Geki

I can almost guarantee that if Mike or Chester ever left LP, they wouldn't continue onwards. I could POSSIBLY see one of the other band members being replaced, but definitely not Mike or Chester.

After this Summer, the LIVING THINGS cycle will essentially be completed. I was wondering what everyone's top 5 shows of LP's career thus far are. I was reading the LPU chat with Chester from 2009 and he said that Milton Keynes and Madison Square Garden (2008) were definitely in LP's top 5 shows and it inspired me to make this thread. Pick any show from 2000-2013 and please no side projects like FM, DBS, BOW, etc. Here are mine in no particular order: Rock am Ring, Adenau, Germany 2004 Epic crowd, epic set, and the band was on fire at this show. 2004 was arguably the best live year for LP IMO, and this show definitely captures the energy of the whole year. I also remember watching this show almost everyday back in like 2004/2005 on my computer. It has a timeless feel to it. Summer Sonic - Tokyo, JP 2006 Such a fantastic show. The band was collectively playing really well at this show, and Chester's voice was top notch. I said 2004 was arguably the best live year for LP, but the 2006 shows were definitely Chester's best year as for as vocals go. Qwerty is epic from this show, and it took us (LP fanbase) forever to get the pro-shot video of Qwerty, but the LPL guys got it for us in 2009 because they are awesome. Also, it was the only 'new' song that we had from 2003-2007 and it was heavy as hell. Reading My Eyes returned for these shows, which was amazing. Mike said they had to download the mp3 of it from a LP fansite because they couldn't entirely remember it, which was amazing as well. Shinoda is a boss. Overall, a great set and a great performance, especially from Chester. It also brings back memories for me, 2006 was a great year for me and I remember listening to the 2006 shows over and over. Also, anyone remember squaljapan's rip of Qwerty? Hahaha. You could really pick any show from 2006, but I chose this one because we have a lot of officially released live tracks from this show. Live 8 - Philadelphia, PA 2005 According to Astat, this was LP's biggest show that they ever played, which is partially why I chose this show as 1 of the 5. LP's performance definitely wasn't the best, nor was Chester, but it was understandable considering what he was going through at the time. I really enjoy all the LPJZ live performances, and I thought it was cool how they made a 9 song set out of LP classics and some LPJZ songs. I remember watching this show on live webcast from my Dad's computer when I was 15. Anyways, cool show and it was a HUGE show and for a really good cause. Orlando, FL 2000 This show is a just a classic LP show in my heart, as with many other LP fans. It's the very first LP show that we have audio of, and the quality is pretty decent, too. This was another show I used to love playing way back in the day. The commentary between songs is awesome. ''We're called Linkin Park, from Los Angeles, California'', ''We got a single coming out on October 24th, this song is called In The End, check it out'', etc. Also, And One is really good from this show. I put this on the list simply because it is the first show we have audio from with LP, and because it's just a classic show IMO, that shows the band in their very early days. Bamboozle - East Rutherford, NJ 2007 This was the first LP show I ever attended. Everything about it was epic. I remember around Thanksgiving of 2006, it was announced that LP would be headlining the festival alongside MCR. I got tickets immediately because the show was driveable for me and it was the first LP show on the East Coast since 2005 (Live 8), 2004 if you want to count an actual LP tour. Once the time came, I remember leaving a day early to get a hotel with my Mom and my best friend (she had to drive since I had no car). We got up early and checked out tons and tons of bands, got some new LP merch, etc and just had an overall blast for the next 2 days. I got selected for the LPU Meet and Greet for the first time and got to meet LP and get my HTEP Re-Issue signed by them, which was epic, got to take some pics with Chester and Mike, etc. The actual show was very good. To this day, this is the only LP show in which I have been literally knocked to the ground, the crowd was going CRAZY and moshing, etc. I remember losing one of my shoes during the show!! My Mom ended up finding it in the parking lot after the show, talk about finding a needle in a haystack, huh? This was the only time that Runaway was performed during the entire MTM & ATS cycles, so that was cool to see. MTM had also just leaked a few days before the show, so that was great to be able to listen to on the way there.

It took them from 2001 to 2010 just to release an album, that is a longer gap than it took for any LP album. Lol. Besides, STP music isn't as complex as LP's albums are.

I could see maybe a new LP album around Spring 2014 (April, May) if all goes well. I personally don't care how long it takes because LP always releases a great album. I can't wait for Mall. The actual movie and storyline sounds awesome.

It's really wrong. It sucked when LP canceled Uncasville 2011 and Pensacola 2011 because I had tickets for both of those, and even airfare and hotel reservations for Pensacola. But I couldn't IMAGINE being front row, pumped up and waiting for my favorite band to come on in a half hour, only for the band to ''not be able to play'' because the lead singer was too high on dope to perform. It's extremely fucked up to do to the fans.

I guess my opinion on the whole Scott Weiland and STP thing is that he was the lead singer of the band from the start, and was for a very long time. They released Core in 1992 and he was the lead singer until earlier this year. That's over 20 years, and plus the years before Core was released, too. He made a lot of bad decisions and was a total douche to the band earlier this year, and in the past. They fired him. Chester has been a long time friend of the band, and I think he was probably the best option for them. I'm not saying this just because I'm a huge Chester fan, and I do understand where the STP fans are coming from, but they have to understand that all the original members of STP are still there, just not Scott. Scott has done shitty things. Canceling tons of shows and tours, sometimes an hour before the show when everyone is there waiting because he was high on heroin and couldn't perform. The man needs serious help or he WILL end up dead. I'm sorry, but it's true. Chester is actually helping keep STP alive right now. Someday if Scott does end up getting better, I'm sure the band will welcome him back, as will Chester. He just needs help right now more than anything and if I was Scott, I would focus on help more than the the band name at the moment.. Just my two cents.

