Linkin Park Explain What Goes Into a Projekt Revolution Tour: Audio

While backstage at this summer's eclectic Projekt Revolution tour, Rolling Stone contributing editor Christian Hoard spoke with My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, as well as Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington. Here's a selection of audio clips from his interview with the the guys responsible for the traveling festival, plus check out behind-the-scenes photos of MCR, LP, Mindless Self Indulgence and more bands here.

Shinoda explains that Projekt Revolution, which brings hip-hop and rock acts together, prides itself on its non-competitive, inclusive vibe: "I think that if anything it's just a friendly, fun kind of thing. I remember back when we played Ozzfest a long time ago, we were still establishing ourselves as a band. I'd say about two weeks in we really had gotten our rhythm together and we were really playing great shows and we were winning fans over. It was amazing to us, a person we'd see walk in and sit down and say "fuck this band" and by the end of the set you could tell we kind of changed their mind."

Linkin Park, who founded the Projekt Revolution tour and headline it, have an intricate inter-band system for planning and executing the tour: "Our band is divided up — we head off different committees. Chester and Rob are on the touring committee. I do print art, merchandise, so the look you see on the tour. And Dave Phoenix handles sponsorship and stuff like that," Shinoda explains. "It takes about a year to put one of these shows together," Bennington adds. "I sit down and put together a wish list of bands and we do all kinds of research on the bands: what their average show is, their draw, what kind of radio play they get, what kind of history they have, how much they get paid, so that we can accurately place them on the bill."

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Song Stories

“My President”

Young Jeezy | 2008

Young Jeezy teams up with Nas on this track, in which he compare his own success with the idea of an African-American winning the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 presidential election. "When I pulled up in my car, that s--- was unbelievable to people in my neighborhood because they were like, 'We grew up with him. How the hell did he accomplish this?'" he told Rolling Stone. "I feel like it was the same way with Obama. I grew up all this time, but I've never seen a black man this close to running this country."

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