James LaBrie Interview (Oct. 15th)

[Wim Kruithof]

I really wonder how/when things went south between MP and James, since they seemed to actually be good friends during the first DT years. Maybe MP took it personally that many people criticised James as the weak link of the band ever since the accident happened to him.

An alcohol addiction brings out the worst in men and obviously Portnoy had a temper which made it even harder to work with. Totally drunk he misbehaved in the hotelroom in Japan I remember, while he would not be able to find inner peace. LaBrie's character is so extremely the opposite, in both good and bad, that I think the spiral went down each day a little more.

As I recall they didn't wanna fire LaBrie for his voice getting worse, but the lack of interest at albumwriting, not showing up when needed and only doing what he was told. They missed him around.

[Peter Mc]

I think there was criticism of him as a front man too though.  It was all in the Lifting Shadows book which I haven’t read since it first came out so I may be misremembering but I’m sure Mike commented on him needing to pull his finger out as a front man, that the live shows were being compromised because he wasn’t putting 100% in.  There was stuff about the songwriting though with JLB taking credit for writing vocal melodies and stuff that he just didn’t write, hence the decision to change from “music by DT” to “music by everyone except JLB”

No real problem with any of that happening behind the scenes if James wasn’t pulling his weight but you don’t air all that in public while you’re still in a band together.  Nor do you say publicly about your current singer that there’s elements of his voice the band doesn’t like.

[Herrick]

I can see them recording more and touring less. Labrie is 60 in 2 years and Jordan is 70 in 6 years.

I wonder what's easier for James ? Less frequent 3 hour shows or more frequent 2 hour shows....

If it pays their bills they could do a Metallica and only gig a couple of times a week. Hetfield and LaBrie are around the same age...

Yeah but Hetfield has plenty of money and I’m pretty sure Labrie lives tour to tour financially.

What makes you think Labrie lives on what he makes between tours?

[Trav86]

I’m pretty sure everything the band earns, album royalties, tour revenue, merch is all out into the company. And they pay themselves a salary. That keeps them earning a paycheck when they’re not working. Obviously when they haven’t toured in nearly two years, those funds may be depleting.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I can see them recording more and touring less. Labrie is 60 in 2 years and Jordan is 70 in 6 years.

I wonder what's easier for James ? Less frequent 3 hour shows or more frequent 2 hour shows....

If it pays their bills they could do a Metallica and only gig a couple of times a week. Hetfield and LaBrie are around the same age...

Yeah but Hetfield has plenty of money and I’m pretty sure Labrie lives tour to tour financially.

What makes you think Labrie lives on what he makes between tours?

Most musicians do unless they are doing lessons, have royalties from past songs (usually popular songs) or endorsements (like JP), have some totally unrelated profitable ventures, etc.

[Herrick]

I can see them recording more and touring less. Labrie is 60 in 2 years and Jordan is 70 in 6 years.

I wonder what's easier for James ? Less frequent 3 hour shows or more frequent 2 hour shows....

If it pays their bills they could do a Metallica and only gig a couple of times a week. Hetfield and LaBrie are around the same age...

Yeah but Hetfield has plenty of money and I’m pretty sure Labrie lives tour to tour financially.

What makes you think Labrie lives on what he makes between tours?

Most musicians do unless they are doing lessons, have royalties from past songs (usually popular songs) or endorsements (like JP), have some totally unrelated profitable ventures, etc.

I always thought LaBrie and the others were pretty well off compared to most musicians especially in the Metalish world. I think most of these people work "real" jobs between tours.

I really hope LaBrie isn't just living on what he makes between tours because he would be pretty broke now.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I can see them recording more and touring less. Labrie is 60 in 2 years and Jordan is 70 in 6 years.

I wonder what's easier for James ? Less frequent 3 hour shows or more frequent 2 hour shows....

If it pays their bills they could do a Metallica and only gig a couple of times a week. Hetfield and LaBrie are around the same age...

