On a steamy July Ozzfest date in Camden, New Jersey, Linkin Park guitarist
Brad Delson sat down with Shoutweb as he iced his injured foot. In the small
tent designated for media that looked more like a battle zone, we dogged around
the nine members of Slipknot awaiting their photo shoot and found a spot to tend
to Brad's reoccuring injury. With half of the Ozzfest dates behind them, a very
social Brad explained the band's tour plans for the rest of 2001, why artistic
success is more important that commercial success, and just how he injured his
foot in the first place.
Chester Bennington - vocals
Rob Bourdon - drums
Brad Delson - guitar
Joseph Hahn - DJ/samples
Mike Shinoda - vocals
Shoutweb: Oh, no. Here we are with Brad and he's got his foot up.
Brad: Hi! I'm in quite a bit of pain right now.
Shoutweb: Is it an Ozzfest kind of thing, pain and blood?
Brad: I wasn't necessarily trying for that. (laughter) I'm trying the
toughen up kind of thing but I know if I do that I'm going to keep re-injuring
it and it's going to cause me problems down the line.
Shoutweb: How did this foot injury first happen?
Brad: The perfect plug for our new video! (laughter)
Shoutweb: Woo-hoo!
Brad: We were filming our video for "In The End" in L.A.
about a week and a half ago. You'll see in the video that we had a really cool
set made.
Shoutweb: Where did you film it?
Brad: We filmed it on a sound stage in L.A. This guy, Patrick Kup, has
done Godzilla and all of these huge motion picture special effects jobs in terms
of set construction. He built our set and there were these little stairways with
a ledge. Nathan Cox, who co-directed the video with Joe, wanted me to jump off
this five foot thing. Maybe it was three feet but it makes it sound better if I
say it was five feet! (laughter)
Shoutweb: You couldn't get a stunt double? (laughter)
Brad: No! (laughter) I couldn't land it right so the third time I did
land it but I think I hurt my foot. Then I had to play on it the whole night. It
was a 16 hour shoot. There were rain scenes and water being dumped on us for
three hours. Alright, I am just the complaining guy today! My foot healed and
now we just played this Camden, New Jersey show and I did something to it. It
was kind of towards the beginning of the set. I was like, should I just push
through or gimp out and lay down on the floor? I was able to do the latter
unfortunately. You could get me to complain all day long if you keep asking me
these types of questions!
Shoutweb: Are you still wearing headphones on stage?
Brad: Yeah.
Shoutweb: Explain that to me.
Brad: I'll sell you that story for ten grand. That's the going price.
Shoutweb: I will take "headphones" for two thousand please!
(laughter)
Brad: Actually, if I told you then I'd have to kill you. (laughter)
Shoutweb: Oh, no!
Brad: I will say that it has something to do with the matrix. Not the
movie, the actual matrix and being connected with it. Mr. Hahn has been rubbing
off on me. I'm starting to integrate sci-fi humor into my schtick. It probably
isn't too popular with a mass audience. (laughter)
Shoutweb: (laughter) I thought it was Joe getting you into it. I was
going to blame him for the headphone thing. He's so cool up there with the
headphones then he only uses one side of the headphones. Joe is just so cool. So
are you trying to be like Joe? (laughter)
Brad: He's actually queuing up. But I won't give him credit for the
headphones. That's all mine.
Shoutweb: So, are you trying to keep the noise out or get certain
sounds in on those headphones?
Brad: That's all I'm going to give you!
Shoutweb: Damn! I keep digging and coming up empty, man. (laughter)
Brad: (looking at his foot) Is this elevated? This isn't really
elevated, is it? What if we put your camera bag up there?
Shoutweb: (puts camera bag on the chair under Brad's foot) There we
go.
Brad: Now the interview can resume. That will be a parenthetical,
right? (Puts bag under ice)
Shoutweb: (Puts bag under foot. Brad is feeling better) Is it feeling
any better?
Brad: No.
