Blink-182 have dusted off some classics recently, playing cuts from their breakthrough album Enema Of The State for the first time in almost 20 years.
It’s hard to believe, but on June 1st, Blink-182’s pop-punk classic Enema Of The State will turn 20 years old.
Yes, the record that gave us classic hits like ‘What’s My Age Again?’, ‘All The Small Things’, and the morose ‘Adam’s Song’ is getting on in years, and its creators recently decided to give it the birthday celebration it deserves.
Back in March, frontman Mark Hoppus revealed that the group’s festival set at California’s ‘Back To The Beach’ was going to be a special one, with Enema Of The State being played in full for the first time.
Of course, with the notable exclusion of founding guitarist Tom DeLonge, this meant that Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba had to step up the front, performing the paranoid lead vocals on the group’s first run-through of ‘Aliens Exist’ since 2001.
Check out Blink-182’s first performance of ‘Anthem’ since 2001:
The show also featured another exciting moment, with their Enema Of The State set featuring the third-ever performance of album closer ‘Anthem’, and the first time it had been performed since April of 1999.
While it wasn’t quite the same without Tom DeLonge in the fold, it seems as though the future could hold some reunion opportunities, with Mark Hoppus telling a fan on Instagram (via Alt Press) that he would reunite with his old bass if more anniversary shows occurred.
In related news, Mark Hoppus recently revealed that Blink-182’s new material is sounding much “darker” and “more aggressive” than their previous efforts.
“It’s very different to California,” Hoppus explained. “It’s a lot more aggressive. It’s darker in theme and tone.”
“If you like California to Enema Of The State then this album is more like the Untitled record where we are trying to experiment more: trying to experiment more, trying different sounds, and trying to expand upon what people think Blink-182 is.”
It doesn’t sound like we’ll be waiting too long for new tunes though, with drummer Travis Barker revealing that the new record will likely arrive before the end of June.
Check out Blink-182’s first performance of ‘Anthem’ in 20 years:
