Chester talks about Project Revolution
Quelle: http://starrymag.com
LINKIN PARK
PROJEKT REVOLUTION
by: Jamie Steinberg
Q) It seems like your sound has evolved quite a bit since you started out and the new album has a much different sound, but it's still as popular or more popular. What is going on with this? Please talk about the evolution and how you maintain your popularity through these changes.
A) Basically, we just focus on writing music that we want to write. When we were writing Hybrid Theory it wasn't like we were sitting back going, "All these people are writing hip-hop and rock songs" because when we started writing music, the music that we write, there really wasn't any. I think the Red Hot Chili Peppers might have been the closest thing to hip-hop and rock at the time. I mean I guess Korn was kind of considered that, but I never really considered them that kind of style of music. At the same time, we just wanted to write music that we wanted to write, that we felt compelled to write and that we wanted to hear. With the success of Hybrid Theory, you know, Meteora was kind of like volume two. We felt like we had to continue down that path because we kind of thought that's what people wanted to hear. That�s when we put ourselves in the mindset that that�s what we had to do and on this record we went back to ground zero and really just decided that we�re not going to write music that we think people want to hear from us. We�re just going to write music that we feel like writing. And it is a process that was difficult, but I think that once we got out of that box that we put ourselves into, it was very easy for us to just start writing music and we discovered that no matter what kind of song we wrote, if we all loved it, then it became a Linkin Park song.
Q) There has just been this kind of return of the sense of ambition to music. Things a few years ago seemed sort of disposable, people were afraid to be called pretentious and things like "Black Parade," the sweeping ambitious albums. This tour, I think, in the past has been a very ambitious melding of a lot of things. Is it time to just sort of get back to having some purpose there?
A) Honestly, I think there are a lot of bands that are really good right now. Not that there ever have been more bands out that aren�t good, but I think people are kind of in the mood to just experiment and play around and try to reinvent themselves every time they come out and try to do something new and different and I think that�s resonating through all of music, not just rock music, but I think hip-hop music is evolving and country music is evolving and crossing over in ways it hasn�t really done before. I think that it�s a really great thing. I think there�s a lot of good music out right now and artists are really feeling in tune with that and feeling comfortable to kind of go in and as Bruce Dickinson would say, explore the studio space.
Q) On past Projekt Revolution tours, there were very prominent rappers like Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Xzibit and I know Styles of Beyond is on the second stage this time, but why isn�t there more rap on this particular tour?
A) I think as a whole we kind of just decided that these were the bands we wanted to go out with. Genres have always been kind of what we do, but I don�t think it�s absolutely what we have to do all the time. And I think with this tour we really wanted to have; I personally noticed in the past with the exception of maybe Cypress Hill and Snoop Dogg, there was enthusiasm of the hip-hop artists, but there really wasn�t a lot of overall excitement and I personally felt like the show kind of went into a lull in some cases and I really wanted this to be a really exciting, energy filled; I want the band to be able to feed off of the crowd. I don�t want to have to warm them back up after a show. And certain hip-hop groups, like I said, Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit in some cases did that very well and it�s tough. It�s tough to have a really kicking rock band come out and then have the Roots come out on stage afterwards. It can flow if they�re the right mix, but I think through trial and error we�ve realized that we want to put on a really energetic show and sometimes people don�t really want to have to think too much when they go to a concert.
Q) Please talk about the process which you go through in picking the acts for Projekt Revolution; if it's the six of you in flying fifths in a room or something like that?