Shoutweb: Uh, oh. They are doing a photo shoot with Slipknot in here
so we may get moved.
Brad: They probably don't want my foot in their shoot.
Shoutweb: I'm am sure they'll move you if you are in their way. So,
anyway, back to the video. Tell us about it.
Brad: I just saw the first edit today. Joe has been increasingly
involved in our video creation process. He actually co-directed our last video
"Papercut" which is more for international audiences. I don't know if
it will be shown in the U.S. He and Nathan Cox teamed up again for our "In
The End" video. Joe and Nathan wrote the treatment and they just surrounded
themselves with a bunch of great people. I think it's going to be really cool.
Shoutweb: And that's it?
Brad: That's as much as I can give you which is why I'm not a video
director! I'd come in to pitch the band's video and I'd be like, "Okay
guys, it's going to be really, really cool. We're surrounding ourselves with
really great people. And it's going to be good."
Shoutweb: I saw you guys at HFStival and the KROCK Dysfunctional
Family Picnic 5.0. You were down on your knees on the stage doing this thing.
Brad: I was?
Shoutweb: Maybe that's why your foot hurts.
Brad: Actually, I do get down on my foot. I didn't do that at the end
because that hurts it. It kind of sucks because on the Ozzfest you can't go into
the crowd.
Shoutweb: Is that a rule?
Brad: Yeah, it's a liability. A lot of concerts don't have that rule.
On other dates, Chester or Mike will go out to where the kids are and
participate with them. On these shows it's a challenge to get as close to the
kids as possible without actually going into the crowd.
Shoutweb: Is playing the main stage hindering you guys at all?
Brad: It's harder because the set-up is the reverse of a normal show
because instead of having all the kids up front you have them all in the back on
the lawn. When you're in seats, it's a lot harder to go off. It's hard to create
a moshpit in a seating section. It's been our challenge throughout this tour to
try to get those people who are in their seats up and out of them. At first, we
were kind of taken aback by it. Even at today's show, Mike just has to curse at
the people and then they'll get up after that.
Shoutweb: But there has been a lot of positive reaction to the fact
that you guys don't curse - not even on the record.
Brad: That's an over simplification. We don't curse on the record but
if you hang out with us for long enough, you could probably write your own curse
dictionary. Ironically, a lot of the curse words come out in between the songs.
Plus, it's Ozzfest. You have to curse.
Shoutweb: Some people have said that "Linkin Park is so huge that
they don't need to be on Ozzfest" and that "Ozzfest used to be for up
and coming bands."
Brad: Really? We've only been on the road for a year! This is actually
our one year anniversary of touring - three days ago. First of all, I don't
agree that the main stage is for up and coming bands. I think the the main stage
is to showcase really strong bands with a strong history like Marilyn Manson and
Black Sabbath. Even Slipknot is becoming more of a veteran act. It's really nice
to be able to share the stage with those bands. Also, we're relatively new
compared to most bands. Like I said, we've only been on the road for a year and
we've come a long way in a fairly short time.
Shoutweb: You have a lot of old school people. There are a lot of
mullets and real metal heads, especially in this crowd in New Jersey.
Brad: Well, you have mullets all over the country.
Shoutweb: And then you have all the younger kids.
Brad: I think there is a good mix in these audiences.
Shoutweb: So, the last time I hung out with you guys I saw Chester and
Mike at a bar before HFStival.
Brad: I was there! I have a reputation for being pretty anti-social so
I want to state for the record that I was really there! (laughter)
Shoutweb: Right, we all believe you! (laughter)
Brad: Seriously, I was there. There were a lot of bands hanging out
and we had a lot of fun.
Back
ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian hit the nail squarely on the head when he said
recently something to the effect of, “LIMP BIZKIT is just THE BACKSTREET BOYS
with guitars.” Ian must not have seen LINKIN PARK yet because that is exactly
the perfect descriptor for these puff” Metal” wonders. And aren’t they so
pretty too, my god little girls were actually fainting in front of the stage!
