A/n: Hey guys!! I decided to make a comeback and try to write another story on this site. Enjoy!
I do not own the boys or anybody in this story.
Chapter 1
The guys of Linkin Park were getting ready for their world tour that would be in three months. Everybody was at Chester’s house having a little get-together before they head out. Brad and Rob were outside playing “Keep the Frog Away from Joe” and so far they were winning; the rest of the guys were inside playing the X-box. Chester was currently winning.
“Haha! I so totally kicked your ass on that one, Phoenix!” exclaimed Chester as he watched as Phoenix’s character slowly disincarnated into ashes.
“That’s not fair!” You’ve been winning for 5 rounds!” shouted Phoenix angrily as he threw his controller down on the soft blue carpet.
“Stop being such a baby! It’s not your fault that you suck at it!” Chester erupted into laughter as his bandmate’s face became red with rage.
“Fuck off Chester!” snapped Phoenix angrily.
Chester was about to respond when a phone call distracted him. Chester reached over and picked up the cordless phone off the floor and put it to his ear. “Hello, Bennington speaking.”
“Hey Chaz, its Bob.”
“Hey man, how’s it going?”
“Good. We have a band that wants to go on Project Revolution with you guys.”
Chester smiled at the thought of another band going on the road with them. “Great, who’s going?”
“The Jonas Brothers.”
Chester’s scream was unmistakable as it echoed through the house and into the outside world. Brad dropped Joe’s frog that he was holding and looked over at Rob, their game of keep away forgotten. “What the hell?” Rob spoke the words that were on everyone’s mind.
“Let’s go find out!” Joe walked into the house followed by a stumped Brad and Rob.
“What the hell happened?” asked Brad as he walked into the house with Rob and Joe at his heels.
Mike was seated at the couch, waiting for the shocked and outraged singer to begin speaking. “I just got off the phone with Bob.” Chester began, taking deep breaths to clam himself. “We have a new band joining us on tour.”
Joe grinned, Mike and Rob slapped each other high fives, and Brad was the only one who was staring at Chester quizzically. “And why does that piss you off?”
“Yeah, as long as it’s not the Jonas Brothers or any gay pop band! Why so pissed?” Joe asked.
“Because it is the Jonas Brothers.”
Joe screamed, Mike fainted, Rob started to cry, and Brad was the only one with the enough sense to ask Chester, “How did that happen?”
Chester sighed. “Bob said that they needed to be promoted in a better way then being broadcast on every Disney show and that we were the perfect band to do it.” Chester started to gag. “I’d rather live on the streets then stay in a hotel or a tour bus with those losers.”
“We’re doomed. We’re doomed. We’re doomed.” Joe repeated like a broken record.
Chester sighed as he slumped down into the plushy red couch. “We’re not doomed yet until they get here which won’t be till tomorrow.”
A knock on the door made Chester wish he had never said those words. “We’re doomed.”
Hope u guys liked the 1st chap! Please review!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Slash and friends
This Sunday November 22nd at Avalon in Hollywood, SLASH & Friends will play a benefit show for LOS ANGELES YOUTH NETWORK [LAYN], an organization aiming to end homelessness among kids. Some of those “super friends” appearing at LAYN Rocks include OZZY OSBOURNE, PERRY FARRELL, BILLY IDOL, CHESTER BENNINGTON of LINKIN PARK & DEAD BY SUNRISE, Travis Barker, ANDREW STOCKDALE of WOLFMOTHER, DAVE NAVARRO and a few surprise guests. Plus, Mr. George Lopez will be MC-ing.
Interview: SLASH talks LAYN Rocks
SLASH is the rock n' roll equivalent of Martin Scorsese.
While maintaining a classic sensibility, he injects true grit and passion into each and every composition, just like Marty. Appetite for Destruction was Slash's Taxi Driver—a raw and primal piece of cathartic art. In the same vein, Contraband was his Casino—a sprawling epic collaboration by genre titans. In between laying down tracks for his forthcoming SLASH & Friends solo debut, the legendary guitarist is focused on giving back—much like our favorite filmmaker…
This Sunday November 22nd at Avalon in Hollywood, SLASH & Friends will play a benefit show for Los Angeles Youth Network [LAYN], an organization aiming to end homelessness among kids. Some of those "super friends" appearing at LAYN Rocks include Ozzy Osbourne, Perry Farrell, Billy Idol, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park & Dead By Sunrise, Travis Barker, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, Dave Navarro and a few surprise guests. Plus, Mr. George Lopez will be MC-ing.
It doesn't get anymore rock n' roll than that, and this is bound to be an unforgettable evening.
In this exclusive interview, SLASH sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino to talk about LAYN Rocks, his upcoming solo debut, jamming with legends and that little Scorsese comparison…
Check out the interview below and don't miss LAYN rocks this Sunday!
How did LAYN Rocks come together?
My wife, Perla, and I support LAYN. She's actually on the board. We're trying to raise money to keep it going, and we've been doing these SLASH & Friends gigs recently. Basically, we get a bunch of people together and put on a concert. Perla had asked me if I'd be interested in doing it to support LAYN, and I was fully into it! This will actually be the first SLASH & Friends gig I've done in Los Angeles. Basically, I wanted to put together something that would be a really big blowout, and that's what we've done! We've got all these different artists, and it should be an amazing event.
Does performing on stage with other musicians tend to breed studio collaborations later on for something like your solo record?
No, this show actually has nothing to do with my solo album. One doesn't feed the other. However, having done a couple gigs with Chester Bennington makes me think about him if I'm writing a song. If there's a song that's right for Chester, I'll be like, "I've jammed with him, he would be perfect for this!" Performing together on stage inadvertently fuels future collaborations. The correlation isn't totally direct though. But, if there was an idea, we may come back to it. The more people you know that are singers and musicians, the bigger pool you have to pull from when you want to do some sort of collaboration.
Andrew Stockdale's playing with you on Sunday. Are you going to do your song together?
We're talking about it [Laughs]. That seems to be the plan. That's a cool thing too. There's a song that I recorded with Ozzy, but we're not going to have a chance to learn it. I've actually done two songs on the record with two of these guys performing at LAYN Rocks.
When you play a benefit like this, is it more special than a regular gig in some aspects?
It is special! There's something about it. It's a one-night event. It's not totally self-centered—which is how a concert usually is [Laughs]. Everybody is hanging out and having a good time. There's no pressure. You don't feel the pressure of having to be "The Headliner" and having an entire set to put together. People can leave all of those concerns at home and simply get up and jam. Because everybody is a pro, the jams are really good [Laughs]. The audience has no idea what they're in for because most of them have never seen anything like it. It turns out to be a really exciting event for everybody involved. It's a lot of fun.
The energy in the room must be particularly palpable because everyone is playing for the same goal—even though you're all from different bands.
Exactly! There's definitely a feeling of camaraderie and a feeling of giving and caring as well. It's really cool.
Do you have anymore of these benefits planned?
This is the only one that I've got going on. After Sunday, the holidays are coming, I've got a record coming out and all of this other stuff happening. One thing I've got to tell you—you lose a lot of sleep trying to get these things together [Laughs].
Well, the lineup looks legendary enough to be worth the sleep deprivation.
[Laughs] Musicians are coming from all different directions. We'll all convene over the weekend and rehearse. Then we'll put it together on Sunday and see how it goes. It should be a lot of fun! I've worked with pretty much everybody on the bill. I've never played with Travis Barker before, which is going to be cool. I've never worked with Andrew Stockdale outside of the studio, but he's a great guy. I've played with Chester, Dave Navarro, Billy Idol, Perry Farrell and Ozzy live before. Having all of these amazing get together is incredible. For me, to be on stage the whole night while they walk up is huge.
There's a '70s vibe to the whole event. It's very classic. In many ways, you're like a filmmaker from that particular renaissance. You're like the Scorsese of the guitar! There's an outlaw vibe but an epic sense of refinement…
[Laughs] That's a huge compliment! I love Scorsese! I was obviously raised in the '70s, and I come from the outlaw rock n' roll background as far as who I was raised with, what my parents were all about, what kind of music I listened to and so on. I would imagine I've gotten some influence from that which has spilled over into what I've been doing since I picked up a guitar. I like that old, '70s vibe where people just get together and jam for the sake of making music as opposed to everything being the way things are today. Now it's money-driven, image-driven and that corporate sort of thing. It's nice to be able to make a minute and do something that has nothing to do with any outside interests except for jamming—especially if you're doing it for a cause.
Is that vibe spilling over into your solo material?
The solo stuff is really cool because it does have a similar vibe. It wasn't created for any kind of cause, benefit, fundraising or anything like that but, at the same time, there's something to it. The last couple bands I've been in—Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses and even Snakepit—there were so many concerns coming from the record company about so many different things. The pressure can be a little bit of a drag at times especially if you've got ego problems within the band. That's what being in a rock n' roll band can be about. I wanted to do a solo record so I could do something that I'd dictate myself and would be my responsibility. Whether it sinks or swims is all up to me. To get a bunch of people together who I think are really talented and have them sing is amazing. The singers were all great because they didn't have to worry about pressures from their record labels about whether or not the song was going to be a huge hit single. I got amazing performances because the whole thing was so laidback. That's one of the similarities between my record and this concert that we're doing on Sunday. It's really done for the pure joy of it, as opposed to trying to prove something, trying to sell a certain number of copies or whatever it is that motivates everybody these days [Laughs].
—Rick Florino
11.17.09
Check out Rick Florino's new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…
Interview: SLASH talks LAYN Rocks
SLASH is the rock n' roll equivalent of Martin Scorsese.
While maintaining a classic sensibility, he injects true grit and passion into each and every composition, just like Marty. Appetite for Destruction was Slash's Taxi Driver—a raw and primal piece of cathartic art. In the same vein, Contraband was his Casino—a sprawling epic collaboration by genre titans. In between laying down tracks for his forthcoming SLASH & Friends solo debut, the legendary guitarist is focused on giving back—much like our favorite filmmaker…
This Sunday November 22nd at Avalon in Hollywood, SLASH & Friends will play a benefit show for Los Angeles Youth Network [LAYN], an organization aiming to end homelessness among kids. Some of those "super friends" appearing at LAYN Rocks include Ozzy Osbourne, Perry Farrell, Billy Idol, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park & Dead By Sunrise, Travis Barker, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, Dave Navarro and a few surprise guests. Plus, Mr. George Lopez will be MC-ing.
It doesn't get anymore rock n' roll than that, and this is bound to be an unforgettable evening.
In this exclusive interview, SLASH sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino to talk about LAYN Rocks, his upcoming solo debut, jamming with legends and that little Scorsese comparison…
Check out the interview below and don't miss LAYN rocks this Sunday!
How did LAYN Rocks come together?
