DT vocal covers by Nicky Spanjaards

[Perpetual Change]

That links to the DL of my tune. I mean, I COULD upload a video of myself pretending to be Bob Dylan later I guess. hehe. I'll have to wait to see how I feel about that. 

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

LLTWM. Thanks for once again calling us douches.

Read my response to Adami. I see where you guys are coming from now. 

[ZBomber]

Ok, I'll try to explain maybe where they're coming from.

1. He posted his stuff on the DT part of the forum, saying he'll take requests. That kind of says that he had some pretty high thoughts of his voice.
2. His videos are mostly him trying to act like a rock star, with all the head banging and moving around and hand motions and so forth, especially when they're just supposed to showcase his voice.
3. He has his own forum with no members as far as I know. Why would a 19 year old kid need an official forum? You have to earn things like that by having fans, he has none outside of his friends/family, none of which needs a forum.
4. He has a rather insane biography section. No 19 year old with no experience needs any kind of bio, especially one like that. And the food poisoning thing is just odd and strange. It just makes him look like he takes himself WAY too damn seriously.
5. Despite all of our actual cricitism, he keeps posting videos and hasn't gotten better. Why? Because it's been a month. Who gets better in a month? No one. We suggested taking a very long time to tone and perfect his voice, and all he did was post more videos of him still singingly poorly.
6. It seems his friends and family give him absolutely nothing but praise and adoration. None of us need to. Especially since he isn't very good. And he's not 8 years old, he doesn't need us to let him know that he's special and that he can do anything. He's an adult, and we're treating him like one.

If he was WAY more humble, took himself seriously and just acted like a 19 year old guy who's learning how to sing, instead of a rockstar who needs to catch a break, we'd show him more respect. But as of now, he has done very very little to earn our respect.

Well said.

[rumborak]

I think Adami's point #5 is the key here. If there's one impression I got in this whole thing, it's that he didn't take any of the criticism seriously. He paid lip service to them, i.e. pretending that he will work on the issues, but then just proceeded to record more stuff, probably from the bizarre idea that we will sooner or later be blown away by his singing. After all, he plays in a band, so he must be a good singer!

rumborak

[Vivace]

 After all, he plays in a band, so he must be a good singer!

I think this is another thing right here. Most of the bands that I hear when they are starting out from their "demos" posted on MP.com, JLB.com, etc and other music forums, the band itself is pretty good and the singer is okay. Sometimes the singer is just plain awful and rarely is the singer really good. Almost always if the singer is good as well as the band itself recognition starts to fly in their direction. Why not? It's deserved. The band is talented and people always flock to talent. If the band or the singer is lacking, people will recognize this and tell the band, ditch the singer or tell the singer ditch the band. Fame doesn't come even if you are begging for it, and especially doesn't come when you hang a spotlight over your head and go "look at me" unless you have the talent to back it up. I've seen Simon Calwell (spelling) tear such people to shreads and one of two things happens afterwards, they break down and cry realizing they really do sound that bad and everything they have built up before was meaningless, kinda like someone whipped the rug from under their feet, or two they ignore it and call Simon stupid even though they were nodding and agreeing with him when he was talking to them. So I don't get it. I would love, absolutely love to have the kind of voice JLB has but alas I do not and probably will never have it. I have done one song to which I thought was pretty good, posted it, got back reviews and it was 50/50. the minute I read the reviews I relistened and heard everything the reviews mentioned. My response was, "I'll work on it. Thank you very much." and I have yet to even come close to re-recording anything mostly due to the fact that I haven't practiced it and also due to the fact that I need lessons on training my head voice. We all want to show our chops and see if we can hit the big time in our lives. I have never found any of the forums: this one, nor mp.com nor JLB to be "mean" when it comes to criticism. It only gets that way when the submitter starts to lash out for people not liking him or disagreeing with him. So again, I don't get it.

[rumborak]

I have never found any of the forums: this one, nor mp.com nor JLB to be "mean" when it comes to criticism.

Yeah, good point. If anything, I would say Nicky can consider himself lucky he posted this on DTF. Any other forum's response would have been vicious, whereas this thread here is a treasure trove for someone who actually wants to improve his game. For someone who was solely looking for unanimous praise it's of course still a disaster, but that's hardly our fault.

rumborak

[NickySpanjaards]

Guys, let's take it easy.  Some of the comments here make me cringe, but I've been trying not to say anything.  Polite constructive criticism is one thing.  But making fun of a guy's physical appearance and calling him crazy is another.  It's almost like cyber bullying.  He's not a punching bag.  He's a teenager still.  

