James Speaking On Score

[Grizz]

I don't get the flamboyant (you can't generalize an entire class of people) vibe from James at all.

[rumborak]

Errrr.... I already said it's not flamboyant. wtf. No offense guys, but do you only know gays from TV shows where they are over-the-top flamboyant?

[Grizz]

There's no such thing as a gay way of talking. Flamboyancy is the effeminate gay stereotype and I've never heard of a different "gay" way of taking.

[Nick]

FWIW I don't want a song introduced before it begins. If I don't know the setlist I don't want my suspense to be ruined by somebody just telling me it's next. That's like some guy next to you shouting it out beforehand, only difference being I can't accidentally punch James in the face. During the start of the song it fills in those who don't know, and serves as a time to cheer for those who do know.

[rumborak]

There's no such thing as a gay way of talking. Flamboyancy is the effeminate gay stereotype and I've never heard of a different "gay" way of taking.

Maybe time to get out more.

[hefdaddy42]

I just thought it was because he is Canadian.

[RaiseTheKnife]

He talks over the solo in Hollow Years on Live at Budokan,

I meant where he talks over the solo. The Hollow Years "Mr. John Petrucci", to me, is perfectly timed. It's at the perfect spot where JP transitions the solo into that last goosebump inducing part and I think it adds to the whole energy of the moment.

This 100%.  When James calls out JP's name during the climax of the solo, JP raises his arm whilst bending notes and the crowd reacts -- a simply splendid moment that makes that track standout.

I don't mind the whole delayed announcement of the song thing either.  It just feels like the rock thing to do (and he's always done it).

[King Postwhore]

I just thought it was because he is Canadian.

Canadian/Gay, it's all the same. Just ask Chad.

[TheGreatPretender]

James' talking parts on Luna Park are indeed VERY strange.

Oh come on. Look, James comes out there and talks every night. And it's completely improvisational. He doesn't like to script himself, he just likes to do this...

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I think James has said that he's not very comfortable speaking on stage, so imagine that's where the awkwardness comes from, especially if he knows the show is being filmed for a DVD.

[Madman Shepherd]

What I don't understand is how he will sometimes act like he gets bored of using syllables or distinct words. 

I don't remember if its an official or unofficial live albums but during The Mirror he says, "Whenineedyou...myoust"

Or from the Milwaukee Summer Fest 20 years ago when he introduces the new song "To Live Fo-weh-ba"

Its one thing to introduce a song and be like, "This next song is called RAGING FUCKING HELL!!!!!!" and growl like a demon from hell....but why just let your jaw go slack and let the sounds come out without moving any muscles?  If they did have a song that had that title I'm sure James at some point in his life would introduce it as, "This next song is called Ray-jing....Heeeeeyyyyaaaah"

[Zook]

I think James is pretty flamboyant in general.

[nikatapi]

What I don't understand is how he will sometimes act like he gets bored of using syllables or distinct words. 

I don't remember if its an official or unofficial live albums but during The Mirror he says, "Whenineedyou...myoust"

Or from the Milwaukee Summer Fest 20 years ago when he introduces the new song "To Live Fo-weh-ba"

Its one thing to introduce a song and be like, "This next song is called RAGING FUCKING HELL!!!!!!" and growl like a demon from hell....but why just let your jaw go slack and let the sounds come out without moving any muscles?  If they did have a song that had that title I'm sure James at some point in his life would introduce it as, "This next song is called Ray-jing....Heeeeeyyyyaaaah"

Yeah this is kind of annoying, i don't know why he does it.

[MoraWintersoul]

He talks over the solo in Hollow Years on Live at Budokan,

I meant where he talks over the solo. The Hollow Years "Mr. John Petrucci", to me, is perfectly timed. It's at the perfect spot where JP transitions the solo into that last goosebump inducing part and I think it adds to the whole energy of the moment.

I agree.  It's not like he starts a conversation during the solo.  He says three words, and says them in such a way that is perfectly relevant to what is going on.

yup.

I think James has said that he's not very comfortable speaking on stage, so imagine that's where the awkwardness comes from, especially if he knows the show is being filmed for a DVD.

yup. In the interviews with Myles Kennedy, they bond a little over that, and the stupid stuff they tend to say ocassionally

James, if you're reading this, you're fine, we're just a bunch of overanalytical assholes

[genome]

I think that calling out the names during the solos is really the only deviation/live moment you will get these days. Gives the performance some life. I think it's cool.

But it distracts from the actual solos.
In LSFNY, when he waited until the very end of Through Her Eyes to say, "John Petrucci on Guitar." That's how it should be done.

Is there an example of where he does this?

