Midy's Journals

Travis Barker Hospital Update

Just another quick one to let everyone know that I think Im getting out of the hospital soon :) I can't wait to get out of here and be home with the babes. The doctors say Im healing up quickly and I'm gonna be out of here b4 you know it.

Game and Sticks stopped in to give their best wishes today...

Yoko from Matsuhisa (MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT!) brought some food in for us. She is such a sweetheart and so nice to take the time to bring me some rad food.

James, Skinhead Rob, my pops and aunt all stopped in again.

The staff here is THE BEST, but this is what I have to say to hospital life:

Travis Barker Myspace blog with pics!

Thank you

I want to give my deepest thanks to everyone who has helped deal with the current situation. First and foremost, Chris and Che were my friends. I would give up anything to have them here with us today, healthy and happy. To call them my employees does them such a disservice, as they were so much more than that. Chris was my best friend before anything else, and I can never put into words how much he will be missed. Che was an amazing person as well, and I was honored to have him in my life.

I am simply amazed and will be forever grateful for all the support everyone has shown to Chris and Che's families. Its a testament to how many lives they touched in a positive way.

Hospital Life!

Like the doctors said from the beginning, its been a slow recovery process. I am coming up on the 7th of my surgeries Monday. Today I finally was able to move all my fingers on my right hand. Every step seems huge at this point, and Im doing EVERYTHING I can possibly do to get back to my kids. Yes, I did start eating meat again, but if it helps me to be home holding my little humans sooner, then its all worth it. The staff here are all bomb! Dr. Grossman and his staff are the best. The BOSS Barbara, and nurses Betty, Jay , Emily, Julio, Lolita, and Stephanie (with the best scrubs ever!) are all taking the best care of me.

My good friend Armen has been kind enough to save me from the hospital food, and brings Jamba Juice, Wahoos, or whatever else I need to keep my calories and protein levels high.

Despite any rumors you might have heard via my EX-wife Shanna Moakler, who I have not seen since the week I checked in, Ive been treated amazingly well, both here in LA and in Georgia. The hospitals Ive been treated at are THE BEST.

My friends and family have been amazing. My pops has been with me ANY time I need him. My sisters, James, Skinhead Rob, Daniel, Hoover, Armen and of course Ricardo and Nicole, have all shown amazing support. JD and Mark Hoppus both took the time to come visit and offer their support as well. Estevan Oriol even came in with a calendar.

Saying "thank you" to all these guys just wouldn't be enough...

I got to see AM the other day. Seeing him after he was discharged was an inspiration. I saw just how awesome the doctors' work here is, and got to see how well he is doing. I am so happy to see him doing well, and we are both so lucky and grateful that we are alive today.

Im even using some of this time to help design the summer '09 Famous line. Maxx, Jose, Bill have been awesome helping to keep the machine going. These are some seriously dedicated people, and Im lucky to call them friends.

Now Im just counting the days until I can leave. I cant wait to get home to play drums with my son, and go for bike rides with my daughter. I cant wait to see the pictures from Landon's "Jack and Sally Nightmare Before Christmas" birthday party that we had for him today. I am bummed that I couldn't be there, but thank God Ill be around to see many, many more.

Thank you everyone for your support!

EXCLUSIVE: Travis Barker: "I'm Just Thankful to Be Alive"

In the new issue of Us Weekly (on newsstands now), Travis Barker opens up for the first time since his tragic September 19 Learjet crash that killed four. He and DJ AM - the only survivors of the crash - suffered second and third degree burns on their hands and lower body.

"I hate planes," the ex-Blink 182 drummer, 32, tells Us exclusively. "My biggest fear ever is to be involved in a plane crash, so when that happened ... well, I'm just thankful to be alive! I'm just grateful to be here at all."

He spoke to Us on Oct. 6 from the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, where he is now being treated. (He said he was too afraid to fly cross-country from Georgia - where he initially recovered in a burn unit - so he arranged to travel by bus with his father and ex-wife Shanna Moakler.)

