LP Tour: Zurich, Switzerland
posted by Jas, 07/29/09
Linkin Park played in Zurich, Switzerland Tuesday night, show info and setlist here, watch fans' recording at Youtube, some photos here
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LP Tour: Zurich, Switzerland
posted by Jas, 07/29/09
Linkin Park played in Zurich, Switzerland Tuesday night, show info and setlist here, watch fans' recording at Youtube, some photos here
LP Tour: Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth, UK
posted by Jas, 08/01/09 | share
Linkin Park played at the Sonisphere festival in Knebworth, England this evening, show info and setlist here, some photos here, (also added are a few more from the Russia concert). Speaking of UK, this week's issue of Kerrang magazine has an interview with Linkin Park.
"Out Of Ashes" iTunes pre-order
posted by Jas, 07/31/09 | share
Dead By Sunrise's debut CD, "Out Of Ashes" is now available for pre-order on iTunes UK. Read Ryan's message regarding DBS show in Stuttgart, Germany.
Video: New LPU TV episode
posted by Jas, 07/31/09 | share
LPU has posted a new clip of Mike's amazement at the transforming toilet
Video: LP in Turkey, Joe backstage playing backgammon
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Spin Earth has posted a clip of Joe playing backgammon backstage before Linkin Park's concert in Turkey, download here.
Video: Dead By Sunrise sneak peek 2
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
DBS MySpace page has another sneak peek at the making of "Out Of Ashes" with the first single, 'Crawl Back In' playing in the background, download here. "Out Of Ashes" will be released on October 13, 2009.
Sonisphere sneek preview
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Times 24 have photos of Sonisphere festival stages at Knebworth for this weekend's concert. Headliner Linkin Park will play on the Apollo main stage on Saturday at 9 pm right after Heaven And Hell (aka Black Sabbath without Ozzy), tough act to follow there. Metallica will close the festival on Sunday night. Those with ipod/itunes can listen to the podcast here
Glorious Excess Dies update
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Mike has updated his blog with an update on his Glorious Excess Dies art show which will be on display at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, from August 29 to October 4.
As you guys now know, the Glorious Excess Dies show is coming to the Japanese American National Museum on August 29th. I'll be there once again, at the opening, to say "hi" and sign stuff. This week, I've been putting the final touches on a New Book that covers the entire Glorious Excess (Born and Dies) experience, from beginning to end. I'm really excited about it
There will be images of all the artwork, including some sketches and photos of the pieces unfinished. Shepard Fairey wrote the foreword. I wrote five different texts describing the thoughts behind the show. I think this is the first time the real ideas behind Glorious Excess have truly come into focus, and I hope you all get to check it out.
and speaking to Shockhound he said, “On one hand, this show is about obsession with celebrity culture, consumer addiction, and fascination with excess. On the other, this is about me growing up painting, and finally feeling like I’ve found a stylistic voice that expresses the ideas I want to get across in a gallery show."
LP Tour: Stuttgart, Germany
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Linkin Park played in Stuttgart, Germany this evening, show info and setlist here, the three songs that Dead By Sunrise played are titled 'Fire', 'Crawl Back In' and 'My Suffering', watch fans' recording at Youtube, DBS set here.
Video: Interview with Chester on A1TV
posted by Jas, 07/29/09 | share
A1TV has an interview with Chester when Linkin Park were in Russia last week, download here. See concert photos here
LP Tour: Zurich, Switzerland
posted by Jas, 07/29/09 | share
Linkin Park played in Zurich, Switzerland Tuesday night, show info and setlist here, watch fans' recording at Youtube, some photos here
Chester to preview DBS in LP show
posted by Jas, 07/29/09 | share
Chester talks to Noisecreep about Linkin Park's upcoming show at Epicenter '09 adding that he and Dead By Sunrise will perform a three-song show.
posted by Jas, 08/01/09 | share
Linkin Park played at the Sonisphere festival in Knebworth, England this evening, show info and setlist here, some photos here, (also added are a few more from the Russia concert). Speaking of UK, this week's issue of Kerrang magazine has an interview with Linkin Park.
"Out Of Ashes" iTunes pre-order
posted by Jas, 07/31/09 | share
Dead By Sunrise's debut CD, "Out Of Ashes" is now available for pre-order on iTunes UK. Read Ryan's message regarding DBS show in Stuttgart, Germany.
Video: New LPU TV episode
posted by Jas, 07/31/09 | share
LPU has posted a new clip of Mike's amazement at the transforming toilet
Video: LP in Turkey, Joe backstage playing backgammon
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Spin Earth has posted a clip of Joe playing backgammon backstage before Linkin Park's concert in Turkey, download here.
Video: Dead By Sunrise sneak peek 2
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
DBS MySpace page has another sneak peek at the making of "Out Of Ashes" with the first single, 'Crawl Back In' playing in the background, download here. "Out Of Ashes" will be released on October 13, 2009.
Sonisphere sneek preview
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Times 24 have photos of Sonisphere festival stages at Knebworth for this weekend's concert. Headliner Linkin Park will play on the Apollo main stage on Saturday at 9 pm right after Heaven And Hell (aka Black Sabbath without Ozzy), tough act to follow there. Metallica will close the festival on Sunday night. Those with ipod/itunes can listen to the podcast here
Glorious Excess Dies update
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Mike has updated his blog with an update on his Glorious Excess Dies art show which will be on display at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, from August 29 to October 4.
As you guys now know, the Glorious Excess Dies show is coming to the Japanese American National Museum on August 29th. I'll be there once again, at the opening, to say "hi" and sign stuff. This week, I've been putting the final touches on a New Book that covers the entire Glorious Excess (Born and Dies) experience, from beginning to end. I'm really excited about it
There will be images of all the artwork, including some sketches and photos of the pieces unfinished. Shepard Fairey wrote the foreword. I wrote five different texts describing the thoughts behind the show. I think this is the first time the real ideas behind Glorious Excess have truly come into focus, and I hope you all get to check it out.
and speaking to Shockhound he said, “On one hand, this show is about obsession with celebrity culture, consumer addiction, and fascination with excess. On the other, this is about me growing up painting, and finally feeling like I’ve found a stylistic voice that expresses the ideas I want to get across in a gallery show."
LP Tour: Stuttgart, Germany
posted by Jas, 07/30/09 | share
Linkin Park played in Stuttgart, Germany this evening, show info and setlist here, the three songs that Dead By Sunrise played are titled 'Fire', 'Crawl Back In' and 'My Suffering', watch fans' recording at Youtube, DBS set here.
Video: Interview with Chester on A1TV
posted by Jas, 07/29/09 | share
A1TV has an interview with Chester when Linkin Park were in Russia last week, download here. See concert photos here
LP Tour: Zurich, Switzerland
posted by Jas, 07/29/09 | share
Linkin Park played in Zurich, Switzerland Tuesday night, show info and setlist here, watch fans' recording at Youtube, some photos here
Chester to preview DBS in LP show
posted by Jas, 07/29/09 | share
Chester talks to Noisecreep about Linkin Park's upcoming show at Epicenter '09 adding that he and Dead By Sunrise will perform a three-song show.
