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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: Fiery Winds on August 11, 2011, 02:51:41 AM
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Didn't have a chance to post this in the other thread before the lock, but I have photographic evidence of the scenario that BVD mentioned here:
Imagine if JLB truly was a pirate, with a claw for a hand, and every time he does a high note he holds up his claw menacingly? That would make the F# even more formidable!
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d179/Fiery_Winds/PirateJLB1.jpg)
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epic win.
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"I am the killing claaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!"
:yarr
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James Labrie's Arm, Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000461527050
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:lol :clap:
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James Labrie's Arm, Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000461527050
Friendship request sent.
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James Labrie's Arm, Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000461527050
Friendship request sent.
haha that's my friends page. I have to tell him to update it and check it because he hasn't even accepted my request yet.
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James Labrie's Arm, Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000461527050
Friendship request sent.
haha that's my friends page. I have to tell him to update it and check it because he hasn't even accepted my request yet.
It's awesome. I'm curretly spreading the word!
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I just sent him a message telling him to get on the ball.
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You know, I've always worshipped his raised hand (along with his exposed tongue), but now it seems that those days are gawn. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y38tfrbFU7U&t=19)
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You know, I've always worshipped his raised hand (along with his exposed tongue), but now it seems that those days are gawn. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y38tfrbFU7U&t=19)
Ouch.
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*snip*
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:lol
Haha I see that another epic thread is coming :corn :corn
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Could someone include this? https://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/240223/240223,1234377064,6/stock-photo-pork-for-sale-on-hook-24841240.jpg
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You know, I've always worshipped his raised hand (along with his exposed tongue), but now it seems that those days are gawn. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y38tfrbFU7U&t=19)
Yeah, I wonder why he isn't sticking his tongue out anymore.
Some epic stuff in the thread so far, keep 'em coming. :lol
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Maybe he uses the hook when getting his eyebrows waxed. "But those days are gone" really refers to his early 90's bushy eyebrows...
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How does he look with an eye patch?
fake edit - I seriously wrote out ipatch... my god what has apple done to my brain?!?!?!
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Yeah, he had some notewhorty eyebrows back then...
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/41331/James+LaBrie.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y38tfrbFU7U&t=19)
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James Labrie's Arm, Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000461527050
lolwut :lol
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Avast! Shark-chum that putrid booty! Let's celebrate our favourite pirate, James "Fork-shovel" Labrie, captain of the mighty M/S Dream Theater for no reason what so ever.....
(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHTk0sD6evJ0eqr24Our-YIkV6Qnz2KIuvjA9iw1FcBqKzmYo1qmUEjg)
Cheers matey and here's a song in your honour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os5TXyJlEMc
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I've got to be honest. I've never understood the whole "Pirate JLB" thing and am kind of jarred by how eagerly he seems to have embraced it.
Anyone care to explain to me how this whole thing started? Frankly I think it's kind of odd, not really a good PR thing for him. (Though it does seem to make a small minority of DT fans online pretty happy).
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Yeah, he had some notewhorty eyebrows back then...
Too bad there are no videos where he's doing the :eyebrows: face...
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I've got to be honest. I've never understood the whole "Pirate JLB" thing and am kind of jarred by how eagerly he seems to have embraced it.
Anyone care to explain to me how this whole thing started? Frankly I think it's kind of odd, not really a good PR thing for him. (Though it does seem to make a small minority of DT fans online pretty happy).
He used to have a growl to his voice when angered. I'm sure there's a video on youtube about it.
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I've got to be honest. I've never understood the whole "Pirate JLB" thing and am kind of jarred by how eagerly he seems to have embraced it.
Anyone care to explain to me how this whole thing started? Frankly I think it's kind of odd, not really a good PR thing for him. (Though it does seem to make a small minority of DT fans online pretty happy).
Oh come on...it's just for fun! He played along with the fans and they embraced it nothing more than that. IMO I think that's good PR.
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I've got to be honest. I've never understood the whole "Pirate JLB" thing and am kind of jarred by how eagerly he seems to have embraced it.
Anyone care to explain to me how this whole thing started? Frankly I think it's kind of odd, not really a good PR thing for him. (Though it does seem to make a small minority of DT fans online pretty happy).
Oh come on...it's just for fun! He played along with the fans and they embraced it nothing more than that. IMO I think that's good PR.
It's good P/R for the small group of fans who think it's funny, but I'd imagine it leaves most casual fans and extended members of the metal and prog communities wrinkling their eyebrows. I personally just think it's kinda goofy.
