Extreme (the band) - Official Thread. V. SIX

[DTwwbwMP]

DAMN! That was awesome. I saw the first show of this leg and we didn't get the big screen animation for some reason. Definitely a plus!

[cramx3]

DAMN! That was awesome. I saw the first show of this leg and we didn't get the big screen animation for some reason. Definitely a plus!

Yeah, that's interesting that it wasn't at the NJ show. 

[WardySI]

Nice writeup.

Interestingly X Out was the standout for me from the start. Go figure right?

[Samsara]

Nice writeup.

Interestingly X Out was the standout for me from the start. Go figure right?

Thanks!

Yeah, X-Out is awesome!

[goo-goo]

X-out is probably my favorite track off their new album. I missed them (again) and I do hope they play another US leg.

[jammindude]

I’m at the show and found out I was sitting next to Greg Errico, the drummer from Sly and the Family Stone. Had a cool conversation at the break.

[jammindude]

Just came back from the show. It really was a lot of fun.

A few initial thoughts:

Corey Glover is living proof that a 60 yr old rock singer can perform incredible vocal acrobatics if he takes care of his instrument. He was absolutely on fire and hitting everything perfectly for the entire opening set. Even showing off a bit. Whatever technique he’s using to stay in shape, he needs to teach it to everyone else his age. He literally sounded every bit of what he was 35 years ago.

I had no idea just how talented Vernon Reid was. Nuno said during the Extreme set that he was actually intimidated about following him…which I would not have believed at all if I hadn’t heard Vernon first.

Nuno is awesome. He’s genuine, he’s talented, he engages the crowd…this was my first time ever seeing Extreme so I guess I was a little surprised to see the stage dynamic and discover that Nuno is actually the frontman of the band. And he absolutely does carry them.

Which leads me to my only disappointment of the night. Gary. They opened with It’s a Monster and Decadant Dance and at first it seemed that Gary was on fire and nailing everything….but as soon as Rest in Peace started, it was immediately apparent that Gary was having an issue. My only guess is that he overplayed his hand during DD and strained something.  RIP was pretty bad and he seemed to be barking the words more than singing them, and letting the harmonies cover for him. There were several spots in the set where he had a chance to take a break, and each time he seemed to come back a little bit better, and being a bit more in tune after the rest, but on the whole, he really struggled the rest of the night. Every time there was even something remotely out of middle range, he handed the mic to Nuno or Pat (who has a surprisingly good voice and can hit a high note fairly well) or he’d let the audience do it.  By the time we got to Song for Love at the encore I saw a few people actively cringing.

I actually felt really bad for him. Because I remember being a singer from the stage and I know that there are times when you go out there full of confidence, and you just absolutely sell your soul into the first two songs and then find out you did not pace yourself properly, and now you have to struggle through the rest of the night with strained vocal cords.

He didn’t speak a word to the audience all night and left the crowd interaction completely to Nuno. And I’m not really complaining about that because Nuno did a great job. It’s just the only time I’ve ever seen that dynamic in a rock band.

I’ve actually always been a huge fan and a defender of Gary even during his stint with Van Halen. But seeing his stage presence in person for the first time tonight made me think that maybe he wasn’t a good fit for Van Halen after all. But it also made me understand a little bit more why Eddie hired him. I think it’s possible that Eddie had become tired of having to compete with a showstopping frontman. Dave and Sammy are completely different types of front men, but in their own way they do command the attention, and energy of the audience. Gary just doesn’t have that stage presence at all.

But really, at the end of the day that was a fantastic show and I had a blast!

[Samsara]

Just came back from the show. It really was a lot of fun.

A few initial thoughts:

Corey Glover is living proof that a 60 yr old rock singer can perform incredible vocal acrobatics if he takes care of his instrument. He was absolutely on fire and hitting everything perfectly for the entire opening set. Even showing off a bit. Whatever technique he’s using to stay in shape, he needs to teach it to everyone else his age. He literally sounded every bit of what he was 35 years ago.

Living Colour is the band I've seen the third most times in my 29 years of concert-going so far. I've seen them 12 times. Corey was only slightly off ONCE in those 12 shows. And he wasn't really off, his voice was just raspier, probably due to a cold. I interviewed him probably in 2011 or so, and I asked him how he keeps his voice in the shape he does. And everyone around him (the band) said: "SLEEP." Corey sleeps a LOT, apparently. But he got serious, and just said it actually is sleep, he rests his voice, drinks a ton of water, etc. Some guys are just born with a gift (Glenn Hughes) and it never goes away. Corey is one of them.

