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Should rockers who can’t sing anymore still be touring?
- Thread starter Rogifan
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David Gilmour has been working on a new album. ...some of his older songs performed on his last tour a few years ago:
Contrast the trainwrecks in this thread to the absolute state of Gilmour's voice and guitarfingers after a 60 year career belting it out across stadiums. Some people get worn out, for others it's just practice I guess.
Contrast the trainwrecks in this thread to the absolute state of Gilmour's voice and guitarfingers after a 60 year career belting it out across stadiums. Some people get worn out, for others it's just practice I guess.
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Yep! The David Gilmour footage echoes how we'd like our heroes to still sound. Such an iconic voice.
Ok..... There's some yucky performances for sure!
I still think it's a balance of expectations that "Rock 'N Roll Will Never Die" with the reality of time passing on this phase of popular music. I've always noticed that "our music hits" from the late 60s through the 80s were available any time I turn on certain radio stations. Laughingly, I tell people "I heard Boston/Journey/BadCo" on the way to work... EVERY day. Now suddenly, the big radio stations in our area that spun those rotations have gone to Jack or some nuevo-Jack format. Is this the passage of time? Has music culture, and how it is supported through playlists we experience in our daily lives, moved past our era?
We'll see about Paul McCartney. We're going to see him on the opening day tomorrow for the new tour!
I really hope to hear a few old Beatles hits, but am fully prepared to enjoy a Wings/Solo experience.
I still think it's a balance of expectations that "Rock 'N Roll Will Never Die" with the reality of time passing on this phase of popular music. I've always noticed that "our music hits" from the late 60s through the 80s were available any time I turn on certain radio stations. Laughingly, I tell people "I heard Boston/Journey/BadCo" on the way to work... EVERY day. Now suddenly, the big radio stations in our area that spun those rotations have gone to Jack or some nuevo-Jack format. Is this the passage of time? Has music culture, and how it is supported through playlists we experience in our daily lives, moved past our era?
We'll see about Paul McCartney. We're going to see him on the opening day tomorrow for the new tour!
I really hope to hear a few old Beatles hits, but am fully prepared to enjoy a Wings/Solo experience.
He is on my bucket list of people/bands to see. We have a local cover band, "Which One's Pink" who are freaking outstanding and at this point will probably be the closets I get to the real deal. But man, how I would freaking love to see him live and if he still sounds like this! That makes it that much better!
What’s your over-obsession in being concerned with what these artists do? (Rhetorical) You’ve posted multiple examples in this thread, where it obviously agitates you, even though you know the answers already.
I mean, you’re not their only fan base, they have thousands of people obviously attending these venues, so there’s a demand, which means there’s money to be made.
It’s obvious they’ll keep touring until they say otherwise. I don’t see the problem with that. However, if it makes you feel better venting about it online, there’s that where others will agree to disagree.
To give you a little spoiler should you go to see Paul on his current tour...
Paul sings with John on a song.
BL.
in 1978 on a school bus i predicted to my friends that in 2000,
Bon Scott would be old and sing only important words during a concert
like
"Rocker-Roller-Control-er-woman stealer-bruiser-cruise in tattoos!"
the bus stopped before TNT came on
Bon Scott would be old and sing only important words during a concert
like
"Rocker-Roller-Control-er-woman stealer-bruiser-cruise in tattoos!"
the bus stopped before TNT came on
No kidding - that was amazing. Dave Grohl seems like a really good dude - he'd be a ton of fun to hang out with.
Bad example. Joe lost his voice due to medical reasons and had to use backing vocals for a while. That was short term to continue the tour. They play in a lower key now so he doesn’t completely shred his vocal chords. They actually sound better now. Less harsh.
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Singer's voices change with age. It happens. Imagine all the 'boy bands' getting together after their singer hits puberty... 
Singer's voices change with age. It happens. Imagine all the 'boy bands' getting together after their singer hits puberty...
That's a given.. I mean, the last time the Jackson 5 sang I Want You Back together was an absolute shocker.
BL.
No. Given the extreme and noisy nature of the metal I still spin, am amazed that 4 screamers I love are still able to deliver on the vocals decades in. Part of that comes from the diaphragm though.
