Yo, what up, fellow numb-nuts? 👋 It’s your boy, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, here to drop some truth bombs about LINKIN PARK’s totally rad (and not at all questionable) comeback tour for our new album, “From Zero.” Yep, we’re still a band, deal with it. 🤘 In case you’ve been living under a rock (or, you know, actually have taste), “From Zero” is our first album since, like, forever (2017 to be exact). Oh, and Chester’s not here, but we got Emily Armstrong, who’s totally not Chester but is definitely a girl, and Colin Brittain, who hits drums. It’s kinda like the old days, but, you know, different. And don’t forget, Brad Delson is AWOL because Alex Feder is, like, way cooler on guitar now, ok? 🎸
So, UnDinamo (whoever they are) asked me what I expected from this tour. Honestly? Nada. Zilch. Zero. 🤷♂️ We spent, like, a whole year writing songs, eating burritos, and pretending to like each other, but touring is a whole different beast. Plus, we got newbies Emily and Colin, and the OGs (me, Mike, and Joe) are, like, ancient now. I was worried we’d all break a hip or something. 👴 Thankfully, a year later, we’re all still (relatively) alive and the shows are… well, they’re happening. So, success? 🎉
And was it risky to bring back LINKIN PARK without Chester? LOL, is the sky blue? 🙄 Of course it was! We risked, like, total humiliation. Imagine putting out an album and everyone hating it! *shudders* But seriously, a few years ago, Mike, Joe, and I weren’t even sure we *wanted* to be LINKIN PARK anymore. We tried writing music after Chester passed, but it was, like, super emo. 😭 It was all, “Oh, Chester, we miss you!” Blah, blah, blah. So we’d write for a week, then ghost each other for six months. Eventually, we were, like, “Let’s just jam and see what happens.” No pressure, no expectations. And guess what? It worked! I mean, kinda. Before I had like 1000000000000 questions, now I have 99999999999, but anyway 😅
Look, everyone grieves differently. 💔 Our fans were sad, we were sad, even our accountants were sad! But eventually, I was, like, “I gotta see what this band can be.” If it sucks, it sucks. At least I tried, right? I can’t just sit around moping forever, unless that would get me more fans, then maybe I could, but nooo. 🙄
Now, about those fans… Did I care what they thought about our comeback? A little. Okay, maybe a lot. 😬 But the internet is a cesspool of negativity. You can’t please everyone, and frankly, I’m not even gonna try. 🙅♂️ There will always be haters who complain that we’re not the same without Chester (duh!), that Emily isn’t as good (she’s different!), or that we’re just doing it for the money (guilty!). But if we let those trolls dictate our lives, we’d never do anything. Besides, imagine a world where everyone agrees with you. How boring would that be? 😴 So yeah, we’re back, we’re different, and some people will hate it. But hey, at least we’re not Nickelback. 🤣
We unveiled our new lineup in September 2024, which was, you know, eventful. Emily belted out Chester’s parts (sort of), Colin pounded the drums (loudly), and Mike, Brad (via hologram), Dave and Joe did their thing. 🤖 We dropped a new single, “The Emptiness Machine” (very deep, I know), and announced “From Zero.” You can buy it, if you want. Or don’t. I don’t care. 💸
At our first “From Zero” show, Mike gave some speech about how we’re not erasing the past, but starting a new chapter. 📖 Translation: We’re still gonna play the old hits, but with a girl singing them. It’ll be fun! Or not. 🤷♀️
“From Zero” had a No. 1 single (somehow) and made us the only rock band in 2024 to get over two billion streams! Take that, Imagine Dragons! 😤 (We have never heard of them, so that proves that we rock more.) Brad was on the album, but Alex is playing live. Don’t ask me why. It’s a long story involving ego, backstage drama, and a rubber chicken. 🐔
Mike recently said that the tour has been “awesome.” I think he’s being sarcastic. 😒 It’s been busy, sure, and we’ve played some big shows. But mostly, it’s been a lot of airports, bad food, and pretending to be happy. The new music has been received well, which is good, because if it wasn’t, I’d probably be selling insurance right now. 💼
Mike also said that there will always be people who love our music and people who hate it. True. But he also said that the most important thing is that *we* love it. Lies! The most important thing is that *you* love it, so we can keep making millions. 🤑 And apparently, we started talking again over breakfast, lunch, and coffee. It’s amazing what a well-placed Starbucks gift card can do. ☕ And then we met Colin and Emily, and suddenly, we were a band again! It’s like a fairy tale, but with more angst and screaming. 🧚
Mike met Colin at a writing session for some “kid” artist. Colin was “smart and talented,” so Mike decided to stalk him. Just kidding! (Maybe.) 🕵️♀️ Emily, on the other hand, almost sang at Chester’s tribute concert, but she was too late. So Mike held a grudge for two years, then finally gave her a chance. And now she’s our singer! It’s a heartwarming story of rejection, perseverance, and, you know, destiny. 💫
In other news, Mike told Futuro that this is a “rebirth” of the band. I think he meant “rehash.” ♻️ And he said that Colin and Emily were “so prepared” for this. I think he meant “desperate.” 😫 Emily played with DEAD SARA for 10 years, so she’s used to being ignored. And Colin was in multiple bands before becoming a producer, so he’s used to being broke. And Rob didn’t want to play anymore, which was “good luck” for us. Translation: We fired him. 😈 Mike also called Emily a “total phenomenon” and said it’s crazy that we found another “once-in-a-generation voice” after Chester. I think he’s laying it on a bit thick, but hey, gotta sell those tickets somehow! 🎤
When asked how he knew Emily was “the one,” Mike said it wasn’t just about singing. It’s about the “intangible thing” that happens when people get in a room and make things together. Translation: We all got drunk and decided she was cool. 🍻 But seriously, he said the vibe was “effortless and strong and easy.” That’s what she said! 😂 And even when they disagree, they don’t argue. They just passive-aggressively tweet about each other later. 🐦
Finally, Mike said that we had no expectations that “From Zero” would be a commercial success. Liar! We totally expected it to be huge. But he also said that we want to love what we’re doing, love playing it every night, and feel like it represents an important chapter for the band. That’s code for: We’re gonna keep milking this cash cow until it runs dry. 🐄 And he loves doing surprises and scavenger hunts for the fans. Remember that timer on our website that counted down to zero and then did nothing? Genius! 🧠 The fans were so mad! But that’s the point, right? To troll them into buying our album! 🤪 Anyway, he doesn’t get too caught up in numbers and comparisons, unless it’s about ticket sales. So, come see us on tour! It’ll be fun! Or not.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
