Pop Disaster Tour

The Pop Disaster Tour teamed up two of pop-punk’s biggest acts: Blink-182 and Green Day. Although both bands hailed from California and were part of its punk scene, their backgrounds were distinctly different. Green Day, nearly a decade older, were rooted in the Bay Area's politically influenced culture. Blink-182, by contrast, embraced SoCal irreverence and earned a reputation as a more radio-friendly act.^[1] By the early 2000s, their respective fortunes had reversed—Green Day was in a commercial slump,^[2] and were preparing to release their greatest hits compilation. Blink, on the other hand, were enjoying their most profitable period, with their most recent LP, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, becoming the first punk album to hit number one.^[3] Given their age, Green Day had obtained a reputation as "elder statesmen" of the pop-punk scene.^[4][5] These comparisons fueled a perceived rivalry in the press.^[6]

To challenge that perception, Blink-182 proposed a joint tour. Modeled after the famous Monsters of Rock festivals, the concept was essentially a "Monsters of Punk" tour.^[7] Early reports of the showdown were confirmed by spokespeople in January 2002,^[8] and the bands formally announced the tour in a joint appearance on MTV's TRL the next month.^[9] MTV sponsored the outing, alongside the newly released Xbox. Blink-182 were quick to offer praise for their forebears, acknowledging their impact: "They were a huge inspiration for us", Blink bassist Mark Hoppus said. Green Day, instead, frequently distanced themselves from their offspring. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong declined an idea to cover each other’s songs, telling Rolling Stone he didn’t see much common ground between the two bands.^[10]

Support bands included Jimmy Eat World, riding the mainstream success of Bleed American (2001), alongside rising acts Simple Plan, Saves the Day and Kut U Up. Kut U Up became known for their wild backstage antics, which were captured in the 2003 film Riding in Vans with Boys. The film was conceived by the Blink duo of Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge, who brought in Matt Beauchesne—also behind their The Urethra Chronicles II documentary—to direct. It was intended as "a social experiment" to document what happens when an ordinary band spends two months touring with two of rock's biggest bands.^[11]

While the mood behind the scenes was mostly jovial, the tour is infamous for the tensions it created between the two bands.^[12][13][14] Although marketed as a co-headlining tour, Green Day effectively played the role of opener ("we closed every show for a reason", Hoppus said).^[15] In his memoir, Fahrenheit-182, Hoppus suggests Green Day employed subtle tactics to assert dominance—such as a clause in their contract requiring them to perform only after sunset. Hoppus contends that Green Day would refuse to go on unless it was completely dark, and despite the delay, perform their full set. It put Blink in the position of having to shorten their setlist instead, due to curfew laws in some municipalities. Similarly, although pyrotechnics were initially planned just for Blink’s set,^[15] Green Day ended up using them as well.^[16] "I got the sense that Green Day fucking hated that they’d been reduced to opening for us", Hoppus said.^[15][12]

The musicianship between the two bands was more marked side-by-side. In a press release, Hoppus had jokingly predicted these comparisons, saying Blink planned to use "a bunch of fire and cool lights to distract people from our poor musical performance".^[10] However, the joke didn’t land with critics, who left unimpressed with Blink's headlining set. In a later interview, Green Day's Tré Cool acknowledged they had only committed to the tour as an opportunity to regain their status as a technically superior live act.^[6][17] Green Day's producer, Rob Cavallo, played a key role in developing the plan, emphasizing that their strength lay in their live performances: "Basically the idea was to blow Blink-182 off the stage every night", he confirmed.^[16] Cool claimed that "we heard they were going to quit the tour because they were getting smoked so badly [...] We didn't want them to quit the tour. They're good for filling up the seats up front."^[17]

For the most part, however, the bands got along well. Hoppus fondly remembered Armstrong bringing his family along for the ride,^[15] while Travis Barker held onto a bass gifted by Mike Dirnt—still displayed in his studio years later.^[18] Hoppus would later concede in his memoir that Green Day delivered the stronger performances and that the challenge ultimately pushed Blink to improve.^[19][20] Green Day went on to write their 2004 rock opera American Idiot, which revitalized their career and solidified their place in rock history.^[2] The rivalry, however, has persisted: Blink-182 has repeatedly invited Green Day to tour together again, but each time, they refused to..^[21]

Many reviewers were unimpressed with Blink-182's headlining set following Green Day. "Sometimes playing last at a rock show is more a curse than a privilege […] Pity the headliner, for instance, that gets blown off the stage by the band before it. Blink-182 endured that indignity Saturday at the Shoreline Amphitheatre", a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in 2002.^[22] "Blink came off as simply chaotic, tiring and convoluted noise [...] their trademark gross-out comedy on stage was surprisingly toned down throughout the performance – perhaps ashamed to seem juvenile following Green Day", wrote Tony Ding of The Michigan Daily.^[23] In his book Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times and Music of Green Day, author Marc Spitz compared Blink-182 headlining a tour with Green Day to "Frank Sinatra, Jr. headlining over Frank Sinatra."^[16]

The Pop Disaster Tour as a whole grossed nearly $20 million from 45 shows.^[24] Pop Disaster was the first concert for many future pop-punk stars, including Spencer Smith from Panic! at the Disco,^[25] and Jack Barakat of All Time Low, who remarked that it "changed [his] life forever".^[26]

• Hella Mega Tour

• Shooman, Joe (June 24, 2010). Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return. Independent Music Press. ISBN 978-1-906191-10-8.