My wife, Perla, and I support LAYN. She's actually on the board. We're trying to raise money to keep it going, and we've been doing these SLASH & Friends gigs recently. Basically, we get a bunch of people together and put on a concert. Perla had asked me if I'd be interested in doing it to support LAYN, and I was fully into it! This will actually be the first SLASH & Friends gig I've done in Los Angeles. Basically, I wanted to put together something that would be a really big blowout, and that's what we've done! We've got all these different artists, and it should be an amazing event.
Does performing on stage with other musicians tend to breed studio collaborations later on for something like your solo record?
No, this show actually has nothing to do with my solo album. One doesn't feed the other. However, having done a couple gigs with Chester Bennington makes me think about him if I'm writing a song. If there's a song that's right for Chester, I'll be like, "I've jammed with him, he would be perfect for this!" Performing together on stage inadvertently fuels future collaborations. The correlation isn't totally direct though. But, if there was an idea, we may come back to it. The more people you know that are singers and musicians, the bigger pool you have to pull from when you want to do some sort of collaboration.
Andrew Stockdale's playing with you on Sunday. Are you going to do your song together?
We're talking about it [Laughs]. That seems to be the plan. That's a cool thing too. There's a song that I recorded with Ozzy, but we're not going to have a chance to learn it. I've actually done two songs on the record with two of these guys performing at LAYN Rocks.
When you play a benefit like this, is it more special than a regular gig in some aspects?
It is special! There's something about it. It's a one-night event. It's not totally self-centered—which is how a concert usually is [Laughs]. Everybody is hanging out and having a good time. There's no pressure. You don't feel the pressure of having to be "The Headliner" and having an entire set to put together. People can leave all of those concerns at home and simply get up and jam. Because everybody is a pro, the jams are really good [Laughs]. The audience has no idea what they're in for because most of them have never seen anything like it. It turns out to be a really exciting event for everybody involved. It's a lot of fun.
The energy in the room must be particularly palpable because everyone is playing for the same goal—even though you're all from different bands.
Exactly! There's definitely a feeling of camaraderie and a feeling of giving and caring as well. It's really cool.
Do you have anymore of these benefits planned?
This is the only one that I've got going on. After Sunday, the holidays are coming, I've got a record coming out and all of this other stuff happening. One thing I've got to tell you—you lose a lot of sleep trying to get these things together [Laughs].
Well, the lineup looks legendary enough to be worth the sleep deprivation.
[Laughs] Musicians are coming from all different directions. We'll all convene over the weekend and rehearse. Then we'll put it together on Sunday and see how it goes. It should be a lot of fun! I've worked with pretty much everybody on the bill. I've never played with Travis Barker before, which is going to be cool. I've never worked with Andrew Stockdale outside of the studio, but he's a great guy. I've played with Chester, Dave Navarro, Billy Idol, Perry Farrell and Ozzy live before. Having all of these amazing get together is incredible. For me, to be on stage the whole night while they walk up is huge.
There's a '70s vibe to the whole event. It's very classic. In many ways, you're like a filmmaker from that particular renaissance. You're like the Scorsese of the guitar! There's an outlaw vibe but an epic sense of refinement…
[Laughs] That's a huge compliment! I love Scorsese! I was obviously raised in the '70s, and I come from the outlaw rock n' roll background as far as who I was raised with, what my parents were all about, what kind of music I listened to and so on. I would imagine I've gotten some influence from that which has spilled over into what I've been doing since I picked up a guitar. I like that old, '70s vibe where people just get together and jam for the sake of making music as opposed to everything being the way things are today. Now it's money-driven, image-driven and that corporate sort of thing. It's nice to be able to make a minute and do something that has nothing to do with any outside interests except for jamming—especially if you're doing it for a cause.
Is that vibe spilling over into your solo material?
The solo stuff is really cool because it does have a similar vibe. It wasn't created for any kind of cause, benefit, fundraising or anything like that but, at the same time, there's something to it. The last couple bands I've been in—Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses and even Snakepit—there were so many concerns coming from the record company about so many different things. The pressure can be a little bit of a drag at times especially if you've got ego problems within the band. That's what being in a rock n' roll band can be about. I wanted to do a solo record so I could do something that I'd dictate myself and would be my responsibility. Whether it sinks or swims is all up to me. To get a bunch of people together who I think are really talented and have them sing is amazing. The singers were all great because they didn't have to worry about pressures from their record labels about whether or not the song was going to be a huge hit single. I got amazing performances because the whole thing was so laidback. That's one of the similarities between my record and this concert that we're doing on Sunday. It's really done for the pure joy of it, as opposed to trying to prove something, trying to sell a certain number of copies or whatever it is that motivates everybody these days [Laughs].
—Rick Florino
11.17.09
Check out Rick Florino's new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…
Chester Bennington talks Dead By Sunrise
Linkin Park's Chester Bennington calls his new band Dead By Sunrise. But the singer-songwriter is quick to stress that the name isn't simply a slogan or a neat word grouping - it comes from a real-life struggle he's still trying to reconcile.
"I'm a drinker," Bennington says. "And for far too long I was completely out of control, leading an existence and lifestyle that I'm definitely not proud of. There have been times where I literally thought, Oh my God, I might not wake up tomorrow - that's how bad it's been. So when I got this other group together, the name Dead By Sunrise stuck."
For Bennington, who has shared stages with Paul McCartney, Jay-Z and The Doors, among others, and who, along with Linkin Park, has sold over 50 million albums, the need to record a album of his own with a new band wasn't a mere vanity project - it was a necessity.
