Radio 1 Interview w/ Mike & Phoenix

[hahninator]

Members of Linkin Park have given their first interview since the Hollywood Bowl performance on October 27th. Mike and Dave appeared on the BBC Radio Rock 1 Show with Daniel P. Carter on November 5th. Daniel says he caught up with them after the show, so the interview could have taken place either that night after the show or a few days later.

 

The entire show is streaming on demand. Mike and Dave begin at around 1h11m. Daniel plays New Divide after the interview and then gives his take on the show. He said one of the most emotional parts of the night was the performance of One More Light at the show, because of the band coming to Radio 1 and explaining what the song was about earlier in the year. Following that, he puts Mike and Chester's explanation from May on. Chester and Mike talk about Dave crying when he first heard it, etc.

 

It's all worth a listen.

 

Here is a transcript:

 

Mike: "I don’t think I’ve ever done anything harder than that. It was so close to what I thought it was going to be in terms of a show... now in terms of emotions, like that’s a whole different ball game. I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t think any of us did. I got off stage and was like almost dizzy. It was the weirdest feeling... I still am a little bit, I was like dizzy. It was the weirdest feeling."

Phoenix: "Three months ago, maybe two or three days after Chester had passed and I was talking with my wife and realized when the Hollywood Bowl show we were going to be playing which was originally going to be like, October 24th or something, and the thought went through my head of "I think we should still try to play that show." Then the five of us got together a day or two after that, and I told these guys "I don’t know if this is crazy but I really think we should find a way to figure out how to do that show, I think it’s important." I think some of the guys were like "hell yeah I’m in" and some of the guys were like "okay that’s crazy, what does that even mean?" And for me at that point I didn’t have any clue what that meant and I think the last 3 months we have literally gone on a journey to try and figure out what that looks like, what that feels like and how do we do that. And so I think, at this stage right now for me it’s definitely a bit surreal to have gone through that journey kind of co-currently."

Mike: "I don’t even know what to tell someone it’s like. We’ve all built so much of our identity and our lives on this band. It’s everything. Then it’s in shambles and then you look at it and you go, "Okay well what can I do? Is there anything I can do?" And one of the reasons we wanted to do this is that we knew that we had had a funeral. We had gone and had a private event with Chester’s family but looking online a lot of fans you know, they didn’t have that and they were still looking for ways to mourn and ways to like, express how horrible they felt. I know that you and I had the idea at the same time, and you said it, and I was like yeah that’s what will feel good to me that’s what will feel good to a lot of people. It was almost that situation where you think "oh crap now I’ve committed."

Phoenix: "You feel like you have to commit and then you immediately feel like this is real now."

Mike: "Like "oh crap what did I say yes to?"

Phoenix: "You’ve got to put it out there and then you have to figure out how to do it."

Mike: "Because even just sitting in the dressing room for two hours before the show and he’s not there... it’s so weird. He would be doing his vocal warm up and literally screaming - he was the loudest person I’ve ever met, like he would be warming his voice up screaming in the room and you’re like trying to have a conversation and at the time you’re like…it’s so loud, and of course now you’re like I wish it was in the room. I would give anything for that to be happening right now and it was just that over and over and over the whole night, you know. It was crazy."

[lpplus]

Mike: "Because even just sitting in the dressing room for two hours before the show and he’s not there... it’s so weird. He would be doing his vocal warm up and literally screaming - he was the loudest person I’ve ever met, like he would be warming his voice up screaming in the room and you’re like trying to have a conversation and at the time you’re like…it’s so loud, and of course now you’re like I wish it was in the room. I would give anything for that to be happening right now and it was just that over and over and over the whole night, you know. It was crazy."

 

 

[lakersfan31]

Wow, thank you for the transcript. I had no idea Phoenix was essentially the catalyst to keep doing the show at the Hollywood Bowl.

