"Exactly! So why is everybody clammoring for a singer who can sing them "just like the young Perry"?'[i]
Because they need to finish the present tour and it's a greatest hits type of deal. They can't do greatest hits with a singer that can't sing them... oh wait, that's what they're doing now...
They'd have to get up and do all the Greg Rollie tunes to accomodate someone that can't sing the more rangy stuff.
They COULD have Neal front HIS band and have Deen sing from the kit. It'd be better than the present deal.
They should cancel the tour and retool. Either with a healed up Augeri ( I have faith!) or someone new. From the little I heard Steve from the last shows, his voice doesn't sound irreparibly damaged like Perry's, but he did sound real tired. But he wasn't as rough as Perry and that is a good thing for his voice. I'm thinking they could get Hugo just to finish the tour. Tell him, don't go out and do the Perry moves, just go out and sing the songs and be your own man.