So what if he has his own website and forum?  Every teenage band in the world does now on MySpace and other music websites that let you leave comments and discuss.  Nicky is just extra passionate and put in time and energy to make his website more professional.  Good for him.  I like his go-getter attitude.

This. Some of you guys are being complete douches.

This. I just wanted to make a website and forum to make it look more professional and because it's a cool challenge.

That's your opinion.
 Nicky isn't very good. That's the general view, period. Should we lie to him or just be fake because he decides to post his crappy vocals publicly? Its his choice to put himself out there? You are owed nothing!
Who are you to call us a douche? If you want to kiss his ass go right ahead, but don't get self righteous with us for being honest with him. If you are going to put yourself out there, you get what you get, and you don't get upset. Period.

Yeah that's their opinion, and you sound like everyone has to agree with your opinion.

If he was WAY more humble, took himself seriously and just acted like a 19 year old guy who's learning how to sing, instead of a rockstar who needs to catch a break, we'd show him more respect. But as of now, he has done very very little to earn our respect.

Why? I think everyone deserves the same treatment of respect.

You want to know why I called him crazy? Because he's dillusional, which is within the spectrum of mental illness, which we colloquially call "crazy". That has been my only criticism of him, and I stand by it. I don't fault him for singing, posting samples of his work for crtique, etc. But when you start reimagining your life - particularly in the same manner of someone you emulate - that's a sign of mental illness. You can't just go around propagating lies, I chose to call him out on it. Everyone I know has thrown up at somepoint in their lives, so I find it extremely unlikely that Nicky suffered the same freak accident that happened to his idol.

I think this is a very respectless comment. You don't even "know" me and you have a prejudice with "he IS dillusional and HAS a mental illness. But you don't know if it's true. It's like I say that you're disabled, and I don't know if it's true. And then you say I'm spreading lies about my "thrown up" story. That was a really hard time for me! But I will explain how it happened.

On a sunday in the fall of 2009 we ate sauerkraut with bacon. The next day my brother, father and I were very sick. We all had stomach ache.
I had to work, so I went to my work because I thought that I could handle it. Whyle cycling I felt that I had to throw up. So I stopped and thrown up. After throwing up a few times only gastric juice came out of my mouth. I constantly had to make a stop after a few minutes of cycling to throw up. It became really tired of it and my head was spinning. my vocal chords were really hurting. When I came to the working place they offered me to drink cola, because that reduce the stomach ache. It was getting better with me. So I worked for 2 hours. I cycled back to home and I went in my bed to sleep the rest of the day. The next day I went to the doctor I had ruptured vocal chords. Not heavy, but just a little. He said that I had to rest my voice as much as possible and that I could pick up singing after half a year. I didn't, I was in the middle of a record with my first band, but the record never finished, because the guitarist shortly leaved after that to join another band. I began to train my voice all over again, I did that by singing along with Aerosmith. Of course lower. My voice was weak, fast tired and it cracked by most of the higher notes I tried to reach. When it got a bit better I practised with DT and after 4 months my rupture was healed. My voice was a lot better after those 6 months of hard practise, singing lessons being despressive and everything and I'm still practising to this day.

Hope that cleared some things up. (I still have a few old records of me singing along with DT for evidence).

And the last thing: Most of you gave really good advice, and don't say "he doesn't do anything with it, because a month later he has posted a new video" and that sort of things. I just want to share some video's of us while in the repetition room, and I will get on with that. I love singing and practise with Era IV. If you say I don't improve or anything, well maybe it is, but I'm just excited to post new video's of me and my band, and I'm not fast upset, but some comments here are very respectless.

[Seventh Son]

Well, this out to be interesting.

Popcorn anyone?

[ZBomber]

Dibs on being the one who gets to write Nicky's biography!

[Perpetual Change]

(I still have a few old records of me singing along with DT for evidence).

I want to hear this.

[Plasmastrike]

(I still have a few old records of me singing along with DT for evidence).

I want to hear this.

Same lol

[7StringedBeast]

Dibs on being the one who gets to write Nicky's biography!

I think JLB could do that pretty easily

[Perpetual Change]

https://vimeo.com/15984151


So it at LaBrie's forum, so figure I could post it here.

I'd say stop taking requests for at least a year, Nicky.

[Vivace]

https://vimeo.com/15984151


So it at LaBrie's forum, so figure I could post it here.

I'd say stop taking requests for at least a year, Nicky.