How are you doing?
"I am doing the best I can possibly be. I'm so anxious to get out of here. ...I've just been in surgery after surgery. I have third degree burns basically from my feet up to my waist and both hands. One of my hands was second degree burns and one was third degree burns. I'm trying to have a quick recovery and play the drums again and be able to hold my kids again. [Barker has two children, Landon, 5, and Alabama, 2, with Moakler.] I'm going nuts not being able to see them and spend time with them!"

After over 25 years as a vegetarian, you had to start eating meat again. Why?
"I need protein from food rather than just protein supplements. I changed my diet. I would do anything I possibly could if they said like, 'There's a possibility you might heal faster if you do eat meat or just change your eating habits.' So I did. I don't regret it at all, I feel so much better."

How much longer will you be in the hospital?
"Oh gosh, I hope not much longer. I sit here and I read books and watch TV. I think if this surgery went well, I'll be here for at most two weeks."

For the full interview - plus details on how Moakler is supporting Barker through his recovery - pick up the new issue of Us Weekly today!

Travis Barker Released From Hospital

Travis hits the road to recovery after plane crashâ�¦

After being one of only two survivors in a tragic plane crash Travis Barker has been deemed fit enough for discharge from the the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Georgia.

The ex-Blink 182 and +44 drummer spent nine days in the burns unit following the crash of a private passenger jet during take-off from a South Carolina airport on September 20.

The incident killed two crew members, Sarah Lemmon and James Bland, and two passengers, Chris Baker and Charles Still.

Survivor DJ Adam Goldstein was treated for burns to his head and arms and was released on Friday last week, Barker suffered severe burns to his torso.

Blink-182's Barker critically injured in plane crash!

(CNN) -- Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein were in critical condition with extensive burns Saturday after a jet crash that killed four people, authorities said.

Federal investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the crash site but said they aren't sure whether information on the device survived the blaze.

Investigators are also obtaining recordings of conversations between controllers in the tower and the jet's two-person crew, said National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman.

"Air traffic controllers did observe sparks from the aircraft as it was going down the runway and immediately alerted fire-rescue crews at the airport," Hersman said Saturday evening in West Columbia.

Lexington County Coroner Harry O. Harman said all the dead in Friday's crash were Californians.

He identified them as pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim Hills; co-pilot James Bland, 52, of Carlsbad; Chris Baker, 29, of Studio City; and Charles Still, 25, of Los Angeles.

The Associated Press reported that Baker was an assistant to Barker and Still was a security guard for the musician.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent team to West Columbia, South Carolina, to investigate the crash.

The Learjet 60 crashed on takeoff at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport at 11:53 p.m. Friday.

Beth Frits, spokeswoman at the Joseph Still Burn Center, in Augusta, Georgia, said Barker and Goldstein arrived at the hospital early Saturday. She said both men had "extensive burns." Watch charred wreckage of the plane Â»

Barker and Goldstein had played at a huge free outdoor concert in Columbia's Five Points district on Saturday night, CNN affiliate WIS-TV said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the twin-engine private jet was cleared for takeoff on a flight to Van Nuys, California, and began its takeoff roll a few minutes before midnight.

Air traffic controllers "saw sparks coming from the runway -- whether that was from the aircraft or its engines, we don't know," Bergen said Saturday.

"They overran the end of runway 11. They impacted the antenna array and a number of lights at the end of the runway. They went through the perimeter fence and across the roadway here," Hersman said Saturday. "There was a significant post-crash fire."

William Owens told WIS-TV he was driving down Highway 302 when he said he saw a fireball go across the road.

"I didn't know what I had seen; it was maybe 800 feet in front of me, but as I approached it closer, though, I made out a fire. By then I was able to see the tail of the jet, and I recognized it as a jet," Owens said.

Owens told the station he tried to get to the wreckage.

"It's in flames, and the fuel is running across the road, and I had to cross the fuel to get to the two guys that seemed to have been dumped on the highway," Owens said.

Owens said the two men were running around and pulling off clothing to put out the flames. He said he asked them whether anyone else was on board the plane, and they said four people were with them.

"We turned to the jet to try and see if there was anything we could do, but immediately, there was nothing anyone could do," Owens said.

