The legendary rock band tells us about their favorite travel memories, touring must-haves, and how their bassist is the world’s biggest underpacker
After a seven - class hiatus , Linkin Park , one of the well - selling bands of the century , returned to the music scene last gloam with a young album , From Zero , and a reunification world enlistment . Back on the degree are original phallus Mike Shinoda , Dave Farrell , Joe Hahn , and Brad Delson , along with new trail singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain .
For the last nine months , the group has ping - ponged from New York and Japan to Brazil on theFrom Zero World Tour — and they still have six more calendar month to go . Along the way , they also let go of the deluxe edition ofFrom Zero , featuring three new song .
All five touring members of the stone getup spoke with associate editor program Annie Harrigan about their favorite trip retentivity and touring necessity — all while roasting each other ’s travel quirks and habit .
Design by Annie Harrigan for Thrillist
Thrillist : severalize me about your favorite travel memory .
Mike Shinoda : The first few times I lead to Japan , it was always on tour . But this year , I go with my wife before our show . We went to an onsen in Hako , and I ’ve never done that before . It was an amazing experience , unlike anything else I ’ve ever done . The whole theme of the onsen is to give you a full traditional Japanese experience , and we definitely got that . It ’s a small weird to be in a plaza where everything smack like sulphur , but you get used to it .
Dave Farrell : This would be a toughened job if we hated traveling . One of the most memorable trips for me was when I cause to take my family on a safari in South Africa . We spent about a week in Cape Town and then five or six day in the bush . I ’ve set about three daughters , and to be able to do that and have that kind of an experience out in Kruger Park with them , it ’s middling memorable and unparalleled .
Emily Armstrong : For me , the first matter that come to mind is when we first went to Brazil on this turn . It was my first sentence there , and when we first touched down , within just the first few minutes of being there , there was this get-up-and-go . It sounds very weird . But that vigour , it was a very good energy . I never really experienced that before when run into another rural area . Most places grow on you , but right when I step in Brazil , it just never end . It was unrelenting the whole time , and I just thought , “ That ’s uncanny . ” That ’s something that will always wedge with me .
Joe Hahn : I’ve been touring for a longsighted time , so I ’ve got to dot off the arduous private road of memories . The first tour we did , we wanted to strike as many territories outside of the U.S. as possible , so we reasonably much did a full lap around the world in a very short amount of time , which was very fun , but also very tiring at the same metre . On the hitch , we did a few shows in Mexico . When we were in Mexico City , we go to the Temple of the Sun and the Moon . It was a really with child experience trekking out there .
Colin Brittain : I have a sobriquet for Joe . I call him “ Side Quest Joe ” because he is always find cool places to eat and just interesting things to do in all of the metropolis we go to . Some of my best memory have been from the hitch this year on the days that Joe and I split off and found weird poppycock to do . Sometimes I ’ll just keep abreast him around . He always has a variety of agenda . I have n’t been to a lot of these place that we are playing , so I ’ve just enjoyed going off the beaten route with him and getting to see some new places . For example , in Hamburg , we had a twenty-four hour period where we just wandered around the metropolis . I ’m certain you had a architectural plan , Joe , for that day , but it just seemed to me like we were wandering around and sightseeing . We found a bunch of nerveless little graphics galleries and workshop . I like to keep enough blank to just daydream and wander , so that day was really fun for me .
What did you wreak with you to change state the duty tour bus topology into a menage ?
EA : You’ve got to bring your own pillow .
DF : I ca n’t sleep without a fan . So I normally get a honorable mini fan to put in the bunk bed .
MS : He normally just pick somebody out of the crowd .
DF : That ’s really queer . Well played , well played .
MS : His wife is fail to be like , “ You tell fuckingwhat ? ”
DF : permit me amend that solvent . I ca n’t sleep without an air bowel movement auto .
JH : Colin has this thing where he loves character and their outfits , like anime characters . He has this whole costume matter that he does . I think they call it cosplay .
CB : Yeah , I ’ll bring costumes for certain .
Do you all overpack or compact lightsome ?
EA : Dave does n’t bring anything .
Anything ?
MS : It is so crazy . Annie , you do n’t sympathise . He just has a carry - on . We could be spend a calendar month in Europe , and this guy will just live out of a carry - on .
