Linkin 'rock the mullet' Park in KL
Jaffa.com
Someone up there must really like Malaysian Linkin Park fans, because the sun surely has shine for them. Not in a million years would they have thought that the chance of witnessing a live performance from Linkin Park in our very own Kuala Lumpur be comprehended, let alone happen. Well, not ALL of them. But it did. October 15th 2003 would be the date to remember, and talked about until…well, the next Linkin Park appearance I suppose.
The chosen venue was KL's Stadium Merdeka. The chosen time was 8pm. However the actual time the magical moment happened was roughly at 9.45pm. Which then only lasted for an hour or so. It wouldn't have been a bad thing if you weren't one of those people who were waiting outside the stadium since 6.30pm, when the gates supposedly open, let alone those who were there just after the crack of dawn. Yet, they literally stood by that, through the still heat of the day and the pushing and shoving, and through the sweaty skin surfaces of strangers. And after the concert ended, every fan that were in the stadium walked off feeling completely, satisfied.
Never mind the fact that most of them had been standing on their aching feet for at least four hours. Never mind the fact that some of them had to walk off from the entrance of Zone 5 when their tickets says Zone 6, discovering that just when they were about to go through the guards. And never mind that by the time it was still another hour and more until the band are due to perform, they would rather fall flat on the ground and be trampled over with. Because when the lights finally went off, when the big-ass Linkin Park banner was raised as the band members walked out from behind, when the combined power of twenty five thousand screaming voices and thumping feet unleashed, the feeling can only be described in one word: indescribable.
Five minutes through the opening song "Don't Say", people, especially the ones right at the foot of the stage, found themselves still in disbelief. Linkin freaking Park was jumping around and screaming their lungs off, right before their eyes. Well, vocalist Chester Bennington was anyway. The corny "just like in TV" line pops up in mind. Just like in TV only better was more like it. The band played on for about three songs in row before they actually officialized their own presence onstage.
Plucking out songs from all three albums "Hybrid Theory", "Reanimation", and "Meteora", Linkin Park played and sang their pieces like it was supposed to played and sang. Blah to the whole code of conduct rule for Malaysian held concerts. Behaviour has nothing to do with it. Passion does.
Among the hits that were performed were "Push Me Away", "With You", "Somewhere I Belong", "Crawling", "In The End", "Points Of Authority", "Numb", and the breakthrough "One Step Closer". No doubt the crowd was singing it all word by word. Sometime in between the songs though, Chester gave way to a big fat lie saying that night was one of the biggest crowds the band has played to. Now, we all KNOW that is a lie. But it sure is a sweet lie. Nevertheless, dear Chester did manage to steal the hearts of his fans when he fisted into the air with a perfect "Malaysia Boleh!" over his microphone.
Mike Shinoda on the other hand, had his own set of assets of wooing the crowd. With a voice like that, and a smile just as great, how can he not be the centre of attraction, besides Chester of course.
Blissful was that magical moment, the Cinderella hour. Heck, even Cinderella didn't get a whole hour. Cinderella didn't get drumsticks, towels, and drummer Rob Bourdon's cap that he was wearing throughout the show, neither. Though that moment only lasted an hour, but a solid hour it was with Linkin Park rocking the stadium with a good sixteen songs. Enough said.