[hahninator]

Well Rick Rubin suggested it to Mike, and Dave wanted to do it, so there were two sides for sure ASAP that said "let's do it." I can imagine some of them didn't want to at first. Can't blame them.

 

Glad it happened, it was like a celebration of a great life of Chester combined with the closing of that chapter of the band and the opening of a new one. It was essentially exactly what Mike intended it to be - a true memorial for the fans.

[Geki]

I really like how Mike said that they built their identity and their lives on that band, etc. I feel that way as well from a fan's point of view. I built my identity upon Linkin Park back from like 2003-2008. Everybody that I knew in real life knew that I was a Linkin Park fan. That was years ago and it's not like that anymore, but I get what Mike is saying.

 

Pretty good interview, though. Mike seems so cool about it all.

 

I think the concept behind the idea of the show was really cool. Making it sort of like a ''funeral'' for fans, since the fans didn't get a proper funeral like the band and Chester's family did (understandably so). But that is a cool concept and I'm glad they did it. I think the band gets closer and closer to becoming a full force band again with each day.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Geki

[xxHybridXeroxx]

I really like how Mike said that they built their identity and their lives on that band, etc. I feel that way as well from a fan's point of view. I built my identity upon Linkin Park back from like 2003-2008. Everybody that I knew in real life knew that I was a Linkin Park fan. That was years ago and it's not like that anymore, but I get what Mike is saying.

 

Pretty good interview, though. Mike seems so cool about it all.

Yeah, All my friends know me as the "Crazy LP Fan" LOL. I built my identity off LP too, Like half my wardrobe is Linkin Park T-Shirts... I wear LP apparel at least twice a week.

[loulax07]

 

 

Mike: "I don’t think I’ve ever done anything harder than that. It was so close to what I thought it was going to be in terms of a show... now in terms of emotions, like that’s a whole different ball game. I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t think any of us did. I got off stage and was like almost dizzy. It was the weirdest feeling... I still am a little bit, I was like dizzy. It was the weirdest feeling."

this

funny, b/c it still feels surreal to me. venue was surreal. location and trip were surreal. concert was surreal.

i felt like i was in some weird cloud the entire time i was there and feel that way when i look back on it

[AlyKaye]

I didn't realize it until I heard Mike say it here, but I really did need this show as closure. I kept feeling the pain of the loss over and over and even with the gatherings with people in the LP family and with all the online things, it was never enough. Over time, a lot of those emotions were buried and that show ripped them out of me. It hurt more than it has for months, and it continued to hurt for a few days, but then came the catharsis. I watched the show again this weekend and was able to celebrate now. There's definitely a weight that's been lifted.

[Geki]

Yeah, All my friends know me as the "Crazy LP Fan" LOL. I built my identity off LP too, Like half my wardrobe is Linkin Park T-Shirts... I wear LP apparel at least twice a week.

 

Haha that's awesome. Same for me back when I was in High School and stuff. Pretty much all I wore were Linkin Park shirts and hoodies. I had a Linkin Park backpack. And I was always listening to Linkin Park and talking to people about them. People literally knew me as that ''Linkin Park kid''. I live in a pretty small city (technically it's a city but I really don't consider it one) and surprisingly there was literally 1 other Linkin Park fan here, my best friend, that's how we became friends in the first place. I don't collect LP clothing anymore (haven't really since like 2008) but people still know I love LP. Haha.

[xxHybridXeroxx]

 

I was always listening to Linkin Park and talking to people about them.

Yup. That sounds like me... I talk about LP so much, especially my true passion (their live shows and recordings of those) and as for collecting, I have like 80 CDs 7 vinyls and I'm currently working on more. I've also been collecting a lot of Tour Shirts, (hell I even have a PR 04 BLANKET)I got one from PR 02, PR 04, and I'm getting a Summer Sanitarium 03 shirt in the mail this week. I saw one from the 2nd leg of the MTM Europe Tour, and I REALLY wanted it, but someone else bought it before I could So yeah, LP is Like my LIFE...

