Blink-182 Play Saint Vitus

As much as I'm not a fan of "I Really Wish I Hated You", it came across really good live. Absolutely love the album and love that a band I've called my favorite since I was 13 is still putting out music and evolving their sound. Not that I'm NOT a fan of bands who do that (New Found Glory for example are still incredible) but it's fun to see blink still reign supreme with each release.

 

This was actually one of the better sets I've seen in years from them. They actually sounded tight and like they were having a lot of fun (Matt's little lyric substitutions were especially great). They should do a full tour like this instead of touring with like... Lil Wayne.

 

I really wish they would have picked someone else besides Matt Skiba to join Blink, especially since they could have hand picked so many amazing musicians. I like Alkaline Trio and Matt in that band, but he is a bad guitarist and bad singer. I think there is a good chance they didnt play Whats My Age Again because he fucks it up so much, which is crazy that someone who has been playing guitar for more than 20 years has trouble with that song. Would have be cool to see them fill the void with a great musician and singer to better compliment Mark and help cover his own shakiness at this point. But oh well

 

Truly can’t imagine thinking that after hearing the new album. He’s so damn good on it.

 

It really couldn’t think of a more fitting person than Matt.

Similar age and situation, used to playing in a band with two vocalist/song writers, work horse, isn’t going to be a yes man, also has a track record with Jerry Finn, plays guitar when then needed a guitarist, has a distinct voice, has never been afraid of musical experimentation, wont get jealous if band members work on other projects, lives in LA, on and on and on.

Blink went from basically being inactive to recording an album, with a deluxe album, plus Nine, and we’ve also had Simple Creatures, Alkaline Trio, and Travis playing on lots of things.

Who did you want instead that was realistically going to join?

 

Amazing on this record, better than Tom live = sold

 

*looks at Matt's resume* I'm sorry how exactly is Matt not a great musician? If you went anywhere they take guitar seriously and tried to talk up Tom Delonge, you'd get laughed off the internet. I didn't know they needed to replace Tom with Steve Vai or someone like that lol

 

Not to defend that guy's opinion because Skiba is one of my favorite musicians ever but I actually think Tom is underrated as a guitarist, he comes up with some really creative riffs

 

Matt is perfect for Blink

 

Truly cant imagine thinking Matt is a great guitarist and singer after hearing what you posted, or the many other videos posted on youtube. Hes so not damn good at either.

Hmm i remember a lot of people saying how Mark and Matt sounded the same when Bored to Death dropped. I dont know the exact list of people who would ¨realistically¨ join the band, but im sure it was quite extensive. Its Blink-182, one of the biggest bands ever in the genre. Id rather them go in the direction of a Dan Marsala, or even backing vocals in the same band, Phil Sneed. But guys like them, at least with Sneed, seem like they could be loose cannons. Skiba´s best qualities seems to be that hes truly an awesome and genuine guy, and the things that happened with Tom wouldnt repeat with him. So i get Mark would want to continue on with someone he really likes and is friends with.

I never said Matt was not a great musician, but he is definitely not a good guitarist. I also didnt know we were looking at resumes to determine musicianship. All i know is Chad Kroeger is one of the best musicians ever, and definitely the songbird of my generation. Its ok to love a band while also admitting they arent great musicians and use derivative, formulaic blueprints to make songs... aka Blink-182.

I also never said anything about Tom Delonge, and certainly did not try and talk him up. There is a very obvious reason so many people say ¨[insert song or album from Blink-182] was the first song i ever learned to play on guitar¨ (Dammit was the first song i ever learned to play on guitar). Which is why i would never use the words guitar, Tom Delonge, and seriously in any cohesive manner.

So i guess I just didnt realize that California and Nine, along with Skiba´s guitar skills and voice, are all so amazing that it seems to be ridiculous to question otherwise. My bad guys.

 

This doesn't feel like a safe place to share my actual feelings about this version of blink. Lol

 

If someone has a thought out opinion then go for it. If you want to make your fourth post on the forum trashing a band it honestly probably won’t go over so well though.

Realistically, the things Matt brings to Blink is what he was already doing for years, and continues to do in the Trio.

And it’s not a competition of who you prefer, Tom or Matt. It’s just different generations. one is the original and the past. The other is the current. It’s a big set of shoes to fill taking the available spot of an original member/songwriter/vocalist/guitarist. Not everyone can handle that or make it work successfully.

Lots of fans seem happy Blink is still making music, even if it’s slightly different than where we started.

 

Do people really believe Tom was that good of a guitarist, especially after the half assed performances he was giving during his tenure in the band? The revisionism is so weird.

 

I never in a million years would have wanted Tom replaced in blink with anybody, but if they had to pick somebody I feel like Skiba was the only person that fit the mold. It's strange to think about but I think that Tom and Matt are actually really similar artists, and their skill level and experience is comparable. Idk. I love them both and I'm happy with how things are in both camps at the moment.

 

Does anybody remember the Good Mourning feature in Alternative Press where Skiba talked about how he figured out if he moved a chord 5 frets back and to the A string it was the same chord?

Great songwriter, maybe not a great guitarist.


And like every rock fan under 40 who has ever picked up a guitar has learned a Tom riff, so who cares if he’s “great”, obviously something about his playing makes people wanna play.

 

(And his two most famous riffs were written by Mark.)

 

Matt was a drummer who basically has learned guitar while in Alkaline Trio. Dude has written a lot of great songs and guitar parts.

Since when do you have to be a “great guitarist” to play and write great songs? I’ve always appreciated the kind of amateurishness and accessibility of punk.

Were Ian Mackaye and Guy technically great guitar players? Did that stop Fugazi from being the most important band of the 30 years?