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It is goofy, but James is goofy, so it somehow fits. He posts in pirate-speak via twitter, but in isn't as if he talks like that during interviews. It also seems appropriate as every other member has an alter-ego/persona.
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I've got to be honest. I've never understood the whole "Pirate JLB" thing and am kind of jarred by how eagerly he seems to have embraced it.
Anyone care to explain to me how this whole thing started? Frankly I think it's kind of odd, not really a good PR thing for him. (Though it does seem to make a small minority of DT fans online pretty happy).
Oh come on...it's just for fun! He played along with the fans and they embraced it nothing more than that. IMO I think that's good PR.
It's good P/R for the small group of fans who think it's funny, but I'd imagine it leaves most casual fans and extended members of the metal and prog communities wrinkling their eyebrows. I personally just think it's kinda goofy.
I'm sure there are myriad of other bands that have weirder things than a nickname. For example Avenge Sevenfold with there alternate names. Not much weirder but that's what they go by. James only has a nickname, A7X has alternate identities.
Edit: Korn with the masks, Kiss with the face paint. etc..
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I'm pretty sure Rudess started it. He used to call James by various different nicknames, depending on his mood. Pirate, cowboy, etc. etc. Pirate has, in the fullness of time, ended up being the one that stuck.
It's a band nickname that resonated with the fans, like JMX. Not the other way round.
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This. I have seen a few youtube videos where JR calls him pirate. One that comes to mind is the video when they are at the truck stop getting candy.
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It also seems appropriate as every other member has an alter-ego/persona.
They recognize the memes exist, but they don't really embrace them or use them as means of self-indentification, though Jordan has done a pretty good job of flipping the "wizard" thing into a nice brand direction for himself, in a way that "pirate" or "bear" can't be flipped.
Becoming stale, annoying, and overplayed is just a natural part of an internet meme's lifespan. It's cool that the other guys in the band have acknowledged their little nicknames, since it shows that they pay attention to us, but really they were right to keep the memes at an arm's length, whereas now I can't read a JLB twitter update without rolling my eyes. I mean, shit, "pirate" is part of JLB's twitter username. It's just lame, in my opinion. I like James "as is". I don't care to constantly be reminded about a joke fans made-up years ago.
I guess I don't have anything really constructive to say about it beyond that, though, so I'll try and be good and just let everyone else enjoy the Pirate JLB meme :)
EDIT: Okay, I do want to say something about this:
I'm sure there are myriad of other bands that have weirder things than a nickname. For example Avenge Sevenfold with there alternate names. Not much weirder but that's what they go by. James only has a nickname, A7X has alternate identities.
Edit: Korn with the masks, Kiss with the face paint. etc..
Great point. When it comes down to it, though, Dream Theater are one of those bands who actually play to their strengths by being serious. It comes with their territory, as a progressive metal band.
When I think of Dream Theater, I think of music that's very crafted and cerebral. I think of the members of Dream Theater as students, really: each member both a master and disciple of their craft. In fact, most Dream Theater fans I know are pretty serious people, who are very diligent themselves about some craft or art or form of learning. When I rank Dream Theater albums, the ones that come out on top are the ones that incarnate the Dream Theater values of seriousness and thoughtfulness: SDOIT, I&W, Awake, SFaM, etc.
When I think of my least favorite Dream Theater albums, no surprise, it's the ones where they were just blowing off steam, fantasizing, or plain goofing off: ToT, SC, and so on.
So, in a roundabout way, what I'm getting at is that Dream Theater are serious business. That's why gimmicks have never really worked for them, despite what other metal bands have done with their naming / outfitting. In the end, the best thing about Dream Theater are those five guys: James, Jordan, Mike, and the Johns, and the way they showcase their talent and artistic expertise to create really intricate music.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqOY8Zc9bT0
The Pirate of Peru
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They recognize the memes exist, but they don't really embrace them or use them as means of self-indentification
Until last tour, when they sold a t-shirt with cartoon images of a wizard, a ninja, a genie, a pirate, and (admittedly not a bear, but) a Norse God. And used those same characters in the video package at the start of each show.
Just pointing that out.
Personally, I think it's nice that they're able to have a little bit of fun with themselves. I bought the aforementioned t-shirt, and I love it.
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So, in a roundabout way, what I'm getting at is that Dream Theater are serious business. That's why gimmicks have never really worked for them, despite what other metal bands have done with their naming / outfitting. In the end, the best thing about Dream Theater are those five guys: James, Jordan, Mike, and the Johns, and the way they showcase their talent and artistic expertise to create really intricate music.
