven’t had in a long time.”

Earlier this week DeLonge revealed first details of a solo album.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.