Yeah but Hetfield has plenty of money and I’m pretty sure Labrie lives tour to tour financially.

What makes you think Labrie lives on what he makes between tours?

Most musicians do unless they are doing lessons, have royalties from past songs (usually popular songs) or endorsements (like JP), have some totally unrelated profitable ventures, etc.

I always thought LaBrie and the others were pretty well off compared to most musicians especially in the Metalish world. I think most of these people work "real" jobs between tours.

I really hope LaBrie isn't just living on what he makes between tours because he would be pretty broke now.

His circumstances are VERY different from someone like JP, for example, who has a stream of royalties not just from DT songs but from other products (guitars, pedals, whisky lol). He also does a guitar camp and has other projects. MM does lessons but I dont think the other guys do and JR has a number of other ventures and projects.

[TAC]

Well, seems James was in the faction to vote to not tour, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Glasser]

Well, seems James was in the faction to vote to not tour, so I wouldn't worry about it.

So you’re saying he should be replaced because he’s not as dedicated?

[TAC]

Well, seems James was in the faction to vote to not tour, so I wouldn't worry about it.

So you’re saying he should be replaced because he’s not as dedicated?

 

I'm saying that he can't be too bad off financially if he voted to not tour. Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that James may be living tour to tour.

[Glasser]

Well, seems James was in the faction to vote to not tour, so I wouldn't worry about it.

So you’re saying he should be replaced because he’s not as dedicated?

 

I'm saying that he can't be too bad off financially if he voted to not tour. Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that James may be living tour to tour.

I was messing with you I thought I used green font. Now go drink your Ovaltine please. 

[TAC]

Hah! OK. That makes more sense!

[Trav86]

Well, seems James was in the faction to vote to not tour, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I hadn’t  heard this.

[Kram]

He certainly didn't sound too worried about it in that interview.  I'm sure JLB and DT, Inc. are doing just fine.  They probably wouldn't have invested the money (and yes, I know it's an investment) in DTHQ if the company was hurting financially.  Having said that, I'm sure they'll want to get out there touring sooner, rather than later, as obviously revenue has been down for the company for that last couple years.

[gzarruk]

I’m pretty sure everything the band earns, album royalties, tour revenue, merch is all out into the company. And they pay themselves a salary. That keeps them earning a paycheck when they’re not working. Obviously when they haven’t toured in nearly two years, those funds may be depleting.

All of this, which is why Portnoy's "wonderful" idea of stopping for 5-ish years was even crazier than it actually sounds.

[devieira73]

Another really nice JLB interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqP9sU7PH_U&t=1119s
Talks about MM in studio, how it was the creative process for the new album (the band in the studio and him at home), his new solo album etc

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I’m pretty sure everything the band earns, album royalties, tour revenue, merch is all out into the company. And they pay themselves a salary. That keeps them earning a paycheck when they’re not working. Obviously when they haven’t toured in nearly two years, those funds may be depleting.

All of this, which is why Portnoy's "wonderful" idea of stopping for 5-ish years was even crazier than it actually sounds.

Agreed. He was intending to have a bunch of side projects to keep him occupied, which is fine, but for some of these guys it's the equivalent of saying quit your job, go on holiday for 5 years and ask for your job back in the future...if you're even on peoples' minds anymore.

[Glasser]

I’m pretty sure everything the band earns, album royalties, tour revenue, merch is all out into the company. And they pay themselves a salary. That keeps them earning a paycheck when they’re not working. Obviously when they haven’t toured in nearly two years, those funds may be depleting.

All of this, which is why Portnoy's "wonderful" idea of stopping for 5-ish years was even crazier than it actually sounds.

Agreed. He was intending to have a bunch of side projects to keep him occupied, which is fine, but for some of these guys it's the equivalent of saying quit your job, go on holiday for 5 years and ask for your job back in the future...if you're even on peoples' minds anymore.

