Blink-182 Drummer Cancels Australian Tour Appearance Due to Fear of Flying
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is still haunted by the deadly plane crash that killed four people and left him hospitalized for months. The stickman has decided to pull out of the punk trio's upcoming Australian tour due his fear of flying.
As NME reports, Blink-182 are scheduled to tour in Australia later this week, with the first show February 20 at the Allphone Arena in Sydney. Since the September 2008 plane crash that almost took his life, Barker has only traveled by boat or car. Blink-182 will have Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion/Tenacious D) fill in for the tour Down Under.
"I'm sorry to announce i won't be joining Blink-182 on this Australian tour," Barker said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page. "I still haven't gotten over the horrific events that took place the last time I flew when my plane crashed and four people were killed, two being my best friends. I gave the band my blessing to take another drummer if they still wanted to do the tour without me. I hope to come to Australia again some day perhaps by ship if need be. Unfortunately, there wasn't a boat that worked with the schedule this time around. Once again I'm sorry to all the fans."
Barker was on a flight headed for Van Nuys, CA from Columbia, SC when a tire blew out and the aircraft crashed into a highway embankment. The accident left second and third degree burns on Barker and friend DJ AM, and killed the two pilots, Barker's personal assistant Chris Baker and security guard Che Still. Sadly, DJ AM died just two years later from an accidental overdose.
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