He did it on Sunday at Sonisphere, near the end of TLG solo. I thought it was quite cool, got everyone throwing their arms up in the air before the last chorus. Nothing wrong with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLF0lfgyLf4&t=3m37s

[Skeever]

I think that calling out the names during the solos is really the only deviation/live moment you will get these days. Gives the performance some life. I think it's cool.

But it distracts from the actual solos.
In LSFNY, when he waited until the very end of Through Her Eyes to say, "John Petrucci on Guitar." That's how it should be done.

Is there an example of where he does this?

He did it on Sunday at Sonisphere, near the end of TLG solo. I thought it was quite cool, got everyone throwing their arms up in the air before the last chorus. Nothing wrong with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLF0lfgyLf4&t=3m37s

Man that's a pretty flat performance.

[Grizz]

James was sick before Score? Is that why he sounded flat on the previous Wallingford gig (the pissed off Mike Portnoy show and the parts of the In Constant Motion solo in which he's wearing a UConn jersey)?

[Madman Shepherd]

James, if you're reading this, you're fine, we're just a bunch of overanalytical assholes

As one of those overanalytical assholes, I agree completely. 

He is still my favorite member and while I can't fathom while he drops syllables sometimes or does other quirky things, I actually don't want him to change at all. 

Don't change, man.  Don't change.  Without those quirks we probably wouldn't get the other quirky stuff he does...and that would just suck. 

[MoraWintersoul]

James was sick before Score? Is that why he sounded flat on the previous Wallingford gig (the pissed off Mike Portnoy show and the parts of the In Constant Motion solo in which he's wearing a UConn jersey)?

We have people here who attended that show (if that's the same one), and they can confirm. He also looks very red-nosed on the Score-docu, and apparently the illness got to JP as well, as he's sniffling on Score constantly

Don't change, man.  Don't change.

a-men

[Tick]

James was sick before Score? Is that why he sounded flat on the previous Wallingford gig (the pissed off Mike Portnoy show and the parts of the In Constant Motion solo in which he's wearing a UConn jersey)?

Constant Motion was not out at the time of Score. I was at the show 2 days before Radio City but it was my first DT show so I was in la la land.

[Setlist Scotty]

James was sick before Score? Is that why he sounded flat on the previous Wallingford gig (the pissed off Mike Portnoy show and the parts of the In Constant Motion solo in which he's wearing a UConn jersey)?

Constant Motion was not out at the time of Score. I was at the show 2 days before Radio City but it was my first DT show so I was in la la land.

I think Grizz is speaking of MP's In Constant Motion video, which features parts of the Wallingford gig.

As for whether James was sick at the time or not, I don't recall. Will have to go back and listen to the bootlegs, but there's nothing in my memory of him being sick - and I'm sure it would've been a concern on my mind if it had been the case, just as I still remember JP's guitar dropping out during part of UaGM at the RCMH gig.

[BlobVanDam]

I remember JLB being sick a week or two before Score, but to his credit, he kept the standard very high.

[Madman Shepherd]

I remember MP making a statement about the cancellation of the show before the Score concert.  He said James wasn't feeling in top form and with so much riding on the sold out radio city music hall, the filming, and (unknown at the time) the orchestra, they didn't want to risk it.  So I don't think it was full blown illness but he was afraid there was an onset of an illness coming. 

[Setlist Scotty]

I remember MP making a statement about the cancellation of the show before the Score concert.  He said James wasn't feeling in top form and with so much riding on the sold out radio city music hall, the filming, and (unknown at the time) the orchestra, they didn't want to risk it.  So I don't think it was full blown illness but he was afraid there was an onset of an illness coming.

Hmmm - I did recall that he had been on the verge of coming down with something, so I stand corrected. I just remembered that the cancellation largely being because they just didn't want to push him over the edge. Here's MP's post regarding the cancellation:
https://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?high=&m=1200908&mpage=1#1200908

[Rodni Demental]

What I don't understand is how he will sometimes act like he gets bored of using syllables or distinct words. 

Yeah this is kind of annoying, i don't know why he does it.

It's just a thing that can happen with singing, if you're more focused on reaching or controlling a particular pitch and don't have certain muscles in the right place to pronounce something, like the shape of your lips or the position of your tongue when you're already singing the note, the control of the annunciation can waver in the same way someone might accidentally mumble or slur a sentence. I think it's completely unintentional and can sometimes be a tricky thing to be aware of especially when vowel sounds are generally the predominant sound that vocalists will use to extend a note they're holding.

[GasparXR]

What I don't understand is how he will sometimes act like he gets bored of using syllables or distinct words. 

Yeah this is kind of annoying, i don't know why he does it.

It's just a thing that can happen with singing, if you're more focused on reaching or controlling a particular pitch and don't have certain muscles in the right place to pronounce something, like the shape of your lips or the position of your tongue when you're already singing the note, the control of the annunciation can waver in the same way someone might accidentally mumble or slur a sentence. I think it's completely unintentional and can sometimes be a tricky thing to be aware of especially when vowel sounds are generally the predominant sound that vocalists will use to extend a note they're holding.