They do have their chops down so much credit for actually playing their
instruments and it can’t be said that people didn’t enjoy them so what is
the complaint? It just smells of Satan’s crooked hand wiping out any real Hard
Rock or Metal band’s success at radio. If you value your GODSMACK on the
airwaves you will discourage people from buying LINKIN PARK because if this
stuff hits any bigger than it has you can say goodbye to anything with any meat
on it for a long while.
On the other hand TAPROOT has continued on in the tradition of crossover
Nu-Metalers like THE DEFTONES and found their own happy mediums between Metal,
Rap and Rock infusing some well conceived lyrical notions for the Hard Rocker
who likes to ponder a lyric now and then. As for this evening in particular it
was another homecoming show for the Ann Arbor natives who seemed to come up with
just a little more for the friends and family in the audience. Lead Singer
Stephen Richards found it hard to keep all of the energy from overflowing the
stage leaving his bandmates and road crew to fish him out of the audience at
least a dozen times. Twice during the evening he scaled the second tier
scaffolding and leapt into the audience below. The sold out show had the fans
squeezed in pretty tight so there wasn’t really much chance of hitting the
floor but still, not something I would try.
The song selection ran like this, “Mirror’s Reflection,” “Dragged
Down,” “Day by Day,” “Again and Again,” “Now,” “Comeback,”
“I,” “Smile,” and “Emotional Times” finished it all off. “I” is
the group’s latest single to radio and seemed to get the best response from
the audience though the entire set was the definitive high-energy live
experience.
ALIEN ANT FARM was added to the bill as an afterthought but everyone seemed
to benefit from the addition. AAF had a chance to make some converts in front of
a sold-out room and the audience got to see a band that should leap frog its way
to headlining status in short order. Of the seven songs played “Wish” seemed
to be the crowd favorite. They did end the set strangely with a cover of Michael
Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” which is a move that I can only hope they
reconsider before returning to town with the ORGY tour.
Reviewed by: David L. Wilson
Back
By DOUG ELFMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Linkin Park was just about to rock onstage, when a
simpleton in the back of the Thomas & Mack Center arena threw some nasty,
unidentified liquid onto the backs of one unsurprised rock critic and a dozen or
so suddenly angry, teen-age-looking fans, who whipped around to scream and cuss
in disbelief that such an uncivilized doofus would show up at a rap-metal
concert. The nerve.
One of these wet fans consoled his shaved-headed self by
firing up a delicate joint, there in his white sleeveless T-shirt. Meanwhile,
the concert had started. And on the floor, in the middle of the 13,280 bouncing,
fist-shaking fans, two big gaggles of kids had started knocking each other
around in circles with the usual mosh pose of "hey, look, I'm skipping
around like a little bird ... but I'm pushing you real hard, too!"
Sunday's concert at the Thomas & Mack Center offered
this juxtaposition all night. Wild emotional types coexisting not so peacefully
with polite metal heads. The band was both types. Wild in songs, but gracious in
demeanor.
The young men of Linkin Park are rock's most well-mannered
screamers. The Los Angeles upstarts sold more albums than any other act last
year, without cussing in their songs, without drinking before shows (they say
for professional reasons), and without making jerks of themselves in public or
backstage (reportedly).
For an hour onstage, they performed 15 songs, bouncy hits
such as "In the End" and "One Step Closer," and OK songs
such as "Pushing Me Away." They played with the careful economy of
pros. No song grew older than four minutes. But the songs sounded no different
than they do on the star-making debut album, "(Hybrid Theory)."
All the songs followed Linkin Park's hybrid DNA: Calmed
metal. Raucous rock. Sing-song melodies. Fun, light, hip-hop rhythms. DJ
scratchings. And Linkin Park's crunchy guitar peaks were balanced by soft piano
tinkerings and other soft valleys.
