Even with the first lineup announcement just around the corner. It’s official. Mark, Tom and Travis – yes, and Travis – are confirmed to hit Australia with the news that Blink 182 are officially confirmed for Soundwave 2013 in February next year.
Soundwave Boss and twitter addict AJ Maddah confirmed the news last night over his social media feed, writing simply:
MARK + TOM + TRAVIS. Yes, TRAVIS. #SW13 #BLINK182
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) August 2, 2012
The rumour that Blink 182 would be heading to Australia for the first time since 2004, first sparked a few weeks back when drummer Travis Barker replied to a comment on his Instagram account, after a posting a photo taken from a Blink 182 performance at UK’s The Eden Project.
A commenter on the image wrote: “Hey, there’s this place called Australia that would love to see you too…” to which the Blink drummer replied, “Mark and Tom will be there in Feb of next year but with a fill in drummer cause I don’t fly. Sorry brotha.”
Turns out he will be, though its unconfirmed exactly how Barker is planning on getting to Australia, chances are it won’t be by air.
Barker has had a severe fear of flying ever since his incredible 2008 escape from a burning plane that claimed the life of everyone on board bar him and DJ Adam Goldstein, a catastrophic event that eventually led to the reformation of the punk group and the release of the pop punks’ sixth studio album, Neighbourhoods last year and their first since their 2005 split.
The heavily-tattooed sticksman has previously admitted that his flying phobia has been an obstacle to the band’s touring schedule. Last year he was quoted as saying “I’m working on it though. I’m trying to get hypnotized, trying to talk to a doctor who retrains your brain. Maybe he’ll help me fly again one day.”
It’s also been suggested that he just sail around on tour, to which Barker replied, “Yeah, but I want to go to Australia. But that would take me 31 days on a boat. I don’t know if I can do it… but I want to go there so fucking bad.”
Australians have been pining for a return appearance from the punk pop icons for over a decade, and given the combination of their ‘indefinite hiatus’ in 2005 and Barker’s tragic plane incident, most had given up hope of ever seeing Blink 182 – particularly with Barker – on Australian shores again.
Maddah’s confirmation of Blink 182 for Soundwave 2013 is just the latest in a festival bill that’s had more leaks than the Titanic, with Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor confirming that his other group, Stone Sour, would be playing the Australian heavy rock and metal event; along with a swathe of acts already locked in for the forthcoming lineup.
Sludge metallers Kingdom Of Sorrow, post-hardcore act The Blackout and Cannibal Corpse side-project Six Feet Under are all already confirmed for Soundwave 2013. While Toronto-bred hardcore act The Cancer Bats also confirmed they’ll be appearing, following the announcement that their earlier Australian tour in July was cancelled, a press release from the band rescheduled for confirming that the band will “instead return for Soundwave 2013 which means they will now be performing in all 5 state capitals.”
The rumour mill, often churned by Maddah’s own social media feed, has also turned up a bunch of other potential acts, including Machine Head and Periphery (whose new album Periphery II is one of the year’s most diverse metal releases).
The confirmation of Blink 182, also probably puts them as headliners for Soundwave 2013, with the full lineup to be expected… well, much sooner than we think…