The crash closed the airport, which is Columbia's main commercial and passenger terminal, and it remained closed late Saturday afternoon. The airport's Web site listed nine commercial airline flights canceled through 7 p.m. Saturday.

Hersman said the airport would not reopen until investigators finished collecting debris from the runway and crash site.

She said investigators would look at every aspect of the crash, from the pilots' schedules to the aircraft's condition. She said it was a fairly new airplane, manufactured in 2006 and certified to operate in 2007.

In addition to playing with Blink-182, Barker appeared in the MTV reality show "Meet the Barkers" along with his wife at the time, former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, according to MTV's Web site.

Thomas Delonge Talks Angels, Airwaves, And Gay Days.

You know him as the brains behind Angels And Airwaves, I know him as semi-gay, lanky, ex-truck driver, who used to sing songs about masturbating. He has seen me naked many, oh so many times. My wiener has told him good night (you can read all about it in the book, someday), and Iâ�™ve done some of the most disgusting things to myself in front of himâ�”weird. Anyway, Tom is my friend, so I really donâ�™t care what you say about him, seriously, say whatever you want, everybodyâ�™s already said everything about him and he really doesnâ�™t care, even when you say heâ�™s gay and has sexual relations with dogs (heâ�™s said that about himself). Here is an interview that is short, lame, and not rally pertaining to anything. But itâ�™s always fun to hear what comments he has for me today.

Cotescube: What do you think of the massive emo fallout thatâ�™s going in Mexicoâ�”As in, heavy metal kids bashing emo kids just for being emo?

Thomas Delonge: Metal kids were always pissed at people who could read, and who looked good in fitted clothes

Why â�œMod Lifeâ� when you â�œMy Spaceâ�?

Why â�œMyspaceâ� when you â�œDonâ�™t Wipeâ�?

When was the last time you talked to Mark Hoppus? What did you talk about?

Three years agoâ�”Kissing, loving, band breaking up.

Are you happy youâ�™ve stopped wearing those terrible big, baggy, khaki Dickies mega shorts, and have started wearing adult pants?

Have you ever started a trend? Oh, well you wouldnâ�™t understand.

How much nudity, if any, goes on while touring with Angels And Airwaves?

37.8% of all bus rides end up in nudity.

Do you miss seeing pre-pubescent tits in the crowd?

Maybe, is this a trick question about your sister?

I know you are very political, so tell me this, who will be the next president?

Obama for your Mamma.

Whatâ�™s Bonoâ�™s real name?

Paul Hewson.

What should I name my first child?

Paul Hewson.

Do you miss me?

I do, quite often.

Tom Delonge Talking About The Blink 182 Break Up In An Interview With AbsolutePunk.

The following is a phone interview with Tom Delonge of Angels and Airwaves and formerly Blink 182 that was conducted by Brad Streeter. We would like to thank Victoria Torchia of Geffen Records for her facilitation of the interview. Please enjoy!

The new album I â�“ Empire. This is the second half of your first album, and I have heard you say they were meant be listened together. However, I know you have made a few changes personally from the creation of the first album to this one. Were you trying to accomplish something different with this new album or are your goals or message still the same?

[Tom] Well what we did, I guess in pretty easy terms, we all came from pretty successful bands. We were all very interested in doing something more expansive with our art. So we didnâ�™t want to just classify ourselves as just another band. We wanted it to be more of a fine art or performance arts project where we were involved with something where the message remained constant but the medium would always change. So the first thing we set out to do was to put out records that in chronological order; where each song reflected a period that I was going through during a very specific time, over a course of two years, where I was changing my life specifically built around this message.

To further it we started working on two different films. One we just finished which is a documentary that is about the genesis of what this (AVA) is, what Angels and Airwaves did, what is different and what we are going to do. The other film itself is basically a philosophical ride of, you know, by metaphorically speaking of how the lyrics fit into human life. That movie is in its finishing stages right now, being edited.

