Travis Barker recently talked about being the “main attraction” in Blink-182 despite being a drummer, addressing the topic in an interview on Popcast.
Then a question came up that highlighted how unusual it is for a drummer to be the center of attention in a band, where typically the lead singer or guitarist commands the spotlight. Barker was asked whether he had ever noticed that the eyes were on him, and how he felt about that dynamic.
“I guess the best way to describe it, it was like very humble beginnings with very reachable goals, right?” Barker said.
“Like when I left Fontana, my only goal was to be able to like have somewhere to sleep, food to eat, and I could play my drums if I could somehow make a living just playing drums or I mean, even before that, just having a job where I could play drums and do all the stuff I loved.”
The drummer then reflected on his early mindset, noting that he never set out to be the center of attention.
“I was really happy. I was a sort of head down work mode and just always always like I was so passionate about what I did,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t think I thought like that or I don’t even think I acknowledged that. I was always the quietest one in the band with Blink.”
Barker also talked about the band’s dynamic, explaining how he embraced his role as the steady force behind the music.
“A lot of the banter was really funny and I love Mark and Tom and it’s similar to the banter like that I had growing up skateboarding with my friends or playing in bands,” he said.
“It was almost a skit in between songs. It’s just classic Blink, right? But you know, I wasn’t ever going to do anything that didn’t feel authentic to me or was out of character for me. When I first joined Blink, it was like these guys are going to have fun and go crazy and I need to keep time and I need to kick ass and that’s it.”
The interview comes as part of a broader conversation where Barker also opened up about personal topics including plane crash trauma, miscarriage, and parenting.
