May/June Tour Wrapup

[hahninator]

We've done these before, but we didn't really get to do a tour wrapup for January because the tour was unfortunately canceled after three shows and nothing really changes besides From The Inside and A Place For My Head being added to the setlists, while Rebellion and Until It's Gone were dropped. This will simply be a (short) text review as we have so many videos on the homepage already....videos are in the links if you want to check them out.

 

Anyway, Linkin Park performed eight of nine shows over the past two months so in case you didn't follow LP show-by-show, here's what all took place...

 

On May 9th, LP returned to the stage for their first show since Chester played on his broken ankle in Indianapolis in January. They supported Metallica at the inaugural Rock In Rio USA in Las Vegas, NV, a spot the band tends to play quite frequently compared to other North American cities. Chester was fresh off of a Stone Temple Pilots tour that was quite testing for his ankle at points. He said after the first few shows, he had to walk off stage to immediately place his entire foot and bottom portion of his leg in a bucket of ice.

 

t this show, after months of interviews by the band and rumors that they would add a new song to the setlist, A Line In The Sand received its live debut.

 

Coming in the middle of the setlist, A Line In The Sand replaced Guilty All The Same, the lead single off of the album. At this show, out of nineteen songs, just two were from The Hunting Party (A Line In The Sand and Wastelands). Still, Until It's Gone and Rebellion (two of the next three singles after GATS) hadn't been seen in 2015 at all. The new show opener for this setlist was Papercut, which featured a new 2015 Intro, and Waiting For The End also was moved to near the end of the set. You actually couldn't tell at all that Chester had broken his ankle as he seemed energetic as ever on stage.

 

This is the first time in the band's career that they have played these popular North American festivals. They travel with scaled-down production and used them as fly dates instead of packing them as a part of a tour (like Slipknot and most of the other headliners do, except Metallica). A week later, Rock on the Range took place in Columbus, OH. Unfortunately due to a family emergency, Brad was unable to make the show and Benjamin, his guitar tech, filled in for the third time on the touring cycle, after Brazil in 2014. The band never addressed the absence of Brad this time, electing to keep it quiet unlike the Brazil LPTV episode from 2014 with Benjamin and another from earlier in 2014 that shows Benjamin almost having to fill in at the last minute for Brad in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 

At this show, a longer version of the new setlist debut. Rebellion was played for the first time in 2015 and was moved up to the second spot. Breaking The Habit was played for the first time since January 2014, and part of Darker Than Blood was used as an intro into Burn It Down.

 

A week later, the Rocklahoma show was set to be Linkin Park's first show in Oklahoma since 2008. The show was unfortunately canceled due to weather, bringing on LP's seventeenth canceled show in 2015, their most ever. 2003 had twelve cancellations...fifteen if you count the three shows that the band made up later in the year, but we'll stick with twelve. Fortunately, the weather was good to go at San Antonio's River City Rockfest the next day, weirdly held OUTSIDE of the state-of-the-art AT&T Center on a temporary stage. This was LP's first show in the San Antonio area since 2007.

 

Three shows in May was it, as June rolled around and five shows were on the calendar. Luckily, all five of these were completed. The first was Amnesia Rockfest in Montebello, Canada, the first show in Canada in 2015 after four shows were canceled there earlier in 2015 in Hamilton, Saskatoon, Calgary (+ LPU Summit #13) and Edmonton. Reports indicated Linkin Park performed a good set, but we saw quite a bit of tweeting about people leaving during the middle slow/electronic part of the show like at Rock on the Range. Strangely, Linkin Park only performed for 75 minutes at their day of the festival while System of a Down played 27 songs the following night as a headliner.

 

Fort Minor returned after Montebello, so that distracted most fans from the Mexico shows, but Linkin Park's Mexico City and Monterrey shows that followed Montebello were LP's first there since 2012 and they performed to PACKED houses at both shows. It was at these shows that a longer, headlining setlist was performed since the band had only been playing 75 or 90 minute sets so far in the summer. Points Of Authority was played for the first time in 2015, and replaced Rebellion at the start of the set. Final Masquerade returned to the middle of the set, and an encore break was added that featured Crawling to start it off. Crawling was played in the full for the first time since Download 2014.

 

At these shows, Mike dropped his Solo Medley and replaced it with Welcome, the new Fort Minor song. Joe and Rob play at the end of Welcome live, which is actually a surprise to us. A slightly longer version of Remember The Name followed Welcome.

 

Finally, two shows in Mack, CO at the inaugural Loudwire Music Festival and in Milwaukee, WI at Summerfest ended the band's North American summer shows. It was their first show in Milwaukee ever and first in Wisconsin since 2008, which means they definitely played for many fans this summer that they normally wouldn't play for during a regular tour. At these two shows the 90 minute set returned, meaning Points and Crawling were only played twice in 2015 so far, both in Mexico.