Actually, I think part of DT's charm is that they're not completely serious. Going back even to the 90's with things like Nightmare Cinema and DS' whole stage persona. And more recently with the cartoons that play during instrumental portions. I don't see them as gimmicks but more the band just having fun withe the fans. Same with the JLB/pirate thing.
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...And, it's a nickname, not a meme.
Just pointing that out.
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Here I was...trying to celebrate JLB by playing with his nickname and it all turns into a serious discussion about DT being a very serious business and so on!? The hell? :lol
Can't we that discussion somewhere else plz?
BTW the amazing video by our own Mr Blob with JR playing along live with his wizard alter-ego. That's pretty goofy but I love it! :metal
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Yeah, DT are serious with their music, but part of their charm is that they like to have a laugh outside of the music.
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...And, it's a nickname, not a meme.
Just pointing that out.
It's both. The name comes from the meme. JLB didn't start referring to himself as "The Pirate" and the fans as "mateys" before the joke that JLB was a pirate started spreading around online.
So, in a roundabout way, what I'm getting at is that Dream Theater are serious business. That's why gimmicks have never really worked for them, despite what other metal bands have done with their naming / outfitting. In the end, the best thing about Dream Theater are those five guys: James, Jordan, Mike, and the Johns, and the way they showcase their talent and artistic expertise to create really intricate music.
Actually, I think part of DT's charm is that they're not completely serious. Going back even to the 90's with things like Nightmare Cinema and DS' whole stage persona. And more recently with the cartoons that play during instrumental portions. I don't see them as gimmicks but more the band just having fun withe the fans. Same with the JLB/pirate thing.
Well, that kinda makes my point. You've just cited what many people consider one of DT's darkest, most depressing moments. And it's all 'cause they lost sight and let the goofiness take over. I'd hate to see DT go that far off the rails again, but that's just me.
Yeah, DT are serious with their music, but part of their charm is that they like to have a laugh outside of the music.
IDK, I've just never found any of it all that funny. The characters, Ass & Balls, the memes, etc. Just not my cup of tea. I guess I'm the outsider here though.
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I'm sure there are myriad of other bands that have weirder things than a nickname. For example Avenge Sevenfold with there alternate names. Not much weirder but that's what they go by. James only has a nickname, A7X has alternate identities.
Edit: Korn with the masks, Kiss with the face paint. etc..
Great point. When it comes down to it, though, Dream Theater are one of those bands who actually play to their strengths by being serious.
With respect, yawnsville!*
The Dark Eternal Night in-studio video seems to have been taken down, now - god knows why, maybe the label were embarrassed by the low resolution - but for a very long time it was their highest rated YouTube video by light years. People dig the crap out of that stuff. Dream Theater have occasionally played about at the brooding genius thing - not nearly as often, in my opinion, as you've stated - but it frankly never quite worked for them. Awake was probably the closest they got, and it was a full-on commercial flop. They're at their best when they drop the pretence, and just write Dream Theater music. Images and Words had moments of earnestness, but they were balanced by a major-key funk singalong like Take the Time and the riffy madness of Under a Glass Moon. SfaM is bold and hokey, total vaudeville kitsch told in the simplest possible terms, and Six Degrees is the album that brought us The Test That Stumped Them All, of all songs. It's all call-and-return, falsetto vocals, pompous overtures and brutal riffs - a huge, barely restrained explosion of musical colour.
Dream Theater have never seen themselves as tortured artists, save perhaps for a few minutes in 1994. They've always, always been ambitious rockers. Interested in writing clever music, sure, but fun music. Anthemic, riffy, frequently indulgent - more James Cameron than Chris Nolan. I don't think it's a coincidence that their popularity's tended to spike higher the bolshier and more extravagant they've been. It's what Dream Theater is.
*Disclaimer: This is wilful glibness to make a point, rather than a genuine reaction to your post - which, though I disagree with it, I do value as an opinion, and am always, always happy to hear more of, cos it's very interesting, and you speak it well. Keep doin' what you do best, PC.
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Its all in good fun. Like when the video guys put up Cookie Monster during MP's part in A Nightmare to Remember.
I like it when bands do fun things like that at times, or else it'd get boring. Rush is another example of having fun.
Also, what about Apocalyptic James LaBrie?
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I'm pretty sure Rudess started it. He used to call James by various different nicknames, depending on his mood. Pirate, cowboy, etc. etc.
Can someone please, please make a photoshop of this?
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You're boring PC. People love TDEN!
Also, what about Apocalyptic James LaBrie?
Don't worry guys. It IS sinking in, that I am the only one with this complaint. :lol
I don't like TDEN at all, and I really could not stand the MP goofiness either, even if some of it was funny in small doses, it became way too much.
