Review: Linkin Park, Living Things Tour

When we first bought tickets to go see Linkin Park Live I was sceptical. Having actually heard the Living Things album, the name-sake of the tour, left me with dread as I thought the tour would be a promotion of the latest and not-so-greatest album. Let’s face it, Living Things is the biggest tragedy to happen in 2012, possibly 2011 too. In my eyes Linkin Park went from fantastic to vomit.

 

Now you are probably wondering why the hell I then bothered to buy concert tickets then? I have only one reason – it is Linkin Park, the band that saved me from the dark clutches of glitter balls, short skirts and fake tans that dominates the Pop world. 

 

So yes, I was both excited and devastated that Linkin Park was heading to South Africa. 

 

A little glimmer of hope emerged after their Cape Town show – the show was labelled brilliant and sources said that they played all their old stuff, the good stuff. 

 

I will happily admit that my fears were unjustified, Linkin Park still knows how to rock. Yes, it was brilliant – fucking brilliant. A friend commented that Chester is a monster, I agree. The man has a voice that will leave demons quivering in their boots. 

 

My only regret is not getting the Golden Circle tickets. I sincerely hope that Linkin Park enjoyed their trip to our South African shores enough to return, because next time around I’ll be in the Golden Circle. 

 

What did not go unnoticed was, that despite that the tour was named after the last album, Linkin Park only sang four tracks off of said album, three of which I deemed listenable in my review. To add, I must question why Mike Shinoda even bothered to ask the crowd how many Living Things fans were out there. Have they realised that the new sound simply isn’t working? Only the next album will tell.

Day nine – two songs

Since embarking on this challenge the two songs have changed every time I think about it. Which to include? Dire Straits’ Walk of Life, Suzanne Vega’s Luka, Louis Armstrong’s Smokie, Right Now by Korn, My Mistress, Never Again and I'm Alive by Disturbed also holds so much significance.

Somewhere along the line music became a huge part of my life. No, I can’t sing to save my life, nor do I play an instrument, but I listen to it. For every phase of my life, milestone or bump there is a song or two.

I finally managed to narrow it down to two songs…

I’m Too Sexy, Right Said Fred. I don’t know what it is about this song, but when it plays I have an imaginary microphone in my hand and I do my little turn on an imaginary catwalk.

Divine, Disturbed. The song is a reminder to love yourself. No matter how strange, weird, fat, skinny, ugly, gorgeous, tattooed or bizarre the world perceives you to be – you are divine! Be who you are, stand out, stand up and be divine.

 

Song Words: Divine by Disturbed

I want to tear a big hole in what is to be
To end all this infatuation with unity
I'm seeking my salvation alone again
I never needed to be one of you anyway

Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you, we're not the same
My own individuality is so unique
I'm one impressive motherfucker, now wouldn't you say?
Break apart and divide, divide, divide, divide!

You might say that I'm the last man standing now

And though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me

I am a little more provocative than you might be

And it's your shock and then your horror on which I feed
So can you tell me what exactly does 'freedom' mean?
If I'm not free to be as twisted as I wanna be

Don't wanna be another player losing in this game

I'm trying to impress upon you, we're not the same
My psychotic mentality is so unique
I'm one aggressive motherfucker, now wouldn't you say?
Break apart and divide, divide, divide, divide!

You might say that I'm the last man standing now

And though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
They won't take me

(Dedicated to the angel who causes all the havoc in Heaven. Divine - always.)

Day five – six places

1.   Transylvania. No need to reread it, you read correctly – Transylvania. Friends will know that I’ve always said I want to go to Transylvania for honeymoon. No, I don’t want to hunt vampires and werewolves (using the term loosely), those are in Forks – apparently. 

 

2.   London – on 26 November 2012 to be exact. My two favourite artists, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, have teamed up in an appropriately named Twins of Evil Tour. I would row to London in a rowboat to see the performance, but alas! I write my last subject on 21 November and to row across the Atlantic, just over 9,000 km, is not possible in five days.

 

3.   Lemnos. Details are unconfirmed but the broad outline is to hook up with some friends in Lemnos next year. We haven’t seen them since July 2010 and I look forward to catching up over lots of wine. 

 

4.   New York. The idea of endless shopping, drinking lattes, taking a jog through Central Park, watching a rock show in Madison Square Garden and enjoying the buzz of the city that never sleeps is quite appealing. And, seeing that New York is a must-visit destination for some of my favourite girlfriends, it would be a double-bonus to hit the Big Apple on an all-girls holiday.

 

5.   Seychelles. Hammock, beach, sun, cocktails and snorkelling… what more could a girl want? 

 

6.   Home. Corny? Of course! Like Dorothy I believe there is no place like home. I love being as snug-as-a-bug next to bf with our kittens curled up next to us. We are quite fortunate that they so willingly share the couch with us…

Day, er, four – seven wants

I wanted to post this on Friday, but after settling down, around 7pm, on Friday night I was far too exhausted. So a few days later, my seven wants;

 

1.   My very own library.

Picture: A friend sent this to me some time ago and yes, it’s so me. I’d rather spend money on books than on shoes.

