There’s something special about London for many reasons, but especially when you’re a music fan. Walking down the streets to Wembley stadium, I couldn’t help my mind to be filled with all the obvious classics.
The Clash may never have played Wembley Stadium, but in the cheerful company of hordes of Linkin Park shirts surrounding me, London Calling never felt so real. And even before the show started, I knew that London was more than ready to answer that call – and I was going to be proved right later in the night with a crowd managing to drown out Mike’s and Emily’s voices so many times.
But it wasn’t a war call. It was a joy call. A transcending joy that hit all of us full force while the sun set on those arches and the music started.
I dreamed a dream wasn’t it? Well, that was very much on point indeed. It was my first time at Wembley too Mike, and much like you I suspect, that’s a night I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
The lasers of the Inception intro entangled with those last rays of sunshine, like a wild dance eerily foreseeing that the darker it would get, the more light would shine.
The band set up the tone for the rest of the evening on the very first notes, bringing to the stage an unmatched energy and a fire that would just keep on roaring louder. All it took was Somewhere I belong to realise that it was one of those nights. No voice economy tonight, no restraint, no saving up for tomorrow because for all it seemed we couldn’t care less if it even came. A suspended moment in time to enjoy and shout and dance and live like none else. It’s fucking Wembley after all.
It’s one of these places for music fans where magic seems to be seeping from the very foundation of the building, and I don’t know if that played a role in the absolute enticing show Linkin Park put up or if it was just their kind of magic. Because yeah, that’s the only way to describe that show, pure magic.
A flawless performance, the most powerful auras beaming from that stage, unreal vocals from both band and audience – you did it Em, you nailed Wembley, you’re one of the greats – and pristine setlist mixing both the past and the present, affirming Linkin park legacy while ensuring a bright future for both the band and their soldiers. The best surprise of the night was truly hearing the crowd go wild on both equally. Generations of fans getting caught up in the wild ride Linkin Park have always delivered. The perfect reminder that there’s no more old and new, there’s just music and love and it’s all bigger than us.
The hardest part of ending was starting again and you did. Look at what you’ve done honestly. You made history. Hell, we made history. Wembley has always been the place of legends,and tonight you guys won your rightful place amongst them. We already knew that of course but I guess that’s one good card to shove in the face of those still muttering this comeback is flopping. Ha.
You know what? Who cares about that. The band wins are ridiculously louder than the rest of it and that’s what we should be celebrating.
Back to what matters, a night of great music and even greater fun.
Mike and Emily truly carry the humour the whole band seem to hold so dear and we can’t get enough of that comedy duo inviting for one night reggaeton as an integral part of nu metal.
A lot of laughs, a lot of screams, a lot of mosh pits, a lot of tears as the lights flooded the stadium on Lost. And then there were those simple signs reminding us that we will never forget where we came from, like Mike’s index pointing at the sky on the intro of Waiting for the end.
We all grew up together, hell some of us even got older together. We don’t forget our own, and their light will forever shine through us on nights like this one. Maybe exactly like this one for that may be part of the real magic in the air and what Freddie was singing about so many years ago. That kind of magic.
I could go on and on about that show, an incredible performance for the ages but in the end it all comes down to this, and it does actually matter, that kind of magic that makes us feel like home. A communion between band and audience, words and sounds engraved forever in our souls, and a night we will never forget.
We’re family more than ever and as Mike put it almost a year ago already, it’s good to see you again.
But I’ll just add, it’s good to be together again too.
Thank you for letting us be part of something guys, again. And forever.
Much love x