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Ahhhh - well, you're not the only one! Not by a long shot. Plenty of people love the more serious aspect of their sound, I just don't think it's one of the keystones, as it's developed across their career. I think the pirate stuff might be a little more in keeping with the bigger picture of who DT are than it might seem from certain angles.
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I don't mean to pile on against you, PC - you're entitled to your opinion, and if you prefer DT's serious side, I can respect that. It's just that a lot of us love that the band don't always take themselves too seriously. :)
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IDK, I've just never found any of it all that funny. The characters, Ass & Balls, the memes, etc. Just not my cup of tea. I guess I'm the outsider here though.
We get it. But you repeating over and over again that you don't find it funny does not add any constructive discussion to the thread. You've made your point. Now move on.
And again, whether the pirate nickname originated as an online joke or not, there's nothing about it that puts it into the category of a meme. It's not a meme and it never was.
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Sorry. Just responding to responses, boss.
I'd respond more, but you've managed to intimidate me out of it :lol
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When it comes to the music itself, I like it best when DT stay (mostly) serious (Awake is my favorite album and I can't stand TDEN), but live performances, screen animations, off-stage videos and other stuff like that are a totally different thing. DT members have a good sense of humor and know how to have fun and entertain the fans - I don't want them to conceal that.
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I've got to be honest. I've never understood the whole "Pirate JLB" thing and am kind of jarred by how eagerly he seems to have embraced it.
Anyone care to explain to me how this whole thing started? Frankly I think it's kind of odd, not really a good PR thing for him. (Though it does seem to make a small minority of DT fans online pretty happy).
And we shall call you Kotoboy Jnr.
And the nickname started as a nickname from JR that we discovered from a random video on tour, I believe. The fans didn't come up with it, we just embraced it because it's fun.
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I'm sure there are myriad of other bands that have weirder things than a nickname. For example Avenge Sevenfold with there alternate names. Not much weirder but that's what they go by. James only has a nickname, A7X has alternate identities.
Edit: Korn with the masks, Kiss with the face paint. etc..
Great point. When it comes down to it, though, Dream Theater are one of those bands who actually play to their strengths by being serious.
With respect, yawnsville!*
The Dark Eternal Night in-studio video seems to have been taken down, now - god knows why, maybe the label were embarrassed by the low resolution - but for a very long time it was their highest rated YouTube video by light years. People dig the crap out of that stuff. Dream Theater have occasionally played about at the brooding genius thing - not nearly as often, in my opinion, as you've stated - but it frankly never quite worked for them. Awake was probably the closest they got, and it was a full-on commercial flop. They're at their best when they drop the pretence, and just write Dream Theater music. Images and Words had moments of earnestness, but they were balanced by a major-key funk singalong like Take the Time and the riffy madness of Under a Glass Moon. SfaM is bold and hokey, total vaudeville kitsch told in the simplest possible terms, and Six Degrees is the album that brought us The Test That Stumped Them All, of all songs. It's all call-and-return, falsetto vocals, pompous overtures and brutal riffs - a huge, barely restrained explosion of musical colour.
Dream Theater have never seen themselves as tortured artists, save perhaps for a few minutes in 1994. They've always, always been ambitious rockers. Interested in writing clever music, sure, but fun music. Anthemic, riffy, frequently indulgent - more James Cameron than Chris Nolan. I don't think it's a coincidence that their popularity's tended to spike higher the bolshier and more extravagant they've been. It's what Dream Theater is.
*Disclaimer: This is wilful glibness to make a point, rather than a genuine reaction to your post - which, though I disagree with it, I do value as an opinion, and am always, always happy to hear more of, cos it's very interesting, and you speak it well. Keep doin' what you do best, PC.
I agree with all of this wholeheartedly.
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I thought the nickname came from how, when he initially let his beard grow, he looked somehow like Jack Sparrow. Which is also the reason I thought real for his twitter username @Piratecjs (ala Pirate Captain James Sparrow).
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I thought the pirate name came from an observation by JR of JLB frequently entering rooms going :yarr me hearties! I believe it's documented on the Chaos In Motion Documentary.
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I thought it came from his habit of raiding and pillaging the coast of Newfoundland.
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Yeah, it definitely came from JR.
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Did it? Or was it from this:
(https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k34/Zook85/pirateJLB.jpg)
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Did it? Or was it from this:
(https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k34/Zook85/pirateJLB.jpg)
Well, if that's true, either way, JR is taking credit for it.
If JLB ever quit DT, he should join Alestorm.
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If JLB ever quit DT, he should join Alestorm.
:rollin :rollin :rollin