Linkin Park is in China as part of their "The Hunting Party" tour. (Photo : Linkin Park/Facebook)
Rock band Linkin Park ended the Chinese leg of their international tour, known as "The Hunting Party," on July 26 with a concert in Beijing Workers' Stadium.
Linkin Park sang several of their hits, including "In the End," "Burn It Down" and "Points of Authority." Despite several technical issues, the concert was a success, nearly selling out the venue.
"The Hunting Party" tour was launched to promote Linkin Park's sixth studio album of the same name, released in June 2014.
It was the last of four concerts throughout the country, with the first four being in Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Stadium on July 17, CR Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Stadium on July 19, Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium on July 22, and Chongqing Olympic Sports Center Stadium on July 24.
Lead vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda kept the show lively by interacting with the crowd, constantly saying "Xie xie (Thank you)" to the crowd. Shinoda even had a pair of Chinese knots on his keyboard.
This was not Linkin Park's first time to perform in China. They previously performed in Shanghai in 2007 and 2009.
In 2008, they were supposed to perform in Beijing Workers' Stadium, but they had to cancel the show because Chester Bennington experienced health problems.
Back in Sept. 2011, Linkin Park had to cancel three stadium shows in China, following their involvement with the Dalai Lama during a United Nations event earlier that year. They were among several artists, including Maroon 5, Oasis, Bjork and James Blake, who have cancelled performances in China due to political reasons.
This performance was made possible by a recent law passed that puts the concerts of foreign musicians under the control of the provincial government, as opposed to before, wherein they were under the Ministry of Culture.
Linkin Park has achieved a substantial following in China and worldwide, selling over 50 million copies of their albums. They are also the first rock band to have more than 1.9 billion views on YouTube.
