DT to play the whole I&W in full next year!

[AboutToCrash]

for such a lyrically dominant album it simply couldn't be understood live.. This was the first night at the London Palladium too so there were no shows before it. When I saw them twice on the tour DT12 tour he was far better. I think this tour out of all previous required the most focus on articulation so it's a shame, I know he can do better!

[Jinx]

I thought that the no cameras rule was due to them playing these theaters where that rule is most likely standard. Especially at the Palladium there was proper no camera signs up everywhere anyway. Theater's doing, not the band's.

[noxon]

The camera rule was -expressly- the bands wishes. The guards at the Oslo venue were pretty annoyed by having to chase down and toss out people with cameras, as they usually didnt do this at that venue.

[mikeyd23]

It seems (based on what I've seen) that JLB sounds no real better or worse than other tours.

So picking this tour to do that crazy illogical thing you suggested is crazy illogical.

Really? From what little footage there is...he's reaaaally struggling bad. He's been straining really hard to hit the notes; basic pronunciation and articulation is completely absent, and often times it's hard to even make out what the lyrics are. Compared to footage from other tours, it is hands down the worst I've heard him in a long, long time. And the shows I've attended on this tour have been no different, so...don't know what else to tell you really.

I gotta ask... Stewie did you actually see TA live? Or are you basing your opinion off of a few random YouTube videos?

[erwinrafael]

for such a lyrically dominant album it simply couldn't be understood live.. This was the first night at the London Palladium too so there were no shows before it. When I saw them twice on the tour DT12 tour he was far better. I think this tour out of all previous required the most focus on articulation so it's a shame, I know he can do better!

JLB always has rough nights on the first two to three shows of a tour.

[Peter Mc]

JLB sang the Awake and SFAM stuff incredibly well (to perfection really) on the AFTR tour so no reason to think he will be unable to pull off I&W.  He may strain here and there but people, as usual, seem to be judging off poor quality youtube footage rather than going to a show and judging for yourself (not everyone obviously).  He did struggle a little vocally when I saw TA at London Palladium on opening night but it was opening night and the whole band (MM aside) seemed very nervous and static, he was not so bad that it detracted from the show though.  I'm sure they probably loosened up as the tour went on.

I'd love to know why someone like Bruce Dickinson who strains all over the place singing Iron Maiden songs live does not get anything like the same level of criticism.  James La Brie sings old DT songs much better than he sings old Maiden songs.  That's not to shit on Dickinson either as Maiden are an awesome live band and I love them, I just accept that he can't hit the high notes in Run To The Hills and live with it, the crowd usually drowns him out singing along anyway. 

I can't wait to see I&W live, it is my favourite album by any band ever, just perfection from the first note to the last, there's not one second of the album I don't adore.  For that reason I was happy to pay whatever they wanted!  Am hoping for ACOS as well but trying not to build my hopes up too much.  Would love 8V as well though as, for some reason, I missed that tour so have never seen it live.

[hefdaddy42]

FWIW, I saw the last show of the Astonishing tour, and JLB was on fire that night.  Great performance.

Stewie, your theory about why no cameras were allowed is wrong.  Had nothing to do with JLB's vocals. 

[Stewie]

It seems (based on what I've seen) that JLB sounds no real better or worse than other tours.

So picking this tour to do that crazy illogical thing you suggested is crazy illogical.

Really? From what little footage there is...he's reaaaally struggling bad. He's been straining really hard to hit the notes; basic pronunciation and articulation is completely absent, and often times it's hard to even make out what the lyrics are. Compared to footage from other tours, it is hands down the worst I've heard him in a long, long time. And the shows I've attended on this tour have been no different, so...don't know what else to tell you really.

I gotta ask... Stewie did you actually see TA live? Or are you basing your opinion off of a few random YouTube videos?

I guess you missed the last sentence of my post? Yeah, I saw TA live - three different times, actually. JLB sounded awful on all three. Again, I'm not trying to bash the guy - I love his vocals, and I know he has the potential to sound awesome. All I was saying earlier in the thread is that his current singing limitations don't allow for that kind of singing live anymore, especially night after night. I think the band should start taking that into account more, moving forward. As far as the no camera rule and me briefly wondering if it had anything to do with JLB's vocals, it probably didn't. I was just entertaining the possibility, however "ludicrous" it might be. But, as several others have pointed out since then, that is probably not the case. I have no problem with saying yeah, you guys are probably right, it was stupid logic. I was just wondering about it. That's all.

[mikeyd23]

I guess you missed the last sentence of my post? Yeah, I saw TA live - three different times, actuallyl. JLB sounded awful on all three. Again, I'm not trying to bash the guy - I love his vocals, and know he has the potential to sound awesome. All I was saying earlier in the thread is that his current singing limitations don't allow for that kind of singing live anymore, especially night after night. I think the band should start taking that into account more, moving forward. As far as the no camera rule and me briefly wondering if it had anything to do with JLB's vocals, it probably didn't. I was just entertaining the possibility, however "ludicrous" it might be. But, as several others have pointed out since then, that is probably not the case. I have no problem with saying yeah, you guys are probably right, it was stupid logic. I was just wondering about it. That's all.

