“I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for the drums. Whenever anything in my life has been bad, I knew I could go to my drums – for me, the drum kit has been better than a girlfriend.”
Travis Barker isn’t capable of simply liking something in moderation.
Did you know that Travis has slept with hundreds of women?
How about the fact that Travis owns a fleet of Cadillacs?
Or that Travis’ dedication to the drums landed him a spot on his high school’s marching band without having to attend the mandatory summer practice?
Yeah, Travis seems to be the poster boy for “addictive personality” and for the most part, that obsessive side has lead to a life of wealth and success. So in telling his story, it’s very smart of Barker to cede a bit of control and enlist a bevy of friends to act as co-authors, helping him tell his story through their own anecdotes, interspersed with Barker’s own recollections.
It helps keep the book from being too much of a humble brag.
So how did Travis first become a drummer? Inspired by Animal (yes, that Animal), Barker was encouraged by his mother at age 4, who would send him to lessons and then learn along with him as they practiced together at night.
“No matter what, play the drums. Keep doing it, no matter what anybody else says. Don’t stop playing the drums, Travis. Follow your dreams.”
When his mom passed away due to Sjögren’s Syndrome the summer before Travis started high school, Barker began to rebel, getting tattoos, doing drugs and sleeping around to mask the pain. Despite this, his love of music combined with raw talent made him an in-demand local drummer, juggling his time between various acts before ultimately ending up in the Aquabats.
Honestly, I was most excited to read the section on the ‘Bats and the book really delivers. Blink is a silly band (dick jokes x infinity), but even then, Travis has always been the straight man. So what was it like for him in a band as wacky as the Aquabats?
MC Bat Commander, aka Christian Jacobs, provides commentary here and is as talented behind the typewriter as he is fighting giant monsters on stage. He reveals a Barker that’s fiercely loyal and a musical inspiration to his bandmates, as well as a bit of a goof:
“Travis might not have seemed like the poster boy for ‘wacky,’ but he was more of a merry prankster than people realize.”
Of course, his addition to Blink 182 and that band’s various breakups and reformations are details here, though if you’re already a fan, there isn’t that much new information. I did find it interesting that they never mention previous drummer, Scott Raynor, by name and that Barker almost joined Suicide Machines before landing Blink, but don’t expect any new dirt on Tom. (Mark and Tom both contribute writing in this book and while Travis is obviously closer to the former, he comes off as at peace with the latter).
Barker’s own writing can be a bit too conversational at times. He’s one of the best when it comes to making beats, but isn’t exactly Cormac McCarthy when it comes to writing.
“Pops taught me how to drive. He was strict about it, but for a good reason: he wanted to teach me right, and that’s why I’m the dope driver I am today.”
For some, I’m sure this will be part of the book’s charm but to me, I felt like it could use a bit more polishing. Some parts still felt like an early draft. However, his realist style is forgiven in the book’s darkest parts, namely, the parts dealing with his plane crash – a crash that cost four people their lives (two of which were very close to Barker) and left the drummer in the burn ward for weeks.
“At that point, I panicked. I pulled the handle on the emergency exit and kicked the door open. AM was right behind me. I jumped out – right into the jet wing, which was filled with jet fuel. My whole body got covered with fuel and caught fire, from my legs all the way to my back. I started running.”
You can feel the anxiety dripping off of every word, the type of anxiety that is expected of a person with a lifelong fear of flying experiencing such a horrific event (and the accompanying pictures are absolutely horrific). Similarly, much of the book deals with Travis’ longtime addiction to drugs and the dependency he feels is well depicted.
Travis Barker has certainly lead an interesting life, and while the writing style keeps the book from transcending the genre like, say, Butch Walker’s autobiography, his story of overcoming vices is one that will certainly appeal to his already large fanbase.
-Emily Matview | https://www.goodreads.com/matview
‘Can I Say’ is available from HarperCollins. You can also reserve it from the library. Fans in Vegas can see Travis live at Hyde Lounge in Bellagio on February 20, 2016 and March 19, 2016.
“Punk rock book club” banner by Andy at Empire13.
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