Numbrocker

I might not be a fan of another contest, but I do have LPU membership so I'll definitely be voting for Astat!

Your song may even end up on the upcoming LPU13 album due out later this year. I didn't think it was going to be a collab cd, but I feel like at this point I've reached my wits end with contests/collabs. Catalyst remix contest, LIVING THINGS "remixes", Lost in the Echo remix contest, COG tshirt contest, MFR tshirt contest, etc. Yeah I'm complaining, but I've never claimed to be someone who thinks everything LP does is OMGWONDERFULFANTASTIC. Just not me. I just want Chester to do an acoustic cd for LPU13. And if not that then fall back on the reliable demos (more Meteora heavy if possible).

LIVING THINGS proved the albums need to be held up. And I'm fine if Chester is doing a more grunge rock with STP. Hoping they keep his voice raw and underproduced! (Forever bitter at Howard Benson)

I cannot explain how EXCITED I am about all of this. I really liked Out of Time, and if they did that while trying to hide out and in short time period, then I can't wait to hear what the EP will sound like. I can already tell I'm not going to be happy with only 5 songs, but will be wanting a full album ASAP. hahahahahaha

If you guys saw the sh*t storm the whole name thing is causing right now with STP fans, you'd get why they're billing this way. I totally agree it should just be STP because Chester is their lead singer, but STP is trying to find a bit of middle ground with fans.

4+ hours from Dallas. But I don't have a car, so it complicates things.

I was so excited to see they announced a tour, but none of those dates are close. I have no idea why they choose Midland of all places in Texas. IDK how I'd make it to any of these shows However, SO EXCITED for the EP!!

It just seemed random. I mean for STP, who's trying to get back on their feet after the whole mess with Scott to do one of their first big shows with Chester in Japan? It just seemed off. Like I didn't think STP had that big of an international presence.

Interesting. I wonder if this means that the door is still open for a new producer or maybe for Mike to try it only. Nice that Mike answered.

I'm quite surprised by this date, but I'm still holding out hope for a Texas show. Pretty cool that after 20 years they can go back and headline this festival.

I think that was a really good point Skipees brought up. LT didn't have a "sound" to it like all the other albums. The songs were obviously Linkin Park, but to me a lot of them felt more like Demos then actually songs. I was VERY harsh on Victimized when it was released, and I had hoped it would grow on me, but the only good thing about it was when I heard it live, and even then I just wanted more QWERTY. I do really like COG, POWERLESS, and I'LL BE GONE. ROADS UNTRAVELED could have been SO EPIC if they had just given it more time. Still not a huge fan of UIB, In My Remains, Skin to Bone, and the rest. And I flat out don't like Burn It Down. It got way overplayed and I didn't like it live. So yeah hoping for more unique style with the next album, or at least or more finished product.

Motley Crue is doing a bunch of shows in Vegas after this so I don't think they'll be touring with them. I do hope that they'll do a show closer to Dallas. The Venue isn't my type, I was hoping to go to just a STP show, and it'll be a pain to get there, but I am considering it. Though I find it funny that all the people complaining that their using the STP name without the "with Chester" are now complaining that they're using the STP name at all. I hope I'm never so bitter over a band name.

Official word just announced about the show. LPU Pre-Sale tickets on Wednesday, June 19. If there's a M&G it will probably show up on the site then.

I'd think Breaking the Habit for Mike since it took him so long to write it.

Done.

