Who will do Mike's live vocals on the next tour?

[jsem]

Am I the first to notice there's no Kevin Moore option in the poll?

...

[El JoNNo]

I've always liked the mirror more when James did all the vocals.

[Daso]

Having Jordan use samples would be hideous and creepy. Imagine being at the gig, and then Jordan presses the key and Mike's voice appears... Man, that would be almost haunting. Everyone would be like "OH FUCK! HE'S HERE!!!"

[The Letter M]

Having Jordan use samples would be hideous and creepy. Imagine being at the gig, and then Jordan presses the key and Mike's voice appears... Man, that would be almost haunting. Everyone would be like "OH FUCK! HE'S HERE!!!"

True, but Jordan's already done samples of Mike's voice, at least AFAIK, during a song like "A Rite Of Passage".

The hard question is - will the band avoid this song because of the number of Mike's vocals in it, or will they play it with samples? It's their lead single from their most commercially successful album to date, it would be hard for them to dismiss it. They played the HECK out of "Constant Motion", being it's album's lead single, over the course of TWO tours... so, guess we'll have to wait and see.

-Marc.

[Adami]

James or John could probably handle Mikes parts in CM. But AROP would sound fine without any of Mikes vocals.

[Mladen]

Or maybe just don't perform Constant motion live anymore. It's an awesome song, but I don't think it works well live...

[wolfking]

Hopefully, no one.

This.

Petrucci could just do the necessary harmonies, nothing else is needed.

[Lotion]

I hope the new drummer og possibly JR could help JP out with some of the harmonies. But on songs like constant motion I hope no one will step up, if not JLB doing it..

[hefdaddy42]

They went ten years without doing ANY background vocals live.  JP's voice worked well in combination with MP's doing BGV, but if the new drummer isn't that good a singer and can't replicate MP's backing parts, hopefully they will just go back to JLB being the only live vocalist.

[Lotion]

They went ten years without doing ANY background vocals live.  JP's voice worked well in combination with MP's doing BGV, but if the new drummer isn't that good a singer and can't replicate MP's backing parts, hopefully they will just go back to JLB being the only live vocalist.

Well, there wasnt really much background vocals in on images and words and Awake compared to their recent work. And those who was on I&A And Awake was less necessary live. I'm looking forward to JLB singing in the beginng of TTT though 

[2Timer]

I think you guys are missing the point - this isn't just about Mike more prominent vocals, or lead spots, or things where it's mostly just him (like call-and-response, or things like in "The Mirror"), but more about Mike's harmonies with John and/or James. Those harmonies fill out a lot of songs from many albums.

I think it's obvious we won't hear songs like "The Glass Prison" or "A Nightmare To Remember" due to the prominence of Mike's vocals from those songs, but other songs that require background harmonies are still up in the air, and in my opinion, could still be played.

-Marc.

Yeah. I have to admit I actually loved his vocal parts in ANTR. Not so much the cookie monster stuff, but in the beautiful agony section they were perfect for the song.

[KevShmev]

Hopefully, no one.

This.

[tjanuranus]

Or maybe just don't perform Constant motion live anymore. It's an awesome song, but I don't think it works well live...

Really? Have you ever seen it performed live? Every time they've played it live when i've seen them it's been awesome. The crowd goes nuts! Especially the second verse. That's the best.

[hefdaddy42]

Or maybe just don't perform Constant motion live anymore. It's an awesome song, but I don't think it works well live...

Really? Have you ever seen it performed live? Every time they've played it live when i've seen them it's been awesome. The crowd goes nuts! Especially the second verse. That's the best.

I'm hoping they never perform it again.  The instrumental section is really cool, but the rest of the song is just blah.

[skydivingninja]

I agree, Constant Motion is very fun live, but I'm with everyone else that its time for it to take a permanent rest.

[Perpetual Change]

the majority of the DT fanbase have always been pretty lukewarm about his vox. He then said something like, "yeah, from what you've showed me, Mike's vocal parts have always seemed to be some of DT's shakier ideas."

I tend to agree. Us fans merely tolerate Mike's vocals, but the brutal truth is there's at an embarassingly bad level.

You state for fact what is mere opinion, and if that's not enough the last part especially is quite insulting. I suggest you re-think before posting anything like this in the future.

Woah. I'm sorry, but the only thing I'm willing to rethink about that post is my wrong usage of "they're" with the bizarre apostrophe "s" tacked on. Don't know what I was thinking there, but perhaps the Christmas libations have gone to my head.

I'm not "insulting" Mike at all, but I really do think that his lead vocals are by far the worst thing to happen to Dream Theater's sound over the years.  Yes, I'm even a little embarassed to show people I'm getting into the band songs where Mike takes control of the mic. Of course this is my opinion. And part of my opinion is that us fans really don't like his vocals much at all, but we've managed to get past them.

A far as determing whether my opinion is off-base or not, I'd be glad to start a poll like "Are you glad the era of Portnoy lead vocals is over?" but I'm absolutely sure you guys wouldn't want a poll like that here either since we all know what the results would be.

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm with JR doing the vocals and the new drummer. If they do play A Nightmare to Remember, will we finally get to hear JLB's version of MP's vocal part?

[rumborak]

the majority of the DT fanbase have always been pretty lukewarm about his vox. He then said something like, "yeah, from what you've showed me, Mike's vocal parts have always seemed to be some of DT's shakier ideas."

I tend to agree. Us fans merely tolerate Mike's vocals, but the brutal truth is there's at an embarassingly bad level.

You state for fact what is mere opinion, and if that's not enough the last part especially is quite insulting. I suggest you re-think before posting anything like this in the future.

Woah. I'm sorry, but the only thing I'm willing to rethink about that post is my wrong usage of "they're" with the bizarre apostrophe "s" tacked on. Don't know what I was thinking there, but perhaps the Christmas libations have gone to my head.

I'm not "insulting" Mike at all, but I really do think that his lead vocals are by far the worst thing to happen to Dream Theater's sound over the years.  Yes, I'm even a little embarassed to show people I'm getting into the band songs where Mike takes control of the mic. Of course this is my opinion. And part of my opinion is that us fans really don't like his vocals much at all, but we've managed to get past them.

A far as determing whether my opinion is off-base or not, I'd be glad to start a poll like "Are you glad the era of Portnoy lead vocals is over?" but I'm absolutely sure you guys wouldn't want a poll like that here either since we all know what the results would be.

I know of no-one who hasn't already struck me as fanboish at other times, who didn't say MP's vocals were nothing but poor.
Meaning yes, MP's vocals have probably been the single worst aspect of DT in the last few years.

rumborak

[Perpetual Change]

Yeah, for me, it's that "tough guy" voice that really makes me cringe. His normal background vocals and his vocals in Transatlantic are passable, but certainly not irreplaceable.

I just hope that "no flaming Mike Portnoy" (which I fully support) doesn't turn into "no saying anything bad about anything Mike did during his time in DT." They're too completely different things and anyway I'd warrant Mike's contributions alone have been the brunt of at least 35 percent of the criticism that the last couple albums have gotten.

That said, Ben_Jamin brings up a great point. I'd LOVE to hear ANtR with the original lyrics and vocal melody created by John P. I always thought it was odd that Mike for some reason didn't have a copy of that original version without any cookie monster vocals.

[Adami]

Yeah, for me, it's that "tough guy" voice that really makes me cringe. His normal background vocals and his vocals in Transatlantic are passable, but certainly not irreplaceable.

I just hope that "no flaming Mike Portnoy" (which I fully support) doesn't turn into "no saying anything bad about anything Mike did during his time in DT." They're too completely different things and anyway I'd warrant Mike's contributions alone have been the brunt of at least 35 percent of the criticism that the last couple albums have gotten.

That said, Ben_Jamin brings up a great point. I'd LOVE to hear ANtR with the original lyrics and vocal melody created by John P. I always thought it was odd that Mike for some reason didn't have a copy of that original version without any cookie monster vocals.