Digital Souvenir Packs Return
It has been announced that fans attending select shows this summer will be able to purchase limited edition digital souvenir packs. The digital souvenir packs include a special code to download the live recording of Linkin Park's set from that night’s show, a collectible CDR to burn the recording, as well as exclusive photographs taken by the Linkin Park crew. The digital souvenir packs are ONLY available at merchandise booths at the following shows:
7/21/2009 - Athens, GR
7/23/2009 - Graz, AT
7/28/2009 - Zurich, CH
7/30/2009 - Stuttgart, DE
8/2/2009 - Graefenhainichen, DE
8/8/2009 - Chiba City, JP
8/9/2009 - Osaka, JP
8/11/2009 - Okinawa, JP
8/13/2009 - Taipei, TW
8/15/2009 - Shanghai, CN
8/16/2009 - Macao, CN
It is also noted that the band may have to substitute one show for another if they can't deliver a specific show due to circumstances beyond their control.
It has been announced that fans attending select shows this summer will be able to purchase limited edition digital souvenir packs. The digital souvenir packs include a special code to download the live recording of Linkin Park's set from that night’s show, a collectible CDR to burn the recording, as well as exclusive photographs taken by the Linkin Park crew. The digital souvenir packs are ONLY available at merchandise booths at the following shows:
7/21/2009 - Athens, GR
7/23/2009 - Graz, AT
7/28/2009 - Zurich, CH
7/30/2009 - Stuttgart, DE
8/2/2009 - Graefenhainichen, DE
8/8/2009 - Chiba City, JP
8/9/2009 - Osaka, JP
8/11/2009 - Okinawa, JP
8/13/2009 - Taipei, TW
8/15/2009 - Shanghai, CN
8/16/2009 - Macao, CN
It is also noted that the band may have to substitute one show for another if they can't deliver a specific show due to circumstances beyond their control.
Possible Tracklist for "Out of Ashes" Released
A tentative (albeit unconfirmed) tracklisting for Chester Bennington's upcoming solo album titled "Out of Ashes" (released under the name Dead By Sunrise) has recentely surfaced on Warner Brother's Japanese website. Since the text is in Japanese, we have reproduced it in english for you here:
1 FIRE
2 CRAWL BACK IN
3 TOO LATE
4 INSIDE OF ME
5 LET DOWN
6 GIVE ME YOUR LOVE
7 MY SUFFERING
8 CONDEMNED
9 INTO YOU
10 END OF THE WORLD
11 WALKING IN CIRCLES
12 IN THE DARKNESS
13 MORNING AFTER (*Bonus Track)
While this is not in any way confirmed by Linkin Park or Dead By Sunrise, the fact that this appears on an official WB site (in another country) leads creedence to the concept that this may be the final tracklisting. Also since Japanese releases often contain bonus tracks, it is uncertain as to whether or not Morning After will appear as a bonus track on the american release of this album.
A tentative Japanese release date of September 30th, 2009 was also listed.
We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Source: http://wmg.jp/artist/deadbysunrise/PKG0000006384.html
Thanks to Jesse for the news
Edit: In an interesting twist, WMG Japan has now removed the tracklisting from their website. This may possibly mean that the tracklisting is no longer accurate (since Chester himself said the album would be around 10 tracks), or that WMG simply just didn't want it to be revealed at this time.
For now we will keep the tracklist up on the site, but as always..we will keep you posted if anything changes.
A tentative (albeit unconfirmed) tracklisting for Chester Bennington's upcoming solo album titled "Out of Ashes" (released under the name Dead By Sunrise) has recentely surfaced on Warner Brother's Japanese website. Since the text is in Japanese, we have reproduced it in english for you here:
1 FIRE
2 CRAWL BACK IN
3 TOO LATE
4 INSIDE OF ME
5 LET DOWN
6 GIVE ME YOUR LOVE
7 MY SUFFERING
8 CONDEMNED
9 INTO YOU
10 END OF THE WORLD
11 WALKING IN CIRCLES
12 IN THE DARKNESS
13 MORNING AFTER (*Bonus Track)
While this is not in any way confirmed by Linkin Park or Dead By Sunrise, the fact that this appears on an official WB site (in another country) leads creedence to the concept that this may be the final tracklisting. Also since Japanese releases often contain bonus tracks, it is uncertain as to whether or not Morning After will appear as a bonus track on the american release of this album.
A tentative Japanese release date of September 30th, 2009 was also listed.
We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Source: http://wmg.jp/artist/deadbysunrise/PKG0000006384.html
Thanks to Jesse for the news
Edit: In an interesting twist, WMG Japan has now removed the tracklisting from their website. This may possibly mean that the tracklisting is no longer accurate (since Chester himself said the album would be around 10 tracks), or that WMG simply just didn't want it to be revealed at this time.
For now we will keep the tracklist up on the site, but as always..we will keep you posted if anything changes.
First Dead By Sunrise Tour Dates Revealed
As per Dead By sunrise official magpies, the following tour dates have been revealed:
7/30 – studies, germane
8/1 – steepen, UK
8/2 – grabbing, Germany
8/8 – Chiba City, Japan
8/9 – Osaka, Japan
8/22 – Pomona, CA
Instead of a full set, Dead By Sunrise will be performing a three song set, as part of Linkin Park's set on the dates mentioned above.
As per Dead By sunrise official magpies, the following tour dates have been revealed:
7/30 – studies, germane
8/1 – steepen, UK
8/2 – grabbing, Germany
8/8 – Chiba City, Japan
8/9 – Osaka, Japan
8/22 – Pomona, CA
Instead of a full set, Dead By Sunrise will be performing a three song set, as part of Linkin Park's set on the dates mentioned above.
Yahoo Interview
This is a transcription of an online chat conducted with Linkin Park on 11/30/2000 in the Yahoo! chat room by hob.com
Mike Shinoda: Hey, this is Mike and Brad from Linkin Park.
Question: What are you guys going as for Halloween?
Brad Delson: That's a really good question, because we're playing a big Halloween show tomorrow night and everyone's going in costume, and I have about 24 hours to figure it out. So I'll be taking suggestions online today.
Mike: I'm pretty much on the same page. I had a bunch of ideas, but I don't think I'm quite at the stage where I could actually share them with people.
Brad: He's still in development.
Question: Do you guys feel like you've got some pretty big shoes to fill with all the Limp Bizkits and Korns out there in today's music scene?
Brad: Well, I'm not that tall - I actually wear a size 11 [shoe] - and we're actually getting stuff for free now. I just got a pair of Converse, so in terms of filling shoes I don't have any complaints.
Mike: Filling shoes? Wouldn't that mean that those bands are gone? I don't think any of those bands have left the scene. We're all playing music together at this point.
Brad: That was a very adept answer.
Mike: Thank you, Brad. Brad's so kind. He's here for my moral support. Without Brad I think I'd be pretty bummed out on tour, because he's the only one who gives me any moral support. Everyone else makes fun of me - especially Mr. Hahn.
Question: How long have you guys been a band?
Mike: About four years. Going on five, actually. Brad and I have been friends since 7th grade, and everybody else we kind of picked up along the way.
Question: Who directed your video for "One Step Closer"?
Linkin Park: Gregory Dark
Brad: He's actually an ex-porn director turned video director/superstar. The response to "One Step Closer" has been really overwhelming in a good way. We hear stories all the time of people who seem to have been really moved by the song, and in that regard I think it was an excellent choice for us to meet the world. Even better would be for people to actually get our full record - because even though "OSC" is a really solid singular track, if people listen to the entire record they will get an idea of what we're trying to do musically and creatively. And that's just starting to happen. We're just starting to get feedback from people who have heard the whole thing.