The band's two, self-assured vocalists provided each other
with a sort of one-man Greek chorus. Chester Bennington sang and screamed in
tune. MC Mike Shinoda rapped melodically, like he was from the suburbs. They
went like this in "Crawling":
Bennington (yelling): "Crawling in my skin, these
wounds, they will not heal." ... (Then softer, as if meditating) ...
"I can't seem to find myself again. My walls are closing in."
And Shinoda finished the thought by rapping all manly:
"I'm convinced that it's just too much pressure to take."
The two vocalists' expressions came off as the combined
conscious and subconscious therapy musings of one person, a confused, fed-up
paranoid, but a paranoid who knows how to write a catchy song.
And a paranoid with good manners. Bennington thanked fans.
He thanked the security guards. (The crowd called "Boo" to that.) He
thanked Las Vegas for having the best fans. Plus, anyone who buys music. Also,
local bands in attendance. He even thanked the 850 national fans who belong to
"street teams" that have chatted up Linkin Park's reputation on the
Internet, and who have attended other bands' concerts while wearing Linkin Park
T-shirts.
"How many street-teamers in the house?"
Bennington asked, an odd question that no singer ever, ever asks. A few fans
raised their arms. He thanked them.
In the end, Bennington invited all the tour participants
onstage. Not just the opening bands, but even some roadies. He led them and the
crowd to shout the final thought of the night, the sing-along chant, "Shut
up! Shut up! Shut up!" That sure was nice of him. What a kind, young
paranoid.
Back
Digital
Dish Diva says:
Welcome to MSN Live! Today we are pleased to welcome Linkin Park to MSN Live!
Digital Dish
Diva says:
It's great to have you here! Brad, Joe and Rob are in the house!
Digital Dish
Diva says:
We have a few thousand questions so let's get started!
Linkin Park
says:
Hi.
rebelchick88
in Onstage3 asks:
Was it fun hosting the Family Values Tour 2001?
Rob says:
Rob: Yeah, it was great!
LPark316 in
Onstage9 asks:
I hear the DVD will have live footage. Where was the live footage filmed from?
Joe says:
It was filmed from our entire touring span, over the last 14 months. It starts
when we started, and includes the Family Values Tour and also some in Europe.
Brad says:
We did the DVD ourselves, so you're really getting a direct look at the goofy
stuff we do.
Hybrid_by_Blood
in Onstage3 asks:
If any of you get an adrenaline rush during the show, how long does it last?
Brad says:
I get an adrenaline rush in my broken foot, until I slip back into my wheelchair
when it's over.
archangel42o
in Onstage2 asks:
Hey guys, I'm going to see you guys in concert soon and I wanted to know are you
in the process of recording a new album?
Rob says:
We're not in the process right now. We have a studio in one of our buses and we
are putting ideas down. We will make a new album when we finish our tour next
year.
Blondebarbie_6
in Onstage9 asks:
Brad, do you regret not going to law school?
Brad says:
No, I do not regret not going to law school because I would have had to wake up
early and study a lot.
mipaso0 in
Onstage9 asks:
Did you name your band after the Lincoln Park in Santa Monica? That's where I
ball at. You guys come on down.
ScottWeiland_Fan
in Onstage4 asks:
Did Linkin Park get their name after Lincoln Park in Michigan?
Rob says:
We got the name from the Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, and we spelled it
differently to get the domain name. Now it's not called Lincoln Park any more so
we will have to change our name to that. (laughs) It's now named after some
woman.
platnumgirl88
in Onstage11 asks:
Hey Linkin Park! What's your favorite place to perform? like, what state?
Linkin Park
says:
We like to perform in L.A. because when we're done with the show we get to go
home. We've been home every once in a while but not for any extended time for
about a year.
InTheEndLP1 in
Onstage6 asks:
You guys write such intense lyrics. Does it come from personal experience and
feelings?
Joe says:
Joe: We listen to a lot of Tupac.
Brad says:
Anything Joe says is sarcastic and should not be taken seriously.
Alisa_346 in
Onstage10 asks:
Did you have fun making the video for "In the End"?
