With over 60 million records sold and five consecutive chart-topping albums, Linkin Park lives up to Kerrang’'s lofty claim that they are the biggest rock band in the world right now. Their rabid fanbase extends to Chinese mainland, where Prince William’s favorite group will be embarking on a five-city stadium tour that stops off at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on July 19.
Already movie stars like Lost in Thailand’s Huang Bo and American Dreams in China’s Huang Xiaoming have Weibo’d their excitement. As the group’s guitarist and vocalist Mike Shinoda explains, the love is mutual.
“Our Chinese fans have been so wonderful and loyal,” he gushes. “It’s really exceptional, because we haven’t toured there as much as we would like to. For some places, fans kind of forget about you if you don’t play there. In China, it’s kind of the opposite. We’re very grateful and excited about coming.”
It will be the third time that Linkin Park has played China. Their 2007 show set a pre-sales record by selling more than 8,000 tickets on the first day. Turntablist Joe Hahn recalls being told that their 2009 show “was the biggest show for a rock band in China.”
Since they last came to these shores, the group has released the electronic-tinged Living Things and last summer’s The Hunting Party. Frontman Chester Bennington attributes the latter disc’s sound to Shinoda’s desire “to write heavy, hard rock songs.”
“We wrote together more as a band,” Bennington adds. “There were more sessions with multiple guys than usual. Typically, we work more like a hip-hop production crew in the studio and behave more like a traditional band during post-production.”
Bassist Dave Farrell attributes that desire to exploring different facets of their sound as key to the group’s longevity.
“We’re all very different people compared to when we started as a band, but all of us are still sincerely excited about the potential of making new music,” he says. “That moment when someone brings in something new to the studio that makes the hair stand up on your arms still happens. It’s why being in a band is cool in the first place.”
After years of record label rejection, Linkin Park shot to fame with their debut album Hybrid Theory. Hits like ‘In the End’ and ‘One Step Closer’ showcased the group’s thoughtful take on nu-metal and were buoyed by Bennington’s soaring vocals and Shinoda’s rhymes.
Over the years, the group has evolved into model rock stars, inspiring younger acts like Evanescence while working with artists that have influenced them like Korn, Metallica and Jay-Z.
They’ve won two Grammys, but arguably their most treasured accolade is the Global Leadership Award they received from the UN Foundation for their Music for Relief organization.
Currently celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Music For Relief has raised over USD7 million for victims of disasters, including those affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. A dollar from each ticket sold will be directly donated to the nonprofit.
“Music for Relief started from a place of wanting to mobilize the music community and help in different areas,” Farrell explains. “There’s power in numbers, and our goal is to figure out ways to be a louder voice. Whether it means raising money for relief efforts in disaster areas or gathering interest in issues about the environment, it’s about letting those in charge know that the generation coming up cares.”
It’s not the only milestone for the band this year. Although Shinoda promises that a new album will be released in 2016, many of the group’s fans are focusing on the 15th anniversary of Hybrid Theory.
While the group is demure about any upcoming celebrations, Bennington marvels at the group’s journey. He cracks, “the thing that’s changed the most is probably my hair,” but assures us the current iteration of the group is the best yet.
“In terms of creativity and drive, we’re much more focused and have a very clear understanding of how the band works,” he says. “In regards to performing, the 39-year-old version of myself would crush the 23-year-old version. I’m happy the older we get, the easier it gets and the better we get at it.”
// July 19, 7.30pm, RMB200-1,800. Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. Buy tickets at www.228.com.cn
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