Mike Shinoda set for Reading and Leeds

28 March 2018

Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda will perform at Reading and Leeds Festivals for the first time solo.

Mike Shinoda

The 40-year-old rapper is set to debut new music and perform the tracks from his recent EP 'Post Traumatic', his first recorded music since the passing of his Linkin Park bandmate Chester Bennington, who tragically took his own life in July aged 41.

Mike - who last played the music extravaganzas with his bandmates in 2003 - joins new additions including Alma, Rex Orange County and Lady Leshurr on the bill for Reading and Leeds, which takes place between August 24 and August 26 at Richmond Park and Bramham Park respectively.

It follows the announcement that Mike will perform for the first time outside of the 'Numb' group at Los Angeles' Identity LA festival on May 12.

'Place To Start' on Mike's three-track EP helped him cope with the grief of losing his best friend and bandmate, so it will no doubt be an emotional performance.

Speaking previously about the R&B track, he said: "I wanted to put this out as soon as possible because I'm living it.

"And a lot of other people are living it, too."

On the song, Mike howls: "I don't know the end, all I want is a place to start."

The Fort Minor star previously explained he's unsure what the future holds without Chester for the rock group.

Sharing a handwritten note on Instagram, he wrote: "The past six months have been a rollercoaster.

"Amidst the chaos, I've started to feel an intense gratitude - for your tributes and messages of support, for the career you have allowed me to have, and for the simple opportunity to create. Today, I'm sharing three songs I wrote and produced, with visuals that I filmed, painted, and edited myself. At its core, grief is a personal, intimate experience. As such, this is not Linkin Park, nor is it Fort Minor - it's just me. Art has always been the place I go when I need to sort through the complexity and confusion of the road ahead. I don't know where this path goes, but I'm grateful I get to share it with you. (sic)"