I totally missed that part of your post, sorry! When I saw TA live, James was probably the MVP of the night. He was incredible, sorry the shows you hit didn't strike you the same.

[Stewie]

It's alright! I know he has always had on and off nights, it just sucks that he had off nights the times I was trying to get my girlfriend and friends into the band lol. At the end I was saying "Guys, I promise he usually sounds WAY better than this!"

EDIT - again, everyone, can't stress enough that I mean no disrespect towards JLB - I love his singing, love all his work with DT, solo albums, etc. I'm just saying that maybe going forward the band should make adjustments for him, because I feel bad for him. It's not his fault; it's just the natural progression of aging and how it affects the vocal chords. He's still incredibly talented, and I love the sound of his voice. I just feel bad for him when he sounds that off and you can't understand the lyrics because of how much he is straining. And, as much as I LOVE The Astonishing, I think maybe for future records they might want to take into account how hard it is to pull off that kind of singing live, that's all. As far as singing older material goes, perhaps changing some of the lines to suit his current range, or playing the songs in a lower tuning, who knows?

[cramx3]

Out of the 12 or so times I have seen DT, I have never walked away thinking anything negative about JLB's performance, usually it's talked about in a positive light.  Not that he's always been perfect, as I've heard some bad parts, but for the length of the concert, he's usually been great overall. 

[Stewie]

Out of the 12 or so times I have seen DT, I have never walked away thinking anything negative about JLB's performance, usually it's talked about in a positive light.  Not that he's always been perfect, as I've heard some bad parts, but for the length of the concert, he's usually been great overall.

I've seen DT 26 times now, and out of those 26, he has sounded freaking amazing probably 23 of them (he may have been a tad flat here and there, but overall KILLED it most of the show). Again, I'm talking about his performance on THIS tour - I'm NOT referring to anything else.

[cramx3]

Out of the 12 or so times I have seen DT, I have never walked away thinking anything negative about JLB's performance, usually it's talked about in a positive light.  Not that he's always been perfect, as I've heard some bad parts, but for the length of the concert, he's usually been great overall.

I've seen DT 26 times now, and out of those 26, he has sounded freaking amazing probably 23 of them (he may have been a tad flat here and there, but overall KILLED it most of the show). Again, I'm talking about his performance on THIS tour - I'm NOT referring to anything else.

Still feels odd to me, he sounded great twice on this tour for me.  I was actually amazed how well he pulled most of it off (and he did have rough spots).  Everyone has different experiences, but sounds like your got some bad luck or something then.

[Stewie]

Out of the 12 or so times I have seen DT, I have never walked away thinking anything negative about JLB's performance, usually it's talked about in a positive light.  Not that he's always been perfect, as I've heard some bad parts, but for the length of the concert, he's usually been great overall.

I've seen DT 26 times now, and out of those 26, he has sounded freaking amazing probably 23 of them (he may have been a tad flat here and there, but overall KILLED it most of the show). Again, I'm talking about his performance on THIS tour - I'm NOT referring to anything else.

Still feels odd to me, he sounded great twice on this tour for me.  I was actually amazed how well he pulled most of it off (and he did have rough spots).  Everyone has different experiences, but sounds like your got some bad luck or something then.

Eh, who knows. I know he didn't just struggle during the three shows I attended - from what little footage there is from this tour, it sounds like overall it has been pretty consistently difficult for him to pull off. Now, I'm not saying he hasn't had some good nights on the tour too. If he sounded awesome at the shows you attended, I'm glad. Having said that, I'm pretty sure if the do release a DVD/Bluray of TA, it will have to be severely touched up.

[bosk1]

He sounded really good at the two shows I saw as well.  But there have been plenty of shows where people have reported him not sounding good as well.  Seems pretty consistent with most tours, actually.  Some nights he nails it; some nights he is off; some nights are a mixed bag. 

[Stewie]

Anyway, don't want to get the thread further off topic - I am very much looking forward to the I&W tour, despite my concerns for JLB. Hopefully it'll be awesome!

[mikeyd23]

He sounded really good at the two shows I saw as well.  But there have been plenty of shows where people have reported him not sounding good as well.  Seems pretty consistent with most tours, actually.  Some nights he nails it; some nights he is off; some nights are a mixed bag.

This is definitely true of James, on most DT tours he has great nights and not so great nights. TA tour was more vocal-heavy than probably any other DT tour, so maybe the great nights from James seemed greater and the not so great nights seemed not so greater....

[Dream Team]

He was great in April but not as good in October for me. Sounded GREAT in the lower registers but incomprehensible on a lot of the higher notes.

[jsbru]

He sounded pretty close to perfect in Chicago.  There wasn't a single point of the night where I thought, "hey, he really missed that part."

[Tony From Long Island]

He sounded really good at the two shows I saw as well.  But there have been plenty of shows where people have reported him not sounding good as well.  Seems pretty consistent with most tours, actually.  Some nights he nails it; some nights he is off; some nights are a mixed bag.

