As if it wasn’t a big enough throwback already to be seeing Linkin Park tonight, there’s another one waiting for me as I exit Lucien L’Allier metro on the way in: BOOTLEG TOUR TEES! Yep, a guy selling Linkin Park tees for the princely sum of $20. I remember 10+ years ago you would see these at every show, but now it seems like nobody bothers. I’m in my element before I even get to the Bell Centre!
Upon arrival inside the venue, I squeeze past the huge lines of people at the merch booths (clearly happier to pay $60 for their tees) and find my seat as the mighty PVRIS arrive on stage. The seats are still half-empty, but the floor is packed, with a rectangular stage right in the middle of the floor to afford everyone a good view, even the nosebleeds.
Frontwoman Lynn Gunn acknowledges those who made it for the 7:15 p.m. start time: “Thanks for coming so early!” Wikipedia describes them as a “pop band”; if they are pop, I am the Pope. The sound is heavy and reminiscent of the nu-metal scene that tonight’s headliner pioneered, and Lynn is front and centre, whether blazing the guitar on “My House” or a ferocious “Burn the Witch,” or when patrolling the stage unencumbered, such as on “Take My Nirvana” and “Monster.”
“Oil & Water” wanders into power ballad territory briefly (OK Wiki, I’ll give you that one), but normal service is resumed pretty quickly, with the 35-minute set culminating in a pummelling “Goddess.” It’s my first time seeing them, and hopefully not my last; a blistering start to the night.
PVRIS Setlist
- Good Enemy
- Animal
- Dead Weight
- Snakes
- Take My Nirvana
- My House
- Monster
- Oil & Water
- Burn the Witch
- Goddess
There are various opinions when it comes to Linkin Park in 2025. For many, Linkin Park died with frontman Chester Bennington in 2017, and they have no interest in the band anymore; they are just not the same. Chester is irreplaceable.
But clearly the band know that; if they didn’t, they would not have recruited female vocalist Emily Armstrong to the band in the first place. It’s evident early on that she also has no desire to be seen as a Chester replacement either; on many of the songs that were heavy on his vocals, such as “Crawling” or “One Step Closer,” she holds out the mic to the crowd to sing great chunks of those songs, by way of tribute. It’s a respectful move, and one that doesn’t go unnoticed; the crowd are more than happy to fill in the gaps.
She comes in at just the right places though; when she’s screaming “SHUT UP WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!” at the end of “One Step Closer,” it sounds absolutely phenomenal.
She shines equally brightly, if not brighter, on the new songs from the From Zero record, where the Chester comparisons no longer exist. “Emptiness Machine” and “Two Faced” are perfect examples of her roar, though the pinnacle is on “Heavy Is the Crown,” where she unleashes an extended scream that rivals Chester’s on “Given Up” at their show in this same room back in 2008 – you may have seen the clips on social media that have circulated since. Absolutely unreal.
The rest of the band are absolutely on fire too. Mike Shinoda still sounds absolutely ageless, breaking out those raps without breaking a sweat. After one stellar solo from turntable-spinner Joe Hahn over a hefty drumbeat from Colin Brittain, Mike drops down to ground level to high-five some fans, sign a vinyl, and shout out a guy from a Twitch group that he recognised, before freestyling a verse of “Lift Off” down at the fence. It sounds immense.
It’s hard to pick out specific highlights, because every minute of the two hours is just so good, a reminder of how deep the band’s catalogue is after 25 years in the game (yes, Hybrid Theory was released 25 years ago; I’ll wait while you let that sink in). I mean, the show starts with “Somewhere I Belong,” “Points of Authority,” “Crawling,” and “New Divide” as the first four songs and ends with an encore of “Papercut,” “In the End,” and “Faint.” Seriously, how can that NOT be incredible?!
“The Catalyst” is anthemic, with arms waving and phones lighting up around the arena, while “Burn It Down” features Lynn Gunn returning to the stage for a venomous cameo. There’s a couple of highlights if you’re pushing me for them, but honestly, there’s no filler all night.
All the while, the singalongs are deafening, and the love for the band is undeniable. Emily reciprocates: “MONTREAL, VOUS ÊTES BEAU!” As we filter out into the warm summer evening, it’s safe to say that Linkin Park’s first shows in Montreal in 11 years are a resounding success.
Linkin Park Setlist
- Somewhere I Belong
- Points of Authority
- Crawling
- New Divide
- The Emptiness Machine
- The Catalyst
- Burn It Down
- Up From the Bottom
- Where’d You Go
- Waiting for the End
- Lies Greed Misery
- Two Faced
- Joe Hahn Solo
- When They Come for Me / Remember the Name
- Keys to the Kingdom
- One Step Closer
- Lost
- Stained
- What I’ve Done
- Overflow
- Numb
- Let You Fade
- Heavy Is the Crown
- Bleed It Out
Encore
- Papercut
- In the End
- Faint
Review & photos – Simon Williams
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