With just over a dozen gigs under their belt, the new line-up of Linkin Park is an unlikely step forward. Unlikely because how do you replace one of modern rock’s most distinctive frontmen, whose dynamic vocals formed the group’s DNA?
No wonder it took a nearly seven-year creative soul-searching process for the band, culminating with the relatively unknown singer Emily Armstrong taking over vocals following Chester Bennington’s death in 2017. Colin Brittain is also a new addition, replacing Rob Bourdon on drums.
Their performance in front of 100,000 people on the opening night of Riyadh’s Soundstorm festival on Thursday augurs well, as the band prepares for a world tour beginning in January.
The nearly two-hour set, spanning their biggest hits and tracks from this year’s solid comeback album From Zero, should also help silence the two main criticisms levelled by hardcore Linkin Park fans. For those initially wondering – and I count myself among them – “Emily who?” when Armstrong was announced as the new lead singer, the Riyadh set proved she is a dynamic and powerful vocalist in her own right.
As for those lamenting why Linkin Park is even continuing after Bennington’s death, the Riyadh performance provides the answer: the new line-up has the energy and ruggedness – we’ll get to that later – of a fledgling band who just happen to be getting their start in stadiums.
This was evident from the onset of the opener, Somewhere I Belong, from the blockbuster album Meteora. Having attended a Melbourne show on the 2004 tour, I recall seeing Linkin Park at full pomp. Bennington had established himself as a brilliant frontman, with vocals that effortlessly moved from a boy band croon to a shredding metal roar, while the rest of the band provided a precise backdrop that made the live music almost indistinguishable from the recording.
Here in Riyadh, it was different. The signature pile-driving riff of Somewhere I Belong sounded muddier and more gnarly. This had less to do with the style of tour guitarist Alex Feder (original guitarist Brad Delson has opted out of playing live) and more with the band finding new ways to revitalise older material. Hits Crawling and Burn It Down also packed a more vital and feral quality. It wasn’t that the band was at risk of playing the wrong notes. Instead, their apparent disregard for sounding painstakingly pristine made the music feel more kinetic and joyful.
Which brings us to Armstrong, whose impact is more catalytic than direct. Keenly aware of the big boots she is filling and the unfair commentary surrounding her arrival, she maintains a low-key stage presence. Perhaps out of respect for Bennington – known for marauding around the stage – Armstrong does not physically impose herself and limits her crowd banter to a few greetings.
That said, when she lets rip with one of her many visceral roars on the potent The Emptiness Machine and Two Faced, both standout tracks off From Zero, it becomes clear why she was chosen.
Perhaps after achieving sonic perfection with Bennington, the surviving members, led by guitarist/rapper Mike Shinoda, felt it best to rediscover the beauty in some of the brutality underpinning their works. Whether it’s by ratcheting up the volume in an unbridled version of One Step Closer or leaning further into the melancholy of What I’ve Done – featuring a particularly haunting vocal performance by Armstrong – the band seems to be recalibrating, not changing, their sound.
By the time the two-hour set closed with Faint, any misgivings about Linkin Park’s return were assuaged. Armstrong even offered a faint smile before leaving the stage.
There was no need for a song or moment officially dedicated to Bennington; his legacy is imbued in everything Linkin Park has done and will do. Instead, what the Riyadh concert shows is a resilient band taking another one step as they forge their path forward.
Eminem is sharp in biggest concert to date
The sea of people greeting Eminem, an artist who has been performing in stadiums for over a decade, at Soundstorm on Thursday made even him temporarily break out of character.
Pointing to the more than 100,000 people watching him perform after Linkin Park on the Big Beast stage, he told his sidekick Mr Porter: “Man, this could be the biggest crowd I ever played to.” The rapper's most-attended solo concert was his sell-out Melbourne Cricket Ground show in Australia in 2019, watched by more than 80,000 fans.
While Soundstorm was a festival date with more than 100 artists on the bill, there was no mistaking who was the star of the evening. In what appears to be the signature introduction for his 2025 world tour, he followed up his Abu Dhabi F1 performance last week by again emerging from a coffin wearing a hockey mask and wielding a chainsaw – recalling the on-stage antics of his Anger Management tour in the early 2000s.
The Abu Dhabi gig – only his second full-length concert of the year – saw his voice nearly give out a third of the way through the performance at Etihad Park. But his appearance six days later in Riyadh, following a show in Bahrain, found him undeniably sharp. The back-to-back combo of speed-rapping fests Godzilla and Rap God remains a highlight. However, the decision to omit the new single Temporary, featuring supporting artist Skylar Grey, seems odd, considering it was the emotional high point of all preceding shows.
Concluding his first sold-out Gulf tour, Eminem would surely leave Riyadh taking heart that, more than 25 years into his career, his regional fan base remains as committed as ever.
Saudi World Cup celebrations continue at Soundstorm
Saudi Arabia’s winning bid to host the 2034 World Cup football tournament is turning into an ongoing celebration. A day after the announcement, Soundstorm welcomed some of the kingdom’s high-profile players to celebrate the occasion with the kind of enthusiastic crowd expected to fill the stadiums 10 years from now.
Preceded by the chanting of Saudi football songs, national football team captain Yasser Al Qahtani took to the main stage alongside Brazilian star Neymar, who plays for Riyadh’s Al Hilal, to share in the communal joy.
“This is something all of us in Saudi Arabia dreamt of, and it is finally happening,” Al Qahtani said. “This is only the beginning.”
Soundstorm festival continues in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until Saturday.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Marital status: Single
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Race%20card
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LOVE%20AGAIN
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Company%20Profile
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20National%20selections
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SUCCESSION%20SEASON%204%20EPISODE%201
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The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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The%20specs
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
Honeymoonish
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
