2018.08.31 - St. Petersburg, Russia

[RogueSoul]

Team, I'll be real with you hear. This tour is genuinely the one we at LPLive have dreamed about. We could've never imagined something as fantastic as the Post Traumatic Tour, but it's happening, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Mike's continuing along with the Post Traumatic European Tour with the second headlining show of the tour (and half-way point of it) with the first of two shows in Russia, kicking things off in St. Petersburg at the A2 Green Concert on August 31, 2018.

Before we get into anything else, let's talk about Köln. Mike's set a precedent for changing the setlist at every stop of the tour, delivering a unique show at literally every show he's played so far. Even shows that had the same setlist - Summer Sonic Tokyo and Rock En Seine - had their differences (namely, the chorus of 'Good Goodbye' being sung at Reading versus the chorus of 'Bleed It Out' during the mashup of the two). But Köln was something special, and even Mike knew that. After the show ended, he tweeted about the experience, describing it with one simple word: "Wowzers." Fans truly gave their all, camping out in front of the venue - in the rain no less - and singing every single word of every single song throughout the entire night. We've seen some really incredible shows this cycle, but Köln might just be at the very top of the scale now.

The crowd gave their all, and so did Mike. Expected numbers that were amplified by the energy in the room include 'Hold It Together,' being performed for the second time ever after its debut in Singapore, and the powerful run of 'About You,' 'Over Again,' and 'Papercut.' That's not all, though. Mike changed up the setlist a bit, moving 'When They Come For Me,' 'Roads Untraveled,' and 'Hold It Together' up closer to the start of the set, as well as adding 'Ghosts' back in to close the main set (it's the first time we've seen the song in a minute, too - this was the first performance of it since Chengdu, China).

What was most special about the show were Mike's surprises, that shook the whole fanbase up. After the already emotional 'In The End,' which was preceded by an incredibly powerful flashmob where fans held up signs that said "YOU #MakeChesterProud," Mike stopped after the second chorus to take a chance and try something special. What came next? Mike singing the first verse and chorus of 'Heavy' for the first time. He continued with a verse and chorus of 'Burn It Down,' before ending this special moment off with the first ever piano version of 'Numb,' where he let the crowd take the lead. Seeing him perform these three songs is an incredible thing. It's almost like a moment of redemption - he's taken some of these signature songs and finally said "You know what? I think I can do this." He may also be ready to tackle these tracks when Linkin Park return one day, as well. He's really assumed the role of frontman, absolutely taking over the stage at these shows, even starting to move like Chester did in some ways. That was a redemptive performance for certain, and we'd love to see it happen at every show - maybe even switch up what songs you play there! There's opportunity and emotions to be had. Even with those incredible additions, the surprises didn't end - Mike performed an electrifying version of 'Until It Breaks' for the first time on tour, being the first time since he played as Fort Minor in 2015 that the song has been performed in full like that.

Watch the incredibly emotional run of 'In The End,' 'Heavy,' 'Burn It Down,' and 'Numb' in Köln, Germany. We'd absolutely love for this to be a normal part of the set - the fanbase hasn't loved something so much since... since, well, Post Traumatic came out, I guess!

It's been a minute since Mike's been in Russia, so the fans will definitely have some of that same energy Germany did. The band didn't get the chance to visit Russia on the One More Light European Tour last summer, which means the last time they were in Russia was in 2015 on the final leg of The Hunting Party Tour. Linkin Park performed in St. Petersburg last in 2014 at the very start of The Hunting Party Tour, being the very first headlining show they performed of the cycle. Before that, the band closed the only European Tour on the Living Things tour in 2012. Linkin Park's performance at the Tuborg Greenfest in 2007 in St. Petersburg was the first time the band played a show in Russia. They returned to the festival again in 2009, at the end of the Minutes To Midnight cycle as they toured for 'New Divide.' This show was the first time Mike rapped the first verse of 'Hands Held High' before continuing it into the 'KRWLNG' intro of 'Crawling.'

At this point, any attempt at predicting the set is useless. We have no idea what's going to happen. THREE potential openers ('Welcome,' 'Petrified,' and 'When They Come For Me,' which would've been the opener at Leeds), so many variable parts of the set (is the piano medley here to stay? Will he change up the songs he plays if it does? Will he add another random song to the set? Bring back an older one he hasn't played in a bit?)... there's so many questions we have that won't be answered until the show happens. And that's how we like it. Being surprised is the best part of this tour, and the community is definitely loving it, too. Everyone's on the edge of their seat to see what Mike does with the set next, and there hasn't been this much love for a tour in a long time. Mike, you're playing all your cards right with this one. We've been discussing potential songs he could add to the set in a different discussion - if you have any input, feel free to post it!

Watch Linkin Park's epic show at the Tuborg Greenfest in 2009, featuring a huge set with a bunch of epic moments like 'Hands Held High' going into 'KRWLNG' and the AMBO Intro to 'What I've Done.'

Is anyone going to the show? Mike's next stop will be in Moscow, before heading off into the rest of Europe for shows in Sweden, Germany, and Austria before ending the tour with an opening set for Thirty Seconds To Mars in Italy. Keep your eyes peeled for that one - Thirty Seconds To Mars performed part of 'In The End' as a mashup with their track 'Hail To The Victor' at a soundcheck in Poland, and love to have guests onstage (usually during an extended bridge for 'Walk On Water'), so a collaboration may be in the works. We'll keep you updated on that one... But after that, Mike and the crew will have a month's break before continuing the tour with an extensive venture across North America in the fall on the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour.

We'll be keeping you updated on everything that happens at this show, so be be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates, and join the LPLive Discord for discussion with fans around the world! We just launched the new LPLive Archive YouTube Channel that is loaded with hours of rare content from the Linkin Park world, and we'll also be uploading videos from the Post Traumatic Tour there, too. Be sure to subscribe!

Check out the rest of Mike Shinoda's touring schedule here.

[linkin_boss]

Setlist are getting better and better on a daily basis... this is truly insane