Ahead of his Lollapalooza 2024 gig this weekend, Travis Barker graced his Brazilian fans with a little skin.
The Blink-182 drummer, 48, put his inked bod on display for the latest cover of GQ Hype, in which he discussed his upcoming performance, his 2008 plane crash and married life with Kourtney Kardashian.
‘Family is at the top of my priorities, there is nothing I love more than being with my children and my wife,’ Barker raved.
He shares 5-month-old son Rocky Thirteen with Kourtney, 44, and he co-parents son Landon, 20, and daughter Alabama, 18, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler, 48.
He’s also close with stepchildren Mason, 14, Penelope, 11, and Reign Disick, 9, as well as Moakler’s daughter with Oscar De La Hoya, 24-year-old Atiana.
Barker also said of his near-death experience, ‘My wife helped me a lot to get through all of this. For 17 years, I was really very restricted by my fears, they controlled me.’
‘With my new relationship and the power of love, I felt like I could finally face my deepest fears,’ added Barker.
Barker continued, ‘And I didn’t want to miss anything else, because I really felt trapped for so long, and now I’m so happy to be able to live the things I was afraid of again, I enjoy every second of it. And that’s why I’m here.’
In addition to the two pilots, Barker’s personal assistant Chris Baker and bodyguard Che Still died in the crash.
Barker and collaborator Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein survived, but Goldstein died from an overdose the next year.
The Grammy nominee’s stop at Lollapalooza Brazil is especially significant, considering his fear of flying.
‘I still hate flying, it’s still very difficult and a part of me always dies every time I have to fly, but I also know that I would feel worse if I wasn’t taking the risk,’ he explained.
Barker added, ‘When I’m on stage or when I meet the fans, it makes it all worth it.’
Blink-182 was previously set to perform at last year’s Lollapalooza Brazil, but they were forced to cancel the gig when Barker injured his finger in rehearsal and required surgery.
‘There was nothing I could do,’ he said. ‘It was impossible to play like that, and I always said that when I came, it would be at my best.
‘The surgery was scheduled right after the event, but even so, there wouldn’t be enough time,’ recalled Barker.
Barker said he ‘assured’ the promoter that their decision ‘would not be a cancellation, but rather a postponement.’
‘I would return a year later, with the new album already finished and it would be even bigger and better than if it had been in 2023,’ he continued. ‘I spoke exactly those words to the promoter and that is exactly what is happening.’
Barker also opened up about the ‘very special moment’ of producing their ninth studio album One More Time… last year, which marked the original lineup’s first time together since guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge departed in 2015.
‘Producing this album was so incredible that I even allowed myself to do things I feared, like singing some parts,’ he said.
Barker added, ‘I was able to put into words the anguish we went through and it is very moving to see the reception from the fans.’
Blink-182’s One More Time… is now available for streaming and download.