LINKIN PARK — LONDON, UK.
Credit: James Minchin III
Linkin Park at The O2, London, UK.
With support from Grandson!
A little over two weeks ago it seemed the entirety of the alternative scene were gripped to their screens as the timer on Linkin Park's YouTube livestream dropped closer to zero during their fan-event in Los Angeles. There were many rumours as to what was going to happen, with the most prominent rumour being a new vocalist joining the band following the tragic death of Chester Bennington seven years ago. What was to happen would turn into one of the most talked about events in modern music.
You’ve all seen the live stream by now so I won’t go into all the details. But if you have been living under a rock then, after a breathtaking performance with new additions Emily Armstrong (vocalist) and Colin Brittain (drummer), the band announced their newest album ‘From Zero’ and a select few dates around the world to showcase the new era of Linkin Park. Excitement was high but so were the fans as the UK fanbase scrambled for a ticket to a singular date in London.
As soon as I neared The O2 on the tube, it was filled with Linkin Park band merch both new and old. Fans all talking about their experiences seeing the band in the past and their excitement for the ahead. At this point I didn’t even have a ticket yet, and I was even excited. Fast forward half an hour and I was making my way to my seats filled with excitement, the floor section half-filled and the seated tiers starting to filter in.
The job of warming up the crowd landed on Grandson, an American-Canadian singer and songwriter who fuses rock and rap with electronic elements to create incredible pieces of work. Starting off with his part on Mike Shinoda’s on ‘Running From My Shadow’ before exclaiming “Are you ready to be a part of music history tonight?”. Jordan did brilliantly at engaging with the crowd, and having seen him on his last UK tour at the Leeds Uni Stylus, I can say this is something he regularly excels at.
The setlist was full of pure bangers that went down an absolute treat, whether that was the energetic ‘Something To Hide’, ‘We Did It!!!’ and ‘Stick Up’ or the emotional ‘Heather’ which had me completely engrossed. Fan favourite ‘Blood // Water’ brought the set to a close and one thing for certain, Grandson made a phenomenal impression on the crowd and I’m sure many will be delving into his flawless discography.
As the venue lights dimmed to darkness and the laser beamed down onto the middle of the stage, the whole venue stood up and erupted into screams and cheers. The chorus of ‘Castle of Glass’ rang out amongst the venue as Linkin Park walked onto stage and the incredible stage lighting started to dance around the stage, truly remarkable stage production from the get go. Kicking proceedings off with ‘Somewhere I Belong’ and ‘Crawling’ was one hell of a way to kick off a setlist. Two back to back hits got the crowd singing and dancing along to every beat. I don’t think I’ll ever feel as happy as I did seeing Linkin Park back on stage. This is History.
Emily slots into the band with ease, and her ability to engage with the crowd and command the stage makes it feel like she was always a permanent member. Myself and my friends messaging each other throughout the show saying the same thing.. “She’s fucking incredible!”. There were concerns raised online regarding her screams after the LA livestream but it’s clear now that it was down to nerves, because she sounded absolutely flawless in London.
The twenty-seven song setlist ensured that almost all of the hits were granted a spotlight, including new tracks ‘The Emptiness Machine’ and ‘Heavy Is The Crown’, the latter I hadn’t heard until they played it live. And I am incredibly excited for the new album, I think the singles sound incredible and translated incredibly well into the live performance. I feel like every track was a highlight for me, because they are simply that band. Whether it’s the emotional ‘Castle of Glass’ or the powerful and amped up ‘Given Up’, the dancey ‘Waiting for the End’ to a cover of Fort Minor’s ‘Remember The Name’, there was something for every fan.
I hadn’t seen Linkin Park live before, which means I never got to see Chester Bennington’s brilliance in person. But being able to see the legendary anthems in ‘Bleed It Out’, ‘Papercut’, ‘Faint’, ‘In the End’ and ‘Numb’ in person for the first time was truly a religious experience that I’ll never forget. We’ll all be keeping our fingers crossed for a full UK tour, and maybe even a Download Festival headline slot.
The new era of Linkin Park is truly here, and it’s a breathtaking sight. A big thank you to HalestormPR for sorting us out with a ticket ten minutes before doors, you’ve well and truly made my year.
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