Didn't he? Could have sworn I heard it.

[The Letter M]

Yeah, for me, it's that "tough guy" voice that really makes me cringe. His normal background vocals and his vocals in Transatlantic are passable, but certainly not irreplaceable.

I just hope that "no flaming Mike Portnoy" (which I fully support) doesn't turn into "no saying anything bad about anything Mike did during his time in DT." They're too completely different things and anyway I'd warrant Mike's contributions alone have been the brunt of at least 35 percent of the criticism that the last couple albums have gotten.

That said, Ben_Jamin brings up a great point. I'd LOVE to hear ANtR with the original lyrics and vocal melody created by John P. I always thought it was odd that Mike for some reason didn't have a copy of that original version without any cookie monster vocals.

Didn't he? Could have sworn I heard it.

I think he did. Mike released 2 versions of that section of the song (as short MP3s, which I have somewhere) that aren't the final version - one version was definitely heavier, Cookie Monster vocals, a LOT more so than the final version; the other had a vocal part by JLB done simultaneously with MP's vocal part, which is interesting, but for me it doesn't seem to fit very well.

-Marc.

[TL]

I've heard the version with the flatout growling vocals, but not the version with JLB also singing during that part.

[antigoon]

I remember the original with the singing sounding worse than the final product.

[Adami]

I remember the original with the singing sounding worse than the final product.

Oddly, I liked the growlier version the best. I feel dirty saying that.

[wolfking]

If only they got Mikael like originally planned.

[Adami]

If only they got Mikael like originally planned.

I always thought that was hilarious. They didn't ask Mikael, because they knew they needed to peform it night after night (yea yea). And then, they decided to trigger the whole thing anyway.

[The Letter M]

If only they got Mikael like originally planned.

I always thought that was hilarious. They didn't ask Mikael, because they knew they needed to peform it night after night (yea yea). And then, they decided to trigger the whole thing anyway.

Really? Every video I've seen of them playing ANTR live distinctly shows Mike doing his vocals live. I've never known them to lip-synch ANY vocals in a live setting before.

-Marc.

[robwebster]

Am I the first to notice there's no Kevin Moore option in the poll?

...

Thank god.

*Hypocrisy - definitely put one in the bet-on-a-drummer poll.*

[Adami]

If only they got Mikael like originally planned.

I always thought that was hilarious. They didn't ask Mikael, because they knew they needed to peform it night after night (yea yea). And then, they decided to trigger the whole thing anyway.

Really? Every video I've seen of them playing ANTR live distinctly shows Mike doing his vocals live. I've never known them to lip-synch ANY vocals in a live setting before.

-Marc.

Lip synching would imply they were trying to hide that they were triggered. As far as I know Mike didn't even pretend to sing them when they were.

And they weren't always.

[cyberdrummer]

Pretty sure MP's vocals in ANTR were always sung live. The only triggering I think the band has used is for the high-pitched layered lines in Prophets of War.

[The Letter M]

Pretty sure MP's vocals in ANTR were always sung live. The only triggering I think the band has used is for the high-pitched layered lines in Prophets of War.

And probably some of the vocals from "A Rite Of Passage", right? I haven't really watched videos of that played live so I'm not too sure.

-Marc.

[cyberdrummer]

I don't think any were used in ARoP, but I'm not entirely sure. They certainly weren't obvious to me.

On topic, I think DT will not play any of the songs in which MP's vocals are prominent (eg. ANTR, Constant Motion, 12 Step Suite). As has been said, I think JP (and maybe JR) can handle the backing vocals in other tracks.

[Adami]

I got it wrong, it wasn't ANTR, it was PoW. The talky part was triggered live.

[ClairvoyantCat]

Kevin Moore.

[Perpetual Change]

Mike never released the "singing only" version of ANtR. The earliest version he put up on his webpage is the "counterpoint" one, where you can hear the original melody in the background but Mike's cookie monster vox are also there. The "original" idea was just to have normal James vocals there with different lyrics, with no Mike at all.