A) It takes about a year to put on one of these shows from original concepts to basically when I sit down and put a wish list of bands together to right about now. And it takes around nine months to a year to get one of these tours together and the way it starts is pretty much I sit down and I basically write down as many bands that I possibly can think of that I think are awesome and that I think could be really exciting to see together and I feel share something in common, but also bring something different because I think it�s important that a band of one kind lets their band experience music of the other kinds. It opens people�s minds. And so with this tour, it came about a little bit differently. It was a lot easier this year for us to put this tour together because all the bands seemed really excited about doing the tour and it was like My Chemical Romance was on my list from the beginning. Taking Back Sunday was on the list from the very beginning and we just kind of went through and it was really great because almost like literally I think 90% of the bands would do it. And we only ran into a snag in a couple of areas in the second stage where bands felt like they should have been on the main stage, but that�s just a judgment call on our part. So it�s a really interesting process, but it�s also, like typical Linkin Park it�s very democratic and once myself, and if anybody else wants to come up with a list, too, we, obviously pay attention to those ideas as well. And we sit down and vote and then we ask the other bands if they want to do it and then we kind of make the decisions from there.
Q) Please talk a little bit about the kind of show you are planning, terms of production and such.
Q) As far as Linkin Park is concerned we�re putting an hour and a half in and we�re playing a lot of the new record, basically I think it�s really a great time because we get to play like all of the singles and I don�t know; we kind of are amazed at the fact that we can actually squeeze an hour and a half set out because our record is fairly short. But we�re really focusing on allowing all the other bands to really put on whatever show they want to put on. There are no restrictions on any of the groups and we�re just focusing on going out and doing what we do and I think overall, I feel that if everyone on the tour has the freedom to shine at their best and there are no limitations, then I think that the fans will walk away completely satisfied. The production side of things, you know, we�re all rock bands. We want to put on cool light shows if we can and we want to blow shit up and we want to have as much going on visually, but I personally feel like still the focus should be on our band and on the music and use the production to enhance that experience as much as possible.
Q) Your live set is going to be different this time because you�ve got songs on the new album, like All The Rest and Shadow of the Days and The Little Things That Give You Away that are much more ballad oriented, a little softer than what we�ve been used to from Linkin Park. How are you going to blend in, especially with songs like that, your older material and the newer material and why it all works together?
A) At first we kind of had the same questions when we started thinking about how we could incorporate some of those songs into the set. Granted, we have a lot of heavy music, but I think we also have a handful of songs like Breaking The Habit where even though that's a high energy song, it's still a softer track and Numb, In The End and Crawling - those all feed very well into each other. We played Pushing Me Away just basically with Mike playing piano and me singing. I think that it adds a nice kind of roller coaster effect to the set. We come out with guns blazing and then give people a chance to kind of regroup. We are playing like seven or eight songs in a row that are just like crushing and then we kind of ease up and come back with a little bit heavier stuff and then, you know, work in songs.
Q) What it was about My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday that got them on your list for the tour?
A) It's a really easy question for me actually. I, personally, think that My Chemical Romance's newest record is amazing and I've been a fan of their previous albums, too. It was a no brainer! I mean it really was like who do we want to tour with that we haven't toured with before that just simply kicks ass? We were all really excited about the opportunity to tour with them. Taking Back Sunday is another group that they put out consistently good records and they tour hard and they seem to have a connection with their fans and those are all things that we take very seriously and I think with all the bands, they make great records, too. It's like every band on the bill is known for touring, known for putting on good shows and known for drawing good crowds. You know, Placebo are legends in my opinion and it's like if that was Projekt Revolution on its own I'd be stoked if I was a fan. If you take Linkin Park off the bill, it is going to be the biggest tour tour of the summer. You can mix up the main stage any way you want and it's awesome, it doesn't matter.
Q) You hear so many ways that Linkin Park is characterized, whether it�s hard rock, metal, rock and I�m sure there are a bunch of other names, too. I wonder how you characterize your own band.
A) We kind of want to be a band that�s kind of ambiguous. That�s our goal. We want it to be difficult for people to try to pinhole us into something. I think that as our career develops and keeps growing we�ll hopefully be a band that�s known for writing good music and I think we�re a rock band, but rock music has typically been a kind of music that is known for taking different styles of music and mixing them together, blues and jazz. There are so many different things. Led Zeppelin used a lot of reggae style music when they wrote. Every great rock band that continues is known for diverse styles and I hope that that�s what we go down as, you know, a good rock band.