I'll say it again, I give JLB mountains of respect for his ability to even sing these songs at his age.   I can barely hit those notes now - and I am only 42.    Some days I can, some days I can't.    Long Live JLB!

[lucasembarbosa]

Just bought my ticket for the Portugal presentation (perhaps the last show of European leg?) and my concern is exactly this, that James' voice may sound worn and tired (as maybe the other guys as well, who knows) in the last shows... I know they are professional musicians and are pretty sure of what is their limit in terms of physical and mental capacity, but I think to myself if they're not going to burst themselves with this extensive touring thing.

[Architeuthis]

I saw on FB this morning that they are going to announce North American tour dates soon. 

[cramx3]

I saw on FB this morning that they are going to announce North American tour dates soon. 

I believe it also said Asia dates

[Bill]

As a complete Christmas surprise, my wife bought me a ticket for Manchester in April. Paid way over the odds...just 8 rows from the front. Will be the first time I've seen DT, at the age of 56, discovered them a year ago. So excited!

[gzarruk]

As a complete Christmas surprise, my wife bought me a ticket for Manchester in April. Paid way over the odds...just 8 rows from the front. Will be the first time I've seen DT, at the age of 56, discovered them a year ago. So excited!

That's amazing! Congrats.

[Bill]

As a complete Christmas surprise, my wife bought me a ticket for Manchester in April. Paid way over the odds...just 8 rows from the front. Will be the first time I've seen DT, at the age of 56, discovered them a year ago. So excited!

That's amazing! Congrats.

Thanks - I'm a lucky guy. I'm semi retired and will be living in Spain by then - flying back to the uk for the show.

[Bertielee]

As a complete Christmas surprise, my wife bought me a ticket for Manchester in April. Paid way over the odds...just 8 rows from the front. Will be the first time I've seen DT, at the age of 56, discovered them a year ago. So excited!

That's amazing! Congrats.

Thanks - I'm a lucky guy. I'm semi retired and will be living in Spain by then - flying back to the uk for the show.

Fantastic! The firts DT show is always something especially special!

B.Lee

[cramx3]

As a complete Christmas surprise, my wife bought me a ticket for Manchester in April. Paid way over the odds...just 8 rows from the front. Will be the first time I've seen DT, at the age of 56, discovered them a year ago. So excited!

That's amazing! Congrats.

Thanks - I'm a lucky guy. I'm semi retired and will be living in Spain by then - flying back to the uk for the show.

you will have a blast

[TheAtliator]

Just to clarify, they never played ANTR live with Mangini, only at the audition. Also, Wither was played for their 30th anniversary tour (with Mangini), which was, wait for it... in Europe 

Oh, okay.  For some reason, I thought I remembered that they played ANTR at a couple of festival shows, but I could be misremembering. 

Hey, just curious, it's been killing me... How did they do the growl section in your mismemory? 

[bosk1]

Just to clarify, they never played ANTR live with Mangini, only at the audition. Also, Wither was played for their 30th anniversary tour (with Mangini), which was, wait for it... in Europe 

Oh, okay.  For some reason, I thought I remembered that they played ANTR at a couple of festival shows, but I could be misremembering. 

Hey, just curious, it's been killing me... How did they do the growl section in your mismemory? 

There isn't a "growl part" in the song.  But as to the Portnoy part you are referring to, James just sang it fairly normally, as I recall.

[ToT-147]

 

[gzarruk]

Just to clarify, they never played ANTR live with Mangini, only at the audition. Also, Wither was played for their 30th anniversary tour (with Mangini), which was, wait for it... in Europe 

Oh, okay.  For some reason, I thought I remembered that they played ANTR at a couple of festival shows, but I could be misremembering. 

Hey, just curious, it's been killing me... How did they do the growl section in your mismemory? 

There isn't a "growl part" in the song.  But as to the Portnoy part you are referring to, James just sang it fairly normally, as I recall.

This confirms that, in fact, it never happened 

[TheAtliator]

  Yay!! Makes sense. He'd probably make it more like TDEN where he sings really gritty but on a note. And maybe they'd use a track along with it that's more growly.

Or yelly, or whatever you call it in ANTR. The song has the death growl is mixed in, quieter I think.

[cramx3]

If they played ANTR I am sure JLB would sing it and then most likely be criticized, I am fine with him singing it because that part was never great with MP and while I never thought it ruined the song or anything, if JLB sang it, I think it would probably be better and not with JLB growling or screaming it because that's not his strength IMO and hence the likely criticisms because I bet he would try to honor it by being more gritty.

[ToT-147]

I always imagine that if they play ANtR now that Portnoy's gone, it should be Peter Wildoer, as a special gest, the one singing that section.. Just for the few that don't know this: James knows the guy... and I think he could simply ask him to do that, at least for some shows -e.g. while playing in Sweden and near there-, not the entire tour obviously..








(https://youtu.be/zI4OKUWPthU?t=296)