For many blink-182 fans, a dream came true; Mark Hoppus invited his former co-blink-182 member Tom DeLonge on his podcast show, After School Radio, with Mark Hoppus. Many fans were hoping for this day to come since DeLonge had left blink-182 in 2015. The band, now Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker, later recruited Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba and have since released two albums with him, California and Nine.

Mark Hoppus is known for engaging multiple platforms to reach out to his fans, including podcasts, Twitch, Twitter and Discord. He updates his fans regularly on his health after he announced he was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. He most recently revealed that is cancer treatment is working. 

Now, after long speculations by the fans, he invited DeLonge on the show and he asked him, “Why do you think that you and I can go five years without talking and then just get on the phone and pick up like nothing ever happened?” To which DeLonge responded, “Because we appreciate dick jokes in a way that no one else does. It boils down to only that, there is nothing else.”

Hoppus and DeLonge then talked about the time DeLonge asked director M. Night Shyamalan to direct one of their music videos. Hoppus explains, “on tour in Japan and we were having lunch in the hotel in Japan, and we look over and M. Night Shyamalan is at a table next to us.” DeLonge interrupts, “Shama lama ding dong.” Hoppus continued, “And you just walk up and you’re like, ‘Hey, my name’s Tom DeLonge. I play in a band called blink-182. We’re a big fan of yours. Would you ever direct a Blink video?’ And within half an hour, we’re all sitting together and he’s coming up with ideas for a Blink video. And I mean, he did come up with a whole treatment and everything. It was going to cost, whatever it was, $20 million, but I mean, just on your gumption or I don’t know, no fucks to give, just walk up to somebody and say, ‘Hey, I want you to direct a Blink video.’”

The former band mates then talked about old memories they share, like inside jokes that DeLonge features in his upcoming movie project Monsters of California, a paranormal stoner/skater film. The guys also talked about DeLonge’s upcoming new album with his band Angels and Airwaves, Lifeforms. The album is set to be released in September and the band are also about to go on an extensive tour. DeLonge recently made headlines with his U.F.O and alien research. Even the Pentagon acknowledged his research and confirmed part of it. Hoppus also talked about that with him, mainly how government official changed the name from U.F.O to U.A.P, unidentified aerial phenomena, “because of the stigma,” DeLonge explains.

Being friends since high school Hoppus and DeLonge both formed blink-182 in 1992.

photo credit: Marv Watson