"I had to write these songs," he says. "I had to purge them from my system. Call it catharsis, therapy - they had to come out. Linkin Park is a terrific vehicle for me, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I have a lot of different shades and textures to what I do, and thankfully I found the right bunch of guys who could help me do this material justice."
Bennington is referring to ex-Orgy guitarists Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck who round out Dead By Sunrise (the band performs live with bassist Brandon Belsky, drummer Elias Anda and keyboardist Anthony Valcic). On their debut album, Out Of Ashes, they crash their way through raging, harrowing rock (Fire, My Suffering) but they also slow things down for some surprisingly tender moments (Give Me Your Name, Into The Darkness).
"I don't want to say I'm more proud of this record than anything Linkin Park has done," says Bennington, " because obviously I'm very happy with all we've accomplished. But as the saying goes, 'This time it's personal,' and that's what this record really is for me. It's an accurate depiction of my moods and reflections, and I really dug deep to get it right."
Bennington recently say down with MusicRadar to discuss Dead By Sunrise, the status of Linkin Park and the internal demons he says are "still a daily battle."
Why do you think the music on Out Of Ashes couldn't have been recorded by Linkin Park?
"It's complicated. I think everything was relevant to the time. In 2005, after Linkin Park finished touring behind Meteora, we wanted to take a long break - we had been touring for pretty much five years straight.
"Also, I wasn't sure what kind of music the band wanted to make. Were we going to get experimental? Which we did kind of do with songs like Breaking The Habit. At the same time, we were in kind of a box, doing the sort of music that Linkin Park fans wanted to hear. That bothered me a bit - I don't want to have to write songs to order, to so speak.
"So I had these other song ideas that were kind of grungy, kind of punky, a little more singer-songwriter-oriented, very much 'me-centric' - I wasn't sure if it would make sense with Linkin Park."
Are you saying that Linkin Park isn't open to music that isn't 'Linkin Park music'?
"Well, see, this is tricky. I thought that at the time. At the moment I would say things are possibly different and that the band is super open-minded. We can go in any direction we want right now, and I'd say that's the result of working with Rick Rubin. He taught us that anything can work as long as we believe in the material."
What is the status of Linkin Park? Are you on a break?
"Linkin Park is still a band, very much so. In fact, we're recording a new record right now. I'm off to the studio today to work on some songs. I gotta tell you, I'm pretty excited. I think this next record could be our best ever. I know everybody says that." [laughs]
They do. But that's OK - you allowed.
[laughs] "Thanks. I feel like that's such a stock line: 'Oh, it's going to be our best record, our heaviest, our…whatever. I'm just really excited about what we're up to."
At the same time, however, you're doing some shows with Dead By Sunrise.
"Yeah, as much as I can. It's hard to have two bands going a once. I feel as though I'm leading two lives, and believe me, I have trouble with just one." [laughs]
How did you hook up with Ryan and Amir?
"I first met them years ago at a recording studio. Orgy were making their second record and Linkin Park was doing Hybrid Theory. We met up in the hallway and it went from 'Hi, how are you?' to us becoming fast friends.
"We hung out, played music for one another, and when I had these other songs that I didn't feel right about for Linkin Park, my natural instinct was to try to do them with Ryan and Amir. They understood them right away and we started working together. It all happened pretty quickly, us becoming a band."
Was it easier for you to work with a small group of people as opposed to Linkin Park which has, like, 50 members?
[laughs] "Well, what's funny is, on stage there's six of us, so it's not much different from Linkin Park. But yeah, during the recording of the Dead By Sunrise album, I certainly had more control.
"These were my songs all the way, so it was more of a dictatorship than a democracy. I didn't have to compromise at all. Put it this way: in Linkin Park, if I like a song but three other guys are on the fence about it, the song probably won't make the record. In Dead By Sunrise, I didn't have that problem. I only had to please myself."
That said, you do consider Dead By Sunrise a band, not just 'Chester Bennington and some guys backing him up.'
"Oh, we're definitely a band. But as far as the album, it felt like I was making a solo record. I'm not trying to diminish the guys' input and what they brought to it creatively, but…this was my thing."
Now, Amir Derakh certainly isn't new to a fair amount of the guitar community. He's been something of a cult star for some time. What was it like working with him?
"Amir is obviously a seasoned musical veteran, and he's probably the most underrated guitar player out there. He can hang with the best of them. One thing that's important about him, though, is that he's probably more ahead of the curve musically than anybody I've ever met.
"The guy just seems to know what's going to work, or what people are going to end up listening to in the future. In that sense, because he's so tech-savvy and knows how to produce, he's able take the guitar and make it sound very unique. A lot of people strive to be innovative, but he's able to do it very naturally."
You yourself played some guitar on the record, right?
"I did. I also played synths and did some programming. The basic idea was for me to go in and play all the songs very stripped-down and make them as beautiful as possible. I was going for a vibe not unlike the first Days Of The New record, but it wound up being a big electric record because I brought in Amir and Ryan."
How would you describe yourself as a guitarist? And what kinds of guitars did you play?
"Let me put it to you this way: I am not a good guitar player. [laughs] Not at all. 'Mediocre at best' is probably a good way of describing my technique. I've never taken lessons; I've taught myself everything I know. What makes my guitar playing tolerable is that I can write songs.
"Even though I can't play very well, I can put chords together in a way that evokes a nice melody, whereas a lot of people who can play guitar brilliantly don't have an ear for melody. That, if anything, gives me an advantage over a lot of accomplished players. It's all about guts, not technique.
