Tom DeLonge talks about Blink split in new Angels & Airwaves documentary

Contributed by an Anonymous Source. Posted by aubin on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 3:00 PM (EDT)

A new clip from Angels and Airwaves has Tom Delonge talking about the break up of his former band, Blink-182. Tom discusses the circumstances around the breakup and the problems with family, Boxcar Racer and the other circumstances. The disc is titled Start the Machine [DVD] and was released June 17, 2008.

Bands in this story

Angels and Airwaves

Blink-182

Box Car Racer

Universal Music Group (88 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

HooverStreet (June 19, 2008)

This is a great documentary.

Is +44 viewed as a commerical failure in comparison to these guys? I have no perspective on either band's popularity.

xcarlupanddiex (June 19, 2008)

i think both bands are commerical failure, if compared to blink182. or maybe in general overall...

vocalyouth (June 19, 2008)

yeah, i would say compared to blink they are both pretty big flops.

HooverStreet (June 19, 2008)

Good point. That sort of goes without saying though. I guess the question stems from the fact that A&A did a second record already and +44 had to fight for funding from the label according to a post here recently.

punckass (June 20, 2008)

a&a seem to have gotten pretty big recently, surely they doing pretty damn well in terms of record sales? +44 are a much smaller scale band, they don't seem to have sold out in the same way as a&a, and seem happy playing smaller venues. they make much more honest music i would say!

FatTony (June 19, 2008)

According to Wikipedia (so take that for what it's worth):

+44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating (305k US, 508k worldwide as of May 2008)
Angels & Airwaves - We Don't Need To Whisper (600k US, 1.5m worldwide as of July 2007)
Angels & Airwaves - I-Empire (225k US as of June 2008)
Blink 182 - S/T (313k US in its first week)

While +44 and AvA are nowhere near the popularity of Blink 182, I wouldn't really call either of them failures. However, AvA has clearly outsold +44 thus far.

VictorIkpeba24 (June 20, 2008)

I didn't imagine that AVA sold so much. No I understand better how Tom thinks he's God: "whaow, I make horrible music and 1,5M people still buy it anyway? I'm a genius."

Dante3000 (rich) (June 19, 2008)

I would call them both musical failures. Perhaps failures in humanity.
Does that count?
-Dante

Devidence (June 19, 2008)

Hahaha, fantastic.

jacknife737 (June 19, 2008)

I'm pretty sure both have sold over 500k, but AVA has probably sold more. At least +44 makes semi-listenable music.

canaandrumzz (June 19, 2008)

AVA has outsold plus 44 but travis and Mark stay busy with other things while AVA is Tom's main priority.

InaGreendase (brian) (June 19, 2008)

It's pretty good. Tom's fairly open about a lot of things and the aesthetic is weird but cool. I actually talked to him yesterday about it for Another webPage.

I threw out my back though, so if someone could lean over and get that, much appreciated.

Citizen_Crack (June 19, 2008)

Well played.

nina_d (June 19, 2008)

A+

blue_drink (June 19, 2008)

Lulz.

scientistrock (June 19, 2008)

How's that website thing he talked about a while back? Did that change the world yet?

sub360 (July 23, 2008)

is it Modlife that you are speaking of? If so, then yes it is finished and has changed the world.

sceneupdates (June 19, 2008)

I believe the new Have Heart has leaked...

xcarlupanddiex (June 19, 2008)

i believe that too

SaladFingers (June 19, 2008)

i know it has. and fuck, its good!

letthebeatdrop (June 19, 2008)

ugh...

..i'd seriously give a nut for that shit.

letthebeatdrop (June 19, 2008)

where?

fox82 (June 19, 2008)

On the Internet! Look around.

MattRamone (June 19, 2008)

What does T. DeLonge eat every morning before strapping on that guitar and rocking out to real rock? A huge heaping bowl of himself. Suck it Ditch Pig!!!

Everythigns everything MaaAaaaAaaaAgic!!