Mike: When kids are picking up the album it seems to me that they're at this point, by listening to all the tracks, really starting to get to know the whole band and the different types of music that inspire us - what we like to listen to - and that's important to us because we have pretty diverse tastes and hope to draw a diverse crowd when we play.
Question: Who are your biggest influences?
Brad: My tastes are pretty varied. I listen to everything from groups like the Roots and Blackeyed Peas, maybe even JaRule on a good day, to harder and more alternative sounding rock bands like the Deftones, Sunny Day Real Estate... and then electronic sounding stuff like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails. Dido. I'm all over the place.
Mike: Same here.
Question: Have you guys ever been arrested? If so, why and when?
Brad: That would be a very exciting question if we weren't really unexciting guys. I think I got in trouble in 8th grade once for talking out of turn in class. I spent some time in detention.
Mike: I remember getting in trouble in third grade for trading Garbage Pail Kids in class, and we weren't supposed to do that until recess or lunch. But the teacher didn't actually find my stash of cards, so she couldn't take them away.
Question: What band would you most love to be on tour with?
Brad: That's a great question. I said to my manager once, when he asked me that, that our goal as a band has always been to be as far-reaching as possible - in the sense that we would like to tour with as many different types of bands as possible. Our last tour with the Union Underground was pretty much a rock based tour. And currently, with the Cottonmouth Kings, the shows are more rap/hip-hop influenced.
Mike: But we would like to push even further in the hip-hop direction someday and possibly tour with groups like the Roots and Blackeyed Peas and De La Soul, just as we would hope to push in the electronic direction and tour with groups that do more electronic based music.
Question: Why did you change your name from Hybrid Theory to Linkin Park?
Mike: It was basically a legal decision, but we definitely wanted to come up with a new name that was powerful and had the right tone or vibe, and Linkin Park just stood out to us. But the main reason we chose that [spelling of the] name is that we wanted the website, and obviously the presidential spelling would be pretty expensive, so we went with our more fun version. We've found that it's a great place on the web for people to get in touch and find out about the band and keep current with what we're up to.
Brad: And just so it's clear, that website is www.linkinpark.com and we update it as much as possible. We have all our show dates there, we're going to have merchandise available soon for purchase right from the site. We've got a message board where you can leave a message for the band - we read almost all our messages - also bios, lyrics, all kinds of cool stuff. Next year we'll have journal entries from the tour where you can hear directly from the band about what things have been most exciting on the tour.
Question: What was it like going on tour the The Kottonmouth Kings?
Mike: Before the tour we didn't know them very well. We had never met them in person before and it turns out that we all get along extremely well. The entire tour has been a lot of fun. We're currently on tour with a group called Rehab as well. They start the show. After that Dogboy and Gypsy from Cottonmouth play an acoustic set from their Too Rude project, then we play, then Corporate Avenger, then Cottonmouth. Most of these groups have a lot of members, so the tour is just a big party all the time. And the kids get pretty riled up. Some shows are like riots.
Question: For Halloween, you should go as a Priest and one of the other guys should go as a pregnant nun.
Brad: We can have a third guy go as the DNA lab guy to test the paternity.
Mike: I don't think that Halloween costume is going to impress our friends from POD, who we're touring with next month, and I don't want to offend them.
Question: Is there any female influence in particular to any of your songs?
Mike: Musically, I'm a big fan of Dido. I also like a ton of female groups from Kitty to Madonna to Sneaker Pimps. Portishead. If you ask Brad, he'll tell you he loves his Britney Spears.
Brad: I love Britney Spears.
Mike: She's a big influence on his guitar playing, especially.
Brad: She drives me crazy.
Question: Are you gonna do a video for "In The End" and/or "Pushing Me Away," because those songs just kick ass!!!
Brad: It's probably the most popular question we get, what our next single's going to be. We have no clue but we definitely love making videos, so look forward to more creative visual candy from Mr. Hahn and our visual production team of choice. I'm glad you like those two songs. Our approach to this record was to make each song a potential single, in the sense that each song is strong and stands on its own but also works within the context of the entire album. We wanted it to tell a story from beginning to end.
Question: Why does Brad wear headphones in concert?
Brad: Brad cannot reveal his inspiration.
Mike: When Brad's being mysterious he speaks in the third person.
Mike: When Mike speaks in the third person he makes himself crazy.
Brad: Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich.
Question: What was the hardest part about making the album?
Mike: Sitting in the same room with Brad for two months. But then we got on tour and it just got worse.
Brad: I didn't shower a lot then.
Mike: He showers less now.
Question: Do you plan on touring a lot? Or being in the studio more?
Brad: We plan on touring extensively for probably the next year before we go back into the studio. We like touring.
Question: What's the wildest thing a fan has ever done to get your attention. Also, what's the most outrageous gift you have gotten from a fan?
Mike: As far as gifts, we (Brad and I) have collected a pretty large grouping of bracelets and little jewelry and gifts like that, and usually at the shows we'll wear some of them for fun. We enjoy stuff like that.
Brad: I'm wearing two now and they're jingling.
Mike: As far as getting our attention, actually, at our last show in Arizona there was a big painting of our album cover and our name by some of the kids who worked at Tower Records. They took the time to paint up a version of our album cover on a six foot tall piece of wood. That probably took a lot of time. I was really impressed.
Brad: We've also gotten a lot of cool fan art via the web.
Mike: And we hope to get more.
Question: Where were you the first time you heard your song on the radio?
Mike: I was in Arizona. Brad, was that the first time you heard it too?
Brad: It wasn't the full song, it was a clip of the song on a radio spot, and we were all in the van together. It was a pretty exciting feeling. I still haven't seen the video yet on MTV.
Mike: Neither have I.
Brad: And I think it'll be a big kick... that expression makes it sound like I'm 48.
Mike: Most of the things you say make you sound like you're 48.
Question: Brad, be a big-ass Gumby for Halloween.
Brad: Actually, that would be good idea, but before Mike had red hair he actually once had green hair and he looked like Gumby, so that would be more appropriate for him.
Mike: I have red hair now that can work around it.
Question: Is it weird to have fans in L.A. that call you at breakfast in Seattle, or that you're definitely starting to get recognized?
Brad: We were at a restaurant in Seattle and one of the hosts asked who we are, because we're extremely conspicuous anywhere other than L.A. We look like a band. They asked what band we were, we said Linkin Park. About 5 minutes later a waiter came by and asked if Chester wouldn't mind speaking to his friend back home. Word had gotten around that we were there, and the staff had called their friends and there was a call that came in from someone who called in for Chester. And since the only people who know about [the call] are the band and the person who called, I'm guessing that the person that called asked the question. So, what's up!?
Question: Is the song "Pushing Me Away" about anyone specific?
Mike: In general, when we write a song we write it from the inspiration of whatever emotion we're trying to capture and put it in a way that somebody else can take it and relate their own story to it. I definitely wanted to give somebody a starting point that was descriptive but not overwhelming.
Question: You should go as Fat Fred Durst and the other guys can go dressed up like the Bizkit chicks. But then everyone would hate you!!
Mike Shinoda: Hey, this is Mike and Brad from Linkin Park.
