Chester Bennington's bandmate Mike Shinoda posts first picture of Linkin Park together

They look thin, up for laugh and hoping to take on the world.

Not surprisingly, they also look very young.

Chester Bennington’s bandmates have posted the first known image of Linkin Park, taken more than 20 years ago. It shows a group of students with their arms around each other shoulders, gazing into the camera.

“1997 or 1998...I think this was the first photo we ever took together. We had just told Chester that we wanted him to join the band,” said the caption, written by band mate Mike Shinoda.

“He said he was ready to move out from Arizona to LA We went to a pizza place near UCLA to hang out and talk about what to do next. The band was called Xero at the time, and we probably had less than a half a dozen songs. No flame tattoos yet, no red hair yet, most of us were still in college.”

The posting of the image on Shinoda’s Instagram account came as the band also issued a public tribute to their friend and frontman, who killed himself last week. The Los Angeles coroner said the 41-year-old had hanged himself.

“You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realised,” said the statement. “In the past few days, we've seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world.”

It added: “Talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled—a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing.

“We’re trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal. After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place. You fearlessly put them on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and managed to wear it on your sleeve.”