| Blink 182 (pronounced "blink one eighty two") is a | | | | lamp post and jumped from the top, cracking |
| punk band from San Diego, California, U.S. formed | | | | both heels. The two hit it off and eventually came |
| in 1992 by Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and | | | | up with the name "Duck Tape" for the name of |
| Scott Raynor in the northern San Diego suburb of | | | | new band. Duck Tape soon transformed into Blink. |
| Poway. Travis Barker replaced Raynor on drums | | | | In need of a drummer, DeLonge recruited |
| in 1998, midway through blink-182's US tour. The | | | | 14-year-old Scott Raynor, whom he had seen |
| group went on "indefinite hiatus" in 2005. In 2006, | | | | playing at a "Battle of the Bands". |
| Mark Hoppus & Travis Barker conducted an | | | | In May 1993, Blink released a demo tape entitled |
| interview with MTV and confirmed that the group | | | | Flyswatter, recorded in drummer Scott Raynor's |
| is officially broken up. | | | | bedroom. It was their first album and a 4-track |
| The group was known for their catchy melodies, | | | | was used to record the material, resulting in poor |
| as well as for satirical, and sometimes | | | | sound quality and according to Hoppus, only |
| profanity-laden, toilet humor. Musically, the band | | | | around fifty copies were produced. Their first real |
| played up-tempo songs with prominent | | | | show took place at a bar and since they were |
| major-chord harmonies, often digitally mixed, to | | | | underage, they were only allowed to enter when |
| provide a much cleaner sound than typical punk | | | | it was time for their set. They bought 50 tickets |
| rock recordings, which generally exhibit distortion | | | | to sell, but no one came to see them. After only |
| and analogue mixes to achieve the opposite | | | | one song Blink was kicked off the stage and out |
| effect. However, their last album showed a | | | | of the bar. Before the end of the year, the band |
| significant departure from their previous works | | | | released another demo tape known as Buddha. |
| and helped exhibit their more mature musical | | | | Around 1,000 copies were produced by Filter |
| prowess while showcasing some advancement in | | | | Records (owned by Hoppus' boss). |
| the sophistication of their lyrical themes. The lyrical | | | | In early 1994, the success of the Buddha demo |
| content of their songs, prior to their last album, | | | | lead to Blink being signed with Cargo Records. |
| was usually humorous and light hearted. blink-182 | | | | Blink recorded their debut full-length album, |
| fans were predominantly teenagers; however, | | | | Cheshire Cat in just three days. The album |
| they managed to establish a more mature | | | | contained a number of updated versions of songs |
| following with their latest offering. | | | | that had appeared on the Buddha demo. |
| Although the band is labeled as Blink 182 on | | | | Shortly after the release of Cheshire Cat, Blink |
| albums prior to Raynor's departure, the official | | | | was threatened with legal action by a techno band |
| rendering of the band's name is blink-182. The | | | | in Ireland of the same name. In order to avoid a |
| numbers 182 were added to the band's name to | | | | lengthy lawsuit, Blink appended "-182" to the end |
| prevent a trademark conflict with the Irish pop | | | | of their name. There are several rumours as to |
| group Blink. However, fans frequently refer to the | | | | why these numbers were ultimately chosen, such |
| band informally as 'Blink'. | | | | as their correspondence to the number of times |
| History: | | | | Al Pacino utters the word "Fuck" in Scarface, the |
| Early career (1992-1995) | | | | 1985 Timothy Hutton film, Turk 182!, their |
| The beginnings of the band can be traced back to | | | | representation of Hoppus's ideal weight, or that |
| the early '90s when DeLonge was reportedly | | | | they represent the position in the alphabet of the |
| expelled from Poway High School during junior | | | | letters 'R' and 'B,' referring to the northern San |
| year after being caught drunk at a school | | | | Diego suburb of Rancho Bernardo. However, the |
| basketball game. After he transferred to another | | | | band members have dismissed such claims and |
| school, he met Anne Hoppus, sister of Mark | | | | maintain that the numbers were picked at |
| Hoppus, who introduced DeLonge to her brother. | | | | random. However, in one interview, Barker stated |
| The day the two future bandmates met, they | | | | that the "182" was the U.S. radio code meaning |
| were skateboarding with friends in a plaza parking | | | | 'homicide' (apparently confusing "182," the radio |
| lot and to impress DeLonge, Hoppus climbed a | | | | code for conspiracy, with "187"). |