July 2, 2008
Energy Star Talk

Translated by comfortzone

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Energy: Chester, I'm sure you had to give like 1 million interviews in your life. So, what's the best question ?

Chester: I have no idea. I have no idea. I cannot say.

Energy: Bad question maybe ?

Chester: I can give you examples of bad questions. How did you get to start ? How was the teamwork with Rick Rubin ? We had to answer that a hundred times in the last 1 1/2 years. Or how did you get your name ? Or what are the crowds in Germany like compared to other places ?

Energy: Okay, I don't have any of these questions. If 'Linkin Park' was in the dictionary, what would be written underneath ?

Chester: Oooh, that's a good question. I'd like to say something smart but I think it's too difficult for me. Okay, next question ? *laughs* Maybe someone smarter can answer that one.

Energy: Your new single in Germany is "We made it" together with Busta Rhymes. Can you say sthing about it ?

Chester: Yeah, we met Busta Rhymes when we were making 'Hybrid Theory' and we were just at the beginning. We were very excited when we met people that were important, and Busta really was. He was really cool. Over the years, we got real friends which is kinda funny. We really appreciate each other’s musical work. I met Busta at the Transformer’s Premiere in Hollywood and he was like “Hey, dude we should work together’ and I was like ‘Sure” and after six months, we had a track. Mike and I listened to it and we were impressed right away. Everyone knew it was something special and the song was cool. And if we work with Busta, we at least had to do something special. We don’t collaborate very often. With Jay- Z it had to be something amazing and it was the same with Busta.
The song has a great message and it was a lot of fun. We actually recorded it in Taipeh when were on the road, our parts for that song and it turned out really well.

Energy: Can you talk about situations when you thought “Now we made it" ?

Chester: Well, I knew when we were going on our first tour, at that point, was like, okay, this is all you dreamed about, you go on tour with your band and you signed a record contract. And now we made it. But I always dreamed of golden records, just like in the TV shows in the 70s and all the great rock stars and the golden records on the walls. I always wanted one and when we got our first one for “Hybrid Theory”, I cried a little bit. I knew that we had accomplished what most people don’t accomplish.

Energy: I can give you another success: “What I’ve Done” is the song in 2007 we played most on our radio station. With a long distance.

Chester: That is definitely a great achievement. It’s amazing. Thank you guys.

Energy: Can you talk about another star you’d like to collaborate with ?

Chester: Well, I kinda already worked with everybody I wanted to work with. No, I actually talked to Slash, he wanted to record sthing new and asked if I wanted to join. Maybe we’ll work together. It would be cool. He’s pretty awesome and we are also friends. You know that is something that I think would be pretty special if we could do that.

Energy: “Leave out all the rest” will be your next single. What is it all about ?

Chester: Well, I think everybody has their own interpretation. Mike didn’t want to tell me exactly what he thought when he wrote that song. Over the years, we learnt not to ask further. We act the way we feel. When I listen to that song, it’s like when you’re at the end of a road whether it’s the end of life or a relationship, you kinda wanna reremember the good and bad things although it mostly, like in a relationship, doesn’t end in good terms. Nonetheless, there were always some good things about the relationship and you hope the other person also remembers those things. But it can also be about sthing in your life you want to think of afterwards, just think back of the good and positive things you‘ve done in your life. It’s kinda deep, you know.

Energy: Are you working on your new album ?

Chester: We’ve been working on some new music. We have to write about 300 songs until we can decide. But we’re doing well and I’m very excited about it. So, I suppose next year, there’ll be a new album.

Energy: Is there a song in the whole world you wish you had written ? Maybe a famous one ?

Chester: There a lot of great songs. ‘Classic Girl’ or almost every Depeche Mode song. But I’m rather curious about being part of a band like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, or how it is to be in their world. I only have a very small experience in that with Linkin Park but there are a lot of great bands and a lot of great songs.

Energy: What I always wanted to ask you is, doesn’t it hurt to sing and scream that loud the way you do it ?

C : Well, you know, the older I get, I’m like, what am I doing ? My knees aren’t what they used to be, my coordination is not what it used to be but my voice is getting better. Sometimes, it hurts. It depends. There’s a right and a wrong way to do it. And you definitely feel it when you do it the wrong way.

Energy: I have some short questions for you. Short question, short answer:

What’s better: concert or festival ?

Chester: festival

Energy: The coolest song in your cellphone ?

Chester: Slash

Energy: The worst song ever ?

Chester: The Barney, children’s TV Show theme song

Energy: A star you’d like to interview ?

Chester: Ronald Reagan

Energy: Embarrassing nickname you’ve been given by a girlfriend ?

Chester: Stinky

Energy: A sentence about you you never want to hear or read ?

Chester: ??? is a fucking asshole

Energy: The hottest woman ever ?

Chester: My wife

Energy: How do you eat your toast ?

Chester: Peanut butter and jelly

Energy: Something you’re crazy about ?

Chester: I’m crazy, I love .. Texas Hold ‘em

Energy: If the whole world listened to you for some seconds, what would you say ?

Chester: War is stupid and primitve.