Rob says:
It was fun but Joe worked us like slaves.
Black_Beauty_Denmark
in Onstage10 asks:
Do you like having fans waiting for you at airports?
Joe says:
No we don't. That's a very serious answer.
Gackt247 in
Onstage9 asks:
I've heard that some are your songs are in Japanese. Is that true?
Linkin Park
says:
That's not true.
±N唁§
in Onstage10 asks:
If the rumor is true that Sam is pregnant then CONGRATULATIONS CHESTER!
Linkin Park
says:
Yeah she is pregnant. Thank you for that.
eric2782 in
Onstage6 asks:
Which bands did you follow when you were growing up?
Linkin Park
says:
We listen to everything from Hip Hop to Rock to Alternative, Retro, Punk. Nine
Inch Nails, Def Tones, Depeche Mode, Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire and
Dave Matthews Band.
Milky196 in
Onstage10 asks:
I think the lyrics are awesome. What inspired "Papercut" and
"With You"?
Linkin Park
says:
Mike and Chester wrote the lyrics so we can't give you a good answer for that.
BlueFlameMagik
in Onstage4 asks:
Who drew the cover art for the album?
Linkin Park
says:
Mike did the cover art and worked with Frank Maddocks. Joe did some of the
artwork inside the CD booklet.
glifberg111 in
Onstage11 asks:
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Brad says:
My nickname for Joe is "I'm tired of talking to you."
Joe says:
My nickname for Brad is "Pigpen." The guy from Peanuts, imagine Pigpen
in a wheelchair, that's Brad.
volrathxp in
Onstage9 asks:
Brad, what is your favorite guitar that you play?
Linkin Park
says:
My Gold PRS.
SIC_ME in
Onstage4 asks:
Hey, I'm going to your show tonight in Portland, but are you going to have a
signing booth like you did for Ozfest, or anything similar?
Linkin Park
says:
Unfortunately we're unable to do that at the show tonight. We can do some meet
and greets but nothing like we did at Ozfest. You can visit our fan website at
http://www.LPUnderground.com starting on our next major tour. This is for fan
club members only.
AngelPrincessCher
in Onstage10 asks:
How many hours does it take you guys to record on song because I am thinking
about becoming a singer?
Brad says:
Sometimes songs come around really fast and others it takes a long time. We have
songs over a year old that aren't finished. The key is to keep writing, with
each song you get better and better.
PyrotechnicalFault
in Onstage3 asks:
My sister is convinced that you have pop music on the album. It is death metal,
isn't it?
Linkin Park
says:
It's not Death Metal and it's not Pop.
LJoustra in
Onstage4 asks:
Mike, what kinda coin is it that you're wearing almost all the time?
Linkin Park
says:
That got ripped off Mike's neck in Indianapolis and after the show everyone
helped him look for it, and he ended up finding it himself on the ground. It's a
Japanese family crest.
gatewood82 in
Onstage9 asks:
Which song means the most to you guys and why?
Brad says:
I like the song "My December." It's about going home.
Joe says:
I enjoy performing "A Place for My Head."
king_of_all_ssj
in Onstage6 asks:
Do you guys spend all your time together like a big family or do you separate at
the first chance? (probably got some good family values)
Brad says:
We never have a chance to separate unfortunately.
Rob says:
We're a big happy family.
jessicaloveschester
in Onstage1 asks:
Do you listen to music before a show to get pumped? if so, what?
Brad says:
Except for Joe, he's a recluse. (laughs)
Joe says:
I listen to Enya before I play because it gets me riled up.
linkinpark4ever_chick
in Onstage4 asks:
I can't wait for the new DVD. How did you come up with the name?
Brad says:
That name is probably the worst name I've ever heard of for anything and
unfortunately we got stuck with it.
Rob says:
Coming up with names is not easy. The name does work because it's not all
serious. The name doesn't mean anything though. It's just something that sounds
stupid.
omikron_angel
in Onstage1 asks:
How do you guys feel when you get this overwhelming response to scheduled chats
like this? BTW it was fun.
Brad says:
We just do what they tell us to do.
Joe says:
It's mixed emotion, a little sadness mixed with joy.
Rob says:
A little fear too.
L1nkinPark in
Onstage10 asks:
How old were you when you started scratching?
Brad says:
I don't really scratch.
Rob says:
I was high school. I don't know how old, about 10th or 11th grade.
Joe says:
Now he's 43. So that's 25 years.
omikron_angel
in Onstage1 asks:
Brad, why do you wear big headphones?
Joe says:
Can't say.
Brad says:
Brad: Can't say.
HOLYS8T in
Onstage9 asks:
Where there any hard sacrifices to be made to become what you are? I hope to be
great music artists like you guys one day and I know some of the sacrifices I'm
gonna have to make if I decide to do it.
Brad says:
Yes. We've all had to be away from our family and loved ones and it's a huge
sacrifice we've made to be on tour and be a real performing band.
Brad says:
I hate cigarettes.
thibi_yen in
Onstage7 asks:
Was it your childhood dream, being a rock star, or did you want to become
something else?
Brad says:
We don't try to be rock stars and if we act like them, we apologize.
Rob says:
I always dreamed of performing professionally and this is a great one.
Joe says:
I like to scratch for cash.
blinkin04 in
Onstage3 asks:
Hi. What's the secret to success?
Rob says:
That's actually a movie Michael J. Fox made in the 80's and plays quite often.
Brad says:
Persistence and being passionate about what you do.
Yagami_Hikari
in Onstage3 asks:
What's your next single going to be? I really love Runaway. (hugs, kisses and
cookies)
Brad says:
We might put out "Points of Authority" for the DVD but we're not
really releasing any more singles from this record. We're focusing on a remix
record that is coming out and then our next record.
HiGhVoLtAgE335
in Onstage10 asks:
Are you going to remix your very first CD when you were Hybrid Theory?
Rob says:
We're remixing "High Voltage" and re-releasing "Hybrid Theory
EP" only to our fan club members at http://www.LPUnderground.com
mr_blah0 in
Onstage11 asks:
What do you guys enjoy doing in your spare time?
Rob says:
We like to go home.
Brad says:
We enjoy reading, going to movies.
Joe says:
Taking long walks on the beach together, enjoying nature.
timb0LinkiN in
Onstage3 asks:
Hey Brad. When you're practicing on your guitar do you play your own songs or
other songs?
Brad says:
Mostly I noodle or write new stuff.
BrAcKiSh_KiTtiE015
in Onstage3 asks:
Who is the one band you would like to do a tour with?
Brad says:
One band is Cypress Hill and we're currently trying to make something happen.
Linkin_Devil01
in Onstage3 asks:
What do you enjoy most about being in the band?
Linkin Park
says:
Time away from Joe. (laughs)
Germany512 in
Onstage6 asks:
What was your first time onstage together like? Scary, exciting?
Brad says:
Mixed emotions, both scared and excited.
corpsegrinder0
in Onstage2 asks:
Why do you guys change your hair style so often?
Rob says:
Boredom.
ArtsyAlexis82
in Onstage4 asks:
Phoenix does this weird foot thing when he's on stage. What's up with that? I
love you guys!
Brad says:
He's got a spastic foot.
Joe says:
He has 6 toes.
Rob says:
He's got webbed feet.
lauderdale20guy
in Onstage3 asks:
What possessed you to change the lyrics for "Point of Authority"?
Linkin Park
says:
We didn't change them, but an early copy that was a work in progress got out
onto the Internet with slightly different lyrics.
SpandexGnome7
in Onstage9 asks:
Do you feel that the emotional vacuum created in the post-grunge, alterna-pop
music morass has, in a sense, created a deeper, more reflective songwriting
trend in the metal genre?
Joe says:
You need to write for "Rolling Stone."
