We had former LPU head Adam Ruehmer share some memories leading the first Linkin Park Underground Summit, and then-sixteen Aman Matharu told us how it was going from jammin’ onstage with fellow fans to jammin’ onstage with Linkin Park. We want to end the celebration of five great years since the first LPU Summit with some of attendees’ best memories.
10-11 November 2010 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
“November 10-11, 2010 were probably the most amazing days of my life.”
It’s was the first ever LPU International Summit and [I felt] so privileged to have attended. I didn’t know anyone in the community but took the courage to attend fully. I signed myself up to all activities. On the first day, as part of the Music For Relief element of the Summit, there were 2-3 outreach volunteer options to get yourself involved in. I signed up to paint a local YMCA as part of their revamp program. Here is where I met my first set of LPU best friends.
We bonded so much that we spent the whole afternoon together. We had lunch together and went to meet other LPU members for the LPU football tournament in Hyde Park where more long lasting friendships were made. We were now a big family of friends, rocking out together at the Linkin Park gig that same night at The O2 Arena and hung in the bar after the concert. For me, the Summit was not only an opportunity to have a special experience with the band, but to have a unique bond with other members as your now always connected by the amazing experience and no one can take that away from you.
-Rhoda Adesanya, Guildford, United Kingdom
“I arrived to the O2 Arena in London together with my best friend. It was my fist time interacting in person with other fans.”
At first I felt a bit alone and lost, I was in a different country and I didn’t really know anyone. Luckily, that only lasted about five minutes. We were soon approached by the good ol’ Adam, as well as a good bunch of LPUers. Suddenly, we went from being strangers to taking pictures with new friends! It was amazing! LPU really unites people.
There were many many anecdotes and special moments that day. But there is one that will always be in mind, forever; the moment was when the guys played “Leave Out all the Rest” for us. And suddenly, at one point, and without it being organized, we all started singing along Mike and Chester. Goosebumps as I remember it. The look on Mike’s face was a genuine, happy smile, too. It united all our hearts as one.
-Pablo Gonzalez, Seville, Spain
“I feel extremely lucky to have been to the London LPU Summit and not just because it was the first ever event of this kind, but because the whole experience was literally all I could dream of as a fan at the time.”
I traveled to London with one of my best friends, a dedicated fan like me. I thought I knew what to expect from that day as the LPU website posted details of the event… boy I was wrong! It was so much more, I just didn’t yet realize it. I met the band for the first time, watched some really talented fans jamming onstage, won a backstage tour led by Joe Hahn – how cool is that? And oh lord… the acoustic set! What can be more awesome than sitting on the floor, inches from the band members performing acoustic versions of your favourite songs and you and your fellow LPUers are singing along…such an emotional moment of pure magic.
Now, five years later, I know what’s more awesome- my LPU family. Some of the friends I made that day are the closest people to me today. As I was attending more gigs, meeting new fans and getting to know the crew I was sinking deeper and deeper into LPU world. Now LPU Summits are simply family reunion to me… and it all started that day.
-Agata Piątkowska, Szczecin, Poland
“Although I’d been to a couple of Linkin Park shows before and been around the other fansites for a few years, [that show in London] was the first time I’d really interacted with any LPU members.”
I’d mulled over finally joining when the Summit was announced, but due to work I could only make the second show. [At the show that night after the Summit], we headed as close to the stage as we could and got just behind the barricade. We got to chatting with some LPU members in front of us and they told us what they had got up to the last two days, and I was just… in awe, is how I would describe it.
I’d waited months for the show to come round and song by song it just flew by, Mike dedicating songs to the LPU and explaining where some people had travelled from, which again emphasized how special of an event the LPU Summit was to the fans. And then we got to a point where Mike paused and talked about the summit band jam that had happened before summoning the two guitarists from the crowd to play ‘Faint’ with them. I was amazed, at not only the gesture but how good they actually were.
After that brush with the LPU and its members, that night finally convinced me to join and not let the chance of attending a LPU Summit pass me by ever again- and finally, in Amsterdam last November, I lived out a dream.
-Graham ‘Boz’ Hatton, Derby, United Kingdom
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