But really we wanted to do something that was more kind of different than what most punk rock bands are doing right now, where they are all dressing in black and acting pissed or sad or wearing make-up. Its just not what we are into. We are adults now, you know, and we have been doing music since we were teenagers. So to us we had to be really honest with ourselves. What do we want to do with our lives, and what do we want to spend it doing? We know people now that are unhappy in their careers or had family members pass away. You start to learn that life is a little more vulnerable than you think it is. So we wanted to do something that was really true and honest to ourselves. But you know we have had our share of obstacles. We have turned into a lot of different things that are kind of weird at times and things we didnâ�™t expect. But it has been quite an adventure to say the least.

Niceâ�¦you hinted on a lot questions that I am anticipating on asking. However, you touched a little on the â�œStart the Machineâ� documentary. I was reading up on this and from what I have learned it really shows the birth of this new band but at the same time showcases your struggle with Painkillersâ�¦

[Tom] Yeah

How comfortable are you to release this to the public and highlight this side of Tom?

[Tom] Well, I am fine with it. Ever since I was seventeen or eighteen, my life has been in the public eye. So I'm use to it. You learn to be kind of an open book. And what I think, along the lines like you mentioned, the documentary was meant to first be about what this project was. But then it turned out to be how I had to turn this message that was so outward around and apply it to myself. I didnâ�™t realize it till halfway through. You know I was losing my mind, I was on thousands of painkillers, and I almost killed myself.

So I met with a film grouping in LA, Lionsgate. We were just talking, and the guy who runs the company is a friend of mine. I was asking his advice about this documentary. He instantly said â�œYou have to submit this to Sundance Filmsâ� He watched part of it and continued to say it has to go to Sundance. I was never planning on it going to film festivals. So when I called up my friend Mark who was making the documentary. I said â�œMark just finish it, and make as true as it can be.â� And he said â�œDo you want to include everything in there?â� I said, â�œJust make it true!â�

I had nothing to do with making it. I wasnâ�™t involved. I mean I was paying for it, but I wasnâ�™t overseeing it. I wasnâ�™t spelling it out. It was completely Markâ�™s art project. I had nothing to do what was in there, other than the fact it was my band being documented.

So he tried to make it as true as he could, and he put all the sensitive material in there, and we sent it off to all these film festivals. Then people started freaking out. They said it wasâ�¦what did they sayâ�¦They said â�œBrilliantly produced and directed, and a great story.â�

I donâ�™t know all these crazy film critics were going off about it. Because it is not just a documentary. It has beautiful CGI footage that shows the conjunction of war and love which is what the whole record is about. A war with yourself, the drugs, losing your best friends, the previous band, and starting a new band. Then finding your way out of it. It was very much a human story. So it very much seemed to connect and resonate with these film critics.

Itâ�™s not a normal documentary with a hand held camera. Everything is filmed beautifully, artistically. It is quite a tremendous ark of a story. But I think in my life with Blink and up till now; we had a lot success, and a lot of ups and downs, drugs, parties, and crazy things were going on. You know, it is definitely something for other people to watch and see what other people go through, digest it and communicate back to them and hopefully learn something from it. Thatâ�™s what art is all about.

Kind of going on this film based concept. You are really starting to branch out with this idea of synergy between film and other related visual imagery with music. What has sparked this interest?

[Tom] The fact that Blink sold so many records and were selling out arenas across the world. What sparked my interest was because the joy of blink was that we didnâ�™t have a message. It was like anarchy. Thatâ�™s what was rad about it. This forever youthful exuberance that you would run out to the world and be flamboyantly happy and donâ�™t care about anything. You are just going to live life to the fullest. I guess the anti-message is the message.

But with AVA, and going through the break up and going through this traumatic experience. I got to know these guys (AVA), and taking the loss is like the hardcore spirit of punk rock music. But we wanted something else that was built upon brotherhood, friendship and loyalty, and doing something that had this inner politics because Blink was so outward. So we all headed out with this hard concept for people to grasp. We instantly wanted to be as ambitious as we could and start doing things that we really could set standards for what other bands could do. I have access a lot of different resources that other donâ�™t because my company makes films and a lot of powerful people work there that are bright and intelligent. So we access to doing other stuff. I wanted to show what would happen if bands tryâ�¦(and I know I was the first one doing itâ�¦and I was going to have to involve my friends and company to try and pull it off) ...to clearly set a mold for what bands could do.

