Bonnet miming accusations

[Bent out of shape]

For sure Graham ain't the only one doing this, imagine standard industry practice for ageing singers 
 

[Haffner]

For sure Graham ain't the only one doing this, imagine standard industry practice for ageing singers 
 


 

If he is doing it...I don't know, my attitude has changed some in regard to miming and using modern studio trickery on the classic Metal singers.

I used to be vehemently opposed, however I've learned from listening (for instance) to the latest Judas Priest that I very much love to hear my favorite singers 60 and up using their original tones/sounds/range. I'm not so picky, especially given modern technology is doing a pretty damn good job with it.

So, just as my "live in the studio" and "post-performance vocal correction" worries have been dispelled, I am more than ok giving the singers some wiggle room, as long as it's done really well.

Call me weak, it's ok lol. 


 
 

[Dinosaur David B]

When I saw him with Schenker in 2019, he was reading his lyrics off of big 11x17 pieces of paper he had all over the stage. He'd finish one song, grab another sheet and put in on the floor in front of his mic. He wasn't being remotely subtle about it either. He didn't care the audience knew he was doing it. :lol:

And he still sang his ass off on those Assault Attack songs.

I thought it was rather comical, and a bit unprofessional, but he was 71 at the time (76 now). I don't know what he's going through. At that age, he could easily have memory issues.  Similarly, I don't know what he may be going through vocally. What GB sings tends to be very intense and demanding. Like all singers, I'm sure there are nights he's not 100%, but this suggests he's only singing 1 to 4 songs of a set live. 

These are tricky issues (IMO). It's easy for a fan to say, "Rock performers shouldn't lip sync in live performances people buy tickets for" even though they've done that in Pop music forever, and while I agree in principle, it's more complicated than that.

Bands have ALWAYS done lip sync promo videos and TV appearances. The presumption is that they can actually cut it live on stage, but we're now dealing with acts that are in their 70s and 80s.  At that age, your musical abilities may fall off a clif, either naturally, or maybe you develop dementia like Malcolm Young, or whatever Tipton has. 

If the backing track lets a person or a band work, do you deprive them their ability to work over lip syncing? A band at the level of Alcatrazz where they're scraping by, playing clubs. Is it different if it's KISS, playing stadiums?  I've seen AