When I’ve tried to explain to people the depth of blink-182 in the past, I get strange looks. Yes, they’re the “All The Small Things” and “The Rock Show” band. But they’re also the “Adam’s Song” and the “Stay Together For The Kids” band. Many won’t see past their juvenile late 90s antics, but they’ve always had a darker edge. 

The band, composed of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker (yes, that Travis Barker) has been around since 1992, having survived hiatuses, public breakups and lineup changes. 2023’s One More Time marked DeLonge’s return to the band after eight years, soaring to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart upon release. It’s a record that encompasses everything about their career – the joyous highs and the crippling lows. Hoppus’s memoir, Fahrenheit-182, released this April and co-written with Dan Ozzi, chronicles this in much the same way, but from a much more personal perspective. It summarises everything I have tried to tell people about blink-182 with succinct and beautiful prose. 

The book quickly topped the New York Times’ non-fiction list. The thing that struck me most about the book was just how brilliant Hoppus’s writing style was, and how effortlessly he translates the humour of his antics with blink-182 into his words. He clearly has talent and depth as a writer, perfectly conveying the darkness of his mental health struggles at the same time without it feeling like a clash in tone. It feels very blink-182, exploring both light and dark with the same breathless energy. Littered throughout the book are references to blink-182 songs that are seamlessly woven into the narrative, like Mark spilling the cup of apple juice whilst listening to his parents argue that is referenced in “Adam’s Song,” and his account of his mother’s new abusive partner sharing lyrics with “Go”. 

Hoppus is incredibly vulnerable in the book. He talks about his anxiety, OCD, suicidal thoughts and cancer diagnosis with an incredibly dark beauty and discusses those topics with the same depth as he does his career. It feels conversational, and nothing is off the table. A running thread in the book is how Hoppus manages to beat one-in-a-million odds time and time again, to both his advantage and anxious detriment, which gives the book a solid narrative structure. I especially enjoyed how it was clear to see how his life influenced the early days of blink-182, with the deep dives into songs, especially “Adam’s Song”, being incredibly revealing. Also incredibly pertinent is Hoppus’s parents splitting up when he was younger, which made him feel like a mediator, and he saw the same issues reflected in the band years later when they were about to split. 

Of course, a lot of the book revolves around Hoppus’s relationship with DeLonge. They quickly become friends, discovering that before meeting they had both separately written complementary pieces (which would become the song ‘Carousel’). Hoppus describes himself as the pragmatist in the relationship, with DeLonge being the dreamer, a dynamic which influences their whole relationship. The strength of their friendship and creative harmony made their falling out severe, and their eventual reunion all the more impactful. 

The book culminates in the band’s reunion show at Coachella 2023 – the incredulity of which Hoppus comments on. With everything the band had been through, including Barker’s near-fatal 2008 plane crash, Hoppus’s cancer, and the animosity he and DeLonge had publicly expressed, a reunion just seemed impossible. It’s an incredible moment, marking not just the reunion of the band, but a reconciliation between friends – and reading it (or listening to Hoppus’s narration as I did), it is easy to visualise it as the closing scene of a film, and so I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a blink-182 biopic in the future. 

The book reflects the trajectory of the band and their music and reading it the maturation of their sound is clear, marked by Hoppus’s change in circumstances and emotional state. They’ve gone from young kids having fun to world-weary adults, having seen and experienced more than they could have ever imagined. After everything they had individually and collectively experienced, they realised that life is too short to not do what they love with the people they love. Hoppus makes it clear that he knows he’s living on borrowed time, and that he’s so grateful for every single day. 

Fahrenheit-182 is at its core a memoir about not giving up and making the most out of each day. It’s a call to keep going even when you want to give up; to do the things that scare you. So, step out into the light and the noise. After all, one in a million happens all the time. 

Photo Credit: Daniel Garcia