Live show concerns

[mike099]

LaBrie's vocals on the cd are great, but my only concern is how his voice will hold up especially with some concert dates being 3 shows in a row? 

Will there be any variation in the songs, solos, etc.  If the choir and orchestra is in the background, then probably no variation.

[ErHaO]

Well, there is always a risk and a lot of pro-shot DT concerts (most of them...) indeed feature pretty bad Labrie performances/moments. But the two times I saw DT live he was on point. Wacken 2015 is not even remotely close to his shape last two years, unfortunately. I'd even argue (the patched up) Breaking the Fourth Wall is worse than quite some bootlegs of that tour out there.

But hey, I can be just a rabid DT fan saying he is amazing, so here is some actual footage of the shows I saw:
2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adRm-Fyx9Uo Silent Man (acoustic), he sang this one really great.
2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDlLbG9UkTs&list=PLHxTNutXI93R4mnNY_PjF7G9A2rK4nqyH&index=16 Scarred, which has very diverse vocals. He nails it.
2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMAdBGhAyfc&index=7&list=PLHxTNutXI93R4mnNY_PjF7G9A2rK4nqyH At the start he does the higher part of Trail of Tears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6QaTg_QtDo Lifting Shadows of a Dream. Quite a demanding song but he does it well.

I think the Along for the Ride tour featured quite some songs with intense vocal moments (especially the Awake set) and they toured extensively. The new album has a lot of more slower, mid-range, melodic vocals. The Labrie-trainwreck performances are often mostly bad in the higher, building, and soaring vocals (Metropolis pt1, for example).  While there is always a risk of a bad performance, I wouldn't worry too much

As for the band; In a theater setting the sound should be clear and I expect to hear a lot more nuances and dynamics. I think the album holds a lot of great moments, but they are not presented as 4 minute long solo's.

[TheAtliator]

I was also pleasantly surprised to hear how ambitions the vocals were on this! But I definitely think LaBrie will hold up just fine on this tour.

He really is great more nights than not, though right now unfortunately there are a few popular current YouTube videos that  happen to show him in bad shape (biggest example, Wacken, where he seems sick and just off).

Once you're there at the show, he sounds great, and there are a lot of great YouTube videos from the last few tours that do reflect that too 

[Tumdace]

This is why I am glad that they are ending the European leg of this tour March 23 and then immediately going to Canada first! Hell ya! Going to see them in Toronto, they will have 2 nights after their break so I think they will be amazing and JLB will sound awesome!

[Awaken]

LaBrie's vocals on the cd are great, but my only concern is how his voice will hold up especially with some concert dates being 3 shows in a row? 

Will there be any variation in the songs, solos, etc.  If the choir and orchestra is in the background, then probably no variation.

I wondered the same thing in TA thread.  The album is SO vocal heavy, he's going to have his work cut out for him.  Especially by the third evening in a row, which is what I'm getting in CT.  Still can't wait - but the concern was there for me immediately, as well.

[Chino]

LaBrie's vocals on the cd are great, but my only concern is how his voice will hold up especially with some concert dates being 3 shows in a row? 

Will there be any variation in the songs, solos, etc.  If the choir and orchestra is in the background, then probably no variation.

I wondered the same thing in TA thread.  The album is SO vocal heavy, he's going to have his work cut out for him.  Especially by the third evening in a row, which is what I'm getting in CT.  Still can't wait - but the concern was there for me immediately, as well.

Where in CT do you live?

[Awaken]

I'm in Vernon, about 10 mins from Hartford.  Are you in CT, as well?

[Chino]

I'm in Vernon, about 10 mins from Hartford.  Are you in CT, as well?

Yep. Waterbury resident myself. I commute to Hartford daily for work. Tick and Stadler are from CT also.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

My only concern is the live sound, hopefully they have a balanced and clear sound.

[Gromit1710]

My only concern is the live sound, hopefully they have a balanced and clear sound.

So many factors play into this. It's not just the PA or the mix. Venues and their construction along with where you're seated are half responsible as well.

But the last handful of times I've seen them, it's sounded great with only one exception where JLB was buried in the mix for the first few songs.

I'm not concerned with him pulling this off live.

JLB knows what he's doing. I'm sure going into this, he's fully aware this is probably going to be one of the most demanding tours on his voice of his career. He'll sing appropriately and I've got every faith he'll not let anyone down.

[ErHaO]

I expect the sound to be at the very least superiour to any previous DT show I attended as I never have had bad sound in a theater before, even on "bad" seats. Those venues are not made for being loud as hell.

Still, many metal bands seem to have sound engineers that either do not give a single fuck in regards of sound or are just incapabele of doing their job properly, so maybe those concerns are grounded... Seriously, it is ridiculous how many times I have seen concerts where at the very least one element was completely inaudible (I attended a Blind Guardian concert where the frigging lead guitar solo's were nearly inaudible for a large part of the set, what the hell?). There is bad sound and there is sound that actually reaches levels of failing it's function; making you hear the music. Since I have seen many bands in the same venue several times, I can say it is not due to the musicians, the actual compositions of the music, or the venue.

My only concern is the live sound, hopefully they have a balanced and clear sound.

JLB knows what he's doing. I'm sure going into this, he's fully aware this is probably going to be one of the most demanding tours on his voice of his career. He'll sing appropriately and I've got every faith he'll not let anyone down.

Yes, and this album is quite ballad/softer vocals heavy. While he is singing almost all the time, there are not a lot of songs where he must perform at his limits for lengthy durations (unlike many early DT songs from Awake and IAW, for example). Even in an off day I think he will pull of the majority of the material well.