"As for the guitars I play, I don't know the model number, but I have a Yamaha acoustic which is absolutely fantastic. I also play Hamer electric guitars - they still make terrific guitars, and I really love playing them live. In addition, I have a great guitar that I got in Japan. It's made by a guy who works for Hamer and it's called Mystery - it's one of the best-sounding guitars I've ever played."
Of all the songs on the album, I was struck by two of them in particular, Give Me Your Name and Into The Darkness. You really write about human relationships in a raw, naked manner on these.
"Thank you. Yeah, well, that was the idea. [laughs] Those songs were experiments. Into The Darkness was more up my alley in that it was kind of a love song but it was dark and twisted at the same time.
"I don't know if anybody else finds it romantic, but when I sing 'I want to open my skin and pull you in,' I find it sexy, the idea of wanting somebody so badly that you want to become one with them; you want to inhabit their body and vice-versa. It was hard to open myself up in that way because I usually write about doom and gloom and 'poor me' shit. [laughs]
"Give Me Your Name was even further outside the box because it was a song my wife asked me to write for our wedding. She looked at me one day and said, 'You should write a song for our wedding that we can dance to.' As if that's so easy! [laughs] 'Sure, honey, I've got that one right here.'
"Obviously I'm not a love song kind of guy, but I looked inside myself and those words came out. Truthfully, it was never supposed to be for the record; it was only intended for our wedding. But it came out so good that I thought, Hey, I should put this on the record. Maybe other people will use it for their weddings." [laughs]
You sappy guy you!
"Yeah, I know. I'm a sucker for that shit." [laughs]
On a couple of other songs, Crawl Back In and My Suffering, you write pretty openly about your addictions.
"I do. I'm also a sucker for alcohol. It's an amazing thing…it was baffling to me when I was going through the throes of alcohol addiction because I'm usually a pretty even-keel guy. But when it comes to drinking, I just can't stop. The urge to drink just takes over. It astounds me how different I am when I'm drinking from when I'm not. I become this other person. Probably not a very good person, but that's what alcohol can do to some people."
Where do you think this self-destructive tendency comes from?
"You got me. But I know I'm not alone. It doesn't matter how rich you are, how successful - it can happen to anybody."
Are you currently sober?
"I am. But I'll tell you, I've had vertigo the past two weeks that I haven't been drinking. It's a hard thing to deal with. I do enjoy drinking - a lot. And I hate it at the same time. I hate that I need it. It's a huge temptation for me. It just takes over. But life is so much easier when I'm not drinking. Hey, I guess that's what we have support groups for, right?"
"I'm a drinker," Bennington says. "And for far too long I was completely out of control, leading an existence and lifestyle that I'm definitely not proud of. There have been times where I literally thought, Oh my God, I might not wake up tomorrow - that's how bad it's been. So when I got this other group together, the name Dead By Sunrise stuck."
For Bennington, who has shared stages with Paul McCartney, Jay-Z and The Doors, among others, and who, along with Linkin Park, has sold over 50 million albums, the need to record a album of his own with a new band wasn't a mere vanity project - it was a necessity.
"I had to write these songs," he says. "I had to purge them from my system. Call it catharsis, therapy - they had to come out. Linkin Park is a terrific vehicle for me, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I have a lot of different shades and textures to what I do, and thankfully I found the right bunch of guys who could help me do this material justice."
Bennington is referring to ex-Orgy guitarists Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck who round out Dead By Sunrise (the band performs live with bassist Brandon Belsky, drummer Elias Anda and keyboardist Anthony Valcic). On their debut album, Out Of Ashes, they crash their way through raging, harrowing rock (Fire, My Suffering) but they also slow things down for some surprisingly tender moments (Give Me Your Name, Into The Darkness).
"I don't want to say I'm more proud of this record than anything Linkin Park has done," says Bennington, " because obviously I'm very happy with all we've accomplished. But as the saying goes, 'This time it's personal,' and that's what this record really is for me. It's an accurate depiction of my moods and reflections, and I really dug deep to get it right."
Bennington recently say down with MusicRadar to discuss Dead By Sunrise, the status of Linkin Park and the internal demons he says are "still a daily battle."
Why do you think the music on Out Of Ashes couldn't have been recorded by Linkin Park?
"It's complicated. I think everything was relevant to the time. In 2005, after Linkin Park finished touring behind Meteora, we wanted to take a long break - we had been touring for pretty much five years straight.
"Also, I wasn't sure what kind of music the band wanted to make. Were we going to get experimental? Which we did kind of do with songs like Breaking The Habit. At the same time, we were in kind of a box, doing the sort of music that Linkin Park fans wanted to hear. That bothered me a bit - I don't want to have to write songs to order, to so speak.
"So I had these other song ideas that were kind of grungy, kind of punky, a little more singer-songwriter-oriented, very much 'me-centric' - I wasn't sure if it would make sense with Linkin Park."
Are you saying that Linkin Park isn't open to music that isn't 'Linkin Park music'?
"Well, see, this is tricky. I thought that at the time. At the moment I would say things are possibly different and that the band is super open-minded. We can go in any direction we want right now, and I'd say that's the result of working with Rick Rubin. He taught us that anything can work as long as we believe in the material."
What is the status of Linkin Park? Are you on a break?
