Chester Bennington

Name: Chester Bennington
DOB: March 20, 1976
Instruments: Vocals

Gear:

• Audio Technica Wireless Mics
• Yamaha SPX 990
• Takamine guitars
• DVS/Matix action figure steelo BIATCH!

Bio:

Who was the missing ingredient to Linkin Park's ground-breaking sound? The answer came in the form of a twenty-year-old misfit from Phoenix, Arizona named Chester Bennington. Chester was a vocalist in a locally reknowned band named Grey Daze and was given a mixtape from a band named Xero by a Zomba Music A&R executive in the latter part of 1998. Xero were searching for a new vocalist in the wake of Mark Wakefield's departure and started handing out demo tapes to try and find a replacement. After listening to the tape and liking what he heard, Chester wrote lyrics and recorded them over the tracks, then sent the tape back to the band. On his twentieth birthday in '99, Chester received a phone call from his Zomba contact saying the band were interested to meet him in person to try out for the lead vocalist spot. Chester flew to Southern California and met the Xero bandmates, then proceeded to completely blow them away in the audition. Not only did he impress the band, his performance also intimidated another vying candidate into leaving before his audition! Chester was a shoe-in for the vocalist spot. The band soon renamed themselves to Hybrid Theory and released their first material recorded with Chester on the 'Hybrid Theory EP' soon afterwards in '99. Hybrid Theory would later change their name to Linkin Park.

Bennington is often labeled as the main source of raw emotion found in many of Linkin Park's songs. This stems from a problematic childhood plagued with the divorcing of his parents, sexual molestation, and heavy drug and alcohol abuse. Through writing music, Chester therapeutically released his pent-up frustration and anger. Instead of making the messages of his songs solely about himself, Chester's writing style uses universal emotions and relatable themes instead of situational lyrics to deliver his stories and help others. For this reason, Chester is regarded as a role model for millions of people who can relate to his messages.

"What I enjoy most about being in the band is having the opportunity to create and perform music with amazing musicians who have also become closest of friends. I would like to thank all who support us and make all of this possible." -Chester

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Mike Shinoda

Name: Mike Shinoda
DOB: February 11, 1977
Instruments: Vocals, Beats + Samples, Keyboards, Guitar

Gear:

• Audio Technica wireless mic
• PRS guitars
• Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier heads
• Mesa Boogie cabinets
• Digidesign Protools software & hardware
• Anteres software
• Waves software
• Emagic hardware
• Roland keyboard modules
• AKAI S-900 & MPC 2000 samplers

Bio:

Mike is thought by many to be the most versatile member of Linkin Park. Some of his numerous talents include rapping, playing the piano and guitar, producing, and art design. Shinoda was born unto a Japanese father and Russian mother and is a distant relative of the legendary Russian composer Tchaikovsky. Mike got into music at a young age, when he was taught how to play the piano. After years of classical training, Mike eventually began to produce and create his own loops using a keyboard he had purchased. Combining bands such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against The Machine with Wu-Tang Clan vocals, Shinoda started to lay down the genre-blending style that would later become the cornerstone of Linkin Park's sound.

While attending Agoura High School with his junior high chum Brad Delson, Mike and Brad met drummer Rob Bourdon through a mutual friend in a local band named Karma. Rob was soon asked to be the drummer for their new band, Xero. When Brad and Mike went to seperate colleges they met two people who were also asked to join their band, turntablist Joseph Hahn and bassist David "Phoenix" Farrell. Mike recruited Hahn from Pasadena's 'Art College of Design' they both attended, and Brad met Phoenix at UCLA. Mike's main plan for Xero was to create a sound without categorizational boundaries that seamlessly blended several styles of music, including rock, hip-hop, and electronica. This was much like what he had done on his own at a younger age with his keyboard, yet on a larger scale. Mike was a fan of bands from many different categories of music, including Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, N.W.A, and more.

