Travis Barker talks about how dramatically life on the road has evolved since Blink-182 first exploded onto the rock scene.
As fans will know, Blink-182, which 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 Weeklyreflected the drummer on how touring looks to him now compared to the band’s early days.
“Oh, so much has changed,” he began.
He acknowledged that flying used to be one of his biggest struggles.
“I mean, with me personally, I’ve always had a hard time flying. So I would self-medicate for years just to get on a plane, and it led to a really, really unhealthy lifestyle. It led to an addiction. It never affected my drumming, and I was still able to play drums the way I wanted to.”
Today, Barker said that overcoming those struggles has completely transformed both his health and his musicianship.
“But wow, getting over that and taking care of myself and getting to the point where anything I think about in my head I could play — and I’m in shape to play. Anything I want, as far as exercise or anything else I can imagine, I can pretty much do because I take care of myself and it’s a different lifestyle. I tour with my kids.”
He also reflected on the contrast between then and now, noting that he has no regrets about the past but feels grateful for the present.
“I also have to live that part of my life so that I am never, [like]’Oh, I missed this. I missed that’. I am so grateful for the way things are now. And I thought everything was easy then, but it’s so much easier the way I live now, with a healthy lifestyle and taking care of myself and being sober and eating right and exercising a lot.’