Thatâ�™s why we are in the middle of building this huge piece of technology and operating system for bands to use and athletes to use. We have the movies coming out, and we are working on all these artistic performance and broadcast stuff.

I mean kids and punk rocks kids, and critics donâ�™t really understand it. But it is all going to make a huge change. This is what I was talking about a few year back when I was coming out saying I want to revolutionize Rock nâ�™ Roll. And people kind of took it the wrong way. But one: I was high and on thousands of painkillers and I really wasnâ�™t realizing how I was communicating it. (Laugh)

Laugh

[Tom] But the thing was we were REALLY working on these things. We were spending millions of dollars on this operating system called MODlife, and its revolutionary! Its really, really amazing. We are spending money on these films. But then I get these calls from companies all over the world that want to work with Angels and Airwaves. Like huge ones! Like the biggest media companies in the world. They see that one band is doing all this, and I am trying to explain to everyone if no one does it then music is going to fail.

So we help push the limits on what we can do, and want bands can do. If CDs are going to be free, we have to learn how to communicate our art on different mediums. So what sparked my interest is there is a crisis in the music industry and I have an over ambitious soul that wants to do something good with my time here.

Very true, and kind of puts your point of view in perspectiveâ�¦but you did just bring up how you are starting to work with larger companies. You were recently quoted as saying on one of your upcoming tours you are going to incorporate NASA into your show. Can you please explain how the hell you are going to utilize NASA into a rock show?

[Tom] [Laugh]â�¦Well I really canâ�™t talk about it too much. But it does have to do with that operating system we built. We have been working together on something that is really exciting for hopefully the end of the year 2008 that involves the top 25 technology companies in the world. What gate it ends up working at and how it comes out is largely a secret. We can't come out and promise stuff. But NASA was the first company that came on board, and there are a million things I can do with that company. But I am trying to propel this band into a realm where you really donâ�™t know what we are going to next, and also try to bring people along with it. And let music hit you in a much different way rather than just your ears.

Now speaking about governmental organizations and this is kind of topic, but I am going to ask anyway. I just got done watching an interview with you on Larry king where you stated you wanted to be involved in this upcoming Presidential election. Who has your support and why?

I think at first it was Joe Biden but he dropped. I think Obama sees the world of change. Absolutely. I think he is probably the best bet. I think Hilary will actually do very well, but she has kind of been there a long time. But Obama is the closest thing we have to JFK. Obama in his young adulthood grew up with the Internet and was connected to the world in some larger degree. I think he will think about how to solve problems on more of a global level. For one he has a family member from Kenya.

When I brought up I was going to conduct this interview with you on the Absolutepunk, about 90% of our members brought up Blink in some fashion. I know we have touched on that subject briefly, and we both know how much Blink 182 impacted a lot kidâ�™s lives including my own. However, a good majority of the members showed some form of negatively towards you in regards to the break up. Why do you think the fans still have this animosity towards you?

Well for one, I think it is because I am the one in the limelight right now, and at first I was an easy target. But I think a lot of them like that band (+44)â�¦I like that band a lot too. So I donâ�™t think they have much to be bummed out about. But I think once the documentary comes out I think everyone will get a lot better perspective of what actually went down. Ummm...I didnâ�™t quit that band because I wanted to. I quit that band because I had to. Because when people give you an ultimatum about your family, what are you going to do? But the problem was no one was being truthful at the time. You know I was all spun out on painkillers and there were a lot of other things going on in the band. There was no communication, there was no friendship left, and there were arguments for about a month. For weeks and weeks of it in Europe and we would never solve anything. I was gone from my 2-year-old daughter for two years straight and I needed to go home and no one really wanted that. So I had to leave. But I never really went on to the public and talked about it much and said I needed to make a major life change and surround myself with people that supported the fact I was responsible for these human beings, my kids. Or supported the fact that I wanted to go out and do really positive good things with my music that can really affect people. And I canâ�™t do that with people that you are not talking to. I mean in Blink we didnâ�™t hang out, we didnâ�™t share dressing rooms. We never rehearsed; we never got together because we were just not friends anymore. I donâ�™t know, people always ask me "When you are getting back together?" and I say "So when are you are getting back together with those 3 guys in high school?â�. They go "What are you talking about?" I say â�œYou know those 3 guys you hung out with in Junior High and High School.â� The point was we started when we were teenagers, and now that we are in our 30s we are just not connected. We are totally different people. They are amazing guys and amazing musicians and we had a really brilliant time at the beginning, but it got to a point to where there were noâ�¦I mean personally I wasnâ�™t getting anything out of it. It wasnâ�™t about money at all. It was about I had a family I had to raise and I had to spend 90% of my time on the road with people I never talked to, and we had totally different goals of what we wanted to do. Travis wanted to go more and more into the hip hop area, Mark wanted to stay around where we were, and I still wanted to be the biggest band in the world at the time, but I knew I had to go home. It was 6 months to a year without me seeing my daughter and I was trying to be a dad for the first time. It just really didnâ�™t work.