 

Next up for Linkin Park is a five date tour in China in a few weeks. It's their first time in China since 2009 and first since they were reportedly banned by the Chinese government for associations with the Dalai Lama at a Music For Relief event in May 2011. For A Thousand Suns, they had three stadium shows booked for that fall, but they didn't happen and now LP is back with FIVE stadium shows...the largest international rock tour ever in China.

 

At these shows, we should see some different setlists as the government in Shanghai banned Given Up and Hands Held High in 2009, meaning Linkin Park might have to play a few different songs besides Given Up, Rebellion, etc.

 

Did you see any of these summer shows? What do you think about Linkin Park playing the festivals versus doing a normal tour? Unfortunately, an LPU Summit has not been announced for China or Europe yet, and time is running out...but they do have at least a week or two more to shore up some details if they want to announce one.

 

And there we have it!

[Tyleronlplive]

Good work on this wrap up, its like a condensed version of the last 10 preshow posts.

 

But one thing I don't get about the China shows, why would Rebellion be banned? I know Given Up and HHH were offensive because of swearing but what is wrong with Rebellion? Is it the subject matter of the lyrics?

[hahninator]

Good work on this wrap up, its like a condensed version of the last 10 preshow posts.

 

But one thing I don't get about the China shows, why would Rebellion be banned? I know Given Up and HHH were offensive because of swearing but what is wrong with Rebellion? Is it the subject matter of the lyrics?

 

I honestly have no idea why China bans certain songs, but it certainly doesn't extend to just Linkin Park. The Rolling Stones and other bands have had this happen to them, maybe even Metallica too. Hands Held High has very political lyrics, I always assumed that was the case. Who knows, maybe they can play Rebellion. However, as stupid as it is to ban music in the first place, it wouldn't surprise me if they looked at The Hunting Party and said "NO REBELLION, NO WAR" or something. I don't understand their government at all and I think they are rather unintelligent in this regard.

[Vorist]

 

I honestly have no idea why China bans certain songs, but it certainly doesn't extend to just Linkin Park. The Rolling Stones and other bands have had this happen to them, maybe even Metallica too. Hands Held High has very political lyrics, I always assumed that was the case. Who knows, maybe they can play Rebellion. However, as stupid as it is to ban music in the first place, it wouldn't surprise me if they looked at The Hunting Party and said "NO REBELLION, NO WAR" or something. I don't understand their government at all and I think they are rather unintelligent in this regard.

Well，Metallica have to dropped Master of Puppets at the Shanghai show though the crowd was screaming "MASTER!MASTER!MASTER!"

Very funny，isn't it？

As a Chinese,I can not understand why too.

Check this out.

[RogueSoul]

Check this out.

What is that list? songs they are allowed to play? Or songs they've chosen to get approved?

 

EDIT: Keys To The Kingdom, Somewhere I Belong, and APFMH on that list...

[GlassCastles]

If that's the songs that are allowed, stuff like WAK, GU, and Rebellion is really surprising to make the cut. Or is that the songs the band wants approved? If so, Keys, huh? This list is every song played on the cycle minus the HT songs from Download and plus KTTK, so this is probably the songs the band wants approved.

Edited July 6, 2015 by SasstielExperience

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

What is that list? songs they are allowed to play? Or songs they've chosen to get approved?

 

EDIT: Keys To The Kingdom, Somewhere I Belong, and APFMH on that list...

 

Yes.

[Vorist]

What is that list? songs they are allowed to play? Or songs they've chosen to get approved?

 

EDIT: Keys To The Kingdom, Somewhere I Belong, and APFMH on that list...

To gat approved I think.

And also check this out.

An interview between LP and Global Times.

 

 

 

They might be one of the most recognized bands in China. Their songs, even those from 10 years ago, are still widely played on the radio and pubs, and even as background music on TV shows, at ball games and e-sport venues.

 

After a six-year absence, Linkin Park is coming to China again next month, presenting their The Hunting Party album tour in Nanjing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chongqing and Beijing. A testament to the band's fame in the country, after tickets for the concert went on sale the band set a new record by selling 24 million yuan ($3.8 million) worth of tickets in just eight hours.

 

Glories going on

 

Just like the name of their first formal album, Hybrid Theory in 2000, the band has always tried playing and mixing different styles in their music from rock and rap to electronic to pop. Some fans have pointed out their latest album has been quite a departure from recent records and a return to ethos and inspiration.

 

"It was a creative impulse from within the band. The trigger was when Mike [shinoda] switched gears about not wanting to write the songs that he's been writing, but instead decided to write heavy hard rock songs. We all went 'Okay!'" Chester Bennington wrote in an e-mail interview with the Global Times about the birth of their latest album last year.

 

In 1996, Mike Shinoda and some of his friends founded a band which is now mostly regarded as the earliest version of Linkin Park. While several members eventually left and new people joined, the band eventually shot to success and earned global fame.

