“I grew up playing jazz, and in jazz, the drummer is often the leader. In Blink, we’re all equals, but we play off me.” -Travis Barker
SIX months ago, when Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker told an L.A. audience that the band’s new album was going to be called “Use Your Erection 1 & 2” – a title that mocks Guns N’ Roses’ “Use Your Illusion 1 & 2” – there was little reason to doubt him.
The bratty SoCal pop-punks, who hit it big with their last record, “Enema of the State,” have always had bodily function references aplenty in their music.
But the disc due in stores Tuesday is an about-face for the trio. It’s titled, simply, “Blink-182,” because it’s a departure disc.
“When we went in to do this record,” Barker told The Post, “I said to Mark [Hoppus] and Tom [DeLonge], ‘Let’s pretend this is our first record, like we’re just beginning to be a band again.’ “
He hoped Blink’s growing popularity had given them the currency to buy artistic independence.
Not that he isn’t proud of the band’s past work, but he resents a bit how Blink was manipulated in the beginning.
“We didn’t know what we could get away with in the music or what the label would say,” he says. “Before, we were younger and we didn’t know how to say no. The freedom has allowed us to really be ourselves.”
Take the famous quote, “Kids, take care of your colon and your colon will take care of you,” which was attributed to Barker and continues to hound him.
“I never said that,” he insists. “That was some publicist who thought it would sound cool. It just shows how we weren’t in control.”
Barker, who turns 28 today, said those days are gone. “We know who we are, and how we want to sound, and what we want to do with our music and lives. We’ve taken things into our own hands.”
For Barker, that goes beyond just the music: He and his model/actress girlfriend, Shanna Moakler, decided to start a family, and last month Moakler gave birth to a baby boy they named Landon.
Post: Blink-182 is a major party band. You’re not diaper-changing parents!
Barker: Yeah, we know how to have a good time. We’ll never forget that, whether we have more kids, wives or girlfriends. That’s how our fans know us. It would be weird to change.
Post: So nothing has changed?
Barker: Well, I just had a kid, so obviously I’m not out every night partying like a rock star. I took some time off. But I think you need to party that way sometimes.
Post: Has it sunk in yet how the birth of your son is going to affect you?
Barker: It’s already changed my life. I didn’t know what it was going to do to me. It all seemed surreal until it happened. Since then, I just want to be home. I get up in the morning, I go to the gym for some boxing and then I come home and spend time with my girlfriend and baby until I have to get to rehearsal.
Post: Is that what you expected?
Barker: I never thought I’d have a baby this way.
Post: How did you think it would happen?
Barker: I thought I’d get some random girl pregnant and get stuck in the weird situation of parenthood with someone I didn’t know. Instead, I had a baby with a girl I love. This is a dream come true.
Post: Why is the drummer the most important guy in the band?
Barker: The drummer is the backbone. I grew up playing jazz, and in jazz, the drummer is often the leader. In Blink, we’re all equals, but we play off me.
Post: Some drummers say drumming is instinctive. Do you agree?
Barker: Absolutely. Sometimes when I’m playing, I feel like I’m making love to my drums. I know it sounds weird. I also like the way you can express emotions like you do on drums. There are songs that move with laid-back rhythms, and some fast tempos that say I want to break your face. You don’t have to say a word, and you can express yourself with a drum set.
Post: You also express yourself with body art.
Barker: Yeah, I hear I have too many tattoos. That’s just me. Other people like to customize their cars or buy crazy clothes. I like to decorate my skin. I document the times of my life on my body.
Post: What stories does your body tell?
Barker: I never got a tattoo just because it looked cool. There’s a memorial for my mother who passed away when I was 15. I have “Jesus” because I grew up Catholic. I have the word “lover” on my stomach because I’m a lover, not a fighter. On my rib cage, I have the word “Cadillac” because I collect them. I know there are some guys who have Japanese artwork on their backs because they love it, but that isn’t me. I’d rather have writing on my body.
Post: You said you’re a lover, not a fighter. But what about that Taco Bell incident? (Barker got into a fight with two men two years ago.)
Travis: I’m a lover until someone pushes me. I have a bad temper and a guy was saying things to my [then] wife, so I hit him upside the face with a tray. Look, I got into a fight, I broke my hand and I got sued – whatever. I guess I could have avoided it, but I’m not the kind of guy who avoids situations. I don’t care if I’m going to get my ass kicked.