Question: What are you guys going as for Halloween?
Brad Delson: That's a really good question, because we're playing a big Halloween show tomorrow night and everyone's going in costume, and I have about 24 hours to figure it out. So I'll be taking suggestions online today.
Mike: I'm pretty much on the same page. I had a bunch of ideas, but I don't think I'm quite at the stage where I could actually share them with people.
Brad: He's still in development.
Question: Do you guys feel like you've got some pretty big shoes to fill with all the Limp Bizkits and Korns out there in today's music scene?
Brad: Well, I'm not that tall - I actually wear a size 11 [shoe] - and we're actually getting stuff for free now. I just got a pair of Converse, so in terms of filling shoes I don't have any complaints.
Mike: Filling shoes? Wouldn't that mean that those bands are gone? I don't think any of those bands have left the scene. We're all playing music together at this point.
Brad: That was a very adept answer.
Mike: Thank you, Brad. Brad's so kind. He's here for my moral support. Without Brad I think I'd be pretty bummed out on tour, because he's the only one who gives me any moral support. Everyone else makes fun of me - especially Mr. Hahn.
Question: How long have you guys been a band?
Mike: About four years. Going on five, actually. Brad and I have been friends since 7th grade, and everybody else we kind of picked up along the way.
Question: Who directed your video for "One Step Closer"?
Linkin Park: Gregory Dark
Brad: He's actually an ex-porn director turned video director/superstar. The response to "One Step Closer" has been really overwhelming in a good way. We hear stories all the time of people who seem to have been really moved by the song, and in that regard I think it was an excellent choice for us to meet the world. Even better would be for people to actually get our full record - because even though "OSC" is a really solid singular track, if people listen to the entire record they will get an idea of what we're trying to do musically and creatively. And that's just starting to happen. We're just starting to get feedback from people who have heard the whole thing.
Mike: When kids are picking up the album it seems to me that they're at this point, by listening to all the tracks, really starting to get to know the whole band and the different types of music that inspire us - what we like to listen to - and that's important to us because we have pretty diverse tastes and hope to draw a diverse crowd when we play.
Question: Who are your biggest influences?
Brad: My tastes are pretty varied. I listen to everything from groups like the Roots and Blackeyed Peas, maybe even JaRule on a good day, to harder and more alternative sounding rock bands like the Deftones, Sunny Day Real Estate... and then electronic sounding stuff like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails. Dido. I'm all over the place.
Mike: Same here.
Question: Have you guys ever been arrested? If so, why and when?
Brad: That would be a very exciting question if we weren't really unexciting guys. I think I got in trouble in 8th grade once for talking out of turn in class. I spent some time in detention.
Mike: I remember getting in trouble in third grade for trading Garbage Pail Kids in class, and we weren't supposed to do that until recess or lunch. But the teacher didn't actually find my stash of cards, so she couldn't take them away.
Question: What band would you most love to be on tour with?
Brad: That's a great question. I said to my manager once, when he asked me that, that our goal as a band has always been to be as far-reaching as possible - in the sense that we would like to tour with as many different types of bands as possible. Our last tour with the Union Underground was pretty much a rock based tour. And currently, with the Cottonmouth Kings, the shows are more rap/hip-hop influenced.
Mike: But we would like to push even further in the hip-hop direction someday and possibly tour with groups like the Roots and Blackeyed Peas and De La Soul, just as we would hope to push in the electronic direction and tour with groups that do more electronic based music.
Question: Why did you change your name from Hybrid Theory to Linkin Park?
Mike: It was basically a legal decision, but we definitely wanted to come up with a new name that was powerful and had the right tone or vibe, and Linkin Park just stood out to us. But the main reason we chose that [spelling of the] name is that we wanted the website, and obviously the presidential spelling would be pretty expensive, so we went with our more fun version. We've found that it's a great place on the web for people to get in touch and find out about the band and keep current with what we're up to.
Brad: And just so it's clear, that website is www.linkinpark.com and we update it as much as possible. We have all our show dates there, we're going to have merchandise available soon for purchase right from the site. We've got a message board where you can leave a message for the band - we read almost all our messages - also bios, lyrics, all kinds of cool stuff. Next year we'll have journal entries from the tour where you can hear directly from the band about what things have been most exciting on the tour.
Question: What was it like going on tour the The Kottonmouth Kings?
Mike: Before the tour we didn't know them very well. We had never met them in person before and it turns out that we all get along extremely well. The entire tour has been a lot of fun. We're currently on tour with a group called Rehab as well. They start the show. After that Dogboy and Gypsy from Cottonmouth play an acoustic set from their Too Rude project, then we play, then Corporate Avenger, then Cottonmouth. Most of these groups have a lot of members, so the tour is just a big party all the time. And the kids get pretty riled up. Some shows are like riots.
Question: For Halloween, you should go as a Priest and one of the other guys should go as a pregnant nun.
Brad: We can have a third guy go as the DNA lab guy to test the paternity.
Mike: I don't think that Halloween costume is going to impress our friends from POD, who we're touring with next month, and I don't want to offend them.
Question: Is there any female influence in particular to any of your songs?
Mike: Musically, I'm a big fan of Dido. I also like a ton of female groups from Kitty to Madonna to Sneaker Pimps. Portishead. If you ask Brad, he'll tell you he loves his Britney Spears.
Brad: I love Britney Spears.
Mike: She's a big influence on his guitar playing, especially.
Brad: She drives me crazy.
Question: Are you gonna do a video for "In The End" and/or "Pushing Me Away," because those songs just kick ass!!!
Brad: It's probably the most popular question we get, what our next single's going to be. We have no clue but we definitely love making videos, so look forward to more creative visual candy from Mr. Hahn and our visual production team of choice. I'm glad you like those two songs. Our approach to this record was to make each song a potential single, in the sense that each song is strong and stands on its own but also works within the context of the entire album. We wanted it to tell a story from beginning to end.
Question: Why does Brad wear headphones in concert?
Brad: Brad cannot reveal his inspiration.
Mike: When Brad's being mysterious he speaks in the third person.
Mike: When Mike speaks in the third person he makes himself crazy.
Brad: Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich.
Question: What was the hardest part about making the album?
Mike: Sitting in the same room with Brad for two months. But then we got on tour and it just got worse.
Brad: I didn't shower a lot then.
Mike: He showers less now.
Question: Do you plan on touring a lot? Or being in the studio more?
Brad: We plan on touring extensively for probably the next year before we go back into the studio. We like touring.
Question: What's the wildest thing a fan has ever done to get your attention. Also, what's the most outrageous gift you have gotten from a fan?
Mike: As far as gifts, we (Brad and I) have collected a pretty large grouping of bracelets and little jewelry and gifts like that, and usually at the shows we'll wear some of them for fun. We enjoy stuff like that.
Brad: I'm wearing two now and they're jingling.
Mike: As far as getting our attention, actually, at our last show in Arizona there was a big painting of our album cover and our name by some of the kids who worked at Tower Records. They took the time to paint up a version of our album cover on a six foot tall piece of wood. That probably took a lot of time. I was really impressed.
Brad: We've also gotten a lot of cool fan art via the web.
Mike: And we hope to get more.
Question: Where were you the first time you heard your song on the radio?
Mike: I was in Arizona. Brad, was that the first time you heard it too?
