wednesday's child wrote:Hi Dano,
I get what you're saying...
However, with regard to the present thread topic:
I think generalities don't cut it when talking about a specific band and voice,
especially the hows and whys of problems already experienced.
Whether a tour is long or short, hard or easy, is measured not by what other bands pull off.
It is measured by its impact on the particular band's ability to deliver entertainment and revenue.
Given the effect on SteveP's voice, are you going to tell me the set/sked wasn't a wee bit demanding?
I'm concerned over ANY discount of how hard the Journey set/sked of past tours was, because
how they plan future tours is now extremely crucial.
How the band reacts to evidence of vocal damage is also as crucial.
Arnel may hold up to the Journey meatgrinder better, but more likely he won't.
Not even ten gigs in with the band, he lost his voice onstage, didn't he?
wech
I really think it depends on the vocalist. If the vocalist is singing in his
natural range and properly taking care of his voice/self during the off time between shows, there is no reason they should not be able to sing for their whole life barring medical issues. There may be timbre or range limitations as the vocalist ages, but not loss of voice talent (ie. cracking). And remember, Journey's tours are much shorter now than back in the 80s.
As Gunbot mentioned, there are other singers that sing in the same range as Perry and toured just as much that still have their "pipes" to this day at a "older" age. Leaving the Perry issue aside and looking at the band since 1998, Journey is hiring these vocalists to do a job. If the vocalist cannot "physically" survive the length of a short (IMO) 6 month tour, then I have no problem with the band replacing him with someone that can get the job done. I was and am a fan of Augeri, but when it became apparent that SA could not get the job done vocally over the long haul, the rest of the guys should have said thank you but it is time to make the change. And they should have made the change before they started to use "tapes" for vocals on the live gigs. It was up to SA to know, at the time he was offered the job, that he could pull the songs off and survive a 6 month tour. These vocalists are paid well for their services, receive industry attention, and get to live out their dream for awhile. Heck some are/were getting paid even though they were not on the road working. I am sorry if I come off a bit harsh, but compare this job with any of the jobs we "everyday Joes" do. If we cannot perform the tasks are jobs require, then we are let go. If we are lucky there is some severance pay involved, but most of the time not. In today's music bizz and in Journey today being a vocalist is a job. If you can't get it done, thank you but your out. May not be right, may not be nice, but that is the way it is.
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