Dream Theater - Under A Glass Moon // Köln (Palladium) // 23.10.2024 // 4K

[@chadroggs]

Who's here for a status check on our boy JLB?

[@necroplastful]

Holy shit haha 🤣🤣I swear everynight I check to see if its any better haha

[@chadroggs]

@@necroplastful #metoo

[@JK-g62]

​@@necroplastfulwell im a musician of many decades but not a singer. I can tell u i cant sing what James sang back in the day like i used to. I hear James taking ahortcuts to minimize the range in his vocal. I think thats ok and a good move. Its beats the hell out of attempting to sing things u cant and failing miserably.

[@GamingDrummer89]

@@necroplastful It's better here for sure. I think he's just getting used to taking the lines down.

[@mikatu]

There is no hope. The guy should retire and let the band find a replacement that can actually sing live.

[@Beefnhammer]

Even though James sounds better than the first show, they're kinda insane for including this song in the set. Range-wise, It's gotta be one of the most challenging DT songs to sing.

[@TonysMusic1974]

I could barely sing this when I was 40. Now I'm 50 and scared to try 😂

[@julioluiz]

nice work, KJLB! hope you'll keep improving til we meet in December!

[@TheRealDemonCleaner]

Stand ein paar Meter hinter dir 😊 hatte echt Bedenken nach den London Videos, aber James hat's ja zum Glück einigermaßen hinbekommen. Waren schöne 3 Stunden. Octavarium war mega 🤘

[@lasseelkjaer6191]

Yeah, Labrie is singing much better here. He just needs to redo some of the lines, so he doesn't need to go as high as on the original recordings. If he's able to do that with confidence, then everything will be very acceptable. As long as the notes are in tune, and pronunciation is there, then I do not think we care if some of the lines are a bit altered.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

Absolutely not. He managed to sing more or less ok for 30 seconds. From 1:46 onwards it's terrible.

[@Pabloso213]

@@ItsNotaTuhmahif you don’t like it then don’t F*****g listen. He was much better than London. Good on James.

[@lasseelkjaer6191]

​@@ItsNotaTuhmah Going from absolutely terrible to ‘terrible,’ that's kinda also progress ;-) I believe he will be able to find alternatives, so he does not need to keep blasting his voice in the higher registers. Keep it safe by taking it down. Do you think the songs will lose much, by him taking them down?

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@lasseelkjaer6191 An example: Tony Martin can't do any of the high notes he recorded with Sabbath and he just doesn't do them, but his low to mid register is still fantastic. He knows his limitations and works around them. Ray Alder did the same. You can find live Martin videos from back in the day and recent ones to check it out. Labrie, on the other hand, doesn't sound good on ANY register.

[@gabrielfelix7892]

​@@ItsNotaTuhmah ok, now I think that's exaggeration.

[@Rahvanteli]

Seems like the singing is getting better

[@patriotfreedomlending4655]

lol. He sucks.

[@DS-on2bb]

Great to hear that

[@JorgeCastillo-yd5jx]

Because it’s tuned half step down and I’m glad they did that because it makes it sound a bit heavier and at the same time labrie hits notes better

[@jorge-me7ly]

@@JorgeCastillo-yd5jx it’s in original key

[@clarenceoveur9497]

It's Labrie we're talking about, you guys gotta chill. Never doubt the pirate!

[@tibor820]

it is more palatable indeed. by the way when it sucks I think about mr big's las tour where they didn't kick out Eric Martin or anything, just brought a buddy to help out. it was wholesome. that's what I would do in Dt. get the haken guy or something.

[@Anonimus1111011]

It's also an option. They should get a touring vocalist to sing some of the higher stuff, while James can still sing the songs or parts that fit his current vocal range. No shame in that.

[@agarga10984]

Backing vocal

[@JoshWheelerGuitar]

I was at Mr Big’s show in London and it was awesome with the two vocalists. I think DT should get Lzzy Hale to share vocal duties - they worked together on a version of Our New World and she sounded great with Labrie

[@Anonimus1111011]

@@JoshWheelerGuitar I hope not. Female vocals are female vocals. Different timbre, different overall feel to it. I would prefer if they gave a chance to someone who is not famous but still a great singer with a sound similar to LaBrie's in his prime. For example, check out Davide James on YT and his "Take the time" cover. That guy would be perfect.