I had no idea just how talented Vernon Reid was. Nuno said during the Extreme set that he was actually intimidated about following him…which I would not have believed at all if I hadn’t heard Vernon first.

I got a ton of pushback on here, and will always, obviously, when I said that I thought Vernon Reid was the most talented metal/heavy rock guitarist I've ever seen. But I still stand by that. The guy is UNIQUE in the way he approaches the instrument. He can play ANYTHING, and then on a dime, change up his styles. I give tons of love to guys like JP, Nuno, Vai, Satch, etc. But for my money, I can sit and watch Vernon play for hours. The guy is incredible. Glad you dug watching him.

Nuno is awesome. He’s genuine, he’s talented, he engages the crowd…this was my first time ever seeing Extreme so I guess I was a little surprised to see the stage dynamic and discover that Nuno is actually the frontman of the band. And he absolutely does carry them.

Not all the time. He is awesome, and does talk in the shows. But last weekend (and obviously this week), Gary hasn't been talking much, and Nuno has stepped up. The interaction between Gary and Nuno and Pat was also not there. I think it is due to Gary being sick. I don't know for sure, but I think so.

Which leads me to my only disappointment of the night. Gary. They opened with It’s a Monster and Decadant Dance and at first it seemed that Gary was on fire and nailing everything….but as soon as Rest in Peace started, it was immediately apparent that Gary was having an issue. My only guess is that he overplayed his hand during DD and strained something.  RIP was pretty bad and he seemed to be barking the words more than singing them, and letting the harmonies cover for him. There were several spots in the set where he had a chance to take a break, and each time he seemed to come back a little bit better, and being a bit more in tune after the rest, but on the whole, he really struggled the rest of the night. Every time there was even something remotely out of middle range, he handed the mic to Nuno or Pat (who has a surprisingly good voice and can hit a high note fairly well) or he’d let the audience do it.  By the time we got to Song for Love at the encore I saw a few people actively cringing.

I actually felt really bad for him. Because I remember being a singer from the stage and I know that there are times when you go out there full of confidence, and you just absolutely sell your soul into the first two songs and then find out you did not pace yourself properly, and now you have to struggle through the rest of the night with strained vocal cords.

He didn’t speak a word to the audience all night and left the crowd interaction completely to Nuno. And I’m not really complaining about that because Nuno did a great job. It’s just the only time I’ve ever seen that dynamic in a rock band.

I’ve actually always been a huge fan and a defender of Gary even during his stint with Van Halen. But seeing his stage presence in person for the first time tonight made me think that maybe he wasn’t a good fit for Van Halen after all. But it also made me understand a little bit more why Eddie hired him. I think it’s possible that Eddie had become tired of having to compete with a showstopping frontman. Dave and Sammy are completely different types of front men, but in their own way they do command the attention, and energy of the audience. Gary just doesn’t have that stage presence at all.

But really, at the end of the day that was a fantastic show and I had a blast!

JD, honestly, we both caught Gary on a bad run (me last weekend, you last night). I think he's sick. He was so much more energetic and on the button in August when I saw them twice. My guess is that he's ill, and singing around it. Last weekend, when I saw them, I was really upset -- for him. He doesn't normally sound that off. Bummer this was the first time you caught them and he wasn't up to snuff. Hopefully you get another opportunity.

Gary is absolutely the perfect hybrid of DLR and Sammy. He's just battling something these past few days. Sucks.

[cramx3]

I'm not nearly the Extreme fan most are here, so I may be off based, but I'm not sure I agree about this:

I’ve actually always been a huge fan and a defender of Gary even during his stint with Van Halen. But seeing his stage presence in person for the first time tonight made me think that maybe he wasn’t a good fit for Van Halen after all. But it also made me understand a little bit more why Eddie hired him. I think it’s possible that Eddie had become tired of having to compete with a showstopping frontman. Dave and Sammy are completely different types of front men, but in their own way they do command the attention, and energy of the audience. Gary just doesn’t have that stage presence at all.

