Travis Barker has departed Blink-182's Australian tour due to his fear of flying.
The return of Blink-182 has been an emotional experience for all involved. Reconvening after Travis Barker was involved in a near fatal plane crash, the band's comeback has been a long, gradual process.
Confirming plans to tour Australia, it seems that the trauma Travis Barker experienced has retained a residual effect. Suffering from a – quite understandable – fear of flying, Travis Barker has decided to pull out of the tour.
Writing on Facebook, the drummer said: "I still haven't gotten over the horrific events that took place the last time I flew."
Close friend Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion, Tenacious D) has stepped in, with the tour dates set to continue as planned.
A statement from Blink-182 reads:
"The trip to Australia was planned during our European tour last summer. The band knew the chances of Travis overcoming his fear of flying, which was magnified after the horrible plane crash in 2008, would be a challenge, but we wanted to play for our fans in Australia nonetheless. The three of us tried all measures to get us all there in full form. Travis has been working to overcome his fear of flying. Since we now know we have to make the trip without Travis our friend Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion, Tenacious D) has stepped in. We love our fans in Australia so canceling was not an option so we still plan to come and play some kick ass shows. Mark, Tom, and Travis".