I do like the odds of the timing of the concert I will go to. First the two premiere shows in London, a three day break, and then the show in Amsterdam, which I will attend.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Nothing new but JR promise something really special for this upcoming tour and my concern for the sound is much less now:

What’s The Astonishing live show going to be like?
We’ve never done anything like this before; making a decision early on to do the whole album live, end to end, as a complete show. But it just works so well as a complete story and it lends itself to so many interesting production details so we decided to give fans this mind blowing, cohesive performance. That’s also why we’re playing beautiful, historic theaters as opposed to sports halls. We want great sound and ambiance. We’ve hired a renowned firm called Lucion Media and what they have come up with so far to bring this thing to life is pretty special. We know a lot of eyes will be on us for that first show in London and we want to deliver something unlike anything we have ever done before.

https://loudwire.com/dream-theater-jordan-rudess-the-astonishing-happy-birthday-fan/

[Dream Team]

My concern is James' vocals syncing up with animation of the characters. Sounds very challenging to me.

[genome]

My only concern is how loud it is going to be in the Palladium... it's not the biggest!

[Prog Snob]

Nothing new but JR promise something really special for this upcoming tour and my concern for the sound is much less now:

What’s The Astonishing live show going to be like?
We’ve never done anything like this before; making a decision early on to do the whole album live, end to end, as a complete show. But it just works so well as a complete story and it lends itself to so many interesting production details so we decided to give fans this mind blowing, cohesive performance. That’s also why we’re playing beautiful, historic theaters as opposed to sports halls. We want great sound and ambiance. We’ve hired a renowned firm called Lucion Media and what they have come up with so far to bring this thing to life is pretty special. We know a lot of eyes will be on us for that first show in London and we want to deliver something unlike anything we have ever done before.

I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

[genome]

So am I. Even factoring in the cold day.

[Tick]

I'm in Vernon, about 10 mins from Hartford.  Are you in CT, as well?

Yep. Waterbury resident myself. I commute to Hartford daily for work. Tick and Stadler are from CT also.

I didn't know you were in Waterbury, Chino? I work on Rt. 69 in Prospect about a quarter mile from the Waterbury city line.

[KevShmev]

My only concern is how loud it is going to be in the Palladium... it's not the biggest!

When it comes to DT, throw a dart.  I saw then twice in the span of five days in 2014:

Chicago: perfect sound; could not have been any better.  A tremendous experience, especially getting to enjoy the orchestra part of Illumination Theory with my eyes closed and the music just washing over me.

KC (five days later): so ear-splitting long that two of the four (me being one of them) in our entourage bolted for the balcony, thinking the distant would help; it did not. It was easily one of the 3-4 loudest shows I have ever been to, and one where I sat or stood there waiting for it to end to give my ears a rest. Not an enjoyable experience.  In fact, I mostly-retired from going to concerts this past spring/summer, and I "credit" that DT KC show as the one a year earlier that got me thinking that my ears couldn't take much more of those crazy loud rock shows and that maybe it was time to call it a day.

So yeah, it's pretty much a crap shoot.

[genome]

It was rather loud last night. Especially at the end of The Walking Shadow 

[SebastianPratesi]

It was rather loud last night. Especially at the end of The Walking Shadow 

Do you happen to remember if the scream at the end of "My Last Farewell" was pre-recorded, or if James did it live?
Also: during that scream, was there any animation of the characters? Maybe that way we could know if the scream is Daryus or Gabriel.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Initially I had a few reservations about the show.  After giving it some thought, I realized a huge positive.  I've seen the band a dozen or so times and this will be the first show since my first couple that I will see a complete show of new material.  Not one song will be played that I have seen them do live before.  Add to that, I'd be curious as to which songs of TA that might be played on future tours.  My guess though, is that the majority of this album will probably not be played again on future tours.

[Dream Team]

LaBrie's vocals on the cd are great, but my only concern is how his voice will hold up especially with some concert dates being 3 shows in a row? 

Will there be any variation in the songs, solos, etc.  If the choir and orchestra is in the background, then probably no variation.

Actually just double-checked the tour dates, and there are 2 stretches where he has to sing 4 nights in a row! Not sure how long it's been since they did that . . . Early 90s probably.

[MustActFastToCoverUp]

Saw them last night and it was the best sounding DT-show I ever attended, by far, and I saw some. You could seperate every instrument from the other easily, there was even space for spontaneous applause after solos in between songs, and I could swear I actually heard James singing, not via the PA, but his real voice carried by the room's acoustics. So it wasnt too loud.
James struggled a little bit at some of the high/screamy notes, but not too bad, he knows how to manage those situations. Other than that he did great Imo.
The scream of Last Farewell was prerecorded. There were some occasions when James sang vice-versa to his taped self, that was a bit weird, and JP lip-syncing, but thats a different discussion.
I'm not the biggest fan of the new album and I was sceptical if I'd enjoy the show, but it was defintely worth it, at least for the good sound, and, man, they can play!

[CB]

I was at the show in Hannover, loved it even more than the show I saw in Amsterdam. The band looked more relaxed and there was more interaction between the band members. They played flawless, great solos from JP.
JLB was very good, none of the vocal problems reported from the second Stockholm show. He continues to be careful with the very high notes, either singing lower ("each passing second") or turning them into (good) screaming vocals. I think these alterations are a wise choice, it's his job to keep his instrument intact. I also think his middle voice/range is (besides his vocal acting) his real strength now. It's so powerful,especially live, better than ever imo.

During the show the screens went black for some time, twice, as in Stockholm. I hope technical issues like that won't become a bigger problem...