Tom DeLonge Quits Blink-182...Or Does He?

In what looks to be a repeat of its first breakup in 2005, rock band Blink-182 is splitting ways with Tom DeLonge again. See what bandmates Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker have to say about the whole episode.

Blink-182 members (from left) Tom DeLonge, Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus (Image via action182.com)

Fans of rock band Blink-182 are in for a rollercoaster ride, as news broke today that guitarist and co-vocalist Tom DeLonge has left the band “indefinitely”. The statement, released through the band’s publicist, also adds that Matt Skiba of the Alkaline Trio will be replacing DeLonge for Blink-182’s upcoming show at the Musink Festival. And yet, in quite a strange twist, Tom DeLonge has taken to Twitter to clarify that he has not left the band:

To all the fans, I never quit the band. I actually was on a phone call about a blink 182 event for New… http://t.co/7SmReh5wPr

— Tom DeLonge (@tomdelonge) January 26, 2015
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The plot thickens as bandmates Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker responded to DeLonge’s words in an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone magazine. They cited frustrations dealing with DeLonge and his management, an issue which led to album delays. According to Hoppus, “it’s been years of pushing back and I have to tell you: It feels humiliating to be in a band where you have to be apologizing for one person all the time”. Barker also called out DeLonge’s lack of contribution and didn’t mince his words when he said, “why Blink even got back together in the first place is questionable”.

For those new to Blink-182, the band was formed in 1992 but went on hiatus in 2005. DeLonge went on to form another band, Angels & Airwaves, while Hoppus and Barker did the same with +44. It was only after a 2008 plane crash that Barker was involved in that the trio reunited. Together, they rolled out their sixth Blink-182 album, Neighborhoods, in 2011. The current circumstances look to be a repeat of what transpired during their first breakup, and if it follows through, fans of the band might have to be resigned to DeLonge’s absence for the next couple of years, or worse, forever.