"Linkin Park is still a band, very much so. In fact, we're recording a new record right now. I'm off to the studio today to work on some songs. I gotta tell you, I'm pretty excited. I think this next record could be our best ever. I know everybody says that." [laughs]
They do. But that's OK - you allowed.
[laughs] "Thanks. I feel like that's such a stock line: 'Oh, it's going to be our best record, our heaviest, our…whatever. I'm just really excited about what we're up to."
At the same time, however, you're doing some shows with Dead By Sunrise.
"Yeah, as much as I can. It's hard to have two bands going a once. I feel as though I'm leading two lives, and believe me, I have trouble with just one." [laughs]
How did you hook up with Ryan and Amir?
"I first met them years ago at a recording studio. Orgy were making their second record and Linkin Park was doing Hybrid Theory. We met up in the hallway and it went from 'Hi, how are you?' to us becoming fast friends.
"We hung out, played music for one another, and when I had these other songs that I didn't feel right about for Linkin Park, my natural instinct was to try to do them with Ryan and Amir. They understood them right away and we started working together. It all happened pretty quickly, us becoming a band."
Was it easier for you to work with a small group of people as opposed to Linkin Park which has, like, 50 members?
[laughs] "Well, what's funny is, on stage there's six of us, so it's not much different from Linkin Park. But yeah, during the recording of the Dead By Sunrise album, I certainly had more control.
"These were my songs all the way, so it was more of a dictatorship than a democracy. I didn't have to compromise at all. Put it this way: in Linkin Park, if I like a song but three other guys are on the fence about it, the song probably won't make the record. In Dead By Sunrise, I didn't have that problem. I only had to please myself."
That said, you do consider Dead By Sunrise a band, not just 'Chester Bennington and some guys backing him up.'
"Oh, we're definitely a band. But as far as the album, it felt like I was making a solo record. I'm not trying to diminish the guys' input and what they brought to it creatively, but…this was my thing."
Now, Amir Derakh certainly isn't new to a fair amount of the guitar community. He's been something of a cult star for some time. What was it like working with him?
"Amir is obviously a seasoned musical veteran, and he's probably the most underrated guitar player out there. He can hang with the best of them. One thing that's important about him, though, is that he's probably more ahead of the curve musically than anybody I've ever met.
"The guy just seems to know what's going to work, or what people are going to end up listening to in the future. In that sense, because he's so tech-savvy and knows how to produce, he's able take the guitar and make it sound very unique. A lot of people strive to be innovative, but he's able to do it very naturally."
You yourself played some guitar on the record, right?
"I did. I also played synths and did some programming. The basic idea was for me to go in and play all the songs very stripped-down and make them as beautiful as possible. I was going for a vibe not unlike the first Days Of The New record, but it wound up being a big electric record because I brought in Amir and Ryan."
How would you describe yourself as a guitarist? And what kinds of guitars did you play?
"Let me put it to you this way: I am not a good guitar player. [laughs] Not at all. 'Mediocre at best' is probably a good way of describing my technique. I've never taken lessons; I've taught myself everything I know. What makes my guitar playing tolerable is that I can write songs.
"Even though I can't play very well, I can put chords together in a way that evokes a nice melody, whereas a lot of people who can play guitar brilliantly don't have an ear for melody. That, if anything, gives me an advantage over a lot of accomplished players. It's all about guts, not technique.
"As for the guitars I play, I don't know the model number, but I have a Yamaha acoustic which is absolutely fantastic. I also play Hamer electric guitars - they still make terrific guitars, and I really love playing them live. In addition, I have a great guitar that I got in Japan. It's made by a guy who works for Hamer and it's called Mystery - it's one of the best-sounding guitars I've ever played."
Of all the songs on the album, I was struck by two of them in particular, Give Me Your Name and Into The Darkness. You really write about human relationships in a raw, naked manner on these.
"Thank you. Yeah, well, that was the idea. [laughs] Those songs were experiments. Into The Darkness was more up my alley in that it was kind of a love song but it was dark and twisted at the same time.
"I don't know if anybody else finds it romantic, but when I sing 'I want to open my skin and pull you in,' I find it sexy, the idea of wanting somebody so badly that you want to become one with them; you want to inhabit their body and vice-versa. It was hard to open myself up in that way because I usually write about doom and gloom and 'poor me' shit. [laughs]
"Give Me Your Name was even further outside the box because it was a song my wife asked me to write for our wedding. She looked at me one day and said, 'You should write a song for our wedding that we can dance to.' As if that's so easy! [laughs] 'Sure, honey, I've got that one right here.'
"Obviously I'm not a love song kind of guy, but I looked inside myself and those words came out. Truthfully, it was never supposed to be for the record; it was only intended for our wedding. But it came out so good that I thought, Hey, I should put this on the record. Maybe other people will use it for their weddings." [laughs]
You sappy guy you!
"Yeah, I know. I'm a sucker for that shit." [laughs]
On a couple of other songs, Crawl Back In and My Suffering, you write pretty openly about your addictions.
"I do. I'm also a sucker for alcohol. It's an amazing thing…it was baffling to me when I was going through the throes of alcohol addiction because I'm usually a pretty even-keel guy. But when it comes to drinking, I just can't stop. The urge to drink just takes over. It astounds me how different I am when I'm drinking from when I'm not. I become this other person. Probably not a very good person, but that's what alcohol can do to some people."
Where do you think this self-destructive tendency comes from?
"You got me. But I know I'm not alone. It doesn't matter how rich you are, how successful - it can happen to anybody."
Are you currently sober?