Mike has also shown he can excel outside of Linkin Park, becoming very active in helping underground hip-hop artists get recognition. On the Linkin Park remix album 'Reanimation', which Shinoda produced, many of the guest stars chosen to remix 'Hybrid Theory' tracks were those of the underground hip-hop scene. Shinoda also released a solo hip-hop effort under the moniker of Fort Minor in 2005, where he gives the opportunity to many up-and-coming musicians to get their shot at having their voices heard on a mainstream stage. Mike is constantly creating new music in his spare time.

"Writing songs and sharing them with people is a very rewarding experience...I can't think of anything more gratifying as seeing people from different backgrounds come together to enjoy music. Thanks." -Mike

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Brad Delson

Name: Brad Delson
DOB: December 1, 1977
Instruments: Guitar

Gear:

• Ibanez guitars
• PRS guitars
• Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier heads
• Mesa Boogie cabinets
• D'Addario strings (10XL)
• Boss Pedal effects
• D'Addario cables
• Dunlop picks (.83)
• Shure wireless

Bio:

Guitarist Brad Delson is often credited as being the funniest and most spontaneous member of Linkin Park. His playful sarcasm and quick wit can put you in knots with laughter (just ask his high school colleagues, who voted him "Most Unique" in the senior yearbook). But while he does possess the title of a jokester, he's also capable of being a serious person.

Brad grew up in Agoura, California and was friends with Mike Shinoda throughout his childhood. They attended Agoura High School together and graduated in 1996. It was this year when Xero was formed by the two. They remained close friends as they went to seperate colleges. Brad attended UCLA, where he met his roommate Dave Farrell, a bassist with a local punk band called Tasty Snax. Brad recruited Farrell to join Hybrid Theory, who had recently changed from 'Xero'. The rest is history. He graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in Communications and was planning to go to law school until Hybrid Theory got a record deal and blew up as the newly named Linkin Park in fall 2000.

Brad handles the business side of Linkin Park with his father, Donn Delson. The two created BandMerch amid concerns over the unauthorized usage of Linkin Park's image and name on products, citing they wanted fans to get first-class, high-quality products when they purchased merchandise with the band's name on it. The company soon branched out past the borders of Linkin Park, handling merchandising affairs for some of the music industry's biggest heavy-hitters.

Delson is also the A&R representative for Linkin Park's Machine Shop Records label, most noticeably as an advisor for Fort Minor's 'The Rising Tied' which was released in fall 2005 on the imprint.

"I love playing music with my friends. I'm really proud of the record we've made and the opportunity we have to play these songs all around the world. Much respect to all the people who have supported us and help us to make dis ting happen -- Booyakasha!" -BBB

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Phoenix

Name: David Michel Farrell (Phoenix)
DOB: February 8, 1977
Instruments: Bass

Gear:

• Ernie Ball Music Man Sting Ray basses
• Ampeg SVT Classic heads
• Ampeg SVT Classic cabinets
• Dean Markley Blue Steel strings
• Dunlop Picks (.88)
• DBX 160 compressor
• Monster cables
• Sans Amp
• Boss pedals
• Whirlwind direct boxes
• Shure wireless

Bio:

Bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell may not be the most noticeable member in Linkin Park's interviews and songs, but that doesn't mean he's any less an important player in the band. Phoenix brings a rhythmic touch that doesn't distract the listener from the more prominent features of a song, yet gives it an underlying tone that seems to keep the song in sync.

Phoenix was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1977 into a musical family. He was taught how to play guitar by his mother, and also cites his older brother as an inspiration to pick up the instrument. He grew up in Plymouth but later moved to Mission Viego, California at the age of 5. While attending high school, Dave joined a punk group named 'Tasty Snax', who would later rename themselves to 'The Snax'. What the band sorely needed was a bass guitarist, so Phoenix opted to make the transition from the electric guitar, and has played bass ever since.

