A fun little James moment from 1998

[IdoSC]

So 5 years ago I was (already) obsessed with James, alongside the rest of the band. At the time I was also obsessed with online bootlegs. One thing that's been driving me crazy is how James never had a "solo spot", where it's just him singing, maybe accompanied by Jordan's piano only (as they did a few months later in their joint show), or by John Petrucci's mellower type of playing (which they did a year later during ADTOE's tour).

Then, one day, I stumbled upon this fun bootleg from Finland in 1998, and uploaded it to my old Youtube account, before Google started to integrate Google+ into the site and made a separate account super annoying to handle.

So anyways, I feel like not enough people have seen that, so here it is. Any thoughts? And does anyone know who ever taped this so we can all thank him?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyQOLI9b_10

[Setlist Scotty]

Funny that you bring this up - I just listened to this bootleg a week ago. And like you, I am very thankful to whoever taped it - I just wish he/she taped more of the shows in Finland!

As for JL's solo spot, it's funny how he announces that it's the first time he's doing this - it seems to have gone over about as well as a fart in church, since he never did it at another show after this. But at least he tried it once and it's documented for us to hear so we don't have to wonder "what if JL had a solo spot?" Maybe it could've worked had MP and JP done backing vocals (not sure if the original had them or not) or in some way aided him; but just by himself, it just isn't very interesting, IMO.

On a different note, there's a cool melody that Derek plays during his solo spot that I imagine might be a cover song, but I have yet to identify it. Love Derek's solo spots - they were always cool.

[IdoSC]

Funny that you bring this up - I just listened to this bootleg a week ago. And like you, I am very thankful to whoever taped it - I just wish he/she taped more of the shows in Finland!

As for JL's solo spot, it's funny how he announces that it's the first time he's doing this - it seems to have gone over about as well as a fart in church, since he never did it at another show after this. But at least he tried it once and it's documented for us to hear so we don't have to wonder "what if JL had a solo spot?" Maybe it could've worked had MP and JP done backing vocals (not sure if the original had them or not) or in some way aided him; but just by himself, it just isn't very interesting, IMO.

On a different note, there's a cool melody that Derek plays during his solo spot that I imagine might be a cover song, but I have yet to identify it. Love Derek's solo spots - they were always cool.

Personally I really enjoyed it. Again, 2011's tour showed us that it works much better with another instrument, and maybe your proposal would work as well - but this performance is really not that bad IMO, and I love the idea of performing random covers that have tons of vocal work and barely accentuate the instrumentation as a "solo spot" or a breakdown.

[Setlist Scotty]

I love the idea of performing random covers that have tons of vocal work and barely accentuate the instrumentation as a "solo spot" or a breakdown.

Maybe it was the choice of cover. Had he picked something that was acapella to begin with or almost such (mostly vocals with little instrumentation) it could've worked better. But just singing vocal lines from a typical song (that has full instrumentation) without anyone to back him up just sounds bland to me. It'd be the same thing as finding an album song (from any band) on YouTube that is just the lead vocal and listening to it. In most cases, there's not much to get excited over - you need some instrumentation or even backing vocals to make it really work, IMO.

[rumborak]

I know a lot of people didnt like it, but I loved their more experimental side during FII. I mean, lava lamps. Lava lamps!

[Setlist Scotty]

I know a lot of people didnt like it, but I loved their more experimental side during FII. I mean, lava lamps. Lava lamps!

Exactly what do you mean by "their more experimental side during FII"? Their stage show? Their music? What? If music, then I'd say SDoIT is where they were most experimental, with SFaM not far behind. In terms of their stage show, not really sure how experimental it really was. I mean yeah Derek had taken over one corner of the stage with the lava lamps, shag carpet, static-y TV, sunglasses and his different stage clothes; but other than that, the bull-horn that JL used during JLMB and MP's secondary (small) kit, I don't really recall anything being different for their stage show.

[rumborak]

I don't know, to me the FII shows stand out as one of the most unique ones. They all had short hair, had yes, stage decoration, and a dedicated acoustic segment. They did Nightmare Cinema, and in the OP video JLB has a solo segment.

[KevShmev]

Well, the presence of Derek definitely gave it a feel and look unlike just about any other Dream Theater tour, so I get where you are coming from, rumbo.

I don't think JLB has the voice to do a solo spot.  Remember Freddie Mercury doing those and the crowd mimicking what he'd sing?  Very few rock singers can pull that off well.  And DT has never had a secondary backup vocalist strong enough to support such a thing like, like Scotty alluded to.  Portnoy and Petrucci are/were both more Steve Howe than anything vocally, and with DT never having a Chris Squire (a very strong backup vocalist, who can be a great number 2 and occasional good number 1), it just would never work.  It's too bad that DT never has had a really good number 2 vocalist, because looking at DT's career as a whole, while they've had their moments, great vocal harmonies are one thing really missing a lot of the time.

[JayOctavarium]

I would say, from what I have seen and heard via bootlegs and youtube and what not... the FII shows seemed more... relaxed.

Which I like.

[Setlist Scotty]

I would say, from what I have seen and heard via bootlegs and youtube and what not... the FII shows seemed more... relaxed.

I guess you could use that word. I think "fun" might be a better choice, even if things behind the scenes were anything but fun! All the spontaneous covers they did, Nightmare Cinema, Nicky Lemons, etc. is a far cry from the programmed machine-like way the shows are today. You didn't quite know what was going to happen from night to night.

