After the news that we heard the other day, that a well-overdue Blink-182 Australian tour is on the horizon and then inevitable news that 1/3 of the legendary pop punk trio Travis Barker would most likely not be making the long trip with them due to his fear of flying, it kind of slightly dulled the excitement just a little bit.
It’s just not quite Blink without the shirtless, tattooed and occasionally mo-hawked drummer, who brought powerful rhythm and life to the band when he joined them back in 1998. But it’s not totally out of the question, as Barker reveals in a recent interview with Red Bulletin magazine.
The drummer talks about how he knows that his fear will hinder the band’s tour progress, and while boat trips have been an easy option for their European tour, a longer trip to a country like Australia might make him consider the possible option to be “knocked out”.
He says: “This will be the big tour that supports the album in Europe. Mind you, I’m not flying, so it’s hard to say what the band could do or what its potential is, because I can’t really get everywhere.”
“I’m contemplating getting knocked out and getting on a plane to Australia. I want to overcome that eventually. When I do, I think it’s going to be Qantas. They never had a crash, never had a fatality — knock on wood. It’s something I want to overcome for me — and my kids are scared to death to fly. I want them to witness me overcome it.”
In 2008 Barker was involved in a horrific plane accident that killed four passengers and almost took his own life. He no longer flys, and admits it’s a big problem for him considering his touring life style, but on the plus side, if there is any, he now runs and swims every day, eats well and has taken on a vegan diet.
