Blink-182's Mark Hoppus elaborates on ‘very strange' rivalry with Green Day

San Francisco Chronicle​

19-05-2025

Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus admits that his band's rivalry with Green Day was 'very strange.'
In 'Fahrenheit-182,' the musician's memoir published in April, he revealed his San Diego pop punk group developed a toxically competitive dynamic with Green Day during their joint 2002 tour. Now, Hoppus is elaborating on that relationship, claiming that the competition was driven by the East Bay punk trio.
'That was very strange because I grew up listening to Green Day,' he reflected during an interview with NME published on Friday, May 16. 'I was a huge fan, then we're touring with them, but it was a weird thing where Green Day were dipping at the time and Blink were ascendent.'
At the time, Blink-182 was riding the success of its 1999 breakthrough album, 'Enemy Of The State' and its similarly popular 2001 follow-up, 'Take Off Your Pants.' Meanwhile, Green Day was grappling with a decline in popularity after the 2000 release of its sixth studio album 'Warning,' which they didn't bounce back from until the 2004 release of 'American Idiot.'
Hoppus went on to explain how despite being billed as co-headliners, Green Day was essentially opening for Blink-182.
'Headlining over your idols is a little strange… We walked in thinking we were hot s— and Green Day walked in ready to fight — musically of course,' he said. 'Billie was super nice to us. Then, when it came time to get on stage… It's like athletes: we could be on different teams, but when we get on the field we're going to try and kick your ass.'
Green Day has not publicly responded to Hoppus' allegations.
The 'All the Small Things' hitmaker added that his band, which also included lead vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker at the time, didn't necessarily join the tour with that competitive state of mind.
'They blew us off the stage the first few nights and we were like, 'Oh s—, we have to up our game'. Then it was this battle back-and-forth about who could put on the better show and who could win people over,' Hoppus said.
Hopper described Blink-182's relationship with Green Day as 'rival gangs across town who both despise and respect each other' in his memoir, noting that sometimes they'd end up in 'screaming matches with their manager in the hallways.'
Though the bands haven't toured together since, there seems to be no bad blood on Hoppus' end.
'It definitely made us a better band,' he reflected. 'I think I inspired them so much they were like, 'We have to kill Blink-182 with an awesome album called 'American Idiot'.'