Journalist Request: Fan input for Journey article

[pappademas]

Hey everybody,

I'm a staff writer at GQ Magazine, and I'm working on a feature story about Journey for an upcoming issue.

I’ve been checking out some of the responses posted on this board to Arnel Pineda’s first shows with Journey, and I’ve seen some people expressing really strong opinions about the current incarnation of the band.

I’m interested in speaking to some serious Journey fans about the Pineda-led version of the band, and about Journey in general. Anyone who’s got something to say is welcome, whether you’re a Steve Perry diehard, a Pineda supporter/detractor, or an afficionado of any of the band’s other lineups. I’m curious to know who the fans favor, and why. (Is there a difference between Augeri people and Perry people?) I’d like to find out why, after all these years, the announcement of a new Journey singer still gets people fired up. And ideally, I’d like to talk to some hardcore fans about the role Journey’s music has played in their lives. Got a great Journey story? Feeling excited (or dubious) about the Pineda era? Let me know.

Oh— and if there’s anybody on here who’s planning to see them in Vegas next month, I’m particularly interested in hearing from you.

Feel free to post responses here, but I’m also reachable via email at alex_pappademas@condenast.com.

Thanks in advance for your help and your time,
Alex

[TRAGChick]

Welcome!

Anyone game?

[brywool]

very cool that GQ is even interested. I think you'll find all types here, but the majority seem to favor the Perry-led Journey. Understandable, but he's voiced a million times that he's not coming back, so the fans either have to live in the past or move on with the newer versions of the band, OR not support them at all.

Personally, I'm feeling excited by the Pineda Journey, and I had written them off after their treatment of the last two singers. I mean, it's kind of like a rag to riches story, isn't it? Here's this guy from another country singing in bars and he gets a call from the Big Leagues and his country seems extremely proud of him. Kinda like a Rocky story or something. I also think that guy's got great chops. He's not Steve Perry, but he's not Steve Augeri, or Jeff Scott Soto either.

So did the band tell you to come here for opinions?

[Carlitto H@kk]

This would be a great chance for us to share our opinions
w/the world and for the band to see some hard truthes...

But I just wonder how legit this really is, not to mention the fact
that knowing some of the things that will be said, this may be the
type of publicity that Andrew does not really need right now...

Didn't MR.Com take some serious criticism in the press awhile back
when comments on Arnel's hiring first leaked???

[pappademas]

So did the band tell you to come here for opinions?

nope, just came across the boards while researching the story.

[wildone]

So did the band tell you to come here for opinions?

nope, just came across the boards while researching the story.

Well since your asking ...they can keep this parrott wannabie ,Hey I'm sure he's a great guy...but thats not what's being asked.His pronunciations aren't on and you can hear an accent.The fans across the sea of course love the new found glory for there boy which is great ...but here in the states hard core fans are way more pickey on the sound they want to hear ...and expect to hear.So there not getting a dime from this guy ...not anymore...They are truely there own tribute band now.

[finalfight]

Just remember that this board represents but a tiny concentrated faction of Journey's overall fanbase and opinions can be very strong and discussions often heated!

[ProgRocker53]

So did the band tell you to come here for opinions?

nope, just came across the boards while researching the story.

Well since your asking ...they can keep this parrott wannabie ,Hey I'm sure he's a great guy...but thats not what's being asked.His pronunciations aren't on and you can hear an accent.The fans across the sea of course love the new found glory for there boy which is great ...but here in the states hard core fans are way more pickey on the sound they want to hear ...and expect to hear.So there not getting a dime from this guy ...not anymore...They are truely there own tribute band now.

Can't see how Journey is their own tribute band when two founding members, a guy who's been a member for 27 years, and a guy who's been a member for 10 years and been playing with Neal/Cain for 20 years.... are all in the band?

Can't see how they're their own tribute band when they're going to be releasing a new all-original album soon, either.