Brad: It wasn't the full song, it was a clip of the song on a radio spot, and we were all in the van together. It was a pretty exciting feeling. I still haven't seen the video yet on MTV.
Mike: Neither have I.
Brad: And I think it'll be a big kick... that expression makes it sound like I'm 48.
Mike: Most of the things you say make you sound like you're 48.
Question: Brad, be a big-ass Gumby for Halloween.
Brad: Actually, that would be good idea, but before Mike had red hair he actually once had green hair and he looked like Gumby, so that would be more appropriate for him.
Mike: I have red hair now that can work around it.
Question: Is it weird to have fans in L.A. that call you at breakfast in Seattle, or that you're definitely starting to get recognized?
Brad: We were at a restaurant in Seattle and one of the hosts asked who we are, because we're extremely conspicuous anywhere other than L.A. We look like a band. They asked what band we were, we said Linkin Park. About 5 minutes later a waiter came by and asked if Chester wouldn't mind speaking to his friend back home. Word had gotten around that we were there, and the staff had called their friends and there was a call that came in from someone who called in for Chester. And since the only people who know about [the call] are the band and the person who called, I'm guessing that the person that called asked the question. So, what's up!?
Question: Is the song "Pushing Me Away" about anyone specific?
Mike: In general, when we write a song we write it from the inspiration of whatever emotion we're trying to capture and put it in a way that somebody else can take it and relate their own story to it. I definitely wanted to give somebody a starting point that was descriptive but not overwhelming.
Question: You should go as Fat Fred Durst and the other guys can go dressed up like the Bizkit chicks. But then everyone would hate you!!
AmuZnet Interview
amuZnet Interview
It was that cohesive style and instantly memorable songs that attracted immediate attention to Linkin Park, starting with a publishing offer after the band's very first show at L.A.'s famed Whisky. After showcasing around town and eventually linking with Warner Bros., the band began work on their first album. The end result is an album that's as well-crafted and melodic as it is confrontational, with a strong lyrical message. amuZnet's Sabrina Soto had the chance to sit down with Linkin Park to talk about their future plans, life, love and a lot more. Check it out!
amuZnet: How did you guys get discovered?
Linkin Park (Chester talking): Well when the band started, it was about four and a half years ago, I've only been in the band about two years. They just started out playing for fun, getting a lot of attention from their friends, and just started playing. They went out and put a show together, and got signed to Zomba Music Publishing their first show. From there they just started working and labels weren't really catching on, so they made a few changes, brought me on board, and just really focused on the songwriting, and made demos out of our little home studio and pretty much just used our connections at Zomba to get the demos out to people who would listen to them. Warner Bros. eventually, after a buzz started building up in the label industry, came calling and it all worked out from there.
amuZnet: How did you meet the rest of the guys?
Linkin Park: We met through mutual friends in the industry. I 've been playing around for a long time locally and in Pheonix, and we did pretty well and had some offers. We met through our law firm Miniet, Phelps and Phelps, they pretty much hooked us up. They said, "We have a guy in Phoenix that might work out," and sent me a demo and sure enough it all worked out.
amuZnet: So you moved to LA?
Linkin Park: Yeah within about three days after I got the demo, I recorded it and I was in LA. I've been living there. My wife stayed in Phoenix for a little while, and then we finally signed the deal, and she actually moved out permanently in August of this year.
amuZnet: Your wife? Aren't you 22 or 23?
Linkin Park: I'm 24, I’ll be 25 in a couple months.
amuZnet: How old were you when you got married?
Linkin Park: 20
amuZnet: Why?
Linkin Park:‘Cause I love her.
amuZnet: No, that's great, it's just weird.
Linkin Park: I mean it wasn't something I was expecting to do, I wasn't like in any hurry to run out and get married, I just found the right person and it worked out.
amuZnet: Is it hard for you on tour? Does she go with you?
Linkin Park: We get some plane tickets and meet up every once in a while but it's been pretty packed quarters, we just now got a bus, it's been in RV's and stuff. It wouldn't be anything for a lady to be involved in.
amuZnet: What is the craziest thing that has happened to you guys?
Linkin Park: There hasn't been really anything crazy. It's been a lot of fun and stuff, we went on tour with Kottonmouth Kings last tour, that was a lot of fun. Our first tour was probably the hardest ‘cause we had a tour manager, we were on an RV, we didn't have any crew, and it was our first tour. We pretty much had to load everything, take turns driving, figure out where we were going in the country. Our RV broke down a couple of times so that was probably the hardest part of touring.
amuZnet: Are there any girls trying to sneak into the bus?
Linkin Park: There's wacky girls all over the place that try doing weird things, but we don't pay attention to them. We just kind of do our thing and hang out with the fans that are really important to us.
amuZnet: How does your band differentiate from bands that sound similar to you?
Linkin Park: Well, I think one of the biggest keys that makes us different is the fact that Mike and Brad and Rob have been playing together close to five years, and when they started doing that, really the only thing to draw from in this particular style of music were collaborations like Anthrax, Public Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails did it with "Down In It," and Aerosmith and Run DMC, those were really the only things that were really out there to influence them. I think that's one of the key reasons why we're a little bit different. We're not biting off of somebody's sound, we didn't just, like, hear it and go, "We need to do that, that's the new thing." It's been something that's interested us for years, and I think that's what’s key in making us a little bit different.
amuZnet: What's the best thing about being a musician?
Linkin Park: The best thing about being a musician is playing live. Playing live is the best part and getting to see the reactions of the kids and having fun and seeing them sing along to songs. That's, like, definitely the best part.
amuZnet: What's the worst part?
Linkin Park: Being away from friends and family when you're on the road. That's the hardest, the road is fun and there are a lot of good things going on, but at the same time it's very difficult to leave your wife or even leaving the dogs behind can be difficult when you don't see them for a few months.
amuZnet: No kids though, right?
Linkin Park: No kids, no.
amuZnet: How does the songwriting work between you guys?
Linkin Park: We all collaborate on the songwriting, everybody is very involved in doing things. That's another reason why I think that the record came together so well, because everybody has a say, and knows things about songwriting. We're all pretty well educated in structure and what we want to hear and I think that's very important in writing our music.
amuZnet: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Linkin Park: In five years I see myself on the road.
amuZnet: Still?
Linkin Park: Supporting the fourth record.
amuZnet: The fourth?
Linkin Park: Sure, why not?
amuZnet: In five years?
Linkin Park: Yeah, I figure Ray Charles can release a record every year, why can't we shoot through these?
amuZnet: You can't, you just started out. Be easy on yourself.
Linkin Park: Okay, we'll go for our third record.
amuZnet: Yeah, let's change that. What's your biggest insecurity?
Linkin Park: I don't know, I'm pretty secure. I chew my fingernails a lot, I think that's my little nervous habit. That's one of my ways to relieve stress. If you see me chew my nails, I’m probably nervous about something. I just couldn't tell you really what it was.
amuZnet: Do you get nervous playing?
Linkin Park: No, I've been playing live since I was 14, and I was an actor before that and did a few plays and traveled the country. Playing in front of a crowd is pretty natural to me.
It was that cohesive style and instantly memorable songs that attracted immediate attention to Linkin Park, starting with a publishing offer after the band's very first show at L.A.'s famed Whisky. After showcasing around town and eventually linking with Warner Bros., the band began work on their first album. The end result is an album that's as well-crafted and melodic as it is confrontational, with a strong lyrical message. amuZnet's Sabrina Soto had the chance to sit down with Linkin Park to talk about their future plans, life, love and a lot more. Check it out!
amuZnet: How did you guys get discovered?