Compare it to this as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P703e7_hHs8

[rumborak]

You know, what's interesting here is, years ago I read that Billy Sheehan was kinda disrespected by the greater bass community, because his flashy style of playing had caused a whole generation of bass players to neglect the basics and focus on the flashy parts. It seems JLB with all his antics and idiosyncrasies somewhat falls into the same category. Nicky is focusing so much on the flashy parts, i.e. the screams, the weird end-of-word exhale, and totally neglects the basics, pitch.

rumborak

[SixDegrees]

.

[7StringedBeast]

Nicky,

I'm just going to be straight with you here.  You need to practice like everyone has said, the basics.  I think you have actually performed worse on your Pull Me Under Cover, than you did on some of your previous ones.  You need to stop trying to sing Dream Theater, and try to sing something simpler.

When I was starting out on guitar, I didn't go straight for Dream Theater or Metallica solos.  I learned how to play nirvana solos.  Importantly, I practiced them over and over in order to get them right.  Once I was mastering that, I moved on.  Now I can play the UAGM solo pretty well.  And that is the course of 8 years of practice.  

You really need to start from the beginning if you want to get better.  Let me emphasize, you NEED to start from the beginning.  Get a new vocal coach ASAP.  Sing simpler and easier stuff and slowly expand your singing.  You can't go from noob to JLB and Bruce Dickinson in a couple weeks.  Sorry, it just won't happen and you just don't have the innate talent to do it.  But that's OK!  You just need to make up for it with hard work so you can make some progress.  I'm not saying hard work will make you extremely good.  It's not easy to be JLB vocally, that's why he's in a big respected band and highly regarded and most of us aren't.  If everyone was that good, then no one would care about talent, there would be nothing special about it.

So you really need to go back and work your way up from the bottom.  Stop posting DT covers for people to hear, because man they are really bad.  You are all over the place in pitch and tone.  

Don't cheat yourself man.  Do it right.  

[Perpetual Change]

I get that as well, rumby. It sounds like Nicki is imitating all of LaBrie's little quirks. Those quirks are part of LaBrie's charm, but when imitated by someone off pitch they're just distracting.

I will say, that was almost a decent "Once in a Livetime/House of Blues" era James imitation.

[Tick]

https://vimeo.com/15984151


So it at LaBrie's forum, so figure I could post it here.

I'd say stop taking requests for at least a year, Nicky.

That is fucking atrocious! It makes me want to cause physical harm to myself as I listen. The military could literally play that song in a loop to torture prisoners. It would be quite effective!
You have not learned anything and I can't even sugar coat anymore. You are a bad singer.  
Stop posting these pieces of vomit thinking one of them will get praise. I lost my ability to put a positive spin on this anymore. You learn nothing. Your the child who puts his hand on the hot stove burner, cry's, then does it again repeatedly. You are destined for American Idol audition stardom.

I just realized you didn't post it PC did so I'm sorry for that part. But you do keep making them instead of learning how to fucking sing!

[Plasmastrike]

You have a very fitting avatar for that post, tick.

[Tick]

You have a very fitting avatar for that post, tick.

Thank you. I meant every word of it. Listening to that link made me irritable, for real!

[Mebert78]

https://vimeo.com/15984151


So it at LaBrie's forum, so figure I could post it here.

I'd say stop taking requests for at least a year, Nicky.

That is fucking atrocious! It makes me want to cause physical harm to myself as I listen. The military could literally play that song in a loop to torture prisoners. It would be quite effective!
You have not learned anything and I can't even sugar coat anymore. You are a bad singer.  
Stop posting these pieces of vomit thinking one of them will get praise. I lost my ability to put a positive spin on this anymore. You learn nothing. Your the child who puts his hand on the hot stove burner, cry's, then does it again repeatedly. You are destined for American Idol audition stardom.

I just realized you didn't post it PC did so I'm sorry for that part. But you do keep making them instead of learning how to fucking sing!

Dude, you can't say stuff like that.  It's cyber bullying.  Honestly.  "Fucking atrocious," "torture prisoners," "pieces of vomit," etc.  If you don't like it, just say that politely.  Don't dump on the guy with a hurtful tone.  We can discuss the clips more respectfully without being nasty.   

[7StringedBeast]

https://vimeo.com/15984151


So it at LaBrie's forum, so figure I could post it here.

I'd say stop taking requests for at least a year, Nicky.

That is fucking atrocious! It makes me want to cause physical harm to myself as I listen. The military could literally play that song in a loop to torture prisoners. It would be quite effective!
You have not learned anything and I can't even sugar coat anymore. You are a bad singer.  
Stop posting these pieces of vomit thinking one of them will get praise. I lost my ability to put a positive spin on this anymore. You learn nothing. Your the child who puts his hand on the hot stove burner, cry's, then does it again repeatedly. You are destined for American Idol audition stardom.