2.  To see Rob Zombie live in New York. Boom! Two-in-one combo.

3.  To own every single Sweet Valley book ever written. I’ve mentioned once before that as a teen I read Sweet Valley, I had quite the collection too, but I’ve never read all the books. I’d love an opportunity to read every single book (from Sweet Valley Kids to, well, now). 

4.  To own a Peaches Swimwear bikini. While this want is a phone call away, I don’t quite yet feel body comfortable, or confident yet, to make that call.

5.  To build a snowman. While we were quite fortunate to experience a bit of snow in Joburg, my first, it was hardly enough to build a snowman – I tried. 

6.  To enjoy a plate of pasta from the Italian Bowls Club. 

7.  To go on a coastal road trip in a Cadillac, top down, with Roxette, Dire Straits, Right Said Fred and Beach Boys blasting over the speakers. No planning, no prebooked accommodations, no roadmap. A simple hop in the car, blast some sing-along songs and drive from beach-to-beach.

Day two – nine loves

The list of loves, and likes, is endless. Narrowing it down to only nine is quite the challenge.

• Bf takes the number 1 spot.
• Our kittens, Meeko and Tulip. There is so much love in those little fur-faces.

• Christmas time. I am a sucker for a pine tree with glitter over it, stockings that contain presents, the wrapping and unwrapping, but, most of all, I love getting together with family and friends, that warm fuzzy feeling of ‘this is what it is all about’.
• The beach. Splashing in the waves, toes in the sand, basking in the sun and an ice-cream. The beach makes me feel like a child all over again, and I am known to behave accordingly.  

• Harry Potter. I have seen the movies countless times and have read all seven books about five times. I love Harry Potter.
• Books, the printed kind. I simply love reading and if I can get my house smelling like a secondhand bookshop, I will be the happiest person in the world.
• Rob Zombie. I have a not-so-secret crush on the man.

 Picture: Google. Sorry but I don't have a 'I took that picture of Rob Zombie'. Still working on it.

• Metal music – and anything that involves and electric guitar and screaming vocals.
• Penguins. No, cupcakes. Penguins. Cupcakes, definitely penguins. Can someone please bake me some penguin shaped cupcakes?

Review: Linkin Park, Living Things Album

Hidden in my perfectly alphabetised CD collection, under the letter “B”, are all the Backstreet Boys albums. Yip, back in the day I was quite the pop princess, not something I like to admit, but we all have our dark secrets. 

My taste in music changed one day in 2001. I was lazing in front of the telly, like most matriculants do, watching MTV, when on came a band called Linkin Park. I loved the combination of the screaming vocals and rap, not to mention the sound of the electric guitar.

What started out with Linkin Park progressed to Korn, Rob Zombie, Slipknot, Disturbed, Apocalyptica and Amon Amarth – to name a few bands known by the average person.

While I was introduced to a world of wonderful bands, Linkin Park held a special place for me and I remained a great fan. Hybrid Theory and Meteora benchmarked Linkin Park as a nu-metal band, taking music to a new level with their brilliant and unique sound. 

Then came Minutes To Midnight. While the album wasn’t a complete disaster, it wasn’t the band’s best attempt either. But, I reasoned, no band can bring out masterpieces all the time. Korn’s Korn III: Remember Who You Are and Marilyn Manson’s High End Of The Low are good examples. 

However, the release of A Thousand Suns was like an asteroid the size of Texas hitting Earth. Enough said. 

Living Things review
When I first heard Linkin Park was bring out a new album I cringed ever so slightly.

One of my favourite online music webzine, Music Review, reviewed the album and gave it 85/100, stating that “LIVING THINGS is the band at its finest in years…”. The reviewer included that the group has (constantly) reaffirmed that they’ve moved away from the nu-metal sound. So I wasn’t expecting the Linkin Park that was.

The first three songs were listenable and it gave me the hope that I would be clicking on the ‘Like’ button on Linkin Park’s Facebook page. The tracks that followed made me realise that never again will I click that ‘Like’ button. 

A complete overkill on the electronic sounds, which drowns out Chester Bennington’s vocals on some parts, made me want to bounce the ball in mockery. Other songs made me want to take out the album and recheck that it really is Linkin Park and not some boy band from my previous life. Perhaps Linkin Park should contact Wade Robson to choreograph some synchronised moves for them during their next tour.

Both Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda have insanely brilliant voices. Mr Hahn clearly still got the moves and Rob, Brad and Phoenix are still masters in their respective instruments. The lyrics to the songs are still deep and meaningful, but the sound is awful.

I remember the last time I bought a Backstreet Boys album. I listened to the first two songs then shoved it in my CD collection and forgot about it. The same will happen to Linkin Park, the exception being that I listened to Living Things twice (all the way through).

Living Things is a sad reminder of a band that was and will never be again – and I can’t get over it.

Listenable tracks: Lost In Echo, In My Remains, Burn It Down – skip to track 7 – Victimized – eject CD.