All you gossiping fools saying that Chester Bennington is going to leave Linkin Park and join Velvet Revolver? He wants it to be made very clear that those rumors are just that, rumors. So stop spreading rumors about Chester Bennington, unknown people who were spreading those rumors. “It would be very uncomfortable for me to join that band because I’m friends with all of them, including Scott,” he told Kerrang! “If I was even going to do just one show, or record just one song with them, I’d have to know it was okay with my band, all those guys and Scott [Weiland] too.” It does seem odd that people would (allegedly, as I can’t find these rumors anywhere) think Chester would leave his cash cow to play with a past-its-prime act like Velvet Revolver, but then again, watching Slash work on a solo is probably a lot more fun than watching Mike Shinoda work on a rap.
Slash and Chester knocked out “Sweet Child O’ Mine” at a Camp Freddy all-star gig in Vegas, at the very least confirming that he would be a better fit for Velvet Revolver than a difficult junkie who can only pull off “It’s So Easy.”
The band also did “Highway To Hell” and “Whole Lotta Love,” songs considerably happier and hornier than anything Linkin Park has come up with. If he’s not leaving his compatriots in sensitive rap-rock, is he at least going to do more songs that match his increasingly metal look and lifestyle. After all, the guy who sang “Somewhere I Belong” is married to a Playboy Bunny.
Chester: “I am not Velvet Revolver’s new singer” [Kerrang! via Blabbermouth]
Chester Bennington, Slash… Playing Paradise City [YouTube]
A better singer than Weiland? No way. Scott sucks, but wee adenoidal Chester is the crown prince of AutoTune, which didn’t even exist back when STP recorded their one good album.
@TheContrarian: maybe weiland’s vocals are more pure or whatever in the studio (dude is allegedly working with steve albini), but Chester’s doing ok with “Sweet Child O’ Mine” in that clip, and I don’t think Weiland can even hit those notes. Hence, I think Chesty’s a better singer for a bunch of G’n'R vets.
+1 - the man can hit the notes
-1 - doesn’t seem to have quite the breath control (I’m seeing
“Paradise City”, not “Sweet Child”). I thought he was letting the audience sing along during the chorus, but he actually can’t make the transitions from line to the hook.
+100 - He’s okay to stand back in the shadows and let Slash do a center stage, in the spotlight solo.
From a business perspective, which we all know Linkin Park has, why would a guy move from a band that goes multi-multi platinum every time it puts out a record to a band that sells 1/2 that?
Linkin Park is a band that seems to have more business acumen than musical range. Still, Chet is an infinitely better singer than the reprobate who recently departed VR, and these days, is probably a better frontman than Axl himself.
[blog.newsok.com]
Not to sound like a know-it-all Los Angeles music biz type (if the shoe fits wear it), but all of my sources told me that the rumors about Chester being the new singer were false-which he just verified- and that the rumors about Greg Wayne (singer of SOMETHING TO BURN) being seriously considered for the position are true. The band is signed to Scott Weiland’s indy label and I’ll again restate the joyful feelings I get when I think about VR stealing Scott Weiland’s golden boy.