In 2002, Blink-182 and Green Day embarked on their “Pop Disaster Tour.” Despite being billed as co-headliners, Green Day served as Blink’s opener at every show.
Recalling the tour in a new interview with NME, Blink-182 bassist and founder Mark Hoppus explained how awkward it felt to have Billie Joe Armstrong and co. opening for them instead of the other way around.
“That was very strange because I grew up listening to Green Day. I literally waited for the day that ‘Dookie’ [1994] came out, and I was in line waiting to buy it,” he said. “I was a huge fan, then we’re touring with them, but it was a weird thing where Green Day were dipping at the time and Blink were ascendent. We were billed as co-headliners, but Blink were closing every night, and that was a strange sensation for us. Headlining over your idols is a little strange.”
According to Hoppus, there was a bit of tension between the two bands on that tour – something which he addresses in his new memoir “Fahrenheit-182.” When asked by NME if it was “more of a friendly competition,” Hoppus said:
“Yeah, at least for us it was. We showed up, we thought we were cool, we had a Number One record [‘Take Off Your Pants And Jacket’], we were the first punk band to ever have a Number One record, Green Day were on their way down for a little bit. We walked in thinking we were hot sh*t and Green Day walked in ready to fight – musically of course, they were super cool to us the whole time.
“My wife and Billie [Joe Armstrong]’s wife were great friends. Billie was super nice to us. Then, when it came time to get on stage… It’s like athletes: we could be on different teams, but when we get on the field we’re going to try and kick your *ss.”
“We didn’t come with that attitude, but they did. They blew us off the stage the first few nights and we were like, ‘Oh sh*t, we have to up our game’. Then it was this battle back-and-forth about who could put on the better show and who could win people over. It definitely made us a better band. I think I inspired them so much they were like, ‘We have to kill Blink-182 with an awesome album called ‘American Idiot’.”
