Linkin Park Chester: I sick when I sing

"Every night when I sing, it kind of pisses off the hernia. Last night I was vomiting when I was singing."

He is to undergo surgery for a hiatal hernia, a condition that occurs when part of the stomach slides above the diaphragm, allowing stomach acid to flow freely into the oesophagus. It follows the mysterious stomach complaint that hospitalised Chester and forced the band to cancel its European tour back in June.

Not only did it teach him to appreciate life, it made him yearn to be a better person.

"You kind of figure out that your entire existence can be flipped upside-down in a matter of minutes and no one is safe. When I was in the hospital, I was thinking to myself, 'Oh, man, I'm upset with one of my family members, And that could have been the last time I talked to him. I don't want that to happen again,” he told MTV, referring to the stomach complaint, rather than some life-threatening illness.

"I'm kind of queasy all the time," Bennington added. "I'm basically gonna be sick to my stomach until I have the surgery done.”

Hiatal hernias are fairly common, causing burning pain and nausea. Most of the time they can be controlled with antacids, diet regulation and inclining of the head and shoulders. But sometimes, as with Bennington, they require surgery.

"Food doesn't stay in my stomach. It comes in and out whenever it feels like. So when I'm singing and I'm actually using my whole body to sing, things get forced out while I'm performing.”

It gives a whole new meaning to feeling the song. Depending on what he has for dinner, their set at Reading could definitely have a 'meaty-aura'.

DiScuss: Does Chester make YOU sick when he sings?