According to LINKIN PARK fan site Linkin Park Live, tickets to the band’s September 11 concert at the Kia Forum sold out in less than an hour and tickets for the September 16 gig at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York were gone “in a matter of a few minutes” after being made available to the general public on Saturday, September 7.
The shows will feature LINKIN PARK performing a two-hour set in a very rare 360-degree circular setting, allowing for a unique production as well as a greater-than-usual number of tickets sold at these venues.
LINKIN PARK launched two separate pre-sales for members of the band’s official fan club, Linkin Park Underground, on Friday, September 6 — one for legacy members and one for new members, on the same day just hours apart — resulting more than 90 percent of the tickets for the Brooklyn show being sold to fan club members. According to Linkin Park Live, a unique feature of these presales was opening the entire venue to Linkin Park Underground members instead of allocating just a small number of tickets for the fan club. Additionally, an “LPU Reserved” section will be set up directly in front of the band in the crowd, with tickets that are only being sold to LPU members.
In addition to Los Angeles and New York, LINKIN PARK will hit Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota as part of a six-date tour in September and November.
On Thursday (September 5),LINKIN PARK held a one-hour global livestream of a concert in Los Angeles showcasing new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band’s new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder was filling in for Delson for the night and will continue to tour with LINKIN PARK for the foreseeable future instead of Delson.
LINKIN PARK also released a new single, “The Emptiness Machine”, and announced an upcoming album “From Zero”, which will arrive on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK‘s first full-length effort since 2017’s “One More Light”, which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.
LINKIN PARK‘s global livestream featured performances of “The Emptiness Machine” as well as the LP hits “Somewhere I Belong”, “Numb”, “Faint”, “Bleed It Out”, “One Step Closer”, “What I’ve Done” and “In The End”.
In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK‘s comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon— who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.
“Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band,” Shinoda said. “And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The ‘Hybrid Theory’ re-release [in 2020] and ‘Papercuts’ release [this April], he didn’t show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best.”
According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn “quietly began meeting up again in recent years” and “rather than ‘trying to restart the band,'” they worked with numerous musicians and “found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain.”
Regarding the band’s new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: “Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”
“The Emptiness Machine” is said to “channel the DNA of LINKIN PARK.” Shinoda said the band feels “really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together,” adding that they are “weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones.”
Photo credit: James Minchin III