Unfortunately, the former vocalist in my favorite band was losing his voice while still in said band and tried to change his style. Sadly, I’ve skipped most of his current bands releases as a result of that and their problematic songwriting overall.
The vocalist has a lot to do including keeping the audience engaged, so regardless of genre, I say no.
Unfortunately, the former vocalist in my favorite band was losing his voice while still in said band and tried to change his style. Sadly, I’ve skipped most of his current bands releases as a result of that and their problematic songwriting overall.
The vocalist has a lot to do including keeping the audience engaged, so regardless of genre, I say no.
It's the vocal cords and changes in the throat and other tissues. Plus the result of attempts to repair existing damage. Julie Andrews' career was destroyed by a botched operation to address some age/overuse issues with her vocal cords.
I'd be so devastated if I was a performer and the one thing that I needed to perform was failing/failed. They make money on their voice. Two strands of tissue that are moved and stretch and vibrate driven by their lungs. (I wonder how many singers have lost heir careers due to lung issues too)
Overuse, and injury. All athletes fear it, all people that use parts of their body fear it happening. It's unavoidable, sadly. unless people use technology to counter it. Like performers that are forgetting lyrics too. Jimmy Buffett has gotten better at staying to the lyrics of his songs, but he's using a small screen to help him. He's still a great performer, and I'd go to any of his shows. Parrotheads go for the scenery, and the parking lot. *shrug*
The age of the singer also plays a part. The vocal cords are remarkably good at recovering from abuse and damage at younger ages, but as the voice gets older, this ability to recover is reduced and damage is more likely to become permanent. Rock singers are often very used to tearing up their vocal cords on tour with the expectation that their voice will recover in time for the next tour, but as they age, the voice gradually becomes less and less forgiving.
I’m not being argumentative, but was Andrew’s operation botched, or just that corrective surgeries are not always successful? My impression is that vocal chords are relatively delicate and susceptible to injury that is not easily repaired.
Speaking of ZZ Top, we saw them at the Houston Rodeo a couple of years ago, and I wondered it they were actually singing or they were lip syncing.
From what I remember, the surgery was 'supposed to be' an easy procedure, but the surgeon screwed up somehow, and she was successfully able to sue and recover a rather large settlement. To me, it would be like eye surgery. I need those things, and if there is any way to avoid it, I'd really rather take it. She was under the impression that it was common enough with such good results that she should expect no complications, post-op. She had massive complications, and it all went away. No more singing. So sad and tragic...
I did some research on this a while back and I am curious on this as well. My impression is that most vocal surgeries are successful, but the recovery time is very lengthy and the operation is inherently risky, even with the best surgical practices. In cases of mild to moderate nodules and polyps, I've heard that they often recommend treating it with vocal therapy/rest rather than surgery if they believe the damage is mild enough to heal on its own.
I'm curious where exactly they draw the line and say "this is severe enough that we will take the risk and go into surgery" - it seems like a rather daunting process frankly.
I went to a show several years ago and could swear the lead singer was lip syncing too. Sometimes beating the lyric, and sometimes lagging it. It distracted from the whole experience. I get why they would use a song track, but maybe they should be up front with the audience about the use of it. I do remember the fine print on a ticket in Europe saying that the artist may use 'accompaniment technology such as recordings or others off stage playing the instrumentals during the performance'. Not something you see in concert tickets here. Queen had it right when I heard they would play a track of one of their hits because it would be impossible to perform live. Can't remember the track at the moment, but it gave them a break during the concert. (Was it Bohemian Rhapsody?) Rock on!
I read some backstory on her situation, and she was having hoarseness and sore throat issues, and they found a condition they could 'fix' with surgery. It was a common procedure, and apparently the surgeon promised them that she would be back singing after recovery, and I'll bet that first note was a crushing experience. I'd bet she/they knew it wasn't going well before that. Still, ANY surgery carries the risk for unexpected issues, even death. Heck, a foreign beauty queen died after tonsil surgery just last week (?) and that's a really common surgery. Deaths are rare. Back when I had hair, the woman that cut my hair lost her husband during bariatric surgery, a really common surgery. Something happened on the table, and he didn't make it. She was supposed to do the same surgery after her husband recovered. Tragic, but every procedure does have the capability of having something go wrong. Sadly...
EDIT: Joan Rivers died having what done? Another common procedure gone bad...