[@ProgSnob14]

Eric was still solo part of the world tour. He did pretty good all things considered!

[@Itsallfun3000]

Jp is just a beast

[@JK-g62]

Hes been a beast 😂

[@jamesnichols5998]

That solo 😮‍💨

[@AlexWizer]

Labrie singing is ok here comparing to London

[@gnumarco]

Yes, from what I have seen of London's show, he was a lot more out of tune than on this one.

[@a.vandergaag5517]

O.k. but even worse than in London is almost impossible right..?

[@AlexWizer]

@@user-zj4tt2ey9o I don't expect too much from Labrie 🙂

[@Frank-YYZ]

😂😂😂😂

[@mikatu]

Between bad and terrible he is not at terrible.... gotcha!

[@Sam-cv6un]

Petrucci's solo was better here than in London (which was still great), absolutely killed it here

[@joseluislefinaogomez9113]

Labrie is improving a little bit, he needs more confidence in the lines he is altering, so it doesn't sound artificial and forced. Better this than he attempting to reach the higher notes like a maniatic.

[@clarenceoveur9497]

It's KJL we're talking about, you guys gotta chill. Never doubt the pirate!

[@dubenstein6347]

Love it. Portnoy getting more comfortable

[@ghostfish2399]

Labrie sounds great here. Most fans understand years of wear(especially the 3+ hour shows DT does) and old age diminishes range and tone. He just needs to pick and know what pitch he is going to sing ahead of time. Him attempting to hit the high notes then bailing out mid note is what makes him sound bad. Sing a lower note but make it a good note.

[@isfet5149]

Better! He sounds awful.

[@yantz8281]

It isn't wear. It's poor technique.

[@GrantTregellas]

No he doesn’t. Stop the excuses. He’s goddam awful. From 1:30 possibly worst live singing ever recorded

[@tompramanaaccount8892]

​@@yantz8281poor technique results to a wear quickly. he really did destroy his voice a little bit even before the food poisoning happened, and that incident just makes it even worse. He uses his head voice a lot rather than chest voice.

[@francescoballetta7945]

Labrie better and better since London

[@wardanmm]

How cruel human beings can be. I think you guys didn't understand what this tour is about and that everyone, without exception, has limitations these days. Even so, they are doing their best to celebrate 40 years of this incredible band with the fans, not to mention the reunion with MP. If you are worried about buying a ticket and being disappointed with the quality of the vocals, or that so-and-so should be the vocalist instead of JLB, I have some bad news for you: They don't give a fuck about what you think, and they won't change vocalists because of some idiot who keeps complaining on the internet. Just don't go to the fucking concert and stop blabbering about something you don't fucking know. The true fans will be there to support the band in good times and bad. They understand that in a few years, we won't have these great masters playing live anymore. I am a big fan of DT as I am of Rush, and today, I am frustrated that I have not seen my great idol, Neal Peart, live. Enjoy more and be less cruel to your idols. They don't live forever.

[@user-zr5ge9kb7j]

Excellent post wardanmm 🙏

[@tompramanaaccount8892]

This! People really wants a soulless corporate band that only cares about fans money rather than having their favorite band as a whole for the last time. James are beyond just a vocalist for them, it's their brother. If they really want to, they'd probably not bother trying to bring MP back. I really don't care if they play sloppy, I'm just glad they're playing music together again.

[@funkster007]

Well, it's early and a long tour ahead. James will definitely loosen up over time. I'm actually surprised he's even singing the versus this well in the original key. It's obvious he will not be singing the high notes anymore, but as long as he keeps the comfortable range under control it s do-able. Wouldn't hurt if the band took the classic tunes down an octave.

[@DanielHengMusic]

JP guitar solo is 🔥 here. Much better than London’s show

[@romanpastierik]

it's sad but I can't listen to him...

[@FePyroMaiden]

It's like he is just singing the lyrics but not in sync with the music....is the correct term in harmony? Just lacking.

[@fabiocasemiro9076]

Mike Mangini missing

[@TonysMusic1974]

Yes. We thank him for his service. Now move along for the soul of DT to return

[@TheLarry82]

Here he is singing much better

[@rodrigolopezallende1041]

Si James ....dale❤

[@ericsterk9939]

4 man great and 1 have to be replaced...

