Rock In Rio 2022 Stream???

[Podaar]

Not that Cade needs support, but I had to click away from Pull Me Under because it made me so sad to hear James struggle.

I haven't even gotten that far yet......

Fuck, spelled your name wrong, pal. Sorry.

Also, I only watched the clip of Count of Tuscany and Pull Me Under. I'm not really interested in the whole show. For me, and this is only for me, I don't think anyone should feel the same and I'm not trying to persuade anyone...I think the entire band is just a shadow of their former selves live. Well, at least on video. They're still a good time in person, but yeah. No more concert videos for this guy.

I really wish they could make a better living from just the studio. More studio recordings would be great.

[crystalstars17]

I think the entire band is just a shadow of their former selves live.

I'm legitimately interested in why you think that. I know you're not trying to convince anyone, but coming from a very opposite opinion I would love to understand. (This is also nothing to do with the whole James' voice discussion, nor am I trying to start an argument).

Disclaimer, I was not there yet in the old old days of glory that I hear so much about, but a lot of fans can't seem to let those days go - to the point that they cannot enjoy the present era. I have watched many old era concerts and in my opinion nothing back then (ie. before Score) was anything remotely close to the level of polished production that they achieve today. Was it the music itself that was more beloved? Or the general lack of glitter and polish that everyone seems to hate from the present day (which, as a present day fan, I enjoy)? I appreciate that we may just have differing opinions which is fine, we can agree to disagree, but it's something I see so often that I just have to wonder about it. Maybe suggest an old concert that would illustrate this for me?

[Podaar]

I'm legitimately interested in why you think that.

Well, the Hef answer would be, "Because I'm old, and I do."

The longer answer is,  primarily because I grew up in a time when rock concerts were mildly threatening, hedonistic celebrations. The invisible wall between audience and band was routinely shattered. I once witnessed Ted Nugent pull out a bow and start shooting speakers with arrows  And while DT have never completely been that kind of band, their younger selves did approach concerts with more of a high-wire act kind of joy (reference Live Scenes from New York, and Live at Budokan).

I just find the videos of modern DT a bit too choreographed and journeyman-like. It's all very polished and professional, of course, with an emphasis on precisely recreating the album performances, but where's the danger in that. When you personally see them live, the volume and being immersed in the crowd really helps draw you into the performance, so like I said, they're a good time in person.



Tastes, amirite?

[Bentower]

WTF is this crossing to in moments of this video?  Maybe I'm just tripping hard.

No, you're not. There were three of those random interruptions during The Alien alone. I assume it's the uploader/production company demanding that we know... what the fuck ever. I'm giving this a pass (up the  )

It's a shame because the footage was quite good.

[geeeemo]

I think the entire band is just a shadow of their former selves live.

I'm legitimately interested in why you think that. I know you're not trying to convince anyone, but coming from a very opposite opinion I would love to understand. (This is also nothing to do with the whole James' voice discussion, nor am I trying to start an argument).

Disclaimer, I was not there yet in the old old days of glory that I hear so much about, but a lot of fans can't seem to let those days go - to the point that they cannot enjoy the present era. I have watched many old era concerts and in my opinion nothing back then (ie. before Score) was anything remotely close to the level of polished production that they achieve today. Was it the music itself that was more beloved? Or the general lack of glitter and polish that everyone seems to hate from the present day (which, as a present day fan, I enjoy)? I appreciate that we may just have differing opinions which is fine, we can agree to disagree, but it's something I see so often that I just have to wonder about it. Maybe suggest an old concert that would illustrate this for me?

I have thought this same thing. And am in agreement about liking the polished live shows. Of course, I would love a wilder more spontaneous show as well. Just like people, things are different. I appreciate that things don't remain the same and am glad there has been a variety. I am highly entertained by DT's current live performances, as well as other bands that do it different, have worse vocals, production..or better. It is what it is I am grateful for all of it. It wasn't that long ago that we had NO concerts - and that is the worst kind of all.

[MarceloMalulo]

WTF is this crossing to in moments of this video?  Maybe I'm just tripping hard.

No, you're not. There were three of those random interruptions during The Alien alone. I assume it's the uploader/production company demanding that we know... what the fuck ever. I'm giving this a pass (up the  )

It's a shame because the footage was quite good.

On the description says (translation to English):
Surprise in several minutes due to those who stole the show and sell it.

[ErHaO]

I watched a bit and I hate to say it but I found it well below acceptable for me to enjoy it.