So Geki posted this Radio Alice interview with Chester and Ryan earlier and Skipees wanted a transcript so I did a quick one. Making a new topic so it doesn't clog up the old one because it's a bit long, but it's a great interview. This is only the Linkin Park part because 38mins is too long to type, and it's the most relevant bit. RA for radio Alice, CB for Chester, and RS for Ryan. If it seems choppy it's because Chester likes to start a sentence and not finish it lol. Also the dialogue Chester does in the past is in italics. Radio Alice Transcript from 11:46 to 12:24 RA: And so Linkin Park is maybe 99, 2000? CB: And I joined Linkin Park in early 1999. And we released our first album RA: You joined Linkin Park CB: And we released our album in 2000. So before that I released two albums in a band in Arizona with a band called Grey Daze. And we'd just done that independently ourselves. That's my personal life [before he was discusses his marriages and children] and then as this all was going on I was trying to become a musician and tried to make music for a living. ***Talking about Grey Daze and Club Tattoo*** Starting again at 13:25-23:22. CB: So I ended up moving out to California and joining this band called Xero. I knew right away when I got the tape, I listened to the instrumental side and I sang over it, and it was easy to come up with melodies to the songs. So I was like something's telling me this is it. So I quit my job. I got it on Friday and I quit my job on Monday, went to LA. RA: How do you get this tape from some band called Xero? CB: Because I was in Grey Daze. We played for hundreds of national acts, we actually drew like two thousand people a week to a local venue. So we were actually a pretty big band even though we hadn't ever gotten signed. So like in our area we were like huge. We ended up getting an entertainment lawyer in LA who tried to get us a record deal, and that didn't work out very well. What ended up happening was that I kinda made myself a name in the industry and when Xero which is basically Linkin Park without me, had a different singer, that singer didn't work out. They were looking for a new singer and there was a lot of hype about this band. They had a huge multi-label thing where everybody came down to watch them play and the vocalist just kind of tanked. But the band was very talented. So the guy, they had signed a publishing deal, and the guy that signed them knew that there was promise with this band and that they needed a new singer. So he was in South by Southwest in Texas talking to Xero's lawyer who happened to be partners with the guy that represented Grey Daze and he was like "I know the guy!" And so he found me, I hadn't talked to him for 8 or 9 months. He called and say "Hey are you still doing music?" and I was like, "Um no. It pretty much sucks and I hate everyone in Arizona. And no one's ever gonna come out here, so I now have a real job and I hate my life." RA: What were you doing? CB: I was scanning maps RA: Oh CB: It was a horrible thing RA: Oh CB: The great thing was that one of my friends and neighbors was my boss. So at least I had someone there to keep me from literally going insane. But uh it was tough and I was like "I'm not doing anything right now." And he's like, "Well I know this band and I think they could really go somewhere." And I was like, "Ok, well how old are these guys?" And he said, "Well they're kinda like little teenagers". And I was like "DUDE". You know I had two homes at that time and was married and I had a job and I was like, "I don't know man. You know this sounds like it's gonna be a waste of my time". And he's like, "Just check it out." RA: So he's talking you into just listening to it. CB: That was Thursday. And I was like, this better not be a waste of my time. I was actually really cocky about it. Which is the first time I was ever really a jerk about anything. And I was like, "Ugh I don't know". So he sent it to me, and one side had vocals on it, the other side just had the band. I listened to the band side first with no vocalist and I was like this stuff is like really cool. It was very different and I hadn't heard anything like it. This is awesome. I looked at my wife at the time and said, "I think this is the one". And she was like, "really"? And I was like "yeah" and she was like "I don't know." So we flipped the tape over and listened to it with the vocals. And I was like "Hmm". Cause I was never really, I loved hip hop music but I was never into Limp Bizkit or anything like that. And they were just kinda blowing up at that time. And I was like "I don't know". RA: Because that was the direction they were looking to go? CB: But it was different though. It wasn't like that. It actually was very intelligent. It wasn't like Limp Bizkit which was why I could see how this could work. So I turned it back over to the other side, and I started singing the parts and I was like "I can do this." I threw a birthday party for myself the next day and I left and said, "Have a good time at the party" and went and recorded the demo of my vocal of their songs over the music. On Sunday I called up the number of this guy named Jeff Blue who was their representative at the publishing company and said, "Hey you guys sent me, I'm Chester, you sent me a demo and I'm finished with it." And he said, "What do you mean you're finished with it? I sent that thing two days ago!" And I was like, "Yeah I got it, did my recording of it, and I'm finished with it." And he's like, "Whatever". And I was like, "No seriously" because he didn't believe I had actually done it, cause he had sent stuff out and it had taken months to get stuff back from other guys. RA: Did you have a home studio? CB: No I had friends who had studios. I called up a friend and was like, "Hey I need to use your studio can you book me in? And I don't have much money." And he was like, a hundred buck an hour. We were there for three hours, payed 300 bucks and was in and out. RA: Wow CB: Then I was like, "I wanna know when I can come out." Talking to Jeff. "When can I come out and do this thing?" He was like, "I have to hear it first so why don't you send it out here?" And I was like, "I am not sending this tape blindly to you not know if your even going to listen to it, so I'm telling you when do you want me out there? I can be there Monday morning." He's like,"I need to listen to it first". And I was just like, "You know what hold on." I walked up, I put the tape in my stereo, pressed play and held the phone up, played about 30 secs, came back down and was like, "Is that good enough?" And he was like, "When can you be here?" RA: *Cheering* Oh my God that was an awesome story. CB: I was like, I'll be there Monday morning. So I drive to California and I'm there. And I'm thinking because I had a real job, people get to work at like 9oclock in the morning. So I'm there at 8:30 on the steps of the Nine Thousand building on Sunset Blvd, and I'm like, "There is no one here. And is this how LA is? Like everyone's out doing something, but no one's actually working So how does this work? How is this like a huge economy here? I don't understand." So around 11oclock, is when they open the doors and I was like…. RA: Oh my God CB: I was already really pissed off. That's how it started. I got into the office and met Jeff. And he starts calling up label guys, "Listen I got a new singer" and he's playing all this stuff, and he was already setting up showcases. RA: And you haven't even met the band. CB: I haven't met the band yet. And then the guys from the band were really, overly, like they examined me and tested me. They were very inquisitive, constantly questioning everything "Who are you, where are you from, what are you doing?" RA: They're dickish a little bit. CB: Well no, it was just very thorough. In the beginning it felt dickish, but now I just know this is just how these guys are and I actually appreciate it. But it was very strange to be doing, you know here I am rehearsing with the band and then, "Hold on. Wait" and another guy would come in and audition. And I'd sit there and watch. I'd just kinda laugh and be like. I was looking at these guys going like. And the thing is when I talked to Jeff on the phone I was like, "You guys better not be fucking wasting my time, cause if I show up there and I. You guys need me, I'm not the one who needs you guys." RA: Right CB: And I was really dicky about it. I was like, "You called me. I didn't come searching you guys out. I've got an offer from Michael Schenker to go to Japan. I don't need to be dicking around with you guys." RA: Oh really? CB: Which I wasn't going to take, but it was true. RA: So they were bringing in other singer to audition while you were sitting there? CB: Well they had already had booked appointments RA: Oh so they had booked it, ok. CB: So in their mind they have to, we have to RA and RS: Honor our agreements. Due diligence. Honor our commitments. I get that they would want to see you shine above anyone, any competition they could bring in. RS: The funny thing is they're still the same. They're picky. They're thorough. They're actually great business men. RA: Are you like that? CB: I'm very guts guy. I'm in there watching these other guys like I can't believe we're playing multiple songs with this guy because one he sucks, he looks like an idiot, and I'm way better than that guy. Then at one point we're rehearsing and we're rocking out up there, and this guy comes up and knocks on the door for an audition, and at this point I'm like, "Yeah come on in dude. Go ahead, take the microphone". And he just grabs the microphone and goes, "I'm just gonna say this right now. If you guys don't take this guy then you're fucking idiots." And he hands back the microphone and goes, "See you later" and he walks out the door. RA: Oh he knew you from? RS: No he heard him outside the studio. RA: Oh my God! That's hilarious. CB: I walk down stairs and I'm like, "hold on I'll be right back." I walk downstairs and catch up with the guy. "Hey dude that was, you should go back up there. These guys haven't made up their mind you should go up there." And he's like, "There's no fucking way I'm going back into that room. Singing after hearing you sing, there no way! If they don't take you call me up we should start a band." RA: That's so funny. CB: And I was like "Ok. Thanks. That was really nice of you to say that." RA: So you crushed his dream that day CB: No I don't think I crushed his dream. I think he walked in, and was like. He was the voice I couldn't have and it must have been something else. He came in and was basically. I wanted to say because I'd actually gone home and come back another week and then gone home and come back. And I was at the point where I was like I'm not fucking coming back. I'm not doing this with these guys anymore. And he comes in and says what he says and I'm like thank you, cause I'm the new guy. It's not my band you know? So that's how it all started.

I think I can do it for just the Linkin Park part.

thanks! Updated the OP

lol no. http://www.mediafire.com/play/yoeajtdj37ak...e+Interview.mp3 At 11:55 Chester said he joined in early 1999 (which fits because his birthday is in March and we know he drove out right after) I mean Chester is SO detailed. He remembered the day he got the demos, and how much he spend on studio money to record the demos. He explained how he was connected to the band. Xero had their guy (Jeff Blue) who was partners with the guy who represented Grey Daze. And apparently they talked at SXSW and the Jeff mentioned how they needed a new singer, and Grey Daze guy said Chester would be good. It's a fantastic interview.

I did he said, "I joined Linkin Park in early 1999, and we released our album 2000" At 11:55. It's really fantastic interview if you're a Chester fan.

Geki posted a good interview earlier with Chester, that I feel definitively proves Mike doesn't know what he's talking about, and the tapes are mislabled. Also here's a more coherent summary. http://mikeshinodaclan.com/2013/05/chat-su...mpaign=wordtwit

No way Brad would answer it. He just wanted silly things. Last update Favorite Linkin Park album to make: Collision Course was fun. Also Minutes to Midnight because it was a different process. And he enjoyed LIVING THINGS but I couldn't hear his reasoning. Clothing Brands he's wearing: A Polo from (can't hear). I think Mike made fun of the small pocket on the front. Also corduroy pants he cut into shorts. Who would he like to tour with in the future: Linkin Park At this point I feel like Adam purposely avoided the LPU 13 and new LT songs on the Asian Tour song. Chat ended. I missed posting some more of the silly ones, like where does Brad get his socks. But no real info here.

Weird experience on stage: Brad's answer yes. Adam prompts for more info and Brad says he doesn't want to talk about it. lol Do you like Star Wars: He loves Star Wars. Oh Adam was doing so well with picking the questions. Why doesn't Brad have twitter: Brad said he's proud of his one tweet. First song played on a guitar: Metallica (maybe not very first) Like more recording or touring: More natural: recording. Reward: Touring. How do you feel when people say you're the funniest member of the band?: Brad would agree. Lots of people asking about LPU 13 and if the band will play more of LT in Asia but Adam's not seeing them or not asking. There is a LOT of spam.

Brad heard STP last night and he's always been a fan, and he's excited for Chester. Next album: Really excited about the new music, but not giving details. So basically no new information. Funny moments: Brad talking to someone at the flyer thing, and they said they named their dog after Chester. Brad asked what the dog's name was. Favorite musician: Yo-Yo Ma, and the sound of modems? If you could be anyone for a day: Imagine Dragons. The whole band. The Mall Soundtrack: He's excited, but again no actual information.

First question: "Will you play an old song at the Sunset Strip show" Brad's answer: He will not be stripping at the show. -.-' Also Brad is on the phone because he said he's sequestered for being counted for the 2020 census.