Yesterday Linkin Park were announced to be part of the Soundwave Festival 2013 (Australia) Linkin Park talked to Triple M about the Soundwave Festival 2013, I believe this interview was supposed to be posted later (or has been edited) since Chester says that Linkin Park JUST finished a tour with Incubus, which isn’t true yet, that starts soon!

I was 18 when I got my first tattoo. I was counting down the days! I wanted to respect my parents and their wishes, and also respect myself, and waited until I kind of knew what I wanted to a certain degree. It’s hard to explain why people have gravitated so intensely towards tattoos, but I think tattoos are a great way to express your points of view. They represent something that’s a little bit taboo in a lot of ways.


I think that when it comes to rock music that’s the same line. There’s something about being in a band that runs against the grain, and I feel that naturally the mentality behind a lot of people getting into music and also what tattoos represent go hand in hand.


I definitely feel like there’s a rite of passage when you get a tattoo. I mean, tattoos are painful, and sitting through hours and hours of pain isn’t something that many people look forward to, and so I think it’s a test of yourself and your willpower and what you’re willing to tolerate.


I’ve worked in the tattoo industry for 17 years (Chester is one of the owners of Club Tattoo), it’s a close knit group of people within our shops and the artists. There’s a real community vibe within tattooing, especially when you’re at expos where there a lot of local artists showcasing their artwork.


I don’t think tattooing is something that’s just geared towards convicts and rockstars and people who live on the outer edges of society. I think the face judges and stockbrokers and politicians and police officers and firemen and grandmas have them – I just think that the stigma has become so much less taboo. Tattooing has become more acceptable in social circles, and I think that’s a good accomplishment.

Source: Triple M