I believe what may have sparked the negativity towards you was Mark and Travis were a little more public about the break up at firstâ�¦

[Tom] Yeah.

They made it seem as it was your decision. You were the one that changed your phone number, you were the one who had your manager speak on your behalf...

[Tom] Absolutely I did not talk to them. That is totally trueâ�¦absolutelyâ�¦ and absolutely they were pissed about it. But that was after we argued for weeks and weeks and there was nothing left to say. Like nothing. If we would started arguing about it again it would be like the movie that you have seen for the 75th time in one month. It was like what are we fucking doing? I guess we feared to talk about the same things again and again. I mean we are talking about arguments with tears and screaming backstage in Europe for days and days. I mean then we got home and they wanted to start talking about it again after we agreed to take a break, and I could go home with to my kids. Then they wanted to start booking tours, and they got all pissed. Thatâ�™s why. And they all wanted to go out and tell everybody, and they went out and they were mad. I mean they had every reason to be angry. I took away from them something they wanted to keep doing, but I told them. I donâ�™t want to quit this band. I started this band. It was me. It wasnâ�™t like that. I didnâ�™t want to do that. But it just came to that situation were they sort made me choose between how I wanted father my kids. You know I can do that. That is really what it was. I donâ�™t know.

I don't have any animosity towards those guys. Because when everyone is put in those situations where they are not comfortable, you look at it through a filter, and at the time it was really a negative filter. They were suspicious, everyone thought I was going to go out and do a solo record. There werenâ�™t people in my ear telling me I was the band. It was all lies! It was all paranoia. It wasnâ�™t my manager that was trying to make me start a new band. It was all such shit! It was all suspicion, and it ruined the band. None of it was true. I mean (+44) was actually created while we were still on tour in Europe. AVA was not even created till months and months after the break up. I mean people think I had this in my head to go out and do this. It wasnâ�™t like this at all. They already had in their head to go out and start a whole new band.

Wow...

[Tom] But the thing isâ�¦ fuck I miss those guys! They are awesome guys. I mean I wish I could be friends with those guys, but it really isnâ�™t a reality right now. We just have totally two separate lives and ideas on how we want to live our lives. I mean they live in Beverly Hills and Travis was into his TV show at the time. But I have my companies down here (San Diego) and we just signed a bunch of professional athletes to Macbeth. I am making movies, and I am with my best friends in the world doing Angels and Airwaves making music that is really a liberation of my soul. I am in a really, really good spot. I mean it is really hard to think about going back and singing about dicks and butts right now (laugh).

Right, we know Blink was geared towards the younger audience and you did write songs about topics like that. But that was Blink. We knew that, and we love you for it. However, I have read in recent interviews were you state. â�œThis is the best music I have ever made, and the purest reflection of myself than ever before.â� Do you believe that when fans of Blink hear you say that they may believe you are discrediting everything you did with Blink or are they just perceiving your words incorrectly?

[Tom] I donâ�™t know. I think every time I have ever recorded music it is has always been the best I have done. If I donâ�™t get better at it, I am not progressing. But AVA was so much further advanced than Blink. It really blew my mind. Because in Blink we didnâ�™t have the same goals, we were getting along, and everyone was suspicious of each other and shit. So we really couldnâ�™t do our best work. You know. Like on Angels and Airwaves it is so free. Everyone was so supportive. Everyone was like â�œFuckâ� it feels so good. I just felt like I went light years ahead. Not that Blink sucked. Blink was everything! I loved that band. I mean fuck I started that band. It was awesome. We could have probably done anything in the world with that band if we would have stuck together and remained friends, and respected each other a lot more. I mean I know in Blink we sat around and were writing songs at timesâ�¦not all of themâ�¦but at times we were like fuck is this what people want. Is it still punk or is it main stream? With AVA we donâ�™t do that. Itâ�™s a whole different writing process. We surround ourselves with art and giant ideas and philosophies and study every little more we make to further our message. With Blink it wasnâ�™t like that, and that is cool.

Coolâ�¦.I guess that is about it with the time allotted and we hit a lot of revealing topics.

[Tom] Yeah man I was really excited for this interview. I was stoked because you really have a great group of bands and kids on this site. I mean I know my band is really controversial, but I guess that is kind of the fun of rock nâ�™ roll right? [laugh].

Yeah..I mean AP.net did start out as a Blink 182 fan siteâ�¦

[Tom] I know but it has gone so further than that, and it is not just that anymore. I am glad that you guys were able to talk to me which is really cool. I mean we still consider ourselves a punk rock band. So thanks so much for your time.

Exclusive: Tom DeLonge Talks About Blink-182 And Being â�˜Spun Outâ�™ While Building An â�˜Empireâ�™ On MTV BuzzWhorty

Exclusive: Tom DeLonge Talks About Blink-182 And Being â�˜Spun Outâ�™ While Building An â�˜Empireâ�™

Published by MTV on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 6:09 pm.

We were backstage during todayâ�™s TRL Rock Band special, crammed into a tiny room at the Times Square Hard Rock with Angels & Airwaves, Sebastian Bach and Flyleaf. (Poor us, right?) The tight quarters gave us a chance to get up close and personal with AVAâ�™s Tom DeLonge. Hereâ�™s what we found out about his bandâ�™s new album, his addiction to pain killers and what the deal is between him and his former Blink-182 bandmates.

Buzzworthy: Tell us about your documentary, Start the Machine.

Tom: The documentary is being finished right now, and it was submitted to Sundance. Itâ�™s an odyssey, and weâ�™ve been working on it for two years. It started out as a making of the record and then the story got pretty insane. I broke my back years ago and got spun out on all these narcotics, so when we were making the first Angels & Airwaves record [We Donâ�™t Need to Whisper] all that stuff kind of exploded and I went out into the press with all these crazy things and all this controversy erupted.

Buzzworthy: Because of something you said?

Tom: Yeah, â�™cause I went out and said [the band] was the second coming of Christ. But thatâ�™s whatâ�™s funny in the documentary; I was like, â�œIf God came down I really, truly believe it wouldnâ�™t be bigger than this record.â� [Laughs.]

Buzzworthy: Is all that behind you now?

Tom: Yeah, itâ�™s all behind me. But the documentary will shed a lot of light onto the meaning of this band and what weâ�™re trying to accomplish and how it all stemmed from the breakup of Blink-182.

Buzzworthy: Speaking of Blink, have you talked to your former bandmates since the breakup?

Tom: No, I havenâ�™t talked to them. Isnâ�™t that weird? Itâ�™s one of those things. You have to give it time. We had 10 years under our belt.

Buzzworthy: Whatâ�™s your favorite song off your new album, I-Empire?

Tom: I really like â�œLifelineâ� a lot. It was the first song I sang after I was sober.

Buzzworthy: That was really the first time you sang sober?

Tom: Yeah, in four or five years or something. Thatâ�™s whatâ�™s cool about it. The song is about God finding you. Growing up, I came from a religious background, and thereâ�™s an old psalm about footprints in the sand. So itâ�™s about God walking next to you and saying Iâ�™ll take you for a ride; hereâ�™s a lifeline. Itâ�™s pretty rad.

Buzzworthy: What else makes this album special?

