This year Reading & Leeds’ favourite American trio ‘Blink 182’ were booked to headline one of 3 nights at each Festival, closing the first night of Leeds Festival last Friday, and the entirety of Reading Festival last Sunday.
With the Leeds Festival stage sporting a backdrop of their logo on the British flag, they triumphantly entered the stage with the instantly recognisable ‘Feeling This’, before continuing to play a couple more of their hits; ‘What’s My Age Again?’ and ‘The Rock Show’. All 3 went down well with the extremely well behaved crowd (maybe they were all in awe at what they were part of?), that knew every word, apart from when Tom DeLonge wittily changed a couple of lyrics, to those of an explicit nature of course, but what did you expect?!
The band played a range of tracks from their back catalogue, including 3 from their 2013 album, ‘Neighborhoods’, which is their newest material to date. The band announced a few days before the Festival that they had a surprise in store for fans, which appeared to be when they demanded the stage lights to be turned off, whilst they played ‘Happy Holidays, You Bastard’ from the ‘Take Off Your Pants And Jacket’ album. It may only be August, but it was incredible.
Though it’s such moves like this that have resulted in the band being criticized for being ‘childish’ and ‘immature’, for example a recent review ranted about how the band haven’t grown up, slating their on stage banter with each other, as well as their jokes. DeLonge was in what can only described as a playful mood, from belching at the end of ‘Wishing Well’, to telling the crowd how Mark Hoppus penetrated him for the first time a few nights before, by sticking his finger in his ear whilst they were on stage. Before playing ‘Dumpweed’, DeLonge explained “sometimes “sometimes, when I’m doing it, I like to go back and do some old shit like take random pieces of furniture and stick it in my butt. That’s what this song reminds me of.”
Without jokes like this, with the inclusion of DeLonge sniggering at the word “penetration”, would they really be the Blink 182 we all know and love? Why change a good thing? It’s clear that fans in the crowd had gone to see the Blink 182 that they joined the fandom of how ever long ago, whether it was when they were 15, and they first heard the ‘Cheshire Cat’ album, or even recently, when the band reunited and released ‘Neighborhoods’. The band were as full of energy as they’ve ever been and played their Headline slot exactly how any Blink 182 fan would expect them too.
The band graced us with a cover of ‘Misfits – Hybrid Moments’ towards the end of the show, which they ended with ‘Carousel’, which Hoppus explained he “fucked up” the opening bass to whilst playing one of their European dates that week. It’s hard to believe that is a true story as he played it absolutely flawlessly, even praising himself when it came to an end.
Of course the set wasn’t over yet, with drummer Travis Barker taking to the stage for a solo, DeLonge mysteriously hammering his pedal board and Hoppus reentering the stage as they joined together to play ‘Violence’ from the ‘Untitled’ album. The encore ended with ‘FUCK’ spelt out in flames, and also consisted of ‘Dammit’ and ‘Family Reunion’ before Barker and DeLonge gave their thanks and left the stage, leaving Hoppus, who gently placed his bass down and took an unexpected position behind Barker’s drum kit, raising sticks the air in proudness, before playing a solo – if there’s anything equal in greatness as watching a great musician flawlessly play their instrument, it’s seeing them conquer another, and that he did.
When it comes to Blink 182, you get the whole package of fun, songs, instruments, banter, and jokes. And if Reading & Leeds Festival taught us anything about them, it’s that they NEVER disappoint.
The full Blink 182 set filmed at Reading Festival is still available on BBC iPlayer.
‘Blink 182 – All The Small Things’ at Reading Festival:
By Laura Dean – @modestlaura