I'm a hardcore fan, and I'm content with Arnel Pineda. JSS, Perry, Rolie, and Augeri weren't always perfect in their live shows and I'm positive it took all of them awhile to get up to speed too. I know for sure JSS and Augeri needed a little time before they became golden.

If Journey rolls through the Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky/West Virginia area (which they will) and release a new album (which they will), you can guarantee I'll be dropping some green to help support my favorite band and listen to their dynamic brand of rock and roll.

[ProgRocker53]

Hey everybody,

I'm a staff writer at GQ Magazine, and I'm working on a feature story about Journey for an upcoming issue.

I’ve been checking out some of the responses posted on this board to Arnel Pineda’s first shows with Journey, and I’ve seen some people expressing really strong opinions about the current incarnation of the band.

I’m interested in speaking to some serious Journey fans about the Pineda-led version of the band, and about Journey in general. Anyone who’s got something to say is welcome, whether you’re a Steve Perry diehard, a Pineda supporter/detractor, or an afficionado of any of the band’s other lineups. I’m curious to know who the fans favor, and why. (Is there a difference between Augeri people and Perry people?) I’d like to find out why, after all these years, the announcement of a new Journey singer still gets people fired up. And ideally, I’d like to talk to some hardcore fans about the role Journey’s music has played in their lives. Got a great Journey story? Feeling excited (or dubious) about the Pineda era? Let me know.

Oh— and if there’s anybody on here who’s planning to see them in Vegas next month, I’m particularly interested in hearing from you.

Feel free to post responses here, but I’m also reachable via email at alex_pappademas@condenast.com.

Thanks in advance for your help and your time,
Alex

I fired off an e-mail. I hope it helps out! Good luck.

[Rick]

I'll be in Las Vegas for the show, but with the crew I'm going with, it'll be a miracle if I remember it.

I'm giving Arnel a chance. The guy has some serious pipes, and should be afforded the chance to prove himself worthy of the title of Journey's frontman.

In all fairness, there are things about him that I'm completely unsure of, but there are things about him that impress me a lot. I like his energy, I like his attitude on stage, I like the way he pays attention to the crowd, and I like his vocal tone. He has diction problems. I would say that it would be in Journey's best interest to secure a voice coach to help him. Also, there were times in the first show that he was literally screaming to hit a note that he should have gone easier on by transitioning into a falsetto or head voice. He would make odd ooos and ahhs at inappropriate times, but I think most of these things will work themselves out as he becomes more accustomed to singing for Journey and in front of maniacal crowds. He had to have been scared shitless.

[Maui Tom]

So did the band tell you to come here for opinions?

nope, just came across the boards while researching the story.

Well since your asking ...they can keep this parrott wannabie ,Hey I'm sure he's a great guy...but thats not what's being asked.His pronunciations aren't on and you can hear an accent.The fans across the sea of course love the new found glory for there boy which is great ...but here in the states hard core fans are way more pickey on the sound they want to hear ...and expect to hear.So there not getting a dime from this guy ...not anymore...They are truely there own tribute band now.

I'll look for that in the article...nice job.

[StoneCold]

This would be a great chance for us to share our opinions
w/the world and for the band to see some hard truthes...

But I just wonder how legit this really is, not to mention the fact
that knowing some of the things that will be said, this may be the
type of publicity that Andrew does not really need right now...

Didn't MR.Com take some serious criticism in the press awhile back
when comments on Arnel's hiring first leaked???

The negative views that were posted were done against Andrew's wishes. Any publicity that brings more hits to MR is a plus.

[Carlitto H@kk]

This would be a great chance for us to share our opinions
w/the world and for the band to see some hard truthes...

But I just wonder how legit this really is, not to mention the fact
that knowing some of the things that will be said, this may be the
type of publicity that Andrew does not really need right now...

Didn't MR.Com take some serious criticism in the press awhile back
when comments on Arnel's hiring first leaked???

