Blink 182 Biography
The threat of a lawsuit from a similarly named Irish band forced the guys to change their name to Blink 182. The 182 was added in honour of the number of times Al Pacino utters the 'f' word in the band's favourite gangster movie 'Scarface'!
The group earned a higher profile touring the world with Pennywise and NOFX on the 1996-97 Warped Tour as well as appearing on numerous skate, surf and snowboarding videos.
The third Blink 182 LP, 'Dude Ranch', was released in 1997. Dude Ranch proved to be quite a breakthrough album, expanding the group's audience and winning them the attention of major labels. New drummer Travis Barker joined up with the band, finding he had some spare time in between running a belt buckle design company.
Blink 182 wound up signing with MCA, who released the band's fourth album, 'Enema of the State', in mid-99. The hit single 'All The Small Things' was lifted from the album and finally broke Blink 182 in Europe. The single went on to be voted one of 'The 100 Greatest Songs Of All Time' by Rolling Stone magazine.
Regular visitors to Australia, the band earned themselves a reputation as one of the world's best touring outfits via their often rude and always outrageous live show.
Trading on their status as top concert act the trio recorded the live album 'The Mark, Tom and Travis Show', which immediately went gold in Australia. The live album produced another hit single 'Man Overboard' and was followed with a Blink 182 video 'The Urethra Chronicles'.
Then in June 2001, the fellas released the instant classic 'Take Off Your Pants And jacket' to widespread acclaim.
Live, Blink 182 are best known for their slightly perverse preference for midgets - they even have their own dwarf fill-in trio Mini-Blink - and for appearing naked during their live gigs.
In 2004, the band released a self titled album, before breaking up a year later.