Yes!

[Enalya]

I use his extremely high and weird "Welcome toooo" at the beginning of Score as a joke or remark, that no one ever understands I tend to have that with more of their lines, like "so what the f*ck"...

Love his new 'red' hair btw (not gay, it's not).

[genome]

I think that calling out the names during the solos is really the only deviation/live moment you will get these days. Gives the performance some life. I think it's cool.

But it distracts from the actual solos.
In LSFNY, when he waited until the very end of Through Her Eyes to say, "John Petrucci on Guitar." That's how it should be done.

Is there an example of where he does this?

He did it on Sunday at Sonisphere, near the end of TLG solo. I thought it was quite cool, got everyone throwing their arms up in the air before the last chorus. Nothing wrong with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLF0lfgyLf4&t=3m37s

Man that's a pretty flat performance.

Sounded great from where I was standing!

[Madman Shepherd]

What I don't understand is how he will sometimes act like he gets bored of using syllables or distinct words. 

Yeah this is kind of annoying, i don't know why he does it.

It's just a thing that can happen with singing, if you're more focused on reaching or controlling a particular pitch and don't have certain muscles in the right place to pronounce something, like the shape of your lips or the position of your tongue when you're already singing the note, the control of the annunciation can waver in the same way someone might accidentally mumble or slur a sentence. I think it's completely unintentional and can sometimes be a tricky thing to be aware of especially when vowel sounds are generally the predominant sound that vocalists will use to extend a note they're holding.

I'm not talking about singing though.  I totally understand why he sometimes doesn't enunciate while he is singing incredibly challenging and high pitch vocal melodies, I'm talking about his stage banter. 

[Raise the Drum]

I always laugh when I hear James speaking at the begining of TDEN from LALP.
Especially on the "...systematic chaos he' we geeeewo" 
Its like he's being crushed by a very slow steamroller.

[MoraWintersoul]

Love his new 'red' hair btw

WHERE, what

[TAC]

I remember MP making a statement about the cancellation of the show before the Score concert.  He said James wasn't feeling in top form and with so much riding on the sold out radio city music hall, the filming, and (unknown at the time) the orchestra, they didn't want to risk it.  So I don't think it was full blown illness but he was afraid there was an onset of an illness coming.

Hmmm - I did recall that he had been on the verge of coming down with something, so I stand corrected. I just remembered that the cancellation largely being because they just didn't want to push him over the edge. Here's MP's post regarding the cancellation:
https://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?high=&m=1200908&mpage=1#1200908

When they cancelled that show, i became very worried about the Boston show. Seemed everything was riding on the Radio City gig.

And although you cannot tell drom the boot, James loked absolutely terrible in Boston. They all loked tired. MP was VERY cranky. I've told Scotty this before, but the band looked absolutely spent in Boston.
My respect went way up for James that night, especially the way MP seemed to be yelling at him. James even gave hime a "whatever" as he stormed off the stage for a solo.

[Zydar]

Love his new 'red' hair btw

WHERE, what

[Madman Shepherd]

I always laugh when I hear James speaking at the begining of TDEN from LALP.
Especially on the "...systematic chaos he' we geeeewo" 
Its like he's being crushed by a very slow steamroller.

Perfect description for his odd quirky banter.

I remember MP making a statement about the cancellation of the show before the Score concert.  He said James wasn't feeling in top form and with so much riding on the sold out radio city music hall, the filming, and (unknown at the time) the orchestra, they didn't want to risk it.  So I don't think it was full blown illness but he was afraid there was an onset of an illness coming.

Hmmm - I did recall that he had been on the verge of coming down with something, so I stand corrected. I just remembered that the cancellation largely being because they just didn't want to push him over the edge. Here's MP's post regarding the cancellation:
https://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?high=&m=1200908&mpage=1#1200908

When they cancelled that show, i became very worried about the Boston show. Seemed everything was riding on the Radio City gig.

And although you cannot tell drom the boot, James loked absolutely terrible in Boston. They all loked tired. MP was VERY cranky. I've told Scotty this before, but the band looked absolutely spent in Boston.
My respect went way up for James that night, especially the way MP seemed to be yelling at him. James even gave hime a "whatever" as he stormed off the stage for a solo.

Gonna try to find this.  If anybody has any links they can share from this night, please do. 

[?]

I always laugh when I hear James speaking at the begining of TDEN from LALP.
Especially on the "...systematic chaos he' we geeeewo" 
Its like he's being crushed by a very slow steamroller.

Speaking of that, I love the way he says "Systematic Chaos" in this video