I am not blind Labrie hater and have recently made posts that I really enjoy the Live In Berlin release. But for Rio I was watching Alien and skimmed through some other songs and I found it really rough. While I agree the sound quality doesn't do him any favours, that is most certainly not the main issue for me.

[wolfking]

Not that Cade needs support, but I had to click away from Pull Me Under because it made me so sad to hear James struggle.

I haven't even gotten that far yet......

Fuck, spelled your name wrong, pal. Sorry.

Also, I only watched the clip of Count of Tuscany and Pull Me Under. I'm not really interested in the whole show. For me, and this is only for me, I don't think anyone should feel the same and I'm not trying to persuade anyone...I think the entire band is just a shadow of their former selves live. Well, at least on video. They're still a good time in person, but yeah. No more concert videos for this guy.

I really wish they could make a better living from just the studio. More studio recordings would be great.

All good Gregg.

The bolded part I agree with and thought the same. 

[Podaar]

All good Gregg.

You whiffed on a ripe opportunity to call me Craig! 

[Architeuthis]

I dunno, their live shows from the Octavarium tour onwards have been consistently great. Their lighting and stage production is the best its ever been on AVFTTOTW.   They are definitely carrying the WWRD torch, even with the screens and lighting.  That's a good thing.
I completely disagree that DT is just a shadow of their former selves. They're still innovative and staying current, and showing no sigs of slowing down musically. I think they have a lot left to offer and they love what they do. 

[crystalstars17]

I once witnessed Ted Nugent pull out a bow and start shooting speakers with arrows

 

..Now of course you have me imagining what it'd be like to see James whip out a bow and arrows onstage...  I think that'd break my brain...

Tastes, amirite?

Right??

I am grateful for all of it. It wasn't that long ago that we had NO concerts - and that is the worst kind of all.

Well said!!! 💯

[wolfking]

All good Gregg.

You whiffed on a ripe opportunity to call me Craig! 

I did think about it, not gonna lie! 

[wolfking]

Not that Cade needs support, but I had to click away from Pull Me Under because it made me so sad to hear James struggle.

I finally finished watching the show.  TCOT was pretty decent.  Although, on the chorus I don't understand why James changes the melody to go higher when he's already straining.  The band were on point for this song.  The ending section though James was very good.  Definitely the register he's need to try and stay in now.  More songs like this need to be pulled out.  Not sure what songs if any there are that are worthy, but there has to be some that can be represented more live.

PMU, I too turned it off three quarters of the way through.  I know it's PMU, but why keep playing this song?  It needs to be retired immediately!  James shouldn't be made to try and sing this anymore, Jesus!

[crystalstars17]

Although, on the chorus I don't understand why James changes the melody to go higher when he's already straining. 

Because the issue that it sounds like he's having is coordination between the registers through the passagio (zone of passage between chest voice and head voice). When there are registration issues like this, which are 100% technique-related and fixable, the voice has facility in the lower end as well as, surprisingly, ease at the tippity-top. But it's that middle zone which is the sticking point, literally. A singer with this problem 9 times out of 10 has gotten there because of bad habits, usually from bringing "weight" up from the chest voice into head voice improperly. It leads to muscular imbalances where even a great singer can lose touch with the fundamentals of blending the registers, which is the foundation of healthy singing technique. I still say this happened during the Astonishing and he needs to get with a good technical teacher and work it out, for the sake of his vocal health and the longevity of his career.

I know he's a smart singer and is aware of this stuff. I can only hope that he's working on it and what we're seeing is a work in progress on his way back to full vocal facility.

[gzarruk]

I know it's PMU, but why keep playing this song?  It needs to be retired immediately!

I agree. It's their most played song live, there's no need to keep including it in setlists at this point. And while they're at it, just retire TSCO and AIA too

[porcacultor]

Just food for thought: I saw Billy Idol live last Thursday and he played Rock in Rio Friday.

REMARKABLE difference in performance in both shows. Many people who watched the RiR stream found him to be suffering through the performance, greatly out of tune in many songs. But on Thursday he was GREAT, on point, happy, in tune, it was a night and day difference (an impression also shared by a friend who attended the São Paulo concert with me).

I don't know if there were technical issues in RiR that hampered the performance of both Billy and JLB, or something, but I figured I'd chip in with this impression.

[wolfking]

Although, on the chorus I don't understand why James changes the melody to go higher when he's already straining. 