Ollywood (June 19, 2008)

you beat me to it

Neill_Cawley (June 19, 2008)

It's like the same wording and everything.

jacknife737 (June 19, 2008)

Ok, this is my new favorite meme. Suck it AM! guy.

baseball (June 20, 2008)

This meme always cracks me up, always.

Costanza (June 19, 2008)

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29630

fuck i love the onion so much.

David_Arquette (June 19, 2008)

That one was great. I waste so much time on that site.

I could never pick a favorite, but if I had to try, this one would be way up there:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/sugar_ray_thrilled_t o_be_playing

JayTee (June 19, 2008)

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27899

This is my favorite of all time!

shot_in_the_dark (June 19, 2008)

Oh I can't stop laughing! I was stuck on the bit about the mayor's head for a good while.

fraser (June 19, 2008)

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28331

Gold!

ludwigg (June 19, 2008)

i hate that atom willard is affiliated with this band.

ArtieFufkin (June 19, 2008)

thank you! Mario rocks just as hard though. I'll still slap on old RFTC - I don't care

ludwigg (June 19, 2008)

agreed. rftc were and are still awesome. john reis has the midas touch. tom delonge, not so much.

ArtieFufkin (June 19, 2008)

lol

jacknife737 (June 19, 2008)

don't even get me started on this.....

Ollywood (June 19, 2008)

What does T. DeLonge eat every morning before strapping on that guitar and rocking out to real rock? A huge heaping bowl of himself. Suck it Ditch Pig!!!

Everythigns everything MaaAaaaAaaaAgic!!

aorta (June 19, 2008)

Judging from this clip, it sounds like a Blink reunion wouldn't be too impossible.

I know Tom gets a lot of hate, but he was my favorite part of Blink-182. If Blink had actually put out the first A&A album as their next record, it probably would've achieved a level of critical praise higher than American Idiot. But because Tom was acting like such a douchebag at the time everybody hated it.

HooverStreet (June 19, 2008)

I really hope he doesn't go back and do a Blink 182 reunion any time soon. The two records that A&A did are incredible. It's really cool to see a guy from such simplistic beginnings achieve something to complex and well done. If it tanks and he needs a buck then, by all means, reunite. But I'd like to see him focus his creative energies towards more A&A releases.

kidgotham (June 19, 2008)

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not. If it is, well done.

dpetty21 (June 19, 2008)

Tom said in an interview I read that Blink would not get back together ever. It's pretty shitty to hear that.

MsJustinChris (June 20, 2008)

I'd like to hear blinkrules thoughts on the subject.

InternetTroll (June 19, 2008)

Summary: Tom talks about Tom.

anniehall (June 19, 2008)

Ha.

InternetTroll (June 19, 2008)

ha HA.

VictorIkpeba24 (June 20, 2008)

A-HA.

Spooky (June 19, 2008)

Being a sucker for pop-punk, I can somewhat appreciate older Blink Cd's like Dude Ranch and Cheshire Cat but is he choking up at 1:57? It's Blink-182 not The Rolling Stones.

Tom seems a little off.

shot_in_the_dark (June 19, 2008)

I don't want to defend the guy, but you don't have to be in the Stones for your band to be everything to you.

Spooky (June 19, 2008)

Yeah, that's true. I kind of realized that soon after I posted. They had been together since what, 1992? I guess I was just thinking about the whole immature-punk style that they had..

conebone69 (June 19, 2008)

I still think he is related to Tom Cruise

gotsmuch (June 19, 2008)

i think he's related to george w. bush. i mean come on, does anyone else see the resemblance?

JayTee (June 19, 2008)

"So Blink was pretty much hung up and shoved behind a rock, but then I ascended into Angels and Airwaves so it's all good."

kidgotham (June 19, 2008)

I don't know if it is intentional or not, but tom snorts when he says "we all have different needs and priorities."
Cocaine addiction could explain A&A nicely.

shaunheintz (June 19, 2008)

this clip just seems like he's spewing bullshit after bullshit. he doesn't even sound sincere.

xmadcowx (June 19, 2008)

Travis Barker Busta Rhymes
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1820126

KungPowza (June 20, 2008)

Say what you want about Blink, Travis Barker could play. He's the reason that band had any credibility to begin with.