I'm not going to be one of the people who says ''Mike IS LINKIN PARK'' because to me, that's just stupid and obviously the band is a collective with it's 6 members. No one would ever leave LP and if they did, I'm sure they would just call it quits. Maybe if a member besides Mike or Chester left, and they DID decide to keep making music, LP would keep the same name, but if either Mike or Chester left I think they would change the name/or stop making music. As for STP, I think they should keep the name, and it's obvious that they still are. Scott had a good run with the band, and it's his own fault that they fired him, he can't blame anybody but himself, and Chester is 1000X better vocally than him, and he knows that deep down. If he is mad, it's just pure jealousy. EDIT: Bottom line, though, is that no one will ever leave LP. I am 99% positive. Mike can't leave because and Brad created Linkin Park essentially and he would never do that. Chester won't leave because he has stated MANY times that we would never leave LP for anything, he said this during the making of DBS and now with STP even. The rest of the guys are content with the band I assume, no one in the band fights, etc. They are a healthy group who luckily evolved from their ''nu-metal'' sound of the past and are able to make music that is new and fresh, which excites everyone IMO. I think if LP were ever going to call it quits, or if a band member were to leave, it would have been 2005 for sure for a bunch of reasons.

Lucky for the Chinese fans.

I'm sure 'Mall' will come out sometime this year, and there will be a LP song or some new LP music for the soundtrack. I don't think a new LP album will be until maybe mid 2014, and then maybe a summer tour to accompany it, then other touring following that, similar to the 2012 touring cycle. I think Chester will continue to work with STP this year as well.

Those videos are so awesome, and I love the flyers.

How come Out Of Time is such low quality compared to the others? The volume is turned WAYYYY down.

I don't think it will happen for years...

I think Out Of Ashes was good, but Howard Benson and Julien-K definitely influenced it in a bad way. The songs were really good, just all the effects and production sucked. I would have preferred it sounded more raw and emotional like the original DBS songs were. They changed everything in 2008. They changed the sound of the songs, the vocals, the lyrics, a lot of stuff. As for STP, I am happy Chester got to join them as the new lead singer because he has wanted this forever. It's a really a dream come true for him and I think Out Of Time is an amazing, good hard rock song. I can't wait to hear more from them in the future. Maybe a live EP with Chester on vocals would be cool to have.

Wow thanks for sharing!! I never knew about this or heart about it. Sounds really cool. I bet there are a bunch of stuff from FM that we don't have.

Yes, in LPTV, several times, Mike has said ''We are going to start taking a small break after The Catalyst because that is very hard for me and Chester to sing'' and Chester said in LPTV once ''The Catalyst is literally right after Crawling, and like, let me breathe!''. Chester said in the 2012 LPU chat that BURN IT DOWN was hard for him to sing and he struggles with it sometimes.

I think everyone should stop criticizing everything and just enjoy the music. Linkin Park is awesome. Dead By Sunrise is awesome. Fort Minor is awesome. Stone Temple Pilots is awesome. They are all good and more music is always better. This is a GOOD thing guys. Chester's voice is fine. Maybe he changed up his style a bit from earlier years or he can't scream like he once did, but he is a still a phenomenal vocalist and one of the best in the music industry today.

Something in my mind keeps telling me they will perform something live from the HTEP. Probably And One.

Yes! Awesome news!!!

Kind of cool to know that some of the LP crew are working with them. Makes me feel a bit better.

LP's music doesn't cater to that kind of singing anymore.

I hope we at least get some good LP b-sides (fully completed demos) on LPU13.

I agree. I actually hate all of the LT videos. I also haven't like a LP music video since The Catalyst, but that's besides the point.

As for DBS, I think it's done. There is no way Chester will be able to write music for Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots and Dead By Sunrise all at once, and also release albums with all of them and tour. I don't think he is even close with the Julien-K guys as he once was, and it's going to be weird now without Elias and Brandon. I asked Ryan a month ago about the future of DBS without those members, and he seemed kind of hostile, saying DBS was always ONLY Chester, Amir and Ryan and he didn't answer the rest of the question about the future of the band. I think a lot of people, especially on LPL and LPA, would have enjoyed DBS more if it sounded like it did in 2005/2006. Howard and Julien-K definitely changed the sound of the band and record a lot. Listen to the 2005 version of Let Down, or the demo for My Suffering, for example.

In LPTV footage, you can see him say how he struggles with these songs, and in interviews as well. He said With You was hard to sing as well in the LPU 2011 chat. In the 2012 LPU chat, he explained why Crawling was dropped, he needed to give it a rest. I don't think it's the reason why the tours are shorter, but who knows.

It's really cool for Chester because he was such a huge fan of STP growing up, when he was younger I bet he never thought in his wildest dreams that he would be the lead singer of one of the world's biggest bands and sell 50 million albums, and also become lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots, his favorite band growing up. This is all crazy if you think about it.