Man, I don't know, I wasn't at any of these shows, but seems to me he started singing the low octave of that melody only in recent concerts, the first ones really sound like lip-synching. Again, haven't been to the shows, but only by YT videos you can clearly feel the difference between having this low melody and not.
About his defense video, I find all the cursing a bit unnecessary, but it's James' way of expressing himself, don't mind that much.
But I stand with some people here: seeing them live for the next years is a privilege by itself, we should enjoy it while we can. I for one can't wait for them to announce other Brazilian dates beyond Rock in Rio. You guys from North America and Europe are really fortunate to have them perform in so many different cities and even second legs in a same tour.