Mike Shinoda vanished from a listening party for Linkin’ Park’s new album because he didn’t want to hear his late band mate Chester Bennington’s voice anymore.
The 40-year-old singer arranged for fans to hear the band’s live LP ‘One More Light Live’ on the day of its release yesterday (15.12.17) but he apologised after he left early because he couldn’t carry on hearing the rocker’s vocals without getting upset.
Taking to his Instagram account after the listening party, he said: "I did a listening party on Instagram Live today for the new album. I left early, and didn’t really give a reason. To be honest, it was because it’s hard for me to listen to Chester’s voice for that long. I’m fine, I just wanted you to know. Thanks for understanding. (sic)"
Chester sadly took his own life in July 2017 – after the band had finished the album -at the age of 41 and his band mates have dedicated the release to him.
They said in a statement: "We dedicate this live album to our brother Chester who poured his heart and soul into ‘One More Light.’ After we finished recording the album, we joked with Chester that – since he had delivered so many stunning performances in the studio – he had set the bar extra high to produce that alchemy on stage each night. Not surprisingly, he welcomed the challenge."
The ‘Numb’ hitmakers – made up of Mike, Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell and Joe Hahn – praised their lead singer for turning "pain into catharsis" with his emotional lyrics and thanked him for his "dedication" to the band.
The group added: "Chester was uniquely passionate, uncommonly generous, sensitive, optimistic, funny and kind. With his voice, he turned pain into catharsis, authenticity into art and passion into connection. His dedication to bringing these songs to life was triumphant. For those of you who attended this tour in person, we thank you. For those who could not, we hope this live album gives you a glimpse into how magical these shows were for the six of us."
Mike Shinoda can’t hear Chester Bennington’s vocals
