Mayor has unprintable ‘choice words’ for bad-boy band
Band members of Blink-182 have rubbed salt in the wound of Christchurch fans while addressing a full stadium in Australia.
After cancelling the Garden City leg of their world tour, Blink-182 told concert-goers in Melbourne this week: “F... Christchurch”.
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said he had “a few choice words” for the 90s American alt-rock band, “but the printable version is that it’s very disappointing”.
In a clip circulating on social media, the band’s drummer, Travis Barker, mistakenly addressed the Melbourne crowd as Sydney, before bassist Mark Hoppus kept the joke going with a gag about the recently cancelled show.
“To be honest Sydney sucked so f...ing bad, we had to cancel Christchurch,” he said.
Guitarist Tom DeLonge responded, “F... Christchurch.”
“That’s a gnarly name for a town, can you imagine naming your f...ing city that?”
“If I were God,” replied Hoppus.
Some fans have defended the dig as a throwaway comment typical of the rock stars.
Christchurch Blink-182 fan James O’Caiside, who had tickets to the Wolfbrook Arena concert that was meant to have happened on March 4, said he wasn’t surprised by the band’s comments.
“To be fair, they've always ripped on anything live. I would happily hear them say, ‘F... you Christchurch’ in Christchurch.”
The New Zealand leg of the reunion tour of the pop punk trio - who are known for hits including Miss You and All The Small Things - was first unveiled in 2022.
The cancellation of the Christchurch show was announced in an email to ticket holders last week, citing “unanticipated logistical issues outside of the band’s control”.
Neither the band nor its members have addressed the cancellation on social media since the announcement.
A spokesperson for the concert’s promoter, Live Nation, said last week there would be no further comment or statement on the cancellation, outside of what was emailed to ticket holders.
Live Nation was contacted on Thursday in the wake of the band’s jibe about Christchurch, but again declined to comment.
Halswell councillor Andrei Moore, who heads the arts and creative industries portfolio at Christchurch City Council, shared his disappointment about the comment on social media.
He told The Press he did not have tickets himself but many of his friends did and the derogatory jibe at Christchurch “hasn’t softened the blow”.
He said those booking accommodation and travel had to cancel at the last minute due to the short notice of the band skipping Christchurch.
“People might be told not to take it [the comment] to heart, but they had to to take it to their wallets.”
The Foo Fighters recently performed in Christchurch, having been to the Garden City in 2015 when the band’s singer, Dave Grohl, was seen biking to New Brighton.
“We need Dave Grohl to take them for a nice ride through Christchurch,” Moore said. “He could teach the boys a thing or two about how to be a class act.”