I love what MP used to be about when DT started, he was all about the “band” aspect and that changed. JM just goes along with everything keeping the peace and JP is very diplomatic, at least when I knew him years ago. It all worked out for the best as Mangini fits nicely in the DT family and that was as important as his technical abilities when they chose him obviously. I thought Marco Minneman was going to get the gig but Mangini proved he’s the guy.

[TAC]

A lot of people thought that Mangini would be the guy from the jump.

[Glasser]

A lot of people thought that Mangini would be the guy from the jump.

Marco nailed it too IMO so I wasn’t 100% convinced Mangini was a lock. I though it would be close with Marco and Mike because no one else was that impressive, maybe Lang but personality wise he didn’t seem to connect with them.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

A lot of people thought that Mangini would be the guy from the jump.

Marco nailed it too IMO so I wasn’t 100% convinced Mangini was a lock. I though it would be close with Marco and Mike because no one else was that impressive, maybe Lang but personality wise he didn’t seem to connect with them.

Marco is an amazing drummer. I've seen him live a few times and have been blown away. He's always had a bunch of simultaneous projects though and I think he wanted to freedom to do his own thing more than to be in DT. He gave an interview shortly after the auditions in which he essentially said he told the guys the jam was just for fun. I think he also told the band he didn't have or know any DT albums prior (I could be misremembering exactly what he said).

End of the day, the difference in ability between these two is essentially 0. I get why some people like Marco's style a bit more, but Mike was flawless and fit like a glove musically and personally. As much as I like both guys, I am grateful Mike made the it through. His presence has totally changed the band and the albums post-BCSL in a hugely positive way. I think it also really helped that he knew them before and had worked with JLB.

[SeRoX]

I think it also really helped that he knew them before and had worked with JLB.

It still bugs me that Elements Of Persuasion's drum sound (in every aspect) is better than all DT albums with Mangini. I hope that changes with the new album. (DoT was an improvement but still...)

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I think it also really helped that he knew them before and had worked with JLB.

It still bugs me that Elements Of Persuasion's drum sound (in every aspect) is better than all DT albums with Mangini. I hope that changes with the new album. (DoT was an improvement but still...)

It boggles my mind how the drum sound continued to be an issue for so long. I think DoT sounded really good but I also don't know a whole lot about production. I got the frustration around ADTOE and DT12, but think it got vastly better with DoT. I love what I heard in the 2 DT15 singles so if it can be even better that is great.

[Setlist Scotty]

I'm saying that he can't be too bad off financially if he voted to not tour. Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that James may be living tour to tour.

I have no clue either way, but I wonder to what extent the wives of the guys also have jobs that bring in cash. I know JP's wife Rena has a gig as a guitarist in a all-female Judas Priest tribute band (Judas Priestess), altho I doubt she's bringing in anywhere near as much as JP. I know JR's wife has worked as a director at a theater in the past - not sure if she still does. Maybe JL's wife also works, which helps, too.
 
 

I’m pretty sure everything the band earns, album royalties, tour revenue, merch is all out into the company. And they pay themselves a salary. That keeps them earning a paycheck when they’re not working. Obviously when they haven’t toured in nearly two years, those funds may be depleting.

All of this, which is why Portnoy's "wonderful" idea of stopping for 5-ish years was even crazier than it actually sounds.

Agreed. He was intending to have a bunch of side projects to keep him occupied, which is fine, but for some of these guys it's the equivalent of saying quit your job, go on holiday for 5 years and ask for your job back in the future...if you're even on peoples' minds anymore.

Ummmmm....no.

For starters, let's not forget that 5 years was a number that MP threw out there when pressed for what he could have meant about taking an indefinite hiatus. But it wasn't like that was a hard number, and I wouldn't be surprised if he started high so that he thought he'd have some bargaining room, although that's just speculation.