Now, I also wasn't a fan of VH yet during the Gary album, so I don't know what was going on at that time, but when I was watching Gary on this tour, I thought "oh I see why Eddie thought he fit"  He has a similar body to Dave, he's super energetic and all over the place on stage, just like Dave.  But he can actually sing, unlike Dave  I will say, he's not quite as eccentric as Dave.  And also this:

He didn’t speak a word to the audience all night and left the crowd interaction completely to Nuno. And I’m not really complaining about that because Nuno did a great job. It’s just the only time I’ve ever seen that dynamic in a rock band.

This also left me a bit confused, but maybe this is also why Gary wasn't the right fit for VH.  VH needs someone to command the mic not just during the song.

[DTwwbwMP]

To this day, I enjoyed the Gary led VH shows more than either Dave (who I've always hated as a frontman) and Sammy shows. Just me.

[Samsara]

Here is Gary fronting VH for an entire gig in 1998. As I said, perfect hybrid, and plenty entertaining.

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

[Kwyjibo]

When Gary's healthy he is more than an able frontman. Saw Extreme back in the day for the III sides tour and again on a festival a short time before  Punchline and both times Gary was a good frontman with a lot of moving on the stage, crowd interaction and talking to the audience.

And if you listen to the Take Us Alive live recording, it's Gary that does the talking.

And I saw him with Van Halen and he was the only one active on stage.

[jammindude]

Well, with all of this being said, I guess I have to go with the story that he’s just been sick and that’s a bummer. I just feared the worst when he came out initially so strong and then suddenly fell off the table. That was what made me think that maybe he had just strained something.

[Stadler]

When Gary's healthy he is more than an able frontman. Saw Extreme back in the day for the III sides tour and again on a festival a short time before  Punchline and both times Gary was a good frontman with a lot of moving on the stage, crowd interaction and talking to the audience.

And if you listen to the Take Us Alive live recording, it's Gary that does the talking.

And I saw him with Van Halen and he was the only one active on stage.

Agreed with all but the last part (I never saw VH with him).  When I saw them last at Mohegan, Gary was in good form, moving around, sounded great, and yet Nuno STILL did most of the between-song chatter.

[Samsara]

You also have to remember that Nuno is the "name" in the band. Ever since the solo in "Rise" went crazy with people, he's hit the cover of most major music and guitar magazines, trying to paint him as the successor to EVH. On top of that, Nuno is also the principal of a management company. He has a name not only with consumers, but with artists. So having him talk a lot on stage is probably part of the point right now - giving people the face and voice they want to hear from.

But in August, while I can't remember if Nuno was AS vocal, I DO KNOW that Gary was way, way more energetic and engaging. I sincerely believe Gary is sick, and recovering from something.

[TAC]

trying to paint him as the successor to EVH.

This is where I start to check out. I mean, they were a barely made it band from over 30 years ago, through no fault of their own. I root for them as they were local, and they worked their asses off so I do respect them.  I'm glad they're enjoying this resurgence.



My wife had the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on last night in the bedroom while she was on the treadmill, and when I walked in, Gary Cherone was on stage with them. She was like, who the hell is this guy? He's awful.
I had to laugh. He did look ridiculous with all of his gyrations and shit.

[Samsara]

This is where I start to check out. I mean, they were a barely made it band from over 30 years ago, through no fault of their own. I root for them as they were local, and they worked their asses off so I do respect them.  I'm glad they're enjoying this resurgence.

I'm not the one saying it, I'm saying that's what magazines seemed to try and do once that solo in "Rise" took off.

My wife had the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on last night in the bedroom while she was on the treadmill, and when I walked in, Gary Cherone was on stage with them. She was like, who the hell is this guy? He's awful.
I had to laugh. He did look ridiculous with all of his gyrations and shit.

Come on, Tim. We all know Mrs. TAC's taste in music is...questionable. 

[TAC]

This is where I start to check out. I mean, they were a barely made it band from over 30 years ago, through no fault of their own. I root for them as they were local, and they worked their asses off so I do respect them.  I'm glad they're enjoying this resurgence.

I'm not the one saying it, I'm saying that's what magazines seemed to try and do once that solo in "Rise" took off.

My wife had the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on last night in the bedroom while she was on the treadmill, and when I walked in, Gary Cherone was on stage with them. She was like, who the hell is this guy? He's awful.
I had to laugh. He did look ridiculous with all of his gyrations and shit.

Come on, Tim. We all know Mrs. TAC's taste in music is...questionable. 

Hah! I didn't mean that you were saying the EVH thing. I know that. I've seen that narrative pushed in the press.

