June 24, 2011


LP perform ‘Iridescent’ from the ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ premiere in Moscow.


Linkin Park have taken their expansive rock show to seemingly every corner of the globe, but they’ve never played Moscow’s Red Square (to be fair, very few acts ever have). But now, thanks to the power of Michael Bay and “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” they can finally cross it off their list.

On Friday, their performance of “Iridescent” — a song from their A Thousand Suns that’s since been tapped as the first single off the new “Transformers” soundtrack — was broadcast across MTV’s platform of networks. It was part of the blockbuster’s world premiere at the Moscow International Film Fest, but to hear Linkin Park tell it, it was also a moment they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.


“To do a movie premiere is pretty cool — we’ve done some of them before — but to do a premiere in Moscow, and then perform in Red Square … We were saying earlier, it’s kind of one of those things where you think, ‘How did they pull that off?’ ” LP’s Chester Bennington told MTV News. “I mean, Red Square is not exactly a place they throw concerts every day. Not many bands have performed there, so … this is really a very special and exceptional moment for us. We’ve had the privilege of playing a few other landmark locations that are very special, and this definitely tops that.”


Of course, it was a moment that couldn’t have happened without the considerable clout of “Transformers” director Michael Bay (“There’s, like, nothing he can’t do,” Bennington joked. “He may have actually shot the [film's] moon footage on the moon”), but when Linkin Park first joined forces with the franchise back in 2007, they never dreamed the collaboration would eventually lead them to Red Square. Basically, back then, they just signed on because they were huge fans of the toys. And needless to say, things have worked out pretty well ever since.


“I have a special place in my heart for Soundwave and Starscream,” Mike Shinoda laughed.


“We loved playing with the toys as kids and conceptually, the idea of Transformers — these machines that are alive — it’s always been a great story,” Bennington added. “But realistically, the toys were amazing. They’re still the coolest toys ever.”