OT: Def Leppard does ALL vocals LIVE

[conversationpc]

I was reading an interview in Guitar Player magazine earlier today with Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen. Campbell claimed that Def Leppard, along with Styx are one of the few bands that still do all their vocals live, no overdubs.

[S2M]

I was reading an interview in Guitar Player magazine earlier today with Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen. Campbell claimed that Def Leppard, along with Styx are one of the few bands that still do all their vocals live, no overdubs.

The last time Elliott didn't use overdubs was when the Dr. smacked his arse!

[Ehwmatt]

I've heard there is footage of them in a dress rehearsal just busting out Rocket and Armageddon It acapella... anyone know where to find?

[Rick]

I've heard there is footage of them in a dress rehearsal just busting out Rocket and Armageddon It acapella... anyone know where to find?

Was Elliott present when they did it?

[RedWingFan]

I've heard there is footage of them in a dress rehearsal just busting out Rocket and Armageddon It acapella... anyone know where to find?

I heard them do "Armageddon It" on their "Storytellers" episode. Don't know if it's on youtube or not. They were fabulous though.

[RedWingFan]

I've heard there is footage of them in a dress rehearsal just busting out Rocket and Armageddon It acapella... anyone know where to find?

Was Elliott present when they did it?

Yeah he was smartass!!!!
Whether he participated or not I can't recall.

[Aaron]

Uh FUCK THAT! I heard that shite last year in Indy. Joe's ass was CARRIED by backing vocals, including the high parts. What a bunch of lying bastards. Oddly enough, they're just like Journey.

I was reading an interview in Guitar Player magazine earlier today with Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen. Campbell claimed that Def Leppard, along with Styx are one of the few bands that still do all their vocals live, no overdubs.

[RumTumJM]

I was reading an interview in Guitar Player magazine earlier today with Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen. Campbell claimed that Def Leppard, along with Styx are one of the few bands that still do all their vocals live, no overdubs.

I would imagine that REO Speedwagon would fall under this category as well. I just saw them live from the front row, and more importantly, they recently released with their new album, a DVD of them performing acoustic at XM studios. You can hear Cronin, Amato, & Hall clearly singing it live. You even hear them repeat the chorus to Roll With The Changes multiple times, to get it right, before starting the song.

Also, I have heard that Boston, regardless of their complex harmonies, currently are completely live. They just have all 6 members on stage singing.

[Neo's Journey]

I was reading an interview in Guitar Player magazine earlier today with Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen. Campbell claimed that Def Leppard, along with Styx are one of the few bands that still do all their vocals live, no overdubs.

Complete Bullshit!!! Leppards songs are the most vocally (Main Vox & Back ups) layered songs in rock.

[LtVanish]

I was reading an interview in Guitar Player magazine earlier today with Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen. Campbell claimed that Def Leppard, along with Styx are one of the few bands that still do all their vocals live, no overdubs.

I would imagine that REO Speedwagon would fall under this category as well. I just saw them live from the front row, and more importantly, they recently released with their new album, a DVD of them performing acoustic at XM studios. You can hear Cronin, Amato, & Hall clearly singing it live. You even hear them repeat the chorus to Roll With The Changes multiple times, to get it right, before starting the song.

Also, I have heard that Boston, regardless of their complex harmonies, currently are completely live. They just have all 6 members on stage singing.

You are correct, I just saw Boston up close and no question it is totally live. I remember the last Boston tour in 03 or so Tom Scholtz stated that he takes pride that everything from the stage is completely live. Styx and REO also sing all their parts live also. Dennis DeYoung's show is also completely sung live. There is an interview on this site by DeYoung stating this:

Well I know people who are using this crap live.


A live performance is a moment in time and if you can't play in time, sing in time you probably shouldn't be making records. That's just my opinion.


You know what's aggravating is, any rock band, any rock band, and I mean this so let me say this again any rock band that's using prerecorded vocals, you know, even in harmony, bite me.
Let me say that again, bite me you pussies. (laughter)
You've gotta go out there and do it Andrew. That's what I believe. That's why you are what you are, because you can do it and if you can't, sit down. If you can then do it and if people still come and see you God bless you. I've heard, as Robert DeNiro said, 'I heard tings'. 'I heard tings' about people that I used to admire and I thought well….and I've played with a couple that I thought, wait a minute, those background vocals are in that guy's keyboard. I said that just ain't right. I'm sorry, I don't know how you feel about it but I think you agree.

http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/d ... ng-07.html

[Ehwmatt]

You can easily hear the "liveness" to the harmonies in Styx, REO, Dennis, and Boston performances. They sound damn good still, but they're unquestionably live. Hard to explain. Amato and Hall from REO in particular have great pipes. Dennis is smart and has the girls help out with the super highs. Boston's got Kim. Styx has... Tommy who can probably sing higher than the girl backing Dennis, lol.

