Travis Barker shares how life on the road has evolved since Blink-182 first exploded onto the rock scene.
As fans know, Blink-182, which was formed in Poway, California in 1992, now consists of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Barker in its best-known lineup.
In a new confessional with Us every weekthe drummer reflected on what touring is like for him today compared to the band’s early days.
“Oh, so much has changed,” he began.
He admitted that flying was one of his greatest challenges.
“I mean, personally, I’ve always had trouble flying. So, I self-medicated for years just to be able to get on a plane, and that led to a really, really unhealthy lifestyle. It led to an addiction. It never affected my drumming, and I was still able to play the drums the way I wanted.”
Today, Barker said overcoming these difficulties completely transformed both his health and his musicality.
“But wow, overcoming that and taking care of myself, and getting to the point where whatever I think about in my head, I can perform — and I’m in shape to perform. Anything I want to do, as far as exercise or anything I can imagine, I can do it because I take care of myself and it’s a different lifestyle. I’m touring with my kids.”
He also reflected on the contrast between then and now, noting that he does not regret the past but feels grateful for the present.
“I also had to live this part of my life, so I’m never, [like]’Oh, I missed that. I missed that. I’m so grateful for the way things are now. And I thought everything was easy back then, but it’s so much easier with the way I live now, with a healthy lifestyle, taking care of myself, being sober, eating right and working out a lot.”
