Linkin Park, Stone Sour @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (27/02/2013)
Rod Laver Arena is the venue for tonight's Linkin Park Soundwave sidewave and their support comes from Iowan hard rockers Stone Sour.
The first thing you notice when they walk out on stage is the massive beards on bassist Johny Chow and James Root (also of Slipknot) and Josh Rand, their other guitarist, in a suit and tie. Corey Taylor on vocals sports a mohawk. Despite their look, however, they certainly get the crowd warmed up in style kicking things off with Gone Sovereign and Absolute Zero, the opening tracks off their latest album House of Gold and Bones Part 1 before playing Digital (Did You Tell) and Say You'll Haunt Me from 2010's Audio Secrecy.
They also give us a taste of a track from their forthcoming House of Gold and Bones Part 2. After a slight break Corey walks back on stage, guitar in hand, and launches solo into their beautiful track Bother before the band kick back in for Through Glass and 30/30-150 to end their set on a heavier note.
Linkin Park walk on stage to Tinfoil from their latest album Living Things before launching into Faint to huge screams from the packed stadium. Hybrid Theory's Papercut is up next with seemingly every person singing every word and bouncing up and down. To the delight of many of their old school fans their first 6 or 7 songs are all from their first 3 albums, it isn't until Victimized from Living Things is played that we get a taste off their newer material live and it certainly goes off just as much as their old stuff!
Chester Bennington's vocals are just as powerful live as they sound on their albums and his screams are something you have to witness. The way he and rapper/singer Mike Shinoda gel on stage is fantastic and with Mr. Hahn on turntables behind them it truly is a wonderful mix.
A brilliant ballad melody of Leave Out All The Rest/Shadow of The Day and Iridescent is one of many highlights of the 90 minute set before they finally come to a close with their huge hit One Step Closer. Massive applause and screams for more continue as the band leave the stage.
Their encore begins with the lead single from Living Things Burn It Down before Mike gives us a choice of song: A Place For My Head or In The End, A Place For My Head ends up winning out and it goes off! The band bring their powerful set to a close with Bleed It Out from Minutes To Midnight.
Crawling and In The End were surprisingly left out from tonight’s set, the latter by choice, but saying that Linkin Park still remain to be one of the best live bands out there today.
Matt Barton
The first thing you notice when they walk out on stage is the massive beards on bassist Johny Chow and James Root (also of Slipknot) and Josh Rand, their other guitarist, in a suit and tie. Corey Taylor on vocals sports a mohawk. Despite their look, however, they certainly get the crowd warmed up in style kicking things off with Gone Sovereign and Absolute Zero, the opening tracks off their latest album House of Gold and Bones Part 1 before playing Digital (Did You Tell) and Say You'll Haunt Me from 2010's Audio Secrecy.
They also give us a taste of a track from their forthcoming House of Gold and Bones Part 2. After a slight break Corey walks back on stage, guitar in hand, and launches solo into their beautiful track Bother before the band kick back in for Through Glass and 30/30-150 to end their set on a heavier note.
Linkin Park walk on stage to Tinfoil from their latest album Living Things before launching into Faint to huge screams from the packed stadium. Hybrid Theory's Papercut is up next with seemingly every person singing every word and bouncing up and down. To the delight of many of their old school fans their first 6 or 7 songs are all from their first 3 albums, it isn't until Victimized from Living Things is played that we get a taste off their newer material live and it certainly goes off just as much as their old stuff!
Chester Bennington's vocals are just as powerful live as they sound on their albums and his screams are something you have to witness. The way he and rapper/singer Mike Shinoda gel on stage is fantastic and with Mr. Hahn on turntables behind them it truly is a wonderful mix.
A brilliant ballad melody of Leave Out All The Rest/Shadow of The Day and Iridescent is one of many highlights of the 90 minute set before they finally come to a close with their huge hit One Step Closer. Massive applause and screams for more continue as the band leave the stage.
Their encore begins with the lead single from Living Things Burn It Down before Mike gives us a choice of song: A Place For My Head or In The End, A Place For My Head ends up winning out and it goes off! The band bring their powerful set to a close with Bleed It Out from Minutes To Midnight.
Crawling and In The End were surprisingly left out from tonight’s set, the latter by choice, but saying that Linkin Park still remain to be one of the best live bands out there today.
Matt Barton