Oh another great live harmony band... Little River Band, both the current incarnation and Birtles/Shorrock/Goble. Seen the former live and the latter's "Full Circle" DVD has unbelievable harmonies throughout, plus some dressing room harmony footage with just an acoustic and 3-5 voices belting it out. Must be incredible to be able to do that. I've done harmonies before but never to that level or layer.

[RumTumJM]

For Boston, since the albums are so highly produced, for years during their heyday, I heard the song clearly did not sound like the original records. I heard it was in 2003 when they finally started to give live performances that rivaled the records, since there were 6 or 7 people one stage harmonizing.

Point of this is, Boston is a band with extremely complex harmonies on the records, and yet they have always been totally live, even if it meant the music changed a little. You have to respect Tom Scholz for that!

On another note, what do you guys think of the current line-up of Foreigner. They do have Mick Jones, Jeff Pilson, Thom Gimbel, & Michael Bluestein (the new keyboardist) singing with Kelly Hansen. Also, considering they now do an acoustic vesion of Say You Will that relies heavily on it's harmonies, it would be VERY BALLSY to not be totally live.

What do you guys think? All live?

[texafana]

Forienger like Journey has pre-recorded backing vox, but the singers also sing live with the backing trax.

[Saint John]

I've heard there is footage of them in a dress rehearsal just busting out Rocket and Armageddon It acapella... anyone know where to find?

Yeah, in Bigfoot's scrotum.

[sniper16]

maybe what thier trying to side step/cover is that the recorded backing track is actually them, but on tape
seen them twice in recent years no doubt they use sampled vocals

boston dosent need it because they have 5 people layering
by far the best audio mix in the business

[Arkansas]

I've heard there is footage of them in a dress rehearsal just busting out Rocket and Armageddon It acapella... anyone know where to find?

Yeah, in Bigfoot's scrotum.

Maybe someone will find it..... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402882,00.html



later~

[JRNYLIVE]

all i have to say is prove Def Leppard use canned back up vocals.???

Don't confuse Harmonizers with canned vocals. They sing everything live.

Believe me when i say it, i have access to upwards of 1000 Def Leppard recordings and they aint using canned vocals.

i've heard IEM Feeds from their inner ear monitors, sound board feeds, and so on. ALD Feeds... you name it. Sound checks with bare bones line checks.

if they were using canned vocals, joe would sound perfect every night. and believe me he doesn't. His vocal is Live along with the rest of the bands.

The Journey community is just working hard to find someone else to hang for using canned vocals.

Journey were the only stupid ones to try and hide it and they got caught. def Leppard on the other hand have denied it and spoken publicly about it countless times.

prove it and everyone will shut up, but you never will.

Def Leppard - Armageddon It - Acoustic in a club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQkg6HJK5bg

Def Leppard - Animal - Acoustic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymd9qAtP9iU

Have a listen.... if you think this is canned.. your ears are shot!!!!

Live Vocals

[Hollywood]

all i have to say is prove Def Leppard use canned back up vocals.???

Don't confuse Harmonizers with canned vocals. They sing everything live.

Believe me when i say it, i have access to upwards of 1000 Def Leppard recordings and they aint using canned vocals.

i've heard IEM Feeds from their inner ear monitors, sound board feeds, and so on. ALD Feeds... you name it. Sound checks with bare bones line checks.

if they were using canned vocals, joe would sound perfect every night. and believe me he doesn't. His vocal is Live along with the rest of the bands.

The Journey community is just working hard to find someone else to hang for using canned vocals.

Journey were the only stupid ones to try and hide it and they got caught. def Leppard on the other hand have denied it and spoken publicly about it countless times.

prove it and everyone will shut up, but you never will.

Def Leppard - Armageddon It - Acoustic in a club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQkg6HJK5bg

Def Leppard - Animal - Acoustic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymd9qAtP9iU

Have a listen.... if you think this is canned.. your ears are shot!!!!

Live Vocals

Yeah those are live vocals on the videos you have linked and they sound good, but they do not even come close to the vocals they have in a full blown arena show. Those cannot be reproduced by those five guys period. Live vocals sound different. You can tell when vocals are live and not if you know what to listen to and Leppard use canned background vocals. That does not mean they are lip synchers or bad singers, but the sound they want that is on their records cannot be reproduced live by five guys. I still beleive that Rick Savage is a better singer than Joe Elliot.

Journey does it on certain tracks too, especially the Raised on Radio material. There is no soul singer on stage during "I'll be alright without you" but there is one in the mix.

You can really tell when bands can't afford the equipment anymore like Warrant. Sounded great with all the bells and whistles not so much without.

There are bands out there that do not use that stuff like Extreme, King's X, Styx, Cheap Trick, and Collective Soul and they all sound great, but it is not the wall of vocals that Leppard are.

[strangegrey]

Def Leppard - Armageddon It - Acoustic in a club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQkg6HJK5bg

Without a doubt, that Sheffield acoustic performance is 100% live...my ears ain't shot!
It ain't perfect, and Joe's voice isn't perfect like it was in 87.


