It’s been a banner year for Australian fans of Blink 182, what with the band finally breaking their nearly decade-long absence from our shores with their upcoming 2013 shows as part of the sold-out Soundwave Festival.
Not only that, but after the tickets sold out in a record 182 seconds (must be fate), Blink added an extra date and ticket allocation for their Sidewaves shows. Now, following on from news they’ve been bunkering down and working on new material, the pop punk icons have promised an early Christmas present.
NME reports that Blink 182 will release a brand new EP, entitled Dogs Eating Dogs released digitally on December 18, just in time for the holidays. The album is available for pre-order through the band’s website in three stocking-stuffed packages featuring limited edition artwork and merchandise.
The tracklisting is yet to be revealed, but drummer Travis Barker recently spoke to Rolling Stone about the group’s latest studio sessions and said that they’d already laid down five new songs, one which he called a “very folky” number.“To me already, this EP is a hundred times better than Neighborhoods,”
“I don’t even know,” Barker said jokingly of the new track. “It’s way out. We all had some ideas. I went in the studio and I was just playing around. I had my electronic kit and I just played a straight drum pattern over it, and it sounded crazy. It changed the entire shape of the song.”
The Dogs Eating Dogs EP is likely to feature this ‘crazy’ new material, which is the band’s first new release since Blink 182’s 2011 comeback album Neighborhoods; and the drummer has already pegged their latest as their best material yet.
“To me already, this EP is a hundred times better than Neighborhoods,” says Barker. “Because we’re all in a room together.”
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Unlike their 2011 album, which was recorded by the band e-mailing tracks back and forth, the new EP was recorded in the more traditional setting, a Los Angeles studio. Presumably booked and paid for out of the band’s own pockets considering last month’s news that they’d quit their record label to become an independent act.
The pop punk icons have been part of the Interscope group of record companies, previously under the Geffen banner, and before that with MCA Records since 1997 for their sophomore album Dude Ranch. Which marks the Christmas-themed, digital only Dogs Eating Dogs EP the band’s first release as an indie act.
Blink 182 have a fun history of Yuletide-related music, including ‘Won’t Be Home For Christmas‘, their contribution to the 2002 It’s A Santa Cause: A Punk Rock Christmas album; and the curse-fuelled album track, ‘Happy Holidays You Bastard’ from the band’s 2001 album Take Off Your Pants And Jacket.
The latter featuring the lyric, “It’s Christmas Eve and I’ve only wrapped two fuckin’ presents.” You don’t need to end up in the same situation, if you’re stuck for what to get your closest punk-loving friend for Christmas, there’s the Santa’s Lap package, which features the new EP, an art print, a t-shirt and even some Blink 182 themed wrapping paper and card to package and present the whole lot in.
Blink 182 Sidewaves 2013
TICKETS FOR THE SECOND MELBOURNE SHOW AND EXTRA RELEASE OF
TICKETS IN BRISBANE GO ON SALE FRIDAY 23 NOVEMBER, 9AM
WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY
SYDNEY, ALLPHONES ARENA – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketek.com.au
FINAL RELEASE OF TICKETS JUST ANNOUNCED
FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY
BRISBANE, THE MARQUEE RNA SHOWGROUNDS – Licensed All Ages
www.oztix.com.au
TUESDAY 26 FEBRUARY
MELBOURNE, SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketmaster.com.au
SECOND AND DEFINITELY FINAL SHOW
WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY
MELBOURNE, SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketmaster.com.au
SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL 2013 // FULL LINEUP
METALLICA
LINKIN PARK
BLINK 182
A PERFECT CIRCLE / THE OFFSPRING / PARAMORE / SLAYER / GARBAGE / CYPRESS HILL / BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE / TOMAHAWK / STONE SOUR / BRING ME THE HORIZON / KYUSS LIVES / ANTHRAX / SUM 41 / DRAGONFORCE / ALL TIME LOW / FLOGGING MOLLY / GHOST / DUFF McKAGAN’S LOADED / KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/ THE VANDALS/ BILLY TALENT / MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK / MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE / THE AMITY AFFLICTION / SICK OF IT ALL / KINGDOM OF SORROW / FOZZY / THE LAWRENCE ARMS / SLEEPING WITH SIRENS / CANCER BATS / THE BLACKOUT / GALLOWS / MADBALL / FUCKED UP / VISION OF DISORDER / PIERCE THE VEIL / PERIPHERY / SHAI HALUD / OF MICE & MEN / ORANGE GOBLIN/ THE SWORD/ CHELSEA GRIN/ THE CHARIOT/ SHARKS / DR ACULA/ O’BROTHER/ NORTHLANE/ MILESTONESTHIS IS HELL / MISS MAY I / DANKO JONES / LUCERO / WOE, IS ME / THE WONDER YEARS / MARK TREMONTI/ LIVING WITH LIONS/ POLAR BEAR CLUB / WHILE SHE SLEEPS / CEREBRAL BALLZY / THE EARLY NOVEMBER / SUCH GOLD / SIX FEET UNDER / THE DEAR HUNTER / DEAF HAVANA / RED FANG / VERSUS THE WORLD / BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR / CONFESSION / CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK! / SYLOSIS / MEMPHIS MAY FIRE / CROSSFAITH
SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL VENUES AND DATES
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013
SATURDAY 23- BRISBANE, RNA SHOWGROUNDS – SOLD OUT!
SUNDAY 24 – SYDNEY, OLYMPIC PARK – SOLD OUT!
FRIDAY 1 – MELBOURNE, FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE – SOLD OUT!
SATURDAY 2 – ADELAIDE, BONYTHON PARK – SOLD OUT!
MONDAY 4 – PERTH, CLAREMONT SHOWGROUNDS – SOLD OUT!