Regardless, it wasn't as if MP was expecting the rest of the guys to simply go on vacation until the hiatus was over. He suggested that the other 4 guys could all work on their respective side/solo projects during this time period - if I'm not mistaken, most of them had put off working on those albums because of DT. JP, JL and JR could have each worked on solo albums and JM could have done another Jelly Jam album. Plus each of them could tour behind those albums. And in the case of JP and JR, they could have worked on their additional interests (instrument promotion, apps, etc.) So there were possibilities for each of the guys to still make money if they would have agreed to the hiatus.

[erwinrafael]

I think it also really helped that he knew them before and had worked with JLB.

It still bugs me that Elements Of Persuasion's drum sound (in every aspect) is better than all DT albums with Mangini. I hope that changes with the new album. (DoT was an improvement but still...)

What boggles the mind even more is that Rich Chycki is also the one who mixed and engineered Elements of Persuasion. It's not like he does not know how to capture Mangini's drum sound. His later work with Mangini in Into The Great Divide also had a great drum sound.

[Cool Chris]

About half way through Crucify, I had to grab the booklet to find out who the heck the beast on the drums was. I did not know anything about this album going in, I just knew James was fronting it, so I had to buy it.

[bosk1]

Regardless, it wasn't as if MP was expecting the rest of the guys to simply go on vacation until the hiatus was over. He suggested that the other 4 guys could all work on their respective side/solo projects during this time period - if I'm not mistaken, most of them had put off working on those albums because of DT. JP, JL and JR could have each worked on solo albums and JM could have done another Jelly Jam album.

True, BUT that's easy for him to say when he had A7X lined up, and some other smaller projects that bring in revenue.  The other guys' solo projects don't really make money--they are just creative outlets (aside from maybe G3 because that involves an actual tour).  Now, I'm not saying that any of that is necessarily Mike's problem.  He was more driven to set up other streams of revenue by being driven to involve himself in a lot of other projects.  The other guys don't do that and want to have some life balance instead.  Again, not his problem to look out for their financial well-being outside of DT.  But while not his problem, him not recognizing that is shortsighted on his part, IMO.

[Glasser]

Regardless, it wasn't as if MP was expecting the rest of the guys to simply go on vacation until the hiatus was over. He suggested that the other 4 guys could all work on their respective side/solo projects during this time period - if I'm not mistaken, most of them had put off working on those albums because of DT. JP, JL and JR could have each worked on solo albums and JM could have done another Jelly Jam album.

True, BUT that's easy for him to say when he had A7X lined up, and some other smaller projects that bring in revenue.  The other guys' solo projects don't really make money--they are just creative outlets (aside from maybe G3 because that involves an actual tour).  Now, I'm not saying that any of that is necessarily Mike's problem.  He was more driven to set up other streams of revenue by being driven to involve himself in a lot of other projects.  The other guys don't do that and want to have some life balance instead.  Again, not his problem to look out for their financial well-being outside of DT.  But while not his problem, him not recognizing that is shortsighted on his part, IMO.

Can I just say that who is MP to decide when the rest of the band should do their solo projects? Seriously, come on! It always revolved around MP, how convenient. He irks me man. Sorry for venting, but I couldn’t resist.

[Setlist Scotty]

Regardless, it wasn't as if MP was expecting the rest of the guys to simply go on vacation until the hiatus was over. He suggested that the other 4 guys could all work on their respective side/solo projects during this time period - if I'm not mistaken, most of them had put off working on those albums because of DT. JP, JL and JR could have each worked on solo albums and JM could have done another Jelly Jam album.

True, BUT that's easy for him to say when he had A7X lined up, and some other smaller projects that bring in revenue.  The other guys' solo projects don't really make money--they are just creative outlets (aside from maybe G3 because that involves an actual tour).  Now, I'm not saying that any of that is necessarily Mike's problem.  He was more driven to set up other streams of revenue by being driven to involve himself in a lot of other projects.  The other guys don't do that and want to have some life balance instead.  Again, not his problem to look out for their financial well-being outside of DT.  But while not his problem, him not recognizing that is shortsighted on his part, IMO.

