Arriving at the AIS Arena for Linkin Park’s final Australian concert, I was surprised by a couple of things. Firstly, that the audience hardly had any teens, and most people were wearing white or coloured shirts. I was prepared for an all black grunge affair, but instead found myself surrounded by mainly friendly Gen Y males.

Unfortunately the stadium wasn’t full, with only 3,000 tickets being sold, unusual for such a large international act, but possibly due to the surprise announcement of the Canberra show only a few weeks before.

Once the talented warm up band The Art finished, it wasn’t long before the lights were dimmed and the huge screen lit up with robotic style graphics to create the pre-arrival tension for the boys of Linkin Park. Arriving on stage with a fit of energy, they were quick to get the crowd pumping with Wretches and Kings.

All six band members appeared on stage, but all were obsolete compared to front man Chester Bennington, followed closely by rapper, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Mike Shinoda.

Chester proved why his voice is one of the best in the business, moving from intense screaming to note-perfect melodies, all while jumping around the stage. His energy was contagious, and it wasn’t long before the audience were all involved, singing along to well known tracks Numb, From the Inside, Shadow of the Day and Lying From You.

Mike was the perfect wingman, providing backing vocal support to Chester and bringing his own style of clear vocals to drive songs like Somewhere I Belong and Faint.

The stage was set up with multiple levels and wireless instruments, enabling the band members to move around, giving the crowd the chance to get a great view of all the musicians. Drummer Rob Bourdon was perched high above the ground, smashing out awesome beats on the biggest drum set ups I’ve seen in ages.

A highlight was when two extra drum sets were brought on stage and Chester and the guitarist drummed in sync with Rob on Blackout, creating amazing live sound. Finishing the night with their most well-known son, One Step Closer the crowd went crazy, with everyone on their feet jumping along and singing.

Overall it was a very solid live performance to finish their Australian A Thousand Suns tour, and I hope they return very soon.

Photos by Chris Whitfield.