Modern Rock Music News

Boxing Clever

By: NME News
April 5th 2002 10:07am

BLINK 182 guitarist TOM DELONGE premiered his new band BOX CAR RACER in a series of shows last weekend.

The group which also features Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, guitarist David Kennedy from punk outfit Over My Dead Body and bassist Anthony Celestino, performed a trio of gigs in their native Southern California, culminating in an appearance at Los Angeles Whisky a Go Go club Wednesday April 3.

Box Car Racer performed for over an hour to a sold-out audience, which included Ozzy Osbournes daughter, Kelly.

DeLonge took centre stage as frontman for the group, which introduced at least a dozen tracks to the packed audience. No tracks were named by the singer, but DeLonge said they were thematically about a girl, the world, and one was inspired by September 11.

According to a representative for the band, Box Car Racer only have working titles for their tracks, including: I Feel So, 'All Systems Go, Watch The World, Tiny Voices, Cat Like Thief, And I, Letters To God, The End With You, Sorrow, There Is, My First Punk Song and Elevator.

Fans in attendance described the new material, written by DeLonge as sounding more mature and closer in style to Jimmy Eat World than Blink 182.

"It was really emotional," said Lisa, 22 from Valencia. "You could see a more grown-up side of a person who used to make fart jokes."

Box Car Racer release their as yet untitled debut album in America on May 21. .Click here to discuss this story on the NME.COM forums

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