Can I just say that who is MP to decide when the rest of the band should do their solo projects? Seriously, come on! It always revolved around MP, how convenient. He irks me man. Sorry for venting, but I couldn’t resist.

That's not what it was - he was just trying to show them that they had opportunities to do other things while his proposed hiatus was happening. And no, none of the other guys' other projects would've pulled in the cash like DT did (or MP would), but it was something. And again, it wasn't as if he was insistent on taking 5 years off. One year apparently would have been enough, and quite frankly, that would've probably been reasonable for the other guys, too, to do those projects, if they wanted to. But obviously, that's not how things played out.

[bosk1]

But remember where the band were back then at that time.  BCSL charted very high, and then the tour got screwed up and cut a bit short (I can't remember if it was PN getting cut short, or something with the Maiden tour, or some combo thereof).  The band were feeling pressure to capitalize on the momentum and were eager to get back into the studio right away.  That isn't to say that that was objectively the right answer.  But that is how the rest of the band felt, so it is another example of Mike failing to read the room.

[goo-goo]

But remember where the band were back then at that time.  BCSL charted very high, and then the tour got screwed up and cut a bit short (I can't remember if it was PN getting cut short, or something with the Maiden tour, or some combo thereof).  The band were feeling pressure to capitalize on the momentum and were eager to get back into the studio right away.  That isn't to say that that was objectively the right answer.  But that is how the rest of the band felt, so it is another example of Mike failing to read the room.

I believe they weren't as successful financially speaking with PN. I do remember they had just finished the Iron Maiden leg and had a huge momentum to keep touring. I remember because I still recall when MP announced he was leaving, I kept thinking to myself that it didn't made sense to leave now...Maybe he should have waited after finishing the BCSL touring cycle.

[nikatapi]

Yeah i think the BC&SL tour was at a point where DT had a lot of success, and in no way comparable to the current situation where everything is up in the air, with lots of risk (financial apart from health concerns) that would be taken into account for all the members of the band.

And apart from JLB and JM who seem a bit on the quiet side when it comes to side projects, JR has a lot of stuff going on like patreon as well as his apps, while MM has done a lot of work to promote his online courses (which i have to admit i was considering getting even though i'm a guitar player) which must bring him some decent revenue. There's also the cameo thing which could be a decent stream of money as well.

[gzarruk]

I’m pretty sure everything the band earns, album royalties, tour revenue, merch is all out into the company. And they pay themselves a salary. That keeps them earning a paycheck when they’re not working. Obviously when they haven’t toured in nearly two years, those funds may be depleting.

All of this, which is why Portnoy's "wonderful" idea of stopping for 5-ish years was even crazier than it actually sounds.

All that I was saying with my original post was that, as stated in the bolded part of Trav's post, they all receive a salary. They'd still get paid from the DT "corporation" even if they were in an indefinite MP-required hiatus. Which leaves us to the last point Trav makes: those funds would eventually run out.

Not saying this is what Mike intended at all, but I guess it'd be very convenient for him to go out and tour with a very successful metal band (A7X) while still receiving his regular DT salary indefinitely and NOT working for them. I'm no financial expert, but I'd say that doesn't make a lot of sense in the long run and JP/the others must definitely have noticed that too.

[bosk1]

^And to add to that, the typical model is "base salary PLUS."  And there are a lot of things that can fall under the "plus" category, whether it be end of year bonuses when the company is taking in money, extra merch kickbacks, etc.  A lot of those extra payments are tied to the band having income vs. just living off of what is already in the bank.  During a hiatus, a lot of those things go away.  Again, not a problem if you are out touring with A7X.  More of a problem if you are not.

[Kram]

And you have to look at it from a "business" perspective, not just a "band" perspective.  At the time of BC&SL, the business (DT, Inc.) was doing very well.  As someone who owns a small business, the last thing you want to do is stop that momentum....you want to capitalize on that, and ride it out and try to keep it growing.  So I can certainly see why the other guys were like no way, we're not taking any sort of break now.