[cramx3]

Looks like the tour will continue on....

https://blabbermouth.net/news/extreme-announces-15-new-north-american-dates-with-living-colour-blabbermouth-net-presale

[HOF]

If you watch any clips of Gary with VH, he was almost over the top showy back then. Lots of acrobatics and dancing and flamboyance. 

[EPICVIEW]

If you watch any clips of Gary with VH, he was almost over the top showy back then. Lots of acrobatics and dancing and flamboyance.

I dont enjoy Gary's stage work at all sadly.. I find it uncomfortable for some reason, but to be fair I didnt love DLR's  when I saw him with VH

[HOF]

I dont enjoy Gary's stage work at all sadly.. I find it uncomfortable for some reason, but to be fair I didnt love DLR's  when I saw him with VH

Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of his stage presence myself. Love the voice but the back flips and stuff are kind of weird.

[EPICVIEW]

Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of his stage presence myself. Love the voice but the back flips and stuff are kind of weird.

yup

[WardySI]

+1

[Stadler]

If you watch any clips of Gary with VH, he was almost over the top showy back then. Lots of acrobatics and dancing and flamboyance.

I've seen them three times.  First time, on the Extreme III tour, it was borderline embarrassing, the low point being when he stopped at like three or four points on the stage, turned his back on the crowd then bent over to look at them through his legs. Weird.  The second, the Pornograffiti anniversary tour, he was really subdued; I think he was not feeling well (though he sang like a champ).  The band was weird that night, taking the stage late and Nuno being clearly - and explicitly - mad about something.   The third time was at Fenway opening for Aerosmith and it was a nice blend of the two. 

I'm sorry to offend anyone that knows him or has met him, but TO ME, he comes off as a bit odd. 

[TAC]

My wife was watching the Freddie Mercury concert last month, and I walked in and Gary Cherone was on stage with them, and she was like, who in the hell is this guy?
She was really put off by it.

[EPICVIEW]

+4

[cramx3]

I've seen them three times.  First time, on the Extreme III tour, it was borderline embarrassing, the low point being when he stopped at like three or four points on the stage, turned his back on the crowd then bent over to look at them through his legs. Weird.  The second, the Pornograffiti anniversary tour, he was really subdued; I think he was not feeling well (though he sang like a champ).  The band was weird that night, taking the stage late and Nuno being clearly - and explicitly - mad about something.   The third time was at Fenway opening for Aerosmith and it was a nice blend of the two. 

I'm sorry to offend anyone that knows him or has met him, but TO ME, he comes off as a bit odd.

LOL at the bolded.  I think his stage dancing is a bit odd myself, but not really turned off by it.  I actually think a lot of it just looks funny because he's got those chicken legs so something like the bolded, sounds like it would just look really funny to me. 

[Samsara]

I don't know Gary personally as a friend. But I have seen him perform many times, and met him a couple of times after all the "fan" stuff was over. The guy who my wife and I spent a little bit of time with twice is subdued, intelligent, witty, and thoughtful. The persona we see on stage...that's how he's always been. Part DLR, part Freddie Mercury, etc. Gary makes himself the flamboyant frontman. He's entertaining. Can it be a little odd? Totally. But he and the band are putting on a "show."

The goofing around on stage is part of it. Nuno is just as playful, just not as flamboyant because he's playing all the time (which, as a four piece band, is what the sole guitarist has to do). I totally get that Gary's persona on stage can be weird, but it's all in good fun. Do you think the story of Francis is supposed to be this critical, serious commentary? I mean, it's fun, and there is a message, but it's tongue-in-cheek. They got more serious with III Sides, and when performing those songs, there is little goofing around, with the social commentary.

I love Gary. Such a nice guy, hell of a singer, and while his gyrations may throw some people, I find him entertaining (if not a bit goofy).

I hope his voice recovers. This past tour, at least at my show, and from what I heard, a few shows before and after my show, he was having vocal trouble. But, he was absolutely AMAZING last summer at the two shows I saw. So hopefully it was a bug he's gotten over. I'd go again, but this next leg is for Canada and some other tertiary markets for the band. I'll give Extreme this -- they did what they promised: A full-on, old school tour. Two-hour shows, all over the globe, with multiple U.S. treks. I really respect that.

I hope a new album is in store for 2025. I believe it's the band's 40th anniversary.

[TAC]

I have mad respect for Gary.