Linkin Park (Chester talking): Well when the band started, it was about four and a half years ago, I've only been in the band about two years. They just started out playing for fun, getting a lot of attention from their friends, and just started playing. They went out and put a show together, and got signed to Zomba Music Publishing their first show. From there they just started working and labels weren't really catching on, so they made a few changes, brought me on board, and just really focused on the songwriting, and made demos out of our little home studio and pretty much just used our connections at Zomba to get the demos out to people who would listen to them. Warner Bros. eventually, after a buzz started building up in the label industry, came calling and it all worked out from there.
amuZnet: How did you meet the rest of the guys?
Linkin Park: We met through mutual friends in the industry. I 've been playing around for a long time locally and in Pheonix, and we did pretty well and had some offers. We met through our law firm Miniet, Phelps and Phelps, they pretty much hooked us up. They said, "We have a guy in Phoenix that might work out," and sent me a demo and sure enough it all worked out.
amuZnet: So you moved to LA?
Linkin Park: Yeah within about three days after I got the demo, I recorded it and I was in LA. I've been living there. My wife stayed in Phoenix for a little while, and then we finally signed the deal, and she actually moved out permanently in August of this year.
amuZnet: Your wife? Aren't you 22 or 23?
Linkin Park: I'm 24, I’ll be 25 in a couple months.
amuZnet: How old were you when you got married?
Linkin Park: 20
amuZnet: Why?
Linkin Park:‘Cause I love her.
amuZnet: No, that's great, it's just weird.
Linkin Park: I mean it wasn't something I was expecting to do, I wasn't like in any hurry to run out and get married, I just found the right person and it worked out.
amuZnet: Is it hard for you on tour? Does she go with you?
Linkin Park: We get some plane tickets and meet up every once in a while but it's been pretty packed quarters, we just now got a bus, it's been in RV's and stuff. It wouldn't be anything for a lady to be involved in.
amuZnet: What is the craziest thing that has happened to you guys?
Linkin Park: There hasn't been really anything crazy. It's been a lot of fun and stuff, we went on tour with Kottonmouth Kings last tour, that was a lot of fun. Our first tour was probably the hardest ‘cause we had a tour manager, we were on an RV, we didn't have any crew, and it was our first tour. We pretty much had to load everything, take turns driving, figure out where we were going in the country. Our RV broke down a couple of times so that was probably the hardest part of touring.
amuZnet: Are there any girls trying to sneak into the bus?
Linkin Park: There's wacky girls all over the place that try doing weird things, but we don't pay attention to them. We just kind of do our thing and hang out with the fans that are really important to us.
amuZnet: How does your band differentiate from bands that sound similar to you?
Linkin Park: Well, I think one of the biggest keys that makes us different is the fact that Mike and Brad and Rob have been playing together close to five years, and when they started doing that, really the only thing to draw from in this particular style of music were collaborations like Anthrax, Public Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails did it with "Down In It," and Aerosmith and Run DMC, those were really the only things that were really out there to influence them. I think that's one of the key reasons why we're a little bit different. We're not biting off of somebody's sound, we didn't just, like, hear it and go, "We need to do that, that's the new thing." It's been something that's interested us for years, and I think that's what’s key in making us a little bit different.
amuZnet: What's the best thing about being a musician?
Linkin Park: The best thing about being a musician is playing live. Playing live is the best part and getting to see the reactions of the kids and having fun and seeing them sing along to songs. That's, like, definitely the best part.
amuZnet: What's the worst part?
Linkin Park: Being away from friends and family when you're on the road. That's the hardest, the road is fun and there are a lot of good things going on, but at the same time it's very difficult to leave your wife or even leaving the dogs behind can be difficult when you don't see them for a few months.
amuZnet: No kids though, right?
Linkin Park: No kids, no.
amuZnet: How does the songwriting work between you guys?
Linkin Park: We all collaborate on the songwriting, everybody is very involved in doing things. That's another reason why I think that the record came together so well, because everybody has a say, and knows things about songwriting. We're all pretty well educated in structure and what we want to hear and I think that's very important in writing our music.
amuZnet: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Linkin Park: In five years I see myself on the road.
amuZnet: Still?
Linkin Park: Supporting the fourth record.
amuZnet: The fourth?
Linkin Park: Sure, why not?
amuZnet: In five years?
Linkin Park: Yeah, I figure Ray Charles can release a record every year, why can't we shoot through these?
amuZnet: You can't, you just started out. Be easy on yourself.
Linkin Park: Okay, we'll go for our third record.
amuZnet: Yeah, let's change that. What's your biggest insecurity?
Linkin Park: I don't know, I'm pretty secure. I chew my fingernails a lot, I think that's my little nervous habit. That's one of my ways to relieve stress. If you see me chew my nails, I’m probably nervous about something. I just couldn't tell you really what it was.
amuZnet: Do you get nervous playing?
Linkin Park: No, I've been playing live since I was 14, and I was an actor before that and did a few plays and traveled the country. Playing in front of a crowd is pretty natural to me.
Rock Sound
Don't Stand So Close
'This band are gonna be the next Korn or Slipknot' claims a message on Linkin Park's web site, and rightly so. Hailing from California this five piece are gonna blow your mind.
These are indeed exciting times for rock. Over the past couple of months we've witnessed the arrival of some truly spine tingling new music from some truly great new bands and Linkin Park sit firmly on the top of the pile with their stunning debut album 'Hybrid Theory'.
Currently doing the business in the States with their first single 'One Step Closer', the UK release date of the album was brought forward thanks to the power of the net. "Everything's going really well," says vocalist Chester Bennington. "Radio over here's been really responsive to the song, which is kinda overwhelming 'cos a lot of the stations picked it up before we'd even released the song to the radio."
Combining elements of hip-hop, rock and electronica, 'Hybrid Theory' is a truly awesome piece of work. Originally from Arizona, Chester hooked up with the rest of the band after his attorney passed on a tape of their music. Originally called Hybrid Theory they were forced to change their name because another band had already taken the moniker. The name Linkin Park evolved from a local park name but the name Lincoln was too expensive to register on the net, hence the current name.
"I don't come from a musical family," admits Chester, "it's just something I've always been interested in. I started singing for fun, I just went around the house trying to mimic my favorite band. I always dreamt about being the fifth member of Depeche Mode. I dreamt that they flew their plane out to my grade school, picked me up and took me on tour with them," he laughs. "I would say that the band who's probably had the most influence on me in my career," he continues, "would be Stone Temple Pilots. I just love that band, I think Scott Weiland is one of the most amazing frontmen to watch live. He's got a great voice and every one of their records is different."
In fact Chester himself possesses a mean set of vocal chords himself, not too dissimilar to Mr. Weiland, which sound extremely effective when combined with co-vocalist Mike Shinoda's rapping. So Linkin Park - the next Korn or Slipknot?
"The funny thing is about our fans is that each one of them pulls a different style from our music. There's a lot of different styles - we have electronic, hip-hop, rock y'know? I think that Slipknot and Korn are great bands and for people to think that we can hang with bands like that is really cool."
