In between On Thursday, March 21 and Sunday, March 24, 2024, the 13th edition of the Estreo Picnic Festival (FEP) was held in Bogotá., which on this occasion had a new headquarters in the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park in the capital of Colombia. And there were several peculiarities, apart from the headquarters, but none like the one starring one of the members of Blink 182 during their closing presentation.
By For the first time in the history of the band formed in the early 90s, Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge arrived on Colombian soil.which had recently passed through the region’s music festival circuit; Lollapaloza (Chile, Argentina and Brazil) and Asuncion (Paraguay). Well, the last stop in South America was at the height of Bogotá, which is 2,625 meters above sea level (masl) and there was madness because The organization designated them as the artist who closed the main stage on Sunday, March 24.
Tom DeLonge, from Blink 182, for a concert in Bogotá to ask for oxygen
As It has happened to so many people who have passed through cities at altitudes above 2,000 meters above sea level for the first time.who in their lives and activities depend on physical activity, Tom DeLonge felt bad and asked for oxygen in the middle of the presentation. The guitarist not only stopped playing, but said with his usual personality and humor:
Wait, this will only take a second…
At that moment, An assistant from the American band entered with an oxygen cylinder and a mask, elements that were prepared in case this happened to Tom, Mark or Travis.. And far from taking that breath behind the scenes or in a hidden way, Tom DeLonge used the mask to wear it in front of more than 100,000 people who saw him in the place, plus a few million who were following the concert that was broadcast on television and streaming on Canal Capital de Bogotá.
There was concern because Tom, who overcame skin cancer more than a decade ago, having to change habits in his life normal, in the recent passage through Paraguay He suffered a ‘heatstroke’ that forced him to leave the stage and then he wrote this on his networks and added the photo of the previous moment:
This was about 1 minute before the heat stroke hit me. He fell to his knees, everything became a blur, then he staggered to the side of the stage and vomited a little. Super fun. Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker made up for lost time… Man, it’s not something I’ve ever felt before. 95 degrees at 11 pm on stage. But… I came back and finished the show. Because that’s what the ‘Navy Seals’ do.
Although it is not new that this happens at the Estreo Picnic, with an international artist, since the same Englishman Sam Smith lived the well-known ‘soroche’ in 2019the situation that unfortunately was experienced in 2022 by the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins before performing at the FEP itselfhas remained hanging around and it is inevitable not to relate it when Monday, March 25, marks the second year of his departure.
Yes, it must be explained that Hawkins, 50 years old and a great friend of the legendary Dave Grhol, was found with signs of an overdose and different psychoactive substances were found in his body. and doctors that led to this unfortunate outcome that has marked the history of the Colombian music festival.
Fortunately, far from this situation or memory, DeLonge had this episode at 48 years old only as an example of what height implies in people accustomed to being in settings close to sea level. Furthermore, confirms that the height of the great and beautiful Bogotá is not just a ‘myth’, in addition to putting that first great anecdote of the Estreo Picnic in the Simón Bolívar.