 

This nearly two-decade-long journey is not something they really think about. "20 years ago, it was like me and a friend of mine met Mark [Wakefield]. Really it was like only me and Mark at the beginning. We made a couple of songs in our spare time. We were in high school," Mike wrote, adding that they are focusing more of their energy on the future and what is coming next for the band.

 

Still rocking past 30

 

Those members of the band now in their 30s have spent over half of their lives on music. Chester gave some suggestions for those who also wanted to pursue a music career and write songs: "When it comes to writing, don't think it's great just because you wrote it. If you want to be a professional musician, you have to be able to see what you're doing with reality goggles and not fantasy goggles.

 

"Sometimes it's hard to swallow that you didn't create something good. Stick with it, accept criticism, don't drink your own juice. That stuff is really important. You can pretty much do whatever you want nowadays as a band. Be smart, stay plugged in, get your music out to people and build your ideas."

 

As the online music industry continues its rapid growth and more records company turn their eyes to the Internet, Linkin Park proved their high global popularity again by becoming the first rock band to achieve over 1.9 billion views on YouTube.

 

When talking about these high online numbers and the newly booming online music industry, Joe Hann wrote: "For us, it's a very natural progression. There's new things' happening all the time with technology and the way that music or any kind of media is distributed, so we see it as having more tools and ways of communicating with people. You don't have to rely on a single one of them entirely."

 

They're also not worried about their position in this new industry.

 

"I'd like to think that we still have a lot of energy and ideas left in the tank. In that sense, we are still available to write our own legacy moving forward and continue to build on that," wrote Dave Farrell.

 

"I really sincerely think that one of the coolest components of our history is gonna be the fact that we've had a fan base during a time period when attention spans are very fickle, we've had a fan base that's been really committed to us and what we're doing."

 

 

Linkin Park Q&A

 

 

 

Global Times: What are you most excited about this tour in China?

 

Mike: We are actually visiting a lot of cities that I've never seen before. This is a wonderful opportunity for me and my family to experience China. We wrote about it. This is the longest tour we have had in China and the most cities. We will get to meet the fans, experience the culture and eat the food and go sightseeing. It is really an exciting trip for us.

 

Joe Hann: I'm looking forward to eating soup dumplings, checking out the arts district, visiting the Great Wall, seeing what local life is in these places, plus checking out the cool skyscrapers that are being built.

 

Global Times: What's it like to perform in a country with a totally different culture?

 

Joe Hann : Last time we had a great time in China. They were big shows and at the time they told us that they were the biggest shows for a rock band in China and so we're looking forward to coming back and repeating that success and sharing our music with our massive fan base in China... cultures may be different but the fans are the same in terms of the universal emotion that they get from the music and what we get back from them.

 

Global Times: What suggestions do you have for younger generations?

 

Dave Farrell: For anyone who loves music, I feel like it's less important to focus on how to make it into a successful band. The most important thing is being able to immerse yourself into that world, what music has to offer to you and immerse yourself in the positives that you get out of it. It's about how much joy and happiness you are able to get out of it. If I wasn't with Linkin Park today, I still would like to be involved in music.

 

 

Link Click

Edited July 6, 2015 by Vorist

[RogueSoul]

Yes.

Thank you for your contribution.

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

Thank you for your contribution.

 

You are Welcome.

 

Imagine if that was the list of songs that they must not play in China, we would get a set full of rarities.

[Thor]

-At these shows, we should see some different setlists as the government in Shanghai banned Given Up and Hands Held High in 2009, meaning Linkin Park might have to play a few different songs besides Given Up, Rebellion, etc.

 

Wait.... what? why is that. Thats fuckin stupid.

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

I can see the debut of Chester's Solo Medley

 

-Unicorn and Lollipops

-Jellyfish

-26 Lettaz

[Jesper]

Really curious for the China setlist

[hahninator]

-At these shows, we should see some different setlists as the government in Shanghai banned Given Up and Hands Held High in 2009, meaning Linkin Park might have to play a few different songs besides Given Up, Rebellion, etc.

 

Wait.... what? why is that. Thats fuckin stupid.

 

The Chinese government forced them to drop Given Up and Hands Held High in Shanghai 2007. However, in Shanghai 2007, they did not have any restrictions. http://lplive.net/shows/db/2009/20090815

 

2009: "Beijing SuoYou Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. :

The administrative group has received your proposal application, with Shanghai East Asia

Cultural Investment Management Co., Ltd., to invite Linkin Park and its crew (42 people in all)

to perform in Shanghai, which was submitted 4th, June, 2009 and given the acceptance

No.2009340176. After handing in the application, the Ministry of Culture, P. R. China has

made an approval and signed an official document at 26th, June. So please follow the official

reply's requirements to remove the two songs, GIVEN UP and HANDS HELD HIGH, and make sure things

proceed as stated below."