I find this lipping argument to be tired. It's quite easy for a handful of people who either have a need to to tear down other bands because their oh-so-precious, cant-do-no-fucking-wrong Journey got caught with their pants down fucking an ugly girl. Or just as easy for someone who's either jealous of, doesn't like, or feels a need to defend people who've had a bad tift with Leppard or other bands similar, to simply come out and go 'they're lipping'. It's almost as bad as the rampant race baiting that's gone on over here. Go ahead and defuse or tear down the other person with a brush stroke paint stroke of shame....it's easiler that way. It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong. Tear down the other guy because it's easier for you to act either tough or 'in-the-know'

I'd be willing to bet 5/6 of the people here that think they're lip-sync experts, would lose at least half of the pepsi challanges they were faced with.

[conversationpc]

It's quite easy for a handful of people who either have a need to to tear down other bands because their oh-so-precious, cant-do-no-fucking-wrong Journey got caught with their pants down fucking an ugly girl.

Thanks for that inaccurate hypothesis. Do I still owe you the co-pay?

...It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong. Tear down the other guy because it's easier for you to act either tough or 'in-the-know'.

The hypocrisy of this last statement is pretty astounding.

I'd be willing to bet 5/6 of the people here that think they're lip-sync experts, would lose at least half of the pepsi challanges they were faced with.

You're one of the last people who should be criticizing others for thinking they're experts.

[sniper16]

no one (atleast not me ) is saying they dont sing live , but if you dont think they use some form of a backing tape to assist(like 80% of the bands out there) them your kidding yourself ive seen them about 20 times

[T-Bone]

ALL of the DL guys do sing and are quite good, but there's no doubt that they do use harmonizers with some of their microphones. So Yes... they do actually sing, but yet it's still somewhat assisted by effects.

[RobbieG]

It's quite easy for a handful of people who either have a need to to tear down other bands because their oh-so-precious, cant-do-no-fucking-wrong Journey got caught with their pants down fucking an ugly girl.

Thanks for that inaccurate hypothesis. Do I still owe you the co-pay?

...It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong. Tear down the other guy because it's easier for you to act either tough or 'in-the-know'.

The hypocrisy of this last statement is pretty astounding.

I'd be willing to bet 5/6 of the people here that think they're lip-sync experts, would lose at least half of the pepsi challanges they were faced with.

You're one of the last people who should be criticizing others for thinking they're experts.

Conversationpc you are right on the money about strengegrey.

[EME]

Having saw DL a few months ago, I can assure they don't use sampled/canned backing vocals...indeed having amassed a rake of bootlegs over the years there is absolutely no doubt they're one of the few 100% live acts (well, the obvious drums are electronic) out there...hell they even had Joe playing keyboards on the Hysteria tour for Gods of War rather use samples.

Have a listen to 'Photograph' live on any given night and it's so off in the same 3/4 parts it's a wonder they persist playing it. When they're good...they're outstanding, but an off night with DL is not for the faint hearted! Granted, there are few....

On this tour they're moving around quite a bit and there are audible differences on the backing vox depending on who's made the mike in time!

Regards,
EME

[venomnation]

I got you guys...right here. The armageddon it performance from Storytellers..

http://tinyurl.com/defvenom

Enjoy!

[Ehwmatt]

I got you guys...right here. The armageddon it performance from Storytellers..

http://tinyurl.com/defvenom

Enjoy!

Man that was really cool. Thanks for that. I think it was posted earlier in the thread too, but I didn't have time before, so thanks to someone else if they posted it here too... think they did

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

DL definitely sing live, I saw them a month ago on the sparkle lounge tour. You can certainly hear when Eliots voice strains (alot ) and when other band members step in to help him. Sometimes you think, that doesn't sound anything like Def Leppard. But its definitely them singing and they put their energy into what they are doing, and the show / set look good so you cant complain.

[T-Bone]

Like I said... They DO sing live, but they also do have assistance from harmonizers. Many bands do that to aid with the "Gang Vocal" effect. The difference is that it's multiplying a LIVE vocal that's being piped into it. Other people were getting assistance from a PREVIOUSLY RECORDED tape, which is a different ballgame

[separate_wayz]

Just to put all the rumors to rest: my cowbell is ALWAYS live, completely ..... never recorded.

[strangegrey]

You're one of the last people who should be criticizing others for thinking they're experts.

Oh, go fuck yourself, asswhipe. I spent quite a considerable amount of my adult life as a professional musician. This is a topic I know about. You're just a fuckwad fan, nothing more, that seems to get off on thinking your a smart ass. News flash for you, davey boy. I visit this site with about the same frequency, as your sex life. I'll see you in october, dumbass.

Conversationpc you are right on the money about strengegrey.

Yep, that's real rich coming from a High School dropout.