Because the issue that it sounds like he's having is coordination between the registers through the passagio (zone of passage between chest voice and head voice). When there are registration issues like this, which are 100% technique-related and fixable, the voice has facility in the lower end as well as, surprisingly, ease at the tippity-top. But it's that middle zone which is the sticking point, literally. A singer with this problem 9 times out of 10 has gotten there because of bad habits, usually from bringing "weight" up from the chest voice into head voice improperly. It leads to muscular imbalances where even a great singer can lose touch with the fundamentals of blending the registers, which is the foundation of healthy singing technique. I still say this happened during the Astonishing and he needs to get with a good technical teacher and work it out, for the sake of his vocal health and the longevity of his career.

I know he's a smart singer and is aware of this stuff. I can only hope that he's working on it and what we're seeing is a work in progress on his way back to full vocal facility.

If all these things you speak of is easy enough to fix due to technique, why wouldn't James do something about it?  I mean, he must know in himself up there that he's struggling and the band could tell too, so hopefully he is doing something behind the scenes because such an integral part of the band and an amazing singer he is, he doesn't deserve to go down and slowly end his career with these sorts of performances.

[bosk1]

Well, I'm pretty stoked at how great he sounds giving "these sorts of performances," so I'm perfectly fine eventually ending his career sounding this great.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I have to also point out the vocal department's performance issues. If John Petrucci or Rudess missed this many notes the fan base would go ape shit. The Rock in Rio show was likely no better or worse than any other on the tour.

I am sympathetic toward the struggle regarding the old songs, but the DT15 songs? Didn't he write the melodies? We should be hearing the Alien with near perfect pitch, pronunciation and time. The friggen song barely has any notes for him to sing. It's just very frustrating how the issues pervade every live performance. He sounds like he is out of breath and not able to do the basic job. Unfortunately it's not going to get better. The studio stuff is totally fine but live is a musical wreck and it really sticks out.

[KevShmev]

Agreed.  I would write the Rio show off as maybe just one bad performance or attribute it to a venue issue, but I have seen too many other clips from the tour this year that weren't good.

And to be fair, a voice is a lot different than a musical instrument, and JLB has giving his vocal chords a good thrashing over the years, so it is not at all surprising that his performances have declined.  I have to think that anyone not hearing it either doesn't want to hear it or has a really bad case of tinnitus.

[wolfking]

Well, I'm pretty stoked at how great he sounds giving "these sorts of performances," so I'm perfectly fine eventually ending his career sounding this great.

He sounds great on PMU?

[wolfking]

I have to also point out the vocal department's performance issues. If John Petrucci or Rudess missed this many notes the fan base would go ape shit. The Rock in Rio show was likely no better or worse than any other on the tour.

I am sympathetic toward the struggle regarding the old songs, but the DT15 songs? Didn't he write the melodies? We should be hearing the Alien with near perfect pitch, pronunciation and time. The friggen song barely has any notes for him to sing. It's just very frustrating how the issues pervade every live performance. He sounds like he is out of breath and not able to do the basic job. Unfortunately it's not going to get better. The studio stuff is totally fine but live is a musical wreck and it really sticks out.

Agree with this post.

[bosk1]

Well, I'm pretty stoked at how great he sounds giving "these sorts of performances," so I'm perfectly fine eventually ending his career sounding this great.

He sounds great on PMU?

Well, as I said several posts above, I can't really comment on TCOT or PMU, as those were just background while I was doing other things.  So, for now, now comment.

But the rest of the concert sounded pretty good, notwithstanding that apparently five people on the Internet seem to insist otherwise for some reason.

[wolfking]

Check out PMU again then get back to the five of us, that would be great.  We would be interested in your assessment.

[crystalstars17]

If all these things you speak of is easy enough to fix due to technique, why wouldn't James do something about it? 

It's definitely not easy, it's practically a rebuilding of one's technique from the ground up. It takes time, patience, and discipline. I'm sure he is doing something about it, because while I don't always hear perfection, I do hear an improvement over the pre-pandemic era live shows.

[Kram]

Not that Cade needs support, but I had to click away from Pull Me Under because it made me so sad to hear James struggle.

I finally finished watching the show.  TCOT was pretty decent.  Although, on the chorus I don't understand why James changes the melody to go higher when he's already straining.  The band were on point for this song.  The ending section though James was very good.  Definitely the register he's need to try and stay in now.  More songs like this need to be pulled out.  Not sure what songs if any there are that are worthy, but there has to be some that can be represented more live.