The negative views that were posted were done against Andrew's wishes. Any publicity that brings more hits to MR is a plus for Andrew.

very true...
but if this guy is legit, writes for GQ and is going to publish opinions posted on this site, an
open forum free to view by anyone, how much say will Drew have in what this guy adds to
the story??? All it takes is one or two "bash" threads and all of a sudden MR.Com is racist and cruel yada yada yada...

[ProgRocker53]

This would be a great chance for us to share our opinions
w/the world and for the band to see some hard truthes...

But I just wonder how legit this really is, not to mention the fact
that knowing some of the things that will be said, this may be the
type of publicity that Andrew does not really need right now...

Didn't MR.Com take some serious criticism in the press awhile back
when comments on Arnel's hiring first leaked???

The negative views that were posted were done against Andrew's wishes. Any publicity that brings more hits to MR is a plus for Andrew.

very true...
but if this guy is legit, writes for GQ and is going to publish opinions posted on this site, an
open forum free to view by anyone, how much say will Drew have in what this guy adds to
the story??? All it takes is one or two "bash" threads and all of a sudden MR.Com is racist and cruel yada yada yada...

I haven't seen a blatantly racist post in awhile. Andrew gonged the handful of trolls and troublemakers responsible for that bullcrap.

[StoneCold]

This would be a great chance for us to share our opinions
w/the world and for the band to see some hard truthes...

But I just wonder how legit this really is, not to mention the fact
that knowing some of the things that will be said, this may be the
type of publicity that Andrew does not really need right now...

Didn't MR.Com take some serious criticism in the press awhile back
when comments on Arnel's hiring first leaked???

The negative views that were posted were done against Andrew's wishes. Any publicity that brings more hits to MR is a plus for Andrew.

very true...
but if this guy is legit, writes for GQ and is going to publish opinions posted on this site, an
open forum free to view by anyone, how much say will Drew have in what this guy adds to
the story??? All it takes is one or two "bash" threads and all of a sudden MR.Com is racist and cruel yada yada yada...

Good point. It'd sell more mags if there's controversy.

Curious what Andrew thinks of possibly being mentioned in the GQ article.

[Andrew]

I'm going to talk to Alex one on one. He'll get the whole story...

[WIX]

I carried a Watermelon

[Rhiannon]

I carried a Watermelon

Great. Movie. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

[mistiejourney]

I sent an email.

[journeywoman]

I'm going to talk to Alex one on one. He'll get the whole story...

And we trust that you will give the entire story right???

[Maui Tom]

I carried a Watermelon

Great. Movie. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Do you have sheet music
on this stuff?

[txfirefighter]

I carried a Watermelon

Great. Movie. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Do you have sheet music
on this stuff?

"Where is my beige iridescent lipstick?"

[Rhiannon]

I carried a Watermelon

Great. Movie. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Do you have sheet music
on this stuff?

"Where is my beige iridescent lipstick?"

This is my dancing space, this is your dancing space.

Spaghetti arms.

[Maui Tom]

I carried a Watermelon

Great. Movie. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Do you have sheet music
on this stuff?

"Where is my beige iridescent lipstick?"

And if I leave quietly,
I'll get my summer bonus.

[txfirefighter]

I carried a Watermelon

Great. Movie. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Do you have sheet music
on this stuff?

"Where is my beige iridescent lipstick?"

And if I leave quietly,
I'll get my summer bonus.

"I know you weren't the one that got Penny in trouble. When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong."

[Rhiannon]

"I know you weren't the one that got Penny in trouble. When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong."

Singing: "She's like the wind..."

[Andrew]

I'm going to talk to Alex one on one. He'll get the whole story...

And we trust that you will give the entire story right???

Depends what the story is precisely on. No way one could describe the soap opera of this band's history and the fan factions all in one article. I'll do my best to make sure the facts are put straight.

[Maui Tom]

You think kids want to come with their
parents and take fox-trot lessons?

[Michigan Girl]

“Go back to your playpen, baby. "

[Rhiannon]

"Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you."