[@davelospinoso9022]

You know what made Freddie Mercury so good? 2 hours into the concert he could improv the melody down and stay within range and stay freakishly in tune... They could rewrite the melodies to help James stay lower in his range.. But he can't even stay on pitch. I think it's time for a major overhaul on the live shows. We all love James, but this is hard to listen to

[@tomhakala5658]

Freddie was more than 20 years younger than JLB is here…

[@mikatu]

@@tomhakala5658 But he could sing. James no longer!

[@ramondebakker5046]

And with no voice enhancing or ear plugs

[@ProgSnob14]

He died of AIDS well before he was 61.

[@DTArchive]

The major overhaul to the live shows that is needed is replacing James

[@hardiansyahnotosaputro5408]

UGM under Portnoy was best ever song i've heard

[@GamingDrummer89]

The comments on James about London seemed mostly negative. For this show they're mixed. To my ears, he definitely sounds like he's on the up and up. Frankly, I think he should have started taking the lines downward years ago.

[@Allancna]

I have been watching Labrie for many many years live and he has been nothing but great. Guess/Hope London was a one off - we should also give the guy some break.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

He has been terrible for +20 years. They even used lipsyncing at some point but when they got caught, stopped it.

[@Allancna]

@@ItsNotaTuhmah Taylor Swift might be your thing, then.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@Allancna I'm a huge Fates Warning fan and I like a lot DT, at least until TOT (sans FIT which is boring). Ad hominem attacks only makes you look like a snob. I've been into prog metal since the 80's and maybe I know and I've seen more prog bands than you, but it doesn't matter. The objective thing here is that Labrie has never been great and consistent live. Any decent DT fan will recognize this fact. After TOT, his live performances have been mostly bad. Oh, and Taylor is a far superior singer compared to Labrie (from a mere technical perspective, regardless of taste. I prefer 80's pop).

[@hichaelhyers]

​@@ItsNotaTuhmahNo he hasn't and people like you are making it impossible for the truth to be heard. He has been THIS TERRIBLE since 2020 now. That's when he stopped being able to sing in pitch. He might not have been your cup of tea before, but who cares? Quit obfuscating.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@hichaelhyers He has been inconsistent from the start, shaky up to 2000 and not-good after TOT. Unlistenable? at least 10 years. Remember when they used backing tracks and even pre-recorded lead vocals live? what happened? people noticed right away, because Labrie was already pretty bad. You can look it up. There are videos showing this. The mockery on JLB is not new, he's been bad most of his career.

[@bhargavjsarmah3913]

Mp ❤

[@danielmj85]

Portnoy will fight with Labrie Again ...

[@necroplastful]

to be fair, hes doing quite ok here actually. Surprisingly actually. he doesnt get the high notes but at least hes not off here which is more than enough

[@rolandhillmann6503]

Hudeli Hudeli and Miau 🙈

[@t3hgir]

any John Myung appreciators?

[@mickpowell8391]

All the James Labrie apologists need to listen closer......he has changed virtually every single melody line to make it easier to hit, and he is STILL all over the place.....flat on almost everything single line and bordering on painful to listen to. Maybe they got Mike back for one last big payday before they do something different....because this is not good.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

Since it's the 40th anniversary tour, makes sense to have the "historic" lineup. I hope they fire Labrie after this tour.

[@KingConan]

That’s been my thinking. Mike came on agreeing to have James around for one last go. Pure speculation though!

[@Sabotage8675]

Agreed...it's almost like he can't hear himself. There's still some range there but it sounds tone deaf Loved him over the years but I can't listen to this. Ian Andersen can't let it go either. Tough saying goodbye I suppose 🤷‍♂️

[@martine7456]

They should do what gamma ray did. As kai Hansen voice was struggling they got a new vocalist. Kai Hansen songs what he cans, then the new vocalist take over the highs or helps in the form of duets. DT could do this and itd work fine.

[@RRR46-og2qt]

Choose 1 , spell the word ,or keep high node ?🗿

[@felixoohr1928]

James ruins the whole performance of these great musicians… sorry to say that…

[@DanyNMacF]

who would be the best replacement. Dino Jelusick?