Linkin Park utilised the internet and the troubled Napster site to help launch their career. Chester explains more. "We're very tied to the internet, we're totally into the fans. We started, before we even signed to Warner Bros, by just going on the web talking to kids, putting our stuff on MP3 and then getting people to check it out and tell us what they thought." Are you worried that fans might just download the album and not buy it? "I know kids that have downloaded our entire record off Napster but they're like 'we're gonna go out and buy the record.'
People are aware that bands can get screwed if people just start downloading their stuff, that is the whole beauty of being a fan. I'm a fan myself, I love to buy records. When 'Kid A' came out we were like 'Oh My God' and ran out and bought the record, played the CD and looked at all the artwork and stuff."
Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst recently said in an interview that there were a lot of hot new bands that were going to knock Limp Bizkit off the top. Do you think you're the ones to do it? "I don't wanna be the end of anybody's career, I hope everybody has a long and prosperous career but if we happen to be the band that comes in and knocks everybody out - I'd love that. We're basically focused on our music and our record and we just want as many people to experience it as possible. If 250,000 kids go out and buy the record over the next year then great, but if 200 million do then even better.
'This band are gonna be the next Korn or Slipknot' claims a message on Linkin Park's web site, and rightly so. Hailing from California this five piece are gonna blow your mind.
These are indeed exciting times for rock. Over the past couple of months we've witnessed the arrival of some truly spine tingling new music from some truly great new bands and Linkin Park sit firmly on the top of the pile with their stunning debut album 'Hybrid Theory'.
Currently doing the business in the States with their first single 'One Step Closer', the UK release date of the album was brought forward thanks to the power of the net. "Everything's going really well," says vocalist Chester Bennington. "Radio over here's been really responsive to the song, which is kinda overwhelming 'cos a lot of the stations picked it up before we'd even released the song to the radio."
Combining elements of hip-hop, rock and electronica, 'Hybrid Theory' is a truly awesome piece of work. Originally from Arizona, Chester hooked up with the rest of the band after his attorney passed on a tape of their music. Originally called Hybrid Theory they were forced to change their name because another band had already taken the moniker. The name Linkin Park evolved from a local park name but the name Lincoln was too expensive to register on the net, hence the current name.
"I don't come from a musical family," admits Chester, "it's just something I've always been interested in. I started singing for fun, I just went around the house trying to mimic my favorite band. I always dreamt about being the fifth member of Depeche Mode. I dreamt that they flew their plane out to my grade school, picked me up and took me on tour with them," he laughs. "I would say that the band who's probably had the most influence on me in my career," he continues, "would be Stone Temple Pilots. I just love that band, I think Scott Weiland is one of the most amazing frontmen to watch live. He's got a great voice and every one of their records is different."
In fact Chester himself possesses a mean set of vocal chords himself, not too dissimilar to Mr. Weiland, which sound extremely effective when combined with co-vocalist Mike Shinoda's rapping. So Linkin Park - the next Korn or Slipknot?
"The funny thing is about our fans is that each one of them pulls a different style from our music. There's a lot of different styles - we have electronic, hip-hop, rock y'know? I think that Slipknot and Korn are great bands and for people to think that we can hang with bands like that is really cool."
Linkin Park utilised the internet and the troubled Napster site to help launch their career. Chester explains more. "We're very tied to the internet, we're totally into the fans. We started, before we even signed to Warner Bros, by just going on the web talking to kids, putting our stuff on MP3 and then getting people to check it out and tell us what they thought." Are you worried that fans might just download the album and not buy it? "I know kids that have downloaded our entire record off Napster but they're like 'we're gonna go out and buy the record.'
People are aware that bands can get screwed if people just start downloading their stuff, that is the whole beauty of being a fan. I'm a fan myself, I love to buy records. When 'Kid A' came out we were like 'Oh My God' and ran out and bought the record, played the CD and looked at all the artwork and stuff."
Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst recently said in an interview that there were a lot of hot new bands that were going to knock Limp Bizkit off the top. Do you think you're the ones to do it? "I don't wanna be the end of anybody's career, I hope everybody has a long and prosperous career but if we happen to be the band that comes in and knocks everybody out - I'd love that. We're basically focused on our music and our record and we just want as many people to experience it as possible. If 250,000 kids go out and buy the record over the next year then great, but if 200 million do then even better.
Hit Parader
As a generation of musical listeners, fans of New Millenium metal are being forced to grow accustomed to the amazing rate of change that currently exists within the medium. Seemingly every day new bands spring forth, each of whom incorporate radically different concepts into their musical presentations-each adding valuable substance to the foundations their predecessors had helped construct. While at one time in rock history such an evolutionary process could take years - if not decades- to reach full fruition, thanks to such forces as the internet, and even MTV, such radical changes now seem to occur on a day-to-day basis. Quite simply, what was yesterday's "cutting edge" has now mutated into today's "mainstream."
Linkin Park is a band that perfectly reflects this amazing trend in musical transition. As shown throughout their debut disc, "Hybrid Theory",this is a group that has grown up in an environment where melding rap with metal, hip-hop with hardcore is no longer some grand "experiment." For vocalist Mike Shinoda, vocalist Chester Bennington, guitarist Brad Delson, drummer Rob Bourdon and turntable wiz Joe Hahn, melding such diverse musical reactants is the way music is supposed to be played. For these guys such diversity simply reflects the music they grew up listening to, and when added to the strong melodic sensibilities that this LA-based unit shows throughout their album, you end up with what may very well be hard rock's next evolutionary step.
"Nothing is contrived with us, it's all natural," Shinoda said. "Our goal has been to bring together a lot of really different and distant musical elements. Nothing is set and nothing is safe. This is a continually evolving experiment that sometimes surprises us as much as it does the fans."
Originally formed by these five high school friends under the name of Hybrid Theory back in 1996, Linkin Park started life the hard was. Despite having few industry contacts and only minimal musical background, they set to work building up a grass roots following that would come from both near and far in order to hear the band play at various small shows throughout the Southern California area. Soon these loyal followers had been recruited as "foot soldiers" in the groups's fast-growing musical army, passing out flyers and generally getting the message out about this exciting young band. The word-of-mouth obviously did its job. After two years of perfecting their complex sound and honing their songwriting edge, the band decided to cut a self-financed, three song EP. That effort eventually landed on the desk of a major label executive, who upon hearing the band's hook-laden metal-meets-rap sound quickly moved in to sign the band to a record deal.
"We've been lucky in that we've been able to really take time to work on our music and get it just the way we wanted it to be," Shinoda explained. "There wasn't pressure to compete with other bands on some 'scene' and we didn't feel the need to fit in. We were off doing our own thing, drawing on all our inspirations and interests."
Linkin Park's "own thing" dynamics have certainly paid dividends on their debut disc. Throughout 'Hybrid Theory' the band's often starting ability to shift gears from plaintive, compelling musical interlude to full-throttle metallic roar (often within the matter of seconds) marks them as a band in full control of their rock and roll ingredients. On such songs as 'Crawling,' 'Points of Authority,' and their debut single, 'One Step Closer,' these guys manage to rock, rap and rant with an ease and power that is almost alarming. We all had better watch out for Linkin Park because they may very well represent the sound of hard rock's future. We better grab hold of it before it passes us by.
