Story
When Rob Bourdon and Brad Delson were in high school, they started a band called Relative Degree with Mark Wakefield[1] and the bass player from a band called Karma, named Dave Garrett. They had a dream of playing one show at The Roxy Theatre, a popular club for up and coming bands, located on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, California, so they set it as their big goal.
"People laugh at me when I say this but my goal was - as a musician - to play a show at our local club, the Roxy, in L.A. in high school for my friends. I did it. Now I say this, and it may sound like bullshit, everything that's happened from that point on is all gravy. We're really proud of the music we've made, and for everyone that gets to hear it, that's more love for us. We're totally happy," said Brad.[2]
At the time, Mike Shinoda, who was a classmate of Brad's and Rob's, was making beats for local MCs, but would watch them practice sometimes. Mike developed a strong friendship with Delson, and, although he never joined the band, he would occasionally put samples in their songs. The band wrote 12 songs and rehearsed for a year.[3]
About their sound, Rob said, "Relative Degree sounded a lot like the band 311- it was rock with a funky incorporation of hip hop and rap elements."[4]
The show at The Roxy finally happened on May 17, 1996 and after their goal was reached, the band stopped practicing and lost focus, eventually leading to a break up and a separation of ways.[5]
References
- ↑ The Ride #104 - Shows - MTV, October 07, 2014
- ↑ Linkin Park's 'One Step Closer' to the big time | Pause & Play CD and Music Site, October 29, 2000
- ↑ MTV.com: Linkin Park: In The Beginning, March 15, 2002
- ↑ Fuck Yeah, Rob Bourdon! - The Roots of Rob's Beats (LPU 1, Issue 2), July 17, 2012
- ↑ Rob LPU Chat Summary - Mike Shinoda Clan, April 14, 2011