Rob says:
You're too smart for this chat.
tjalian in
Onstage6 asks:
My mum listens to your music in bath. Isn't that great?
Linkin Park
says:
That's awesome. That's the best thing I've ever heard!
drag102 in
Onstage4 asks:
All Mexico is waiting for an answer. Are you considering coming to this great
country?
Brad says:
We are considering it. We are hoping to come at the beginning of March.
LP_freako in
Onstage11 asks:
Will you guys be there for the MAA in Singapore?
inlovebyLP in
Onstage1 asks:
Do you want someday to come hear in Brazil?
Linkin Park
says:
The only international shows we're planning to do soon is Mexico City. But we
will be going to all those other places hopefully on the next record.
LpAshley in
Onstage11 asks:
How many guys in the band are married?
Linkin Park
says:
Just Chester.
pcmon2 in
Onstage11 asks:
Do you ever get hoarse for shouting so much in your songs?
Brad says:
No.
RoCkStArDiVaGrL2
in Onstage2 asks:
"One Step Closer" is on the radio right now. Do you like performing
that song?
Linkin Park
says:
Yes, it's fun. That's a great song to perform.
Joe says:
That's a great song to listen to in the shower also.
Brad says:
Aaron comes out and does that with us sometimes.
Joe says:
The singing. Not the shower.
Guanobabeke in
Onstage1 asks:
Is there any band you would like to meet someday?
Joe says:
I'd like to meet U2.
Rob says:
I'd like to meet Dave Matthews Band.
Brad says:
U2
Joe says:
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.
ScratchedBeat83
in Onstage7 asks:
How does your family react to your success?
Linkin Park
says:
They stopped giving us allowance.
mysaj in
Onstage3 asks:
Which do you prefer bigger shows at arenas or smaller more intimate venues?
Rob says:
Both are fun. The best part of small crowds is to be able to be more personal
with the fans and hang out with them after the show. We can't do in large shows.
stm_sk8rchic03
in Onstage4 asks:
What city so far has been the most fun to perform at?
Brad says:
I liked playing in London.
Rob says:
Sydney, Australia and New York City.
PrincessHazel1
in Onstage6 asks:
Do you get upset when people approach you in public and ask to take a picture
with you? Just for future reference.
Joe says:
I have a hard time interacting socially with people.
Rob says:
Other than Joe having trouble, we LOVE it!
Eeemma in
Onstage3 asks:
Have you ever done something stupid on stage? If so what?
Joe says:
I spit on the floor once.
rhyme_missile
in Onstage9 asks:
Where do you get the cool stage props from, and do you design them?
Brad says:
Mike and Joe design them with Michael Wetstone who has also designed for Ice
Cube, KoRn, and Eminem.
Linkin Park
says:
Also Chester contributes to those designs.
VivikaOrange
in Onstage7 asks:
How does it feel to tell your deepest feelings to the whole world through music?
Brad says:
I think making music, making art or doing anything is a good way to express your
emotions.
Digital Dish
Diva says:
Brad, Joe, Rob, thanks for joining us tonight before the show. Best of luck with
the new DVD, "Linkin Park - Frat Party at the Pancake Festival."
Brad says:
I want to thank everyone for joining this chat and sticking around. Even though
our answers are funny, we deeply appreciate interacting with our fans. We love
to do that and the best way for us to do that is for you all to join the
LPUnderground.com fan club so we can interact more directly.
Digital Dish
Diva says:
Thanks to Linkin Park for joining us tonight on MSN Live.
Back
Mike
Shinoda of Linkin Park.
Linkin Park’s album, Hybrid Theory, comes out on
October24th. But before the album even hits the store
shelves, Linkin Park has been creating a buzz on radio and
MTV with the first single “One Step Closer.”
RockRage.com got a chance to talk to Mike Shinoda, one of
the vocalists and emcee of this young and talented band
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RR:
Are you on tour right now?