I just realized you didn't post it PC did so I'm sorry for that part. But you do keep making them instead of learning how to fucking sing!

Dude, you can't say stuff like that.  It's cyber bullying.  Honestly.  "Fucking atrocious," "torture prisoners," "pieces of vomit," etc.  If you don't like it, just say that politely.  Don't dump on the guy with a hurtful tone.  We can discuss the clips more respectfully without being nasty.   

Tick is def being harsh, but in his defense he was being incredibly constructive and kind to Nicky in previous posts when all this started.  Nicky has since ignored all of Tick's advice and continued to post really really bad vocal performances for the world to see and criticize.  So I can definitely see where Tick's frustration is coming from.  I feel for you Tick!

I looked at his thread in the JLB forum, and one guy criticized constructively and the follow up poster said, oh don't be mean it was good and I think you improved nicky!

Nicky then completely ignored the criticism post (which was really sound advice) and commented on the guy giving him praise saying something along the lines of "Thanks I think I sound good and improved to".  This is detrimental to Nicky trying to become a good singer.  He fails to see his own fail.  You can only be better if you are critical of yourself.

[Nic35]

From his ''biography''

In the fall of 2009 Nicky was deadly ill after food poisoning. He had to throw up all the time. He ruptured his vocal chords and after that he couldn't even sing anymore. Nicky went to a doctor and the doctor said he should rest his voice for half a year. Nicky didn't, in fact he was in the middle in a record of his debut album with Century Crash. His voice was far from normal. He lost a part of his vocal range, the voice cracked most of the time, was weak and it was fast tired.

https://nickyspanjaards.comule.com/1_2_Biography.html

God stop trying to be JLB. You need to find your own style.

[Perpetual Change]

Honestly, if I were Nicky I'd take all the videos of me singing DT stuff down. I'd just leave the Iced Earth and Megadeath ones up. I'm VERY surprised no-one has posted these anywhere where they'd got viral yet, because I think certain ones definitely could. But if they do, the fact that your name and personal information are EVERYWHERE could be a lot of trouble for you.

Just sayin'

[El JoNNo]

https://vimeo.com/15984151


So it at LaBrie's forum, so figure I could post it here.

I'd say stop taking requests for at least a year, Nicky.

That is fucking atrocious! It makes me want to cause physical harm to myself as I listen. The military could literally play that song in a loop to torture prisoners. It would be quite effective!
You have not learned anything and I can't even sugar coat anymore. You are a bad singer.  
Stop posting these pieces of vomit thinking one of them will get praise. I lost my ability to put a positive spin on this anymore. You learn nothing. Your the child who puts his hand on the hot stove burner, cry's, then does it again repeatedly. You are destined for American Idol audition stardom.

I just realized you didn't post it PC did so I'm sorry for that part. But you do keep making them instead of learning how to fucking sing!

Dude, you can't say stuff like that.  It's cyber bullying.  Honestly.  "Fucking atrocious," "torture prisoners," "pieces of vomit," etc.  If you don't like it, just say that politely.  Don't dump on the guy with a hurtful tone.  We can discuss the clips more respectfully without being nasty.   

It's not cyber bullying, it's a bit of a dick way to get your point across but not bullying. It's not like he is picking on him over and over for no good reason and if he were to do that the mods would step in.  

[El JoNNo]

Something tells me the only thing that will get through to him will be if JLB steps in and does some critiquing.

[ZBomber]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

[7StringedBeast]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

In particular, his photo that he uses for promotion.  lulz.  I think he may want to drop the Nicky thing too.  I mean, using the name Nicky comes across as childish.  It does to me anyway.  I feel like using his full name would make him look at least a little more serious.  Of course all this is moot because he can't sing well yet.

[tri.ad]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

I feel like using his full name would make him look at least a little more serious.

Kevin James LaBrie.

[Nic35]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

Have you seen his website? It's ridiculous how the guy takes himself too seriously.

[El JoNNo]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

Have you seen his webosite? It's ridiculous how the guy takes himself too seriously.

You haven't read the rest of the thread have you.

[Nic35]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

Have you seen his webosite? It's ridiculous how the guy takes himself too seriously.

You haven't read the rest of the thread have you.

Not all the 7 pages

[El JoNNo]

 

[ZBomber]

I STILL think this is funny. Not because of the singing, but because of the overall presentation of everything combined together.

Have you seen his webosite? It's ridiculous how the guy takes himself too seriously.

You haven't read the rest of the thread have you.

Not all the 7 pages

If you think the website is entertaining, I assure you that you will find this whole thread to be worth reading.