Hey there. This is my first post here but it's actually not. I've been active on the lplive forums with another account, like 7 or 8 years ago.The reason for my inactivity is that I have lost interest in Linkin Park's music as I grew up, but now, with the tragic news of Chester's passing, I feel a strong urge to write something in here, as a homage to what was a huge part of my life during my adolescent years. I haven't really thought about what I want to say, so everything I'm writting right now is off the top of my head, but oh well.
I've known LP since 2004 when I first saw Breaking the Habit on TV, and I had been aboslutely obsessed with their music since about 2005, when I first bought Meteora and then, during one summer, everything on their discography till then, and also became a member of the good old official Linkin Park messageboard. Good times. I'd been all aboard the LP train until the Living Things era. All this is to say that I also was one of the kids on whose life, Linkin Park's music had a tremendous impact and looking back at it now, I have nothing but good memories. Memories of endlessly listening to HT, Meteora, M2M, Reanimation, admiring the album art, going over my friend's house only to watch Live in Texas, downloading the EP, the XERO demos and the acoustic Morning After from Berlin,2001, on Limewire (!) and obsessing with them as well. And memories of the two times I saw them live,in 2008 and 2009 which I still consider to be one of the best experiences in my life. Along with that, I made very strong friendships and relationships based on mutual love for LP, some of which still hold to this day. To sum it up, Linkin Park have offered me my first pure experience of discovering and deeply admiring music and art, an experience that shaped my interests in life as a person up to what they are today, at age 26. And Chester, oh man. In my head, Chester was the leader in all this. To my ears, he was the perfect voice to externalize every dark thought and feeling a young person could possibly have. I never had the difficulties he had in life and that he was singing about, but the raw energy and feeling that he put into his singing and performing was touching enough for me. I admired everything about him, from his singing talent, the way he moved on stage, his kindness, humour and down to earth mentality. Ultimately, to me, he was my major inspiration to start playing music, pick up a guitar and sing. Honestly, I was not expecting an end like this, This seems very vicious for Linkin Park, because to me, despite their depressive lyrics, they were always about dealing with their problems and overcoming them. Being positive and trying to power through the darkest situations. This is LP's legacy, this is Chester's impact on a whole generation of people, and can be summed up with one, very Linkin Parkish saying from back then: If someone falls down, PICK. THEM. UP.