[YtseJamittaja]

I would say, from what I have seen and heard via bootlegs and youtube and what not... the FII shows seemed more... relaxed.

I guess you could use that word. I think "fun" might be a better choice, even if things behind the scenes were anything but fun! All the spontaneous covers they did, Nightmare Cinema, Nicky Lemons, etc. is a far cry from the programmed machine-like way the shows are today. You didn't quite know what was going to happen from night to night.

Yes. This. But I think this couldn't work today. They are too big and metal to just jam and keeping fun in the stage.

And like you, I am very thankful to whoever taped it - I just wish he/she taped more of the shows in Finland!

And this. I really miss the bootlegs from Finland. I have heard one festival gig but nothing else..

[rumborak]

All the spontaneous covers they did, Nightmare Cinema, Nicky Lemons, etc. is a far cry from the programmed machine-like way the shows are today.

And I think they could totally bring it back, for a song or two. Just show some random slow-moving video in the back. Sure, it won't be synchronized to the audio, and you don't have a backing track, but for a cover or jam song that's totally fine.

[Setlist Scotty]

I would say, from what I have seen and heard via bootlegs and youtube and what not... the FII shows seemed more... relaxed.

I guess you could use that word. I think "fun" might be a better choice, even if things behind the scenes were anything but fun! All the spontaneous covers they did, Nightmare Cinema, Nicky Lemons, etc. is a far cry from the programmed machine-like way the shows are today. You didn't quite know what was going to happen from night to night.

Yes. This. But I think this couldn't work today. They are too big and metal to just jam and keeping fun in the stage.

I disagree. If bands like Metallica and Muse, which I believe still are somewhat loose and throw in covers or bits of covers and have fun on stage, then DT, who is nowhere near the level of these bands can do it too. Unfortunately, they choose not to.
 
 

All the spontaneous covers they did, Nightmare Cinema, Nicky Lemons, etc. is a far cry from the programmed machine-like way the shows are today.

And I think they could totally bring it back, for a song or two. Just show some random slow-moving video in the back. Sure, it won't be synchronized to the audio, and you don't have a backing track, but for a cover or jam song that's totally fine.

I agree - in fact, who needs concept video in the first place? Not every song needs it - some songs can just be nothing but live camera shots, and they could use those particular songs as jumping off points for having fun when one or more of the guys got the itch. Perfect example would be on the M2000 tour. During their playing of the whole SFaM album, they kept things pretty focused, but when it came to the encore (which actually was a higher percentage of the show than normal) there were plenty of opportunities to have fun throwing in extra riffs and other things. The same thing could be true for this or any future tour.

[rumborak]

It's definitely by choice. I mean, up until MP left, their shows didn't have background tracks or synchronized videos.

My best guess is that it was something MM said he's capable of (i.e. playing to click), and they were enticed by the ability to enrich their performance with backing tracks and complex videos. Now that they've done it for a while, it's hard to go back.
Interestingly, in the video for the Loudpark show, you can totally tell at the beginning of PMU that they all want to go faster.

[?]

Fun fact: DT is going to play at that exact venue (the House of Culture) in August for the first time since the show where this video was taken 17 years ago. The capacity is about a fourth of that of the Ice Hall, where DT has usually played in Helsinki. I don't know whether this has to do with the band's popularity or the festival's (lack of) ticket sales, though.

Anyway, maybe we could get another a cappella performance from James this time?

[cramx3]

James does a solo spot on the Made in Japan Deep Purple Cover Series official bootleg, I want to say during the song Lazy (I may be incorrect) but he sings the notes that JP plays and even says something along the lines of "this is like a singing exercise"  Its actually really cool and honestly the only moment I've ever noticed where it was like a JLB solo spot.

[Setlist Scotty]

James does a solo spot on the Made in Japan Deep Purple Cover Series official bootleg, I want to say during the song Lazy (I may be incorrect) but he sings the notes that JP plays and even says something along the lines of "this is like a singing exercise"  Its actually really cool and honestly the only moment I've ever noticed where it was like a JLB solo spot.

Been a long time since I've listened to that boot, but I think I know what you're talking about. But if I'm not mistaken, wasn't JL just mimicking what Ian Gillan did on the original? And you mentioned that he's singing the notes JP plays - that's not really a solo spot, IMO - certainly not in comparison to the cover of the Supertramp song he did at that Finnish gig in 1998.

[cramx3]

James does a solo spot on the Made in Japan Deep Purple Cover Series official bootleg, I want to say during the song Lazy (I may be incorrect) but he sings the notes that JP plays and even says something along the lines of "this is like a singing exercise"  Its actually really cool and honestly the only moment I've ever noticed where it was like a JLB solo spot.

Been a long time since I've listened to that boot, but I think I know what you're talking about. But if I'm not mistaken, wasn't JL just mimicking what Ian Gillan did on the original? And you mentioned that he's singing the notes JP plays - that's not really a solo spot, IMO - certainly not in comparison to the cover of the Supertramp song he did at that Finnish gig in 1998.

I actually am not familiar with the original so I cant say and yea, its not a totally solo part but its very clearly focused on him.  Its actually on Strange Kind of Woman, around the 5:40 mark it starts.  Just listened to it for the first time in a long time.

[IdoSC]

Yup, they did a cool little tradeoff section there, and it was indeed mirroring Ian Gillan's shtick from performances like this (specifically Made in Japan, but this is a good example too):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub73Wkbyzzw

[Yazman]

This is pretty cool, kudos to the guy who recorded it! James is actually my favourite member of the band so I was pretty psyched to see this.