Blink-182: Tom DeLonge Missing His ‘California’ Bandmates?
Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge may be saying “I Miss You” to his former bandmates. The recently-replaced guitarist and vocalist for the California pop-punkers posted a cryptic photo on Instagram referencing his erstwhile Blink boys, as well as the musician’s latter-day rock group, Angels & Airwaves.
As reported by Alternative Nation, DeLonge displayed a Blink-182 tattoo featuring the band’s “smiley face” logo juxtaposed with Angels & Airwaves’ Love wordmark. The image was accompanied only by an appreciative hashtag from Tom. Is DeLonge feeling nostalgic for his Blink buddies?
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Blink swapped Tom for singer and strummer Matt Skiba last year. The Alkaline Trio frontman supplanted the founding band member after a turbulent period of artistic and legal disputes between DeLonge and Blink’s binary base, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.
Blink-182 and Tom DeLonge parted ways shortly after that contentious cycle following their 2011 album, Neighborhoods. Skiba first filled in with the group at California’s Musink Festival and two club dates in spring 2015. The reformed trio just released new album California and kicked off their first North American tour with Skiba.
California is being hailed by listeners as a return to form and solid comeback effort from the humorous San Diego-based band. Now without Tom DeLonge, Blink-182 topped the Billboard 200 chart for the first time in over 15 years — toppling Drake’s nine-week Views stretch in the process.
Refusing to discount the possibility of a future reunion with Tom, bassist Hoppus would rather focus on Blink’s present course. In a May interview with Rolling Stone, Mark told the magazine that he finds the group’s current membership situation as deserving of consideration.
“I’ll never say never to anything, but this is what Blink-182 is right now, and we’re in a really good spot and really excited about things and this is what the band is.”
In a track-by-track synopsis of California for Fuse, Feldmann spilled the beans on the Blink bunch and their various inspirations for the album’s songs. Alluding to the past guitarist of Blink-182, Tom DeLonge apparently served as the muse behind the record’s hometown shout-out, “San Diego.”
“The history of the song [is about] growing up in San Diego, having so many of their work partners being from San Diego and having a member who lives in San Diego who is no longer in the band… it was a song that Mark didn’t want to write. I brought up the idea that you have to write about [it].”
Perhaps DeLonge is regretting his decision to leave Blink after their California success. As evidenced, Hoppus and drummer Barker may not be “Feeling This.” The Inquisitr previously reported on the reasons behind Tom’s exit from the band, the musician citing his ongoing explorations into extraterrestrial life.
Will Blink-182 and Tom DeLonge ever again find common ground? The aforementioned tattoo photo wasn’t the only Blink-related material posted by the former guitarist online. Less than a week ago, the musician and alien investigator touted photos of himself at a San Diego Padres baseball game, the boys’ hometown team. Reportedly, the Padres have recently been playing the debut California single “San Diego” at their home games.
What do you think of Tom’s recent Instagram nod? Do you think the guitarist is missing his belated Blink brethren? Let us know your take on the situation in the comments section below.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
