Rocking with Linkin Park
It was a concert Malaysians had been waiting for. Linkin Park, one of the biggest rap-rock bands in recent years, was to rock in Kuala Lumpur. And the boys did not disappoint.
THE Linkin Park concert at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday left a crowd of about 20,000 crying out for more when it ended after only 75 minutes. Fans claimed it was one of their best concerts so far, certainly a memorable experience.
The Southern California band must have been taken aback by its huge following here, including Singaporean and Indonesian fans who kept chanting "We want Linkin Park! We want Linkin Park!" moments before they came on stage. It was the band's first visit to Malaysia, in fact its only stop in Southeast Asia, before flying off to Korea and Japan. To thousands of Malaysian fans who have followed the nu-metal band's rise to stardom since 2001, the concert was certainly a high point and a much-welcomed event — especially since the most expensive tickets were priced at only RM127.
For fans in the region, it was a chance to meet band members Brad Delson (guitar), Mike Shinoda (vocals), Rob Bourdon (drums), and Darren "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), DJ Joseph Hahn and second vocalist Chester Bennington.
Linkin Park is a point of authority in rap-rock, as evident by the massive turnout which packed the standing-room area to the brim, rocking the historical stadium with bursts of energy. With only three albums to its name — Hybrid Theory, remix album Reanimation and Meteora — Linkin Park's repertoire was rather limited, but that did not stop the band from giving a highly rousing performance. Opening the concert with Don't Stay (from Meteora), the band wailed, slammed, and belted out hit after hit. One Step Closer, Papercut, Points of Authority, Crawling and In The End — they all drove the crowd to a frenzy. They also sang slower numbers like Somewhere I Belong and Numb, encouraging fans to sing along. Local rap/hip hop duo Too Phat had the honour of being the opening act and started the show on time at 8.30pm with a string of upbeat hits including Ala Canggung, Clap to This and Just a Lil' Bit (its collaborative effort with American rapper Warren G).
To perform before 20,000-strong rock fans is no easy task for a hip hop act, intimidating, to say the least. Despite initial calls for Linkin Park to come on stage from a small section of hardcore rockers, the Too Phat boys, Malique and Joe Flizzow, managed to win them over. And by the time their half-hour slot ended, Malique and Joe had nicely worked up the crowd for the main act.
Linkin Park won Grammy nominations for Best Rock Album, Best New Artiste, and Best Hard Rock Performance last year for its debut album Hybrid Theory, receiving rave reviews for its powerful, eclectic fusion of post-grunge metal, old-school hip hop and electronic stylings.
The album eventually went platinum eight times, becoming the top-selling album of 2001 and the fifth best-seller of 2002. In Malaysia, the album sold 300,000 copies. On stage, the set-up was rather basic. The band members in their loose-fitting clothes just did their thing — wailing and playing their musical instruments, and were careful not to break any rules on decency.
With loud music and people screaming, it was hard to communicate but vocalist Shinoda said the Malaysian crowd was one of the best the band had seen so far. In a gesture of appreciation, he asked them to chant "Malaysia Boleh" three times. All too soon, the band's concert, which started at 9.30pm, had come to an end at 10.45pm.
Bystanders in Petaling Street, who observed the crowd heading for home at 11pm, were surprised and remarked: "Finish already, ah?" So it was a short concert. No matter. In 75 minutes, Linkin Park had proven to its Malaysian fans that it rocks!
Gerald Chuah
October 20, Malay Mail