Linkin Park @M.E.N arena, Manchester 4/11/2010
After catching Linkin Park at the Manchester M.E.N arena a couple of years ago, I was intrigued to see what they had done differently to their live show. As soon as you enter the arena it was clear to see that they had thought long and hard about the layout. The stage was a triangular shape with the main point sticking out in to the crowd. I was impressed. What impressed me more so, was the ‘transforming’ back wall, which was used to display some stunning images.
Once the band come on stage, it was obvious that they were fired up and ready to show Manchester what they could do. Wind back the clock 10 years or so and people thought that the two-frontman combo was purely a gimmick, it is apparent in 2010 that it is working even better. Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda worked the crowd from the off and had them eating from the palm of their hands.
Dont think for one minute that the fancy stage layout with impressive lighting and visuals is a decoy to take your mind of the performance. I was mesmerized by the sheer power of Chester’s vocals. I dont care what you say, there is no better vocalist in any band on the planet. He can sing and hit some bloody high notes, effortlessly yet within the same breath, Chester can scream with enough power and velocity to wake the dead. The only vocalist that comes close is possibly M.Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, but I will save that contest for another day!
The band were, as always, flawless through out and I feel that they have matured much more in the live environment. Dont get me wrong, when they belted out tracks like, Crawling and One Step Closer, the crowd were bouncing, but such is the diversity of the newer material, it gives the audience chance to actually listen to the music and remember the show as oppose to going home with the gig in a blur. And that is what sets them apart live. Instead of Brad Delson just playin guitar, you see him pounding out some beats out on the electric drumkit. They are more of a compact unit now, working together and assisting each other, rather than playing their part and making it fit.
It is apparent that a lot of the audience seemed to enjoy the ‘older’ heavier tracks more, but when songs like “Wretches and KIngs” or “The Catalyst” start, the capacity crowd clearly enjoyed them.
To sum up. This is Linkin Park of old, the power, energy and the determination but mixed with a cleaner, smarter and concentrated Linkin Park….if this is what musical science is, then we witnessed 6 mad scientists on stage and the chemical reaction was phenomenal.
Seriously, go and catch them while they are in the UK.