EA:“If I need it , I ’ll get it there . ” That ’s what he says .
What ’s in the carry - on then ? What ’s important enough that you do really impart ?
EA : Two pairs of underwear .
DF : More than that — three pairs of underwear . It ’s mostly underclothes and wind sleeve . I ’ll have a couple of sets of workout clothes and a pair of running horseshoe . Some underclothing , some windsock , two couple of pants , a couple of shirt .
I do n’t like packing , and I do n’t like unpacking . I would rather , if I want something , just get it where I ’m at than bring it and have to choke up it around . I do n’t like checking bags . I do n’t care waiting for bags . And at this point too , I think my wife and I have just indoctrinated our youngster into that [ mindset ] . The whole family will just pilot with carry - ons . We will go to Europe for two weeks and everybody ’s just have a carry - on , and it ’s awing . With these guy wire , I ’ll just state them how great it is for me .
CB : The first leg we did , I for certain overpacked . I did n’t realize how much material gets acquired on tour . So , whether it ’s shopping or people bringing gifts , you thread up with a surplus of thing from each city that you go to . I did n’t leave any way in my grip for that for the first time . I remember come up home with extra bag meanwhile Dave just had his carry - on and a haversack . I call up thinking , “ Oh military man , I overdid it . ” So , I ’m still prove to figure out my Libra of thing .
EA : My neighbour think I ’m moving out every clip I go somewhere .
What are some of the locomotion essentials you all unquestionably need to have with you when on the road ?
JH : For me , a laptop computer since it can pretty much do everything . The tautologic iPad , because Apple has us all hooked on their stuff , and I ’m a sucker for all of that . I have my camera because I love take pictures . I attempt to get in the habit of doing it ; years down the line , I ’m always glad I take the picture .
MS : I’ll bring a extra small keyboard . There ’s a company phone Teenage Engineering , which get to modest stuff , and I ’ll throw a unearthly Teenage Engineering gadget in my udder . They do n’t take up a lot of blank , they ’re slap-up .
EA : I wreak my iron supplements . You know us girlies .
CB : I essentially lend a wandering pharmacy with me in case anybody gets sick . I unremarkably have a whole “ air outfit ” in my back pack that ’s take allergy medicine and stomach medication — Advil , Sudafed , those sort of thing in subject . When we went to Columbia , because it ’s very gamey - altitude , I had my doctor call in Diamox , which is an EL unwellness medication , just in case somebody got it . Usually , nobody needs it .
I also wreak my laptop computer frame-up . One prison term I bring my MPC — the metre I mob too much stuff — and was like “ I ’m not using this . ” That ’ll belike transfer in six months when we ’ve actually brought our cogwheel with the design of make music .
What is one thing you like to do in every place you travel to ?
EA : I hump to Google “ best . ” My recent matter is “ good matcha near me . ”
DF : I do n’t eat breakfast very often at household , but when I ’m traveling , I always eat breakfast . With this band , breakfast on tour can go from seven in the dawn to noon . We ’ll just go to breakfast in the hotel , and you’re able to just hang there as mass in the band and crew arrive and give .
MS : In Korea , I woke up early and ate breakfast alone in the hotel . Then the first wave of people — some of my bandmates and some the great unwashed from the crew — come down , pose with me , and ate . Then , as they left , more people from the crew show up . And then it happened again . I was there for three changeovers of people . A fan even came up to me and said , “ You ’re still here ? ”
What ’s the eldritch thing you ’ve tried to add with you through drome security ?
MS : This is not a band write up , but I just think it ’s queer . My married woman and I have a Quaker who was strike , and they had one bag with all their stuff for the airplane and then a disjoined bag with all their king shaft in it , including adage and drills . They grabbed the incorrect suitcase and break down to the airdrome , and the drome surety have one flavor at it and was like , “ I ’m snuff it to assume that you bring the wrong matter . ” He knew immediately what had happened . [ Airport security ] was like , “ So we ’re not survive to call the police right now . We ’re just going to step to the side and figure out what is going on with this traveling bag . ” He lean it towards her , and there was literally a tabular array see at bottom , which you ’re not allow to bring as a carry - on .
JH : I’ve been to the airport with Colin , so I would say Colin is probably the weirdest affair .
