Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson confirms he will sit out of all live shows

Linkin Park‘s guitarist Brad Delson has announced he won’t be joining the band on their upcoming world tour.

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Earlier this week, Linkin Park announced their comeback through a livestream event, where they revealed they’d added two new members to the lineup: vocalist Emily Armstrong, formerly of Dead Sara, and drummer Colin Brittain.

They performed a new song, ‘The Emptiness Machine’, a few Linkin Park classics, and announced a new album ‘From Zero’ alongside a short supporting world tour with six shows across the globe. It marks their first new music since the death of Chester Bennington in 2017.

In a chat with Billboard regarding their comeback, Mike Shinoda noted that drummer Rob Bourdon, one of the band’s founding members, had decided to depart the band.

Now, founding guitarist Brad Delson has shared that he also won’t be joining the band on their upcoming world tour, but will continue to work with them on a behind-the-scenes basis, including participating in the creation of new music.

In a statement posted to Instagram last night (September 6), Delson thanked fans for their “support and love”, and shared that he was “in awe of” new members Armstrong and Brittain “for their talent, passion, and partnership”.

“I’ve always felt deeply connected to and proud of our live performances. Over the years I’ve realized I thrive most when I’m actively working with my bandmates behind the scenes––in the studio, collaborating on our new music, and helping build our live show,” he said.

Delson also revealed that guitarist Alex Feder, who joined Linkin Park during this week’s livestream event, would be assuming his role in the band’s future live performances.

“I am so proud of everything we continue to create together. While I will not be performing on tour in this new chapter, I am super excited to introduce Alex—my handsome deputy on the road. Alex is a world-class musician, a kind and thoughtful friend, and we are truly fortunate he’ll be contributing his unique talent to our LP universe.

“Fresh eyes, honest appreciation, and devoted teamwork have brought us to this special moment. The privilege of sharing our creativity with you. Thank you for joining us on the journey.”

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Speaking on Bourdon’s departure earlier this week, Shinoda said the drummer had “wanted to put some distance between himself and the band”. He continued: “For me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best.”

Meanwhile, there’s been controversy surrounding Armstrong’s addition to the band. Though initially, the reception was largely positive among fellow artists and fans, a message The Mars Volta and former At The Drive-In frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala sent to her has since recirculated, which seemingly alleges she has ties to Scientology and convicted rapist Danny Masterson.

The band’s upcoming short world tour will consist of six arena shows across the world between September and November this year. The tour will kick off at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on September 11. Other stops include New York, Germany, London, South Korea and Colombia.

Tickets are on sale today (September 7) via the official Linkin Park website.

Linkin Park’s ‘From Zero’ 2024 tour dates are: