Linkin Park has announced a one-off show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on October 27, which will be its first public appearance since the passing of Chester Bennington. The show will see Linkin Park joined by other artists on stage, and all proceeds from the show will be donated to Music For Relief's One More Light Fund.
Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda tells KROQ that he consulted famed producer Rick Rubin for guidance about the show and how to carry on in general, who gave him some pretty sage advice.
“I’d gone to Rick Rubin as kind of a source of, kind of guidance, and he said, ‘I know you guys know this, and I know it’s obvious because I know you’re looking at social media and stuff, I think you guys need to get on stage. I think that’s going to be the thing that will feel good. It will be super super hard.’
We haven’t gone out together in public, we haven’t played or gone on stage. And he said, ‘The fans want to see you, but most importantly not because they want to see a show, but because there’s a cathartic experience that needs to happen. I think it’ll inform what you guys are doing.’ I thought it over, and I know that for some of the guys in the band, getting on stage is more scary than other guys in the band. But I will say that for all of us, it’s definitely the thing we want to do.
It feels like the right way to celebrate Chester. And we want it to not be… The real meat and potatoes of the whole thing is we decided to have a show in LA, it’s going to be October 27th at the Hollywood Bowl. We’re inviting some other friends, that list of guests it’s still coming together, it hasn’t been announced yet, that’s more to come on that part. We are going to be playing the Hollywood Bowl on October 27th.”
Shinoda also talks a little bit about Bennington as a person, and what it was like to be in the band with him.
“I know the circumstances of his passing are really dark and that, as we said at the time, the darkness he had was always there and kind of part of the package. But what was so unique and special about this guy is that he used it as fuel to do so many positive things.
He really put in, he did so many… Overall, the way he was so, he was such a happy guy. He was such a fun guy. When he walked in the room it was such a positive, funny, upbeat energy. And that’s what we wanna get out of this show.
I know it’s going to be a rollercoaster of emotion. But when we talk about this and we’re focusing on the show, it’s really about, like we say, celebrating life.”
Check out the full interview below.
If you or someone you care about is thinking about suicide, please reach out to someone who can help. Here is an excellent write-up by my friend Stabitha explaining what you should do if you or a friend need help. In the United States, the national Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. International readers can find your country's number here.
[via The PRP]