PMU, I too turned it off three quarters of the way through.  I know it's PMU, but why keep playing this song?  It needs to be retired immediately!  James shouldn't be made to try and sing this anymore, Jesus!

This is what mystifies me as well.  It's as if he's not self aware of how he sounds live and of what his current capabilities are.

[crystalstars17]

It's as if he's not self aware of how he sounds live and of what his current capabilities are.

And if that is the case, then this is exactly what a coach can help him with!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

It's as if he's not self aware of how he sounds live and of what his current capabilities are.

And if that is the case, then this is exactly what a coach can help him with!

What coach and when can we expect to hear the improvement resulting from all this alleged coaching?

[crystalstars17]

It's as if he's not self aware of how he sounds live and of what his current capabilities are.

And if that is the case, then this is exactly what a coach can help him with!

What coach and when can we expect to hear the improvement resulting from all this alleged coaching?

My point is that his issues are not hopeless. Yet many of you seem to just be set on the idea that it is and that he's just "old" and finished. Ok, have it your way. I've tried to refute this with facts about the voice but I'm obviously wasting my time. Your minds are made up. And that's ok, so is mine. As I respect all of you and don't want to make enemies, I'm done trying to explain. I'm obviously not around singers so I may as well be speaking another language.

[TAC]

I think James has been remarkably consistent over the last 15 years, which is to say he'd been extremely inconsistent. He's had generally good tours and not so good ones, and good shows and not so good shows. I actually don't think he's getting worse...or better. He just is.

[porcacultor]

Funny, just heard PMU in RiR. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and tastes, so I don't want to invalidate other posters' complaints and criticisms, but JLB's performance didn't alarm me. Yes, there are imperfect spots, but I'd say he delivers overall. I'm of the camp that they don't necessarily need to include that song in their setlists because of how high it goes and how much it must strain a singer (I've tried it, and it does), but... isn't it a treat that they played it? I'd be psyched if I was there!

I might be still taken with the whole mojo of "we had no concerts for so long, there was a chance they could've never started happening again, the fact that this is happening is a miracle", so this isn't any objective opinion or anything. Just a sentiment.

[TAC]

Funny, just heard PMU in RiR. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and tastes, so I don't want to invalidate other posters' complaints and criticisms, but JLB's performance didn't alarm me. Yes, there are imperfect spots, but I'd say he delivers overall. I'm of the camp that they don't necessarily need to include that song in their setlists because of how high it goes and how much it must strain a singer (I've tried it, and it does), but... isn't it a treat that they played it? I'd be psyched if I was there!

I got through the RiR stream without really worrying about James. Sounded ok to me.

[crystalstars17]

I got through the RiR stream without really worrying about James. Sounded ok to me.

Someone recently mentioned a Buenos Aires show from around the same time, and a link was posted but now I can't find it. It's supposed to be an even better performance. I found only one recent YouTube and it was unwatchable (weird commercials...kinda creepy). Does anyone have a better link? I'd love to see it. Thanks in advance.

[wolfking]

I got through the RiR stream without really worrying about James. Sounded ok to me.

Someone recently mentioned a Buenos Aires show from around the same time, and a link was posted but now I can't find it. It's supposed to be an even better performance. I found only one recent YouTube and it was unwatchable (weird commercials...kinda creepy). Does anyone have a better link? I'd love to see it. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the same one that was posted here anyway.

[cramx3]

It's as if he's not self aware of how he sounds live and of what his current capabilities are.

And if that is the case, then this is exactly what a coach can help him with!

What coach and when can we expect to hear the improvement resulting from all this alleged coaching?

My point is that his issues are not hopeless. Yet many of you seem to just be set on the idea that it is and that he's just "old" and finished. Ok, have it your way. I've tried to refute this with facts about the voice but I'm obviously wasting my time. Your minds are made up. And that's ok, so is mine. As I respect all of you and don't want to make enemies, I'm done trying to explain. I'm obviously not around singers so I may as well be speaking another language.

I don't think you should be worried about making enemies. I'm no expert on voices and vocal coaches.  It may work, but I thought he was being coached over the last years or something?  I could be wrong, but I felt like he was actively working on his singing. 

I actually don't think he's getting worse...or better. He just is.

Kind of how I feel.  There's lots of singers out there struggling with much easier songs to sing.  The music does him no favors here.  He's likely doing the best he can and this isn't new and isn't changing.

I've also said before and will say again, my opinion is that DT is not going to be playing those I&W songs too often anymore and some maybe never again.  PMU is their biggest hit, I don't expect that to be shelved though.