GlamBalam (June 20, 2008)

http://www.punknews.org/article/29110

LORDSHREDDER (June 19, 2008)

Blink sucked and their breakup was a good thing. They did a lot of disservice to the punk community, liked bridged a path for bands like Fallout Boy and New Found Glory.

A&A are even worse, but I guess the fact they have a more diverse sound is a positive aspect.

GIVEMEnewWAVE (June 19, 2008)

yeah, because A&A's songs don't include rehashed ass versions of Blink guitar riffs just soaked in generic guitar effects.

his gibson hollowbody is cool, though.

RondoMondo (June 19, 2008)

Yeah and Screeching Weasel set the way for Blink 182, so I guess they did a huge disservice to us all.

You don't know shit about anything.

fallingupwards84 (June 19, 2008)

he is right though... how old were you when Blink released Enema?

SmellTheGlove (June 19, 2008)

They also bridged a path for an underground music scene I wasn't privy to until I heard their music. If I hadn't heard their Screeching Weasel and Nofx covers or seen Tom wear a pennywise shirt on Conan, who knows if I would have fallen into other punk bands. It sounds stupid but that's how it happened for me.

I understand what you're saying. But with every shitty faux punk band comes good and bad. As bad as they've become, I'd rather some clueless kid be a fan of My Chemical Romance than the Jonas brothers. At least there's a chance they might learn about the band's punk roots and dig deeper. Whereas digging deeper into the Jonas brothers' roots might result in learning about overaggressive stage moms and old Hanson cds.

SloaneDaley (June 19, 2008)

let's do this together. let's start the machine.

jacknife737 (June 19, 2008)

lawlz.

Dante3000 (rich) (June 19, 2008)

Way to rip of Tom Waits.
-Dante

IamMclovin (June 19, 2008)

HAHAHA!! Winner!

Mammoth (June 19, 2008)

World population to hit 7 billion in 2012

JayTee (June 19, 2008)

I thought it was 10 in 2010.

I'm gonna go to Greg Graffin's house and punch him in the neck for being WRONG.

wonton (June 19, 2008)

Seriously, LOL.

MattRamone (June 19, 2008)

AWESOME. The wars for resources are going to be amazing. I for one plan on being dead.

Devidence (June 19, 2008)

Why does he have to keep torturing us with more bands? I was so happy when blink broke up.

Now I'm just anxious to hear why Angels and Airwaves broke up.

ArtieFufkin (June 19, 2008)

Ask Fu Manchu what they think of the DVD title. Next original idea please Tom...

LORD-OF-THE-GAYS (June 19, 2008)

i didn't want to say anything, and i may be jumping the gun a little, so forgive for saying, but...

i think i may have just poo'd a little.

gotsmuch (June 19, 2008)

3 divorces. is that a metaphor for cutting off your dick and balls?

maybe his intentions with boxcar and all that were good but he acts like such a dick about everything. i can't stand his "i'm gonna start a fucking revolution" shit. who does he think he is?

i always liked mark better.

edgelife (June 19, 2008)

Mark is sick. Plus he went to my dad's high school.

fallingupwards84 (June 19, 2008)

i'm really glad Blink broke up if the material on We Don't Need To Whisper was going to be for the Blink album

eDWeiRD (June 19, 2008)

Did Tortoise get paid for that clip?

yahay (June 19, 2008)

i wonder what tom ended up doing with all those awesome songs that were supposed to be the next blink record.

BigP (June 19, 2008)

So is he saying that the A&A stuff was supposed to be new Blink stuff? I disliked the self-titled album enough, I would have killed myself if he would have released that as Blink 182. I always like Mark better anyway.

Holy_Balls (June 20, 2008)

Why does T. DeLonge poop every morning before using some of that toliet paper and whipping out his real shit? A huge heaping bowl of his dinner. Eat it Dutch Chocolate!!!

Everywehre everywhere SmmMmmmMmmmElls!!

GlamBalam (June 20, 2008)

What a Loserkid!