Q) Do you feel by bringing this diverse group of bands together that you are not only bringing a message, the green theme, but also exposing the fans of each particular band to sort of come together and appreciate the other bands?
A) I think with this tour in particular I think there is a lot of crossover in terms of I think there are a lot of people who own MCR records, who own, obviously own Taking Back Sunday records and own Linkin Park records. But I think that there is another group of people that might think that this is their opportunity to see us together. I know that there are a lot of people who may not have heard of Placebo before, but I�ve been listening to Placebo for a really long time. I�m sure there are some people out there that will, too. The U.S. is a market that Placebo evades them for some reason. As a fan and as a person who respects their live show and respects their music, it�s an honor for me to have them play a show, but also I want to help them out because I think that their music is so good I want people to hear it. And all the way down to the newer bands, I mean, I've never seen Mindless Self Indulgence invited on any kind of summer tour, on any kind of festival and they are a band that's definitely worthy of taking out. They are legends in their own world and I think this tour really offers a lot and I think it's really special and I think that the fact that all these bands are just excited to play together it makes it even more special. There is no competition out there, which is nice.
Q) Is the Projekt Revolution tour going to become a yearly tour even if Linkin Park is not scheduled to perform on it?
A) You know, that�s a good question. I would like to see Projekt Revolution become its own thing, but as much control freaks as we are, I really don�t know. I mean it�s difficult to think that other bands will have the philosophy that we have. I think that there are groups out there that are open and willing to let the other bands just go for it and not limit production and keep the ticket prices down, not make as much money. It�s a difficult tour to put together in a lot of senses because of those reasons and I think that maybe one day it can be something where we can step aside and let it become its own thing, but I think for now, as we�re building its reputation and it�s getting more respect I think it�s going to need us to be at the steering wheel kind of guiding the ship.
Q) Please expand on the environmentally conscious theme to the tour.
A) Obviously, if anybody else wants to pitch in on this they�re more than welcome. Linkin Park, we started an organization called Music For Relief after some pretty horrible natural disasters occurred and we felt that we were in a position where we could actually do something and now with the question arising does global warming have an effect on the increase of a lot of these natural disasters I think that it�s important to raise awareness. In my opinion, let�s say the worst case scenario is that there is no connection and it�s just the way that the world is moving and we�re not contributing to it, great. But at the same time, what�s the worst thing that could happen? You know, we�d have cleaner air, less greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere, people are using less energy. There is really not a downside. But if there is a connection and we keep going down the path that we�re going and these horrible natural disasters that could be prevented by making some easy changes; I think that�s not an option that I�m willing to gamble on. So I think that by raising awareness as much as possible, encouraging people to make simple changes in their life and showing them how by offering information at the tour I think we can make a difference. If at the end of the day all we did was plant a bunch of trees, that�s cool with me.
Q) You were saying that you consider yourself a control freak and I was just wondering with the environmental message that hopefully will be getting across to the folks that come out for a great rock show, are you involved much with the peripheral things, like any kind of educational booths or anything else that is put out there over the course of the day?
A) We're going to have booths out there that give information on how people can lower their greenhouse emissions, from very simple ways to maybe more complicated ways. We're actually looking into converting our busses into busses that are green and they run on environmentally conscious fuels. We're actually even are going as far as having our homes evaluated to see how we could lower our emissions in our own homes and we can provide all the information at the shows and we�re encouraging people to take mass transportation. All of our records, any paper product is printed on this new material that is actually extremely; it�s like super recycled. It�s even our inks are environmentally friendly. Everything we do we�re trying to focus on polluting as little as possible. So there is going to be plenty of information out there and we�ll be giving out some crap, too, that people can take home with them. It�ll be cool. If people want to know they can find out.
Q) With 50 million records in overall sales with 623,000 in one week for your new album, how can you explain your success in a down market and how did the success lead to the creation of the Projekt Revolution tour?
