Whereas many bands embrace the wild, party-fueled way of life that usually comes with life on the highway, Linkin Park at all times walked a unique path — or not less than Mike Shinoda says they did. In a candid dialog on the Damaged Document Podcast, Shinoda mirrored on the band’s early touring days, highlighting simply how out of step they felt with the party-heavy steel scene of the early 2000s.
“It is humorous as a result of we have been, within the context of the bands and the festivals and the reveals that we have been doing, we have been the least bro-ey bros of the lineup,” mentioned Shinoda. “We have been on these reveals with — it was Ozzfest — and folks have been simply waking up, getting drunk, blacking out, after which waking up subsequent morning and chugging Pedialyte to rehydrate after which drink once more.”
Whereas a lot of their friends thrived on the chaos of the highway, Linkin Park saved to themselves. As a substitute of becoming a member of backstage revelry, they typically stayed tucked away of their tour bus. “We have been simply sitting there in our bus isolating ourselves as a result of we did not… There have been solely, like, a handful of individuals on these excursions that we have been like, ‘Oh, these are type of our individuals.'”
Regardless of the social disconnect, Shinoda was fast to level out that there was no animosity towards their tourmates. “I’ve nothing towards all these of us from these excursions. Lots of actually candy performers, nice dudes in bands. The vitality was very masculine. The crews have been all bros with tattoos and beer guts, and that wasn’t our… Even means again in like, 2002–2003, that wasn’t actually our scene.”
In a separate interview with The Guardian, Shinoda expanded on that cultural divide, describing early 2000s rock excursions as “an arms race for who may take advantage of macho music.” He recalled sharing phases with heavyweights like Metallica, Korn, and Slipknot, the place aggressive vitality was the dominant foreign money. “We have been immersed in a tradition the place it was like an arms race for who may take advantage of macho music.”
That hyper-masculine vibe, typically laced with sexist undertones, by no means sat effectively with Shinoda — notably the lyrics of sure nü-metal friends. “Chester linked with it just a little greater than the remainder of us did, however not by a lot,” he mentioned, referencing late frontman Chester Bennington. “It wasn’t like: ‘Hey, I am gonna kick your ass.’ It was like: ‘Someone kicked my ass and I am so pissed off.’ In highschool, I wasn’t kicking anyone’s ass. That was not occurring.”
Whereas bands like Limp Bizkit leaned closely into frat-boy vitality and shock-value lyrics, Linkin Park carved out their very own area with introspective songwriting, vulnerability, and emotional depth — all whereas nonetheless commanding large crowds on those self same excursions.
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