"I am. But I'll tell you, I've had vertigo the past two weeks that I haven't been drinking. It's a hard thing to deal with. I do enjoy drinking - a lot. And I hate it at the same time. I hate that I need it. It's a huge temptation for me. It just takes over. But life is so much easier when I'm not drinking. Hey, I guess that's what we have support groups for, right?"
Chester Bennington joins peta2
Los Angeles -- Chester Bennington isn't shy about exposing the cruelty of the fur industry--or his body. The Linkin Park and Dead by Sunrise frontman has teamed up with peta2 for a brand-new "Ink, Not Mink" ad campaign in which he shows off his tattooed physique above the tagline "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin, and Let Animals Keep Theirs."
Bennington--whose debut album with Dead by Sunrise, Out of Ashes, launched this fall--also sat down for an exclusive interview with peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization, in which he discussed the fur industry. "What's really important ... for people to understand is the cruelty behind the fur industry," he said. "Electrocuting animals, skinning them while they're alive--these are ... acts of inhumanity." Bennington continued, "Because it's out of sight, it's usually out of mind for most people, and we need to show our respect ... for all creatures of this world."
A "big believer" in animal rights, Bennington is also concerned about dog and cat overpopulation. He encourages potential dog and cat guardians to adopt from an animal shelter instead of buying from a breeder or pet store, and he says that "[m]aking sure that you get your pets spayed and neutered is extremely important." His wife, who worked in an animal shelter, saw the tragedy of animal overpopulation firsthand. Large numbers of animals--about 4 million dogs and cats--are euthanized every year because there aren't enough suitable homes for all of them.
Bennington, a co-owner of Club Tattoo (a chain of tattoo shops that opened its newest location in Las Vegas earlier this year), joins a growing list of celebrities--including Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta, Twilight star Christian Serratos, and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy--who have starred in peta2's anti-fur campaigns.
For more information and to view the ad, please visit peta2.com or click here.
Bennington--whose debut album with Dead by Sunrise, Out of Ashes, launched this fall--also sat down for an exclusive interview with peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization, in which he discussed the fur industry. "What's really important ... for people to understand is the cruelty behind the fur industry," he said. "Electrocuting animals, skinning them while they're alive--these are ... acts of inhumanity." Bennington continued, "Because it's out of sight, it's usually out of mind for most people, and we need to show our respect ... for all creatures of this world."
A "big believer" in animal rights, Bennington is also concerned about dog and cat overpopulation. He encourages potential dog and cat guardians to adopt from an animal shelter instead of buying from a breeder or pet store, and he says that "[m]aking sure that you get your pets spayed and neutered is extremely important." His wife, who worked in an animal shelter, saw the tragedy of animal overpopulation firsthand. Large numbers of animals--about 4 million dogs and cats--are euthanized every year because there aren't enough suitable homes for all of them.
Bennington, a co-owner of Club Tattoo (a chain of tattoo shops that opened its newest location in Las Vegas earlier this year), joins a growing list of celebrities--including Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta, Twilight star Christian Serratos, and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy--who have starred in peta2's anti-fur campaigns.
For more information and to view the ad, please visit peta2.com or click here.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
New story: Give Me Your Name
Chester wrote the song “Give me Your Name” for his wife, Talinda, and they danced to it at their wedding. This is my version of how that day went.
Chapter 1
The long silky dress draped down from her chest to her feet. The snow-white dress wrapped around her body and threatened to smother her in a sea of white. The veil she wore covered her face with a thin layer of snow that one could easily see through. Underneath the white she wore diamond-like slippers that were hidden from view.
The sun spilled its flames into the altar, causing Talinda’s dress to catch fire and sparkle like a million diamonds glittering in the sun. She lifted her dress up a little to adjust it and the fire touched the slippers, causing them to explode with shininess.
Her eyes traveled up and were caught by brown ones staring back at her. Talinda smiled up at Chester who was wearing a sleek black tux and a white shirt underneath it. His black hair stood up on his head and the flames on his wrists were covered by the white cuffs.
As soon as the preacher spoke his final words, Chester’s cool lips brushed against Talinda’s mouth, waiting for her to allow him inside. He didn’t have to wait long as Talinda’s own lips pressed back against his, their tongues clashing and their saliva mixing together and molding into one. The thunderous applause rang in their ears but they paid it no mind as they were lost in their own world. Slowly, their tongues recoiled back into their bodies like snakes. They joined hands as they walked down the steps and into the cheers of their family and friends. “Congrats man!” exclaimed Mike as he slapped Chester on the back in a friendly manner.
Chester grinned as the rest of the guys came over. He leaned over and softly pecked Talinda on the cheek. Talinda smiled as she returned it. “I love you.” She said softly.
Chester smiled. “I love you too.”
“Aw look at the lovebirds!” Joe cooed mockingly while laughing.
Chester glared at him as he gave him the middle finger. “Shut up Hoe Hahn. You’re just jealous of the fact that I can get any girl I want without even trying.”
Joe glared. “Come on, guys. Let’s let Chester have his special day.” Mike said as he motioned Joe to where the food was located.
Once they were gone, Talinda turned to Chester. “Let’s go have our first dance together babe.”
Chester grinned as they walked over to the dance floor. “I like that idea.”
“May I have your attention please.” said the announcer as he tapped his glass with a piece of silverware. “Will you please direct your attention to the dance floor where Mr. and Mrs. Bennington will have their first dance? Chester wrote a song specifically for this occasion. The song is called, “Give Me Your Name.”