[@TonysMusic1974]

No.

[@MidlifeCrisisHockey]

Dont get me wrong I love DT to death and love the singing on the albums but this is horrible. He is so awkward when speaking to the crows as well

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

1:46 = Labrie shows he can't control his voice anymore. Same with 3:18 onwards. It's not like he just can't pitch notes right, he can't spell the words right either. I understand the ones who bought tickets and have hope James will improve and want him to improve so much that they will start to make up their minds believing he's doing better or ok. It's not. Don't fool yourselves.

[@vosoryan]

Spell the words? What are you even talking about?

[@Pabloso213]

From another one who can’t sing. I sing mate at a high level and I can tell you what at 60 he’s doing a great job with those epics so either support him/them or leave. You are talking from no experience just an armchair critic.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@vosoryan He's mumbling a lot.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@Pabloso213 He's not doing great. Kiske, Arch, Dickinson, even Tate and Halford are doing great now. See, Tony Martin can't do any of the high notes he recorded with Sabbath and he just doesn't do them, but his low to mid register is still fantastic. He knows his limitations and works around them. Ray Alder did the same.

[@JK-zo4px]

Und jetzt?

[@alexiswoodbury7326]

Everyone saying Labrie sounds like shit.. well he's of course not sounding great here, but when talking about so many others who are better live, do you realize that most bands are lip syncing now? Even a lot of the instruments are backing tracks and a lot of bands just mime.. at least this is live.

[@mikatu]

The band is great, the singing is terrible. It is even cringy to listen to this. James is in no conditions to keep up with the band and he is THE problem. We are not here to be friends, the band is a business and they need to replace him if they want to keep playing. Otherwise it is better to call it quits and the band is over. Many other vocalists have problems, like Jon Bon Jovi, and if they can't perform they don't, We also have many vocalists that are older than James and still kick ass. It is bad for a vocalist because the voice is a very precarious instrument, but the reality here is that James cannot sing properly.

[@fabiocasemiro9076]

What an improvement hahaahhaahhahaha

[@OddVenture7]

Can bruno mars sing all DTs songs?? 🤔

[@rafaelriquelme7402]

If only DT lowers the tunning half step down....James would sing much more comfortably

[@tompramanaaccount8892]

Not really, they did that in Images and Words anniversary tour and James still struggle a lot.

[@rafaelriquelme7402]

​@@tompramanaaccount8892true I remember that

[@william_mazza]

I’n surprised. As a musician i think his volume was too low in his monitor so he was forced to push too much straining his voice. But this is just my hypotesis

[@gnumarco]

Nope, unfortunately, he has been singing like this for years. I think he hears his voice well, he just can't get to the high notes anymore. Added to this, LaBrie never sung perfectly in-tune live, never. I have the highest respect for all DT members, including James, they have set the bases for prog metal and been a reference for decades. Unfortunately, voice is one instrument that degrades fast with age, and James isn't an exception, as DT's songs are very demanding.

[@RocketTobi]

he is no longer able to sing, it is obvious. His greatest fault was to force it, even when they told him he couldn't. Now he is paying the consequences that unfortunately are no longer remediable.

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@gnumarco James' fault was never to get proper vocal training. See guys like Kiske, Sammet, Dickinson, even Geoff Tate are singing really well because they had proper training and have tools to work on their voices.

[@harvester_of_sorrow96]

@@ItsNotaTuhmah He said in an interview with The Charismatic Voice that he does have vocal training/advice from an expert. Seems like it isn't working though (at all)

[@ItsNotaTuhmah]

@@harvester_of_sorrow96 It's a thing any pro should take care for life. All DT members excepting James have formal musical education. They should find someone equally prepared.

[@admandrums]

James still sounds like a cat in a blender

[@ririsahrial]

Wow the vocal is perfect here 🤣

[@mcezop3019]

time to call Mariah Carey to the rescue

[@eduardosalcedo5887]

labrie is better!!

[@MrTsatsalos123]

if you don't want to play the keyboard solo that some other dude wrote, you've got to come up with somthing better than this

[@n3drums]

Is Labrie going through some vocal issues? Whats going on with him lately and his health?

[@dedyhendrawan5059]

JL offside