After graduating from high school, Phoenix went to UCLA. It was at the university that he met his roommate, Brad Delson. Delson, a founding member of Xero, invited Dave to join the band to fill their bass guitarist position. Dave accepted the invitation and recorded with Xero for their sampler tape, released in 1997. A short while later, he left the band to tour with The Snax. Meanwhile, Xero changed their name to Hybrid Theory and recorded their self-titled EP with their friend Kyle Christner. When the band were signed to Warner and became Linkin Park, Brad Delson assumed bass guitarist credentials for their debut album. The band never permanently filled Phoenix's shoes, leaving the door open for him to return to the line-up in 2000 after about a year and a half absence touring with The Snax. Phoenix took over for touring bassist Scott Koziol just after the band filmed the "One Step Closer" video, thus why he does not appear in the video. Phoenix has been with the band ever since.

"After a long year out of the band, it's been incredible to rejoin and be back in the mix. I appreciate everyone who supports us both on the website and at our live shows more than I could ever express. To be afforded the opportunity to do something I've always loved, with a bunch of friends, is truly a blessing. Thank You." -Phoenix

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Rob Bourdon

Name: Rob Bourdon
DOB: January 20, 1979
Instruments: Drums

Gear:

• Gretsch kit
• Gibraltar Hardware
• Zildjian cymbals
• Remo heads
• Vater sticks
• Rane headphone amp
• Alesis DM-5 drum module
• Shure E-1 in-ear monitors
• D-drum trigger pads

Bio:

The youngest member of Linkin Park, Rob was introduced to his mother's friend and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer after a show and from there became inspired to learn the drums. Starting out around the age of nine, Bourdon joined his first band, a quartet called No Clue, in grade six. They later changed their name to Physical Evidence and covered bands like Nirvana, Bad Religion, and Suicidal Tendancies. Rob took drum lessons for a year, but became tired of reading sheet music because he enjoyed playing the music of his favorite bands by ear instead. After joining his high school's jazz band in grade ten, Rob was recruited by two members of a band called Karma after a concert to join their group. Through the Karma bandmembers, he met Brad Delson and Mike Shinoda, who both lived nearby in the San Fernando Valley. Eventually, Rob and Brad would form their own band called Relative Degree, whose sound he likens to 311. Their dream was to perform at the Hollywood club 'The Roxy', a goal they eventually attained, and broke up soon afterwards. After the band's break-up, Rob's life became a turmoil of drug and alcohol abuse. It was these hard times that took his focus away from drumming. Eventually, by the end of high school, Rob got his life back in order and began playing full-time again. Soon, he got a call from Mike Shinoda asking him to join his and Brad's band, Xero.

Rob grew up in the town of Calabasas, California, where he attended Agoura High School with members of Hoobastank. He currently resides in Los Angeles. In his spare time, Rob likes to play the piano, practice drumming, and surf.

"I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to make an album with five of my closest friends. It has been a great experience touring and having the chance to meet our fans and street teamers. Thank you to everyone who has shown their love and support." -Rob

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joeseph hahn

Full Name: Joseph Hahn
Age: 28
Dob: 15th March 1977
Role in band: Turntables, Samples, Beats + Sounds

Weapons of choice:
Vestax PDX-2000 Turntables
Rane TTM 54 DJ mixer
AKAI MPC 2000
Emagic Logic Audio
Various effects
Shure M44-7 needles
Custom-made vinyl

Joe graduated from Art college, and like Mike, he also majored in illustration.

Joe is the official video director of the band.

Joe came up with the concept for the 'One Step Closer' video.

Joe directed the video's for 'In The End', 'Crawling', 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Numb', 'From The Inside' and 'Breaking The Habit'.

Joe has an alter-ego called 'Remy' (The voice at the beginning of 'Fuse' and 'Cure For The Itch').

Joe did the the photography for Styles of Beyond's CD "2000 Fold".

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