Linkin Park picks KL for concert By Daryl Goh The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Linkin Park isn’t just the biggest rock outfit around today but the Los Angeles-based band also has exceptional taste in picking the best concert spot in South-East Asia by confirming its only show in this region at Stadium Merdeka on Oct 15. “Linkin Park is coming to play Kuala Lumpur. It’s confirmed. The band wanted it to happen very badly and it’s fabulous news for the fans here as Linkin Park is a massive deal and it is possibly the biggest international act to arrive in Malaysia for several years now,” said Michael Roche, Lushington Entertainments director, over the phone from Singapore. The Linkin Park concert is organised by Lushington Entertainments, a Singapore-based events company, together with Malaysian partner Jojo Entertainment. “Ticket prices have been confirmed at RM127, RM102 and RM82 and a crowd of 35,000 fans is expected at Stadium Merdeka,” said Cynthia Chen, a Jojo Entertainment spokesman, who added that ticket outlets would be revealed earliest by next week. According to Roche, the band members themselves picked Kuala Lumpur as their sole concert venue in these parts outside of some Australian and Japan/Korean dates next month because Malaysian fans have supported the band through album sales and it was an opportunity for Linkin Park to repay their loyalty. In splicing a mixture of rock, rap and electronica, Linkin Park is considered the standard bearers for modern rock. The band, which is signed with Warner Bros, has been a consistent bestseller in Malaysian record sales for three years straight. More than 300,000 of the band’s albums Hybrid Theory, Reanimation and the recent Meteora have been sold locally. The band’s line-up includes singer Chester Bennington, MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joseph Hahn and bassist Darren “Phoenix” Farrell. “The opportunity to watch a platinum pedigree artiste in Malaysia is rare. For a record company to have its biggest act come to town and choose Kuala Lumpur above all other territories here is a sign that Malaysia is recognised as a sizeable market that matters for the band in international sales,” said Adrian Lim, Warner Music Malaysia marketing director. The latest updates are available on the band’s website www.linkinpark.com Jas