Tom: If people are gonna give this record a chance, I ask that they find a hill thatâ�™s nearby, park their car, open the car doors, lay on the hood, blast the music at night and pretend that the city below is theirs.

Buzzworthy: Have you done that?

Tom: I did. Every day while making it; pretty much in my head.

Watch AVAâ�™s new video, â�œEverythingâ�™s Magic,â� and then check back here tomorrow to see what Tom had to say about the song. Plus, weâ�™ll have more backstage tidbits from Sebastian and Flyleaf.

Southern California Music Communities Reel From Fires

DeLonge's former Blink bandmate, Mark Hoppus of (+44), now lives in Los Angeles but said his sister, grandmother, mother and stepfather were all evacuated. "My mom and sister and grandma were some of the first evacuees and they went as far as they could, to Oceanside, which is 45 minutes away. They stayed in a hotel there and watched it happen," Hoppus said â�” adding that just days after his family fled to the hotel, it almost burned down when the fire caught up with them again.

As far as he knows, his mother and sister's homes are covered in ash but OK, though his grandmother's residence is in an area that was totally destroyed. "It was strange being in Los Angeles because there are so many fires across Southern California and the news here is focused on the Malibu fires and it's been hard to find out what's going on down there," he said. "I couldn't get hold of my mom for a bit there when the fires first started, but I knew she'd grab the important stuff, the family photo albums and documents." Hoppus said he's already started hearing from friends on the San Diego scene about benefit shows, and he's willing to sign on to do whatever he can to help out his hometown.

Also spared in the fires so far was one of the area's most high-profile recording studios, Big Fish Recordings in the coastal hills near Rancho Santa Fe, which has hosted sessions by P.O.D., Blink-182, As I Lay Dying, Megadeth, Rocket from the Crypt and Jimmy Eat World.

TRAVIS' TATTOOS PICTURES & MEANINGS

What is it about?

Travis is the most tattooed member of blink-182. In fact one might even wonder if he will not one day get into the Guiness World Records book, seeing how fast his body gets inked. Here are some (not all) of his tattoos with their meanings (if any).

He has "Barker" Tattooed on the back of his head along with praying hands. This is related to his mother with whom he had a lot of affection, this tattoos symbolising his prayers to her mother.

Red devil: In order not to forget his "dark side".

The cadillac logo. He did this one at the age of 21. He loves cadillacs, he barely drives anything else. At each side of the logo are the "trucker's ladies"

Boom Box. He grew up in a "break dance" spirit and did this tattoo.
"The boom box on my stomach is because I grew up loving to break-dance, and I collected ghetto blasters. I had like 20 of them. Everyone else would go buy candy and I would buy boom boxes and carry them around and break-dance on the street corner on a piece of cardboard. So i get my favorite boom box that lasted the longest, up until the time I was 19 or 20, tattooed on me when I was 21." - Travis

The bird. He did this one in order to finish covering his right arm. He was at a show in Denver and was bored so he did this one.

Virgin Mary. Symbolising his big faith in God.

The dollar sign, because that's what everything is about.

Jesus, again religious symbol. See above

"Hope" is tattooed at the bottom of his back. Pretty much self explanatory.
"I got it when I was 19, because of the Descendent's' song, but also as a positive thing after my mom passed away" -Travis

This one is special. It represents his first drum set which he got at the age of four. Although the interesting part one should notice, is the crown at the top right of the picture. This tattoo translates into "Drum King", which he arguably is regarding all the distinctions and rewards he got as a drummer!

On his right arm there's "Familia". This of course in reference to "Family" which is the most sacred thing for Travis

A Skull with "13" engraved in the orbitsin order to entreat bad luck.

S.E.L.F M.A.D.E
Self explanatory!

have a sacred heart from when I was 19, because I was brought up Catholic. I also have a microphone, dice, and Jesus. I figured if I tattooed Jesus on me, good things would happen, or maybe he'd have my back or something." -Travis

Melissa, his former wife with whom he got married 9 months is tattooed on his neck.

" I have a Dag Nasty symbol. Thats a band I grew up listening to. And I have 'Can I Say, ' because its the name of their first album. -Travis