"We want to shake things up and shake people up," Shinoda said. "But not in a shocking way. We want them to hear our music and go, 'Wow.' Some bands seem like all they want to do is get attention through their look of their attitude. We want the focus to be on what we create.
Linkin Park is a band that perfectly reflects this amazing trend in musical transition. As shown throughout their debut disc, "Hybrid Theory",this is a group that has grown up in an environment where melding rap with metal, hip-hop with hardcore is no longer some grand "experiment." For vocalist Mike Shinoda, vocalist Chester Bennington, guitarist Brad Delson, drummer Rob Bourdon and turntable wiz Joe Hahn, melding such diverse musical reactants is the way music is supposed to be played. For these guys such diversity simply reflects the music they grew up listening to, and when added to the strong melodic sensibilities that this LA-based unit shows throughout their album, you end up with what may very well be hard rock's next evolutionary step.
"Nothing is contrived with us, it's all natural," Shinoda said. "Our goal has been to bring together a lot of really different and distant musical elements. Nothing is set and nothing is safe. This is a continually evolving experiment that sometimes surprises us as much as it does the fans."
Originally formed by these five high school friends under the name of Hybrid Theory back in 1996, Linkin Park started life the hard was. Despite having few industry contacts and only minimal musical background, they set to work building up a grass roots following that would come from both near and far in order to hear the band play at various small shows throughout the Southern California area. Soon these loyal followers had been recruited as "foot soldiers" in the groups's fast-growing musical army, passing out flyers and generally getting the message out about this exciting young band. The word-of-mouth obviously did its job. After two years of perfecting their complex sound and honing their songwriting edge, the band decided to cut a self-financed, three song EP. That effort eventually landed on the desk of a major label executive, who upon hearing the band's hook-laden metal-meets-rap sound quickly moved in to sign the band to a record deal.
"We've been lucky in that we've been able to really take time to work on our music and get it just the way we wanted it to be," Shinoda explained. "There wasn't pressure to compete with other bands on some 'scene' and we didn't feel the need to fit in. We were off doing our own thing, drawing on all our inspirations and interests."
Linkin Park's "own thing" dynamics have certainly paid dividends on their debut disc. Throughout 'Hybrid Theory' the band's often starting ability to shift gears from plaintive, compelling musical interlude to full-throttle metallic roar (often within the matter of seconds) marks them as a band in full control of their rock and roll ingredients. On such songs as 'Crawling,' 'Points of Authority,' and their debut single, 'One Step Closer,' these guys manage to rock, rap and rant with an ease and power that is almost alarming. We all had better watch out for Linkin Park because they may very well represent the sound of hard rock's future. We better grab hold of it before it passes us by.
"We want to shake things up and shake people up," Shinoda said. "But not in a shocking way. We want them to hear our music and go, 'Wow.' Some bands seem like all they want to do is get attention through their look of their attitude. We want the focus to be on what we create.
Rolling Stone
A bit of trivia: In the entire thirty-seven minutes and fifty-three seconds of Linkin Park's rage-filled rap-rock debut, Hybrid Theory, you won't hear a single curse word. "We just want to be honest and not hide any emotions with vulgarity," says vocalist Chester Bennington.
Hybrid Theory may not carry a parental-warning label, but with as much potency as albums by Limp Bizkit or Korn, it reflects the frustration of life as a twenty-something dude - "the everyday struggle that you get stressed out by," according to MC Mike Shinoda. Stacked with catchy, pissed-off rockers like "One Step Closer," the album debuted at Number Sixteen on the Billboard 200 albums chart and within a month of its release sold 289,000 copies.
"When I met them," says Don Gilmore, "I was expecting some darker creatures. But these guys are very smart, very happy, and they're all sort of spiritual." Adds Shinoda, "The topics of the songs may not be positive, but I think people can relate to them in a positive way."
A graduate of the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Shinoda formed Linkin Park in 1995. He talks about benchmark rap-rock moments - Run DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," Public Enemy and Anthrax's joint 1991 tour, the Judgement Night soundtrack - as life-changing events but says Linkin Park aim to take that mix one step further. "We want to make songs where you can't tell the rap part from the rock part from the electronic part," he explains.
The band landed a publishing deal the night of its very first show - before a scant crowd at LA's Whisky - but it wasn't until it recruited Phoenix native Bennington two years ago that things really jelled. "There is so much passion, so much adrenaline in his singing," says Gilmore. "In the studio, he would go off like he was insane."
For all the rage they project, though, Linkin Park want to be seen as approachable- regular guys with regular problems, who just so happen to be budding rock stars. "People see us after a show," Bennington says, "and it's like, 'Wait a second- you're supposed to be this scary guy, and you're not.'" He describes himself as a "happy-go-lucky dude" and says playing music has served as a kind of therapy to help him work through childhood trauma. "I've never talked about it," he says nervously. "I was molested when I was a kid [by a friend]." Following five years of sexual abuse and the divorce of his parents when he was eleven, Bennington became addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine in his early teens. "I went straight in the wrong fucking direction," he says. "That's where I get some of my intensity from, and I think that fuels the music we write."
"In this country, people do not think about the sensitivity of young men," Bennington adds. "It's a real tragedy. For kids to be able to listen to bands like us who are able to express ourselves-not through violence and vulgarity-I think it helps them learn to express themselves."
Hybrid Theory may not carry a parental-warning label, but with as much potency as albums by Limp Bizkit or Korn, it reflects the frustration of life as a twenty-something dude - "the everyday struggle that you get stressed out by," according to MC Mike Shinoda. Stacked with catchy, pissed-off rockers like "One Step Closer," the album debuted at Number Sixteen on the Billboard 200 albums chart and within a month of its release sold 289,000 copies.
"When I met them," says Don Gilmore, "I was expecting some darker creatures. But these guys are very smart, very happy, and they're all sort of spiritual." Adds Shinoda, "The topics of the songs may not be positive, but I think people can relate to them in a positive way."
A graduate of the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Shinoda formed Linkin Park in 1995. He talks about benchmark rap-rock moments - Run DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," Public Enemy and Anthrax's joint 1991 tour, the Judgement Night soundtrack - as life-changing events but says Linkin Park aim to take that mix one step further. "We want to make songs where you can't tell the rap part from the rock part from the electronic part," he explains.
The band landed a publishing deal the night of its very first show - before a scant crowd at LA's Whisky - but it wasn't until it recruited Phoenix native Bennington two years ago that things really jelled. "There is so much passion, so much adrenaline in his singing," says Gilmore. "In the studio, he would go off like he was insane."
For all the rage they project, though, Linkin Park want to be seen as approachable- regular guys with regular problems, who just so happen to be budding rock stars. "People see us after a show," Bennington says, "and it's like, 'Wait a second- you're supposed to be this scary guy, and you're not.'" He describes himself as a "happy-go-lucky dude" and says playing music has served as a kind of therapy to help him work through childhood trauma. "I've never talked about it," he says nervously. "I was molested when I was a kid [by a friend]." Following five years of sexual abuse and the divorce of his parents when he was eleven, Bennington became addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine in his early teens. "I went straight in the wrong fucking direction," he says. "That's where I get some of my intensity from, and I think that fuels the music we write."
"In this country, people do not think about the sensitivity of young men," Bennington adds. "It's a real tragedy. For kids to be able to listen to bands like us who are able to express ourselves-not through violence and vulgarity-I think it helps them learn to express themselves."
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