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