Billed as a ‘reunion tour’ – following the reintroduction of founding vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge as part of the pop punk band’s live setup for the first time since 2014 – blink-182’s eagerly-anticipated World Tour 2023/2024, affectionately named the Rock Hard Tour, hit the road on 4 May at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Serving as a precursor to the imminent release of the band’s ninth studio album, One More Time… the band, their dedicated support teams and a road-tested production crew descended on London’s The O2 for two back-to-back sold-out shows.
In Europe, the technical suppliers included Backroom (power), Beat The Street (crew travel), Clair Global (audio), Stagetruck (logistics), SGPS ShowRig (automation and set), Solotech (lighting and video), and Strictly FX (special effects and lasers).
“It’s a fun crew to be around and there’s a symbiosis between departments,” commented Production Coordinator, Ashleigh Volz who supported Production Manager, Jimi Storey on the road, often from the confines of the travelling blink-182 production office. “Understanding each other’s workflows with some of us having pre-existing relationships from past touring camps has been beneficial and, as always, meeting new people is part of the allure of touring.”
This article originally appeared in issue #276 of TPi, which you can read here.
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Joe Okpako and TPi