[WebEvie]

Thank you!

[Headstrong0510]

this

funny, b/c it still feels surreal to me. venue was surreal. location and trip were surreal. concert was surreal.

i felt like i was in some weird cloud the entire time i was there and feel that way when i look back on it

Yeah, me too... it still doesn't feel real, even though I know I was there. It just feels like a dream.

 

I wish I could thank them for doing that show. It was so important to me, to all of the fans, I think... and I assume that it was also important for the band, because now they know that they can do it without Chester... even if it's not the same and it hurts as ****

[Geki]

Yup. That sounds like me... I talk about LP so much, especially my true passion (their live shows and recordings of those) and as for collecting, I have like 80 CDs 7 vinyls and I'm currently working on more. I've also been collecting a lot of Tour Shirts, (hell I even have a PR 04 BLANKET)I got one from PR 02, PR 04, and I'm getting a Summer Sanitarium 03 shirt in the mail this week. I saw one from the 2nd leg of the MTM Europe Tour, and I REALLY wanted it, but someone else bought it before I could So yeah, LP is Like my LIFE...

 

Dude I have that same PR04 blanket, I know which one you're talking about, if I have the same one that I have in mind!!! I collect all kinds of merch and shit from the first three albums era. My newest addition is a Hybrid Theory leave-a-penny/take-a-penny thing that stores have near the register. Was an official item, too. But yeah I definitely feel you on that. It's really cool though how much of a family Linkin Park has built all over. We will never die and we will always honor Chester.

[xxHybridXeroxx]

 

Dude I have that same PR04 blanket, I know which one you're talking about, if I have the same one that I have in mind!!! I collect all kinds of merch and shit from the first three albums era. My newest addition is a Hybrid Theory leave-a-penny/take-a-penny thing that stores have near the register. Was an official item, too. But yeah I definitely feel you on that. It's really cool though how much of a family Linkin Park has built all over. We will never die and we will always honor Chester.

Nope. we will never die regardless of what happens. even though I like all of LP's albums, the merch from Pre 2008 was so much cooler. I mean, blankets, bookbags, Shirts. everything was just awesome! The design was amazing... and I've always wanted the Hybrid Theory take/leave a penny thing...

[Megnus]

Yeah, All my friends know me as the "Crazy LP Fan" LOL. I built my identity off LP too, Like half my wardrobe is Linkin Park T-Shirts... I wear LP apparel at least twice a week.

 

 

Yeah, me too... it still doesn't feel real, even though I know I was there. It just feels like a dream.

 

I wish I could thank them for doing that show. It was so important to me, to all of the fans, I think... and I assume that it was also important for the band, because now they know that they can do it without Chester... even if it's not the same and it hurts as ****

 

Me too! I feel just like you guys. Linkin Park is basically a HUGE part of my life. And it's so nice too see that there are more people like me out there. Cause here in my town I was that guy. . The linkin park guy. haha.

[N7-TGF]

@xxHybridXeroxx & Geki: I didn't even know that a Projekt Revolution Blanket even existed, not one mention in all the time that I've been a LP fan that I've heard about it, but now after searching about it & seeing it, I can tell you both that I'm jealous and wish that I had one myself lol.

Edited November 7, 2017 by N7-TGF

[Geki]

@xxHybridXeroxx & Geki: I didn't even know that a Projekt Revolution Blanket even existed, not one mention in all the time that I've been a LP fan that I've heard about it, but now after searching about it & seeing it, I can tell you both that I'm jealous and wish that I had one myself lol.

 

I'm not even sure if it's ''official'', like I don't know if they sold it at the tour or not on PR04. It's definitely PR04 though, it's the PR04 logo, etc. But I thought it was cool, I saw it online a year or two ago on eBay or somewhere, so I bought it. I have a lot of unofficial merch as well, just stuff I think looks cool, etc. One may pop up sometime again, check places like eBay from time to time.

Edited November 7, 2017 by Geki