Talinda looked up at Chester with a look on shock etched onto her face. “You wrote a song for me?”
Chester nodded. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re the only girl I ever truly loved.”
Talinda could feel liquid prickling at the end of her eyelids but held them back. “Oh Chester.”
The song started playing and Chester wrapped his arms around his white angel, holding her close as they danced to the song.
Give me a smile
Give me your name girl
Give me a sign to guide my way
And give what I came for
You
'Cause you don't come easy
Give me your hand
Come walk with me girl
Nothing's that far when your near
So come even closer to me
Something so easy to do
Talinda couldn’t stop the rivers of tears running down her face as she was held by Chester. He kissed her softly as he mouthed the lyrics to her.
And I fall into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper where all the pain goes
Give me a smile
Give me your name girl
Let them know that you're mine
And I'll do the same for you
'Cause our love comes easy
And I fall into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper where all the pain goes
“Oh Chester, it’s beautiful.” cried Talinda.
“I knew that you would like it.”
And I fall into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper where all the pain goes
With a smile into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper giving me new life
You're my life
You're my life
Once the song was over, Chester picked up Talinda bridal style and walked over to the balcony where the sky was turning a pink-ish color. The rivers of tears seemed endless as Talinda cried while being held tightly by her dark prince.
The colors were slowly molding together, creating a mix of orange and pink that shined down on the glowing couple.
The newly weds turned their attention to the sun that was slowly making its way behind the willow trees and creating the perfect setting for the perfect wedding.
They laid tangled in each others arms while the sun descended and the beginning of a new year started. For them, it was the beginning of a new life.
End
So how did you like it? Please review!:)
Chapter 1
The long silky dress draped down from her chest to her feet. The snow-white dress wrapped around her body and threatened to smother her in a sea of white. The veil she wore covered her face with a thin layer of snow that one could easily see through. Underneath the white she wore diamond-like slippers that were hidden from view.
The sun spilled its flames into the altar, causing Talinda’s dress to catch fire and sparkle like a million diamonds glittering in the sun. She lifted her dress up a little to adjust it and the fire touched the slippers, causing them to explode with shininess.
Her eyes traveled up and were caught by brown ones staring back at her. Talinda smiled up at Chester who was wearing a sleek black tux and a white shirt underneath it. His black hair stood up on his head and the flames on his wrists were covered by the white cuffs.
As soon as the preacher spoke his final words, Chester’s cool lips brushed against Talinda’s mouth, waiting for her to allow him inside. He didn’t have to wait long as Talinda’s own lips pressed back against his, their tongues clashing and their saliva mixing together and molding into one. The thunderous applause rang in their ears but they paid it no mind as they were lost in their own world. Slowly, their tongues recoiled back into their bodies like snakes. They joined hands as they walked down the steps and into the cheers of their family and friends. “Congrats man!” exclaimed Mike as he slapped Chester on the back in a friendly manner.
Chester grinned as the rest of the guys came over. He leaned over and softly pecked Talinda on the cheek. Talinda smiled as she returned it. “I love you.” She said softly.
Chester smiled. “I love you too.”
“Aw look at the lovebirds!” Joe cooed mockingly while laughing.
Chester glared at him as he gave him the middle finger. “Shut up Hoe Hahn. You’re just jealous of the fact that I can get any girl I want without even trying.”
Joe glared. “Come on, guys. Let’s let Chester have his special day.” Mike said as he motioned Joe to where the food was located.
Once they were gone, Talinda turned to Chester. “Let’s go have our first dance together babe.”
Chester grinned as they walked over to the dance floor. “I like that idea.”
“May I have your attention please.” said the announcer as he tapped his glass with a piece of silverware. “Will you please direct your attention to the dance floor where Mr. and Mrs. Bennington will have their first dance? Chester wrote a song specifically for this occasion. The song is called, “Give Me Your Name.”
Talinda looked up at Chester with a look on shock etched onto her face. “You wrote a song for me?”
Chester nodded. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re the only girl I ever truly loved.”
Talinda could feel liquid prickling at the end of her eyelids but held them back. “Oh Chester.”
The song started playing and Chester wrapped his arms around his white angel, holding her close as they danced to the song.
Give me a smile
Give me your name girl
Give me a sign to guide my way
And give what I came for
You
'Cause you don't come easy
Give me your hand
Come walk with me girl
Nothing's that far when your near
So come even closer to me
Something so easy to do
Talinda couldn’t stop the rivers of tears running down her face as she was held by Chester. He kissed her softly as he mouthed the lyrics to her.
And I fall into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper where all the pain goes
Give me a smile
Give me your name girl
Let them know that you're mine
And I'll do the same for you
'Cause our love comes easy
And I fall into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper where all the pain goes
“Oh Chester, it’s beautiful.” cried Talinda.
“I knew that you would like it.”
And I fall into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper where all the pain goes
With a smile into the ocean
Inside of your arms
Taking me deeper giving me new life
You're my life
You're my life
Once the song was over, Chester picked up Talinda bridal style and walked over to the balcony where the sky was turning a pink-ish color. The rivers of tears seemed endless as Talinda cried while being held tightly by her dark prince.
The colors were slowly molding together, creating a mix of orange and pink that shined down on the glowing couple.
The newly weds turned their attention to the sun that was slowly making its way behind the willow trees and creating the perfect setting for the perfect wedding.
They laid tangled in each others arms while the sun descended and the beginning of a new year started. For them, it was the beginning of a new life.
End
So how did you like it? Please review!:)
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