MS: Yeah,
we’re in the middle of a tour with Kottonmouth Kings.
RR:
How did you hook up with Kottonmouth?
MS: It’s
funny because that was something that just came our way. It
was offered to us. Our agent let us know that was something
that was available, that they were interested in having us
open for them. We weren’t that familiar with the
Kottonmouth guys’ stuff. We knew of the band and we saw
some of the stuff and it looked pretty cool. But once we got
on tour, and to say we didn’t have and listen to the album
fully, you know what I mean? Like sometimes we’re really
familiar with the stuff. These guys, we didn’t know that
much about what they were doing, came on tour and they are
awesome guys. As far as the social thing to hang out with,
they are totally really nice guys. Their show is extremely
energetic and fun to watch...And we have a lot of fun.
We’re stoked to be on this tour. It’s been a really fun.
We get a lot of experience playing and get out there in
front of a lot of kids.
RR:
And starting next week, as far as I’m concerned, is
a pretty major tour with P.O.D. and (hed) PE.
MS:
Starting pretty soon in the beginning of November.
RR:
You guys all psyched up for that one?
MS:
Yeah, we’re stoked. P.O.D., Project 89, and (hed)
PE and us.
RR:
When you first started the band, you had Rob and Brad
who you started the band with and you were the vocalist.
Then you brought in Chester. What was the reasoning for
bringing in a second vocalist into the group?
MS:
Well, what was going on at that point was we were
playing around with some other friends of ours who did
music. At that point when I started it there actually was a
person singing. And then we brought on Chester. We were
ready to get the record deal and that was almost four years
ago that we were at that stage. We were basically just
playing with friends. It was just that. We were playing
music with friends. It was semi-serious. We wanted to make
good songs, but that was basically it and we wanted to play
them in front of friends. It was a social thing. We never
thought that we would do anything this big with it. We just
wanted to make something really good. And I always wanted to
mix these styles of music and put all the things that I
liked into the same things. And the other guys felt the same
way. So when we all got together that’s how it naturally
happened. It got tot point about two years ago where we
decided that we needed to find somebody who is a really
awesome, amazing vocalist. That that is their main thing.
And that’s what we did.
RR:
And how does that work when you write the music? Do
you intentionally write the lyrics for two vocalists or do
you kind of feed off of one main lyrical content?
MS:
We write together. I write my parts. We write all of
the major parts of the song together. The lyrics to a song
focused on one topic or one scenario, one emotion, so as to
be cohesive. Four years ago we were writing songs where that
thins were divided up and it’s very easy to write a song
where the hip-hop part is separate from the rock part, which
is separate from the electronic part, but I don’t think
that’s where we are anymore. Nowadays what we like to do
and what you here most on the album is just one song with
many different things that make up a character. And that’s
kind of how the lyrics work. It’s one theme and then
it’s just presented in a bunch of different ways whether
it be rapping or whispering or singing or screaming. However
we would need to go about it.
RR:
Pretty aggressive and intensive stuff you got going.
But then you get to “Cure for the Itch” and it’s got
this relaxed, fantasy-like techno thing going with no
lyrics. How did that come about because the rest of the
songs are pretty intense and this one is laid back and lose
yourself kind of thing. Was their a purpose to this or just
kind of thrown in?
MS:
That’s just a point in the album where we felt it
was appropriate. That particular song is something that our
DJ, Mr. Hahn, and I came up with. It came from a beat that
he did with the drums that he did and the strings that I
arranged. From there we just kind of went off in an
electronic direction that I thought was cool. And I think it
turned out really well. We’re totally happy with that. The
band was totally stoked about it.
RR:
It does work in great. Then in the band itself you
don’t have a bass player, but you do take one out on the
road with you. Any plans of making a permanent bass player
in the band?
MS:
For right now we’re totally stoke to have Scott
play with us live and its been great. We’ve had a really
good time so far playing. The people who come to the show
enjoy watching him play and we enjoy playing with him. So
far everything is great.
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