I missed seeing Blink-182 back in 2004 and when the band went their separate ways only months later, I had massive regrets. In the years that followed, a lot happened. Mark and Travis went on to form +44, Tom formed Angels and Airwaves, Travis was involved in a tragic plane crash. So finally after all that time, Blink-182 announced their reunion and I knew I'd finally get my chance to see them live.
When Blink-182 were announced for Soundwave 2013, I grabbed a ticket as fast as I could. Then the sideshow was announced and I knew I needed to get a ticket for that too. Sadly a week out from the show, Travis Barker announced he wasn't going to tour with the band. Some people were angry and abused the shit out of him, most were understanding though. Personally I was just disappointed but I knew it mustn't have been easy for Travis. Regardless I was excited that I was still seeing two thirds of one of my favourite bands.
Now the show itself; it was a strong mix of old and new and even a few tracks off the Dogs Eating Dogs EP. The band were top notch, which I was grateful for as they can be hit-and-miss, particularly Tom's vocals.. Highlights for me included First Date, Dogs Eating Dogs, After Midnight and All The Small Things.
Now for a few complaints: The venue itself was a bit of a let down. The weather was far from perfect, with high winds and rain, the sound was negatively affected. There would be times where you could barely hear as the wind took away the sound. Also felt that for the size of the area, having only speakers on the front of stage instead of having additional speakers further back was a real let down. I'm not usually one to criticize people or make generalized statements, but on a whole, the crowd were assholes. There were so many people blind drunk, high, smoking in crowds and just being generally rude and aggressive. Comparing this night to the crowds down in Sydney where people were looking out for one another and being respectful (whilst still having fun and going nuts), it was just a real let down. I know some people will disagree with me and/or the area you were in might have been better, so that's fine, just my opinion.
The quality of this recording is far from my usual standard. If anything, I give it a C+. The wind and the rain, combined with the loud and drunk crowd heavily impacted on the quality of this recording. Overall the recording itself is decent but there are moments where things sound a bit off. If you're a Blink-182 fan, please go ahead and download it, its certainly listenable and a nice bit of memorabilia if you were there. However if you don't listen to Blink-182 much, maybe try and find a better recording elsewhere.
Setlist:
01 - Feeling This
02 - Up All Night
03 - Rock Show
04 - Whats My Age Again?
05 - Dogs Eating Dogs
06 - Down
07 - I Miss You
08 - Wishing Well
09 - Disaster
10 - Dumpweed
11 - Always
12 - Violence
13 - After Midnight
14 - First Date
15 - Hearts All Gone
16 - Man Overboard
17 - Ghost On The Dance Floor
18 - All The Small Things
19 - Josie
20 - Reckless Abandon (Acoustic)
21 - All Of This (Acoustic)
22 - Boxing Day (Acoustic)
23 - Carousel
24 - Dammit
25 - Family Reunion
Massive props to Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion for filling some damn big shoes. Without you, this tour wouldn't have happened and I know fans all over the country appreciate your efforts.
As always, this recording is provided freely for fan enjoyment and is not to be redistributed or used for commercial purposes.