A) I have quite a few theories on how companies can help their bands achieve greater success an stop just hemorrhaging money, but that's not part of the question. The reality is I have no idea. We just go in and we try to make the best record that we possibly can every time we go in and do something. I firmly believe that we have the best fans in the world, like they will die for us to a certain degree. They support us. They buy our records. They ask for our songs on the radio stations. they download our music; they buy tickets to our shows. Why? I don�t know. I think we�ve made a connection with our fans and I think that it�s a lasting one and I think that all great bands have the ability to do that and I think there is a part of it, in a lot of areas, we do have a very good team of people behind us that work really hard all over the world. And I think that we just happen to be one of the lucky ones. I really don�t know if there is a secret that we have because we just go in and we put our seatbelts on, strap our helmets on and just hope for the best. We try not to fall in a category where we listen to what people say. Like you need to be this, you need to do that, you know this band is this; it�s like we just try to really be true to ourselves and it seems to work.
Q) Are there any other causes that will be promoted on the tour or any other causes that might compel you to start another tour similar to Projekt Revolution?
A) I think one Projekt Revolution is enough. We are promoting going green and we also are going to be, hopefully, enlightening people to Music For Relief and understanding that you don�t have to wait for a tornado to rip somebody�s city apart to contribute. There are so many different things going on. We�ve been involved in so many different charities and I know the other bands are all involved in their things and we�re encouraging everyone to bring whatever they can to the table. But our main focus right now is we�re working with an organization that helps plant trees. We�re donating a dollar from every ticket to basically all that money, hopefully we�re going to try to plant over a million trees during this touring cycle. We�re going to try to keep our focus on as few things. We don�t want to bombard people with too much. I think people get annoyed when they feel like it�s their responsibility to save the world, even though it kind of is our responsibility. But hand them one thing at a time and I think it�s easier to digest.
Q) With the L.A. Battle of the Bands project there is an opportunity that gives to a local unsigned band to be a part of their tour or that side of the tour. Are you planning on doing this in other cities or if maybe on future tours you were planning on giving more of these opportunities to local bands?
A) Honestly, the idea came about because we thought that it would be really cool. It was like I�ve been playing in bands for over 16 years and if there was ever an opportunity to win a chance to play Lollapalooza I would have been in it, do you know what I mean? I just think it�s really cool and I think it�s a great opportunity for bands to get excited about something and have a friendly competition and go put shows together and get people to go and vote on their music and listen. Anything to help encourage the music scene and any one particular talent is like, I�m all for it. You never know; like one of these bands can be an amazing act that just shreds and really is captivating and deserves to be there. It�s not a glamorous place to be; it�s opening second stage and it is to a certain degree, but you�re basically playing when the doors open and it�s a tough position to be in. There are a ton of bands that are really good on this bill. So if you want to step out there and put your nuts on the line, go for it. We�re all for it.
Q) In regard to My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park, I mean can you just talk a little bit about your history together? Have you been kind of fans from afar over the years or have your paths crossed at different times or kind of what has been your history together over the years?
A) It�s really cool for a band like us to be able to look at other bands and say these guys are really doing it right. They pay attention to every little detail. They pay attention to the quality. They pay attention to their fans. They pay attention to the art. They pay attention to all of the details that it takes to get your message across and they actually get it across. I think, like he was saying, those are things that we have that are very similar. We share those traits and it�s always a pleasure to be able to go out on the road with an act that understands that and has the ability to connect with their fans and really make an impact and make music that�s true to who they are. I�ve been a fan of My Chemical Romance for a long time. I think that they�re a really good band. I�ve seen them live a few times and they always impressed me and I couldn�t wait to have a chance to take them on the road with us. They�re definitely a band that could very easily, without any questions, they�re a band that could headline this tour and do an amazing job and be the band that all the other groups on the tour get to look up to and aspire to be like. Taking Back Sunday is on their way to doing that, too. I feel that a lot of these bands share the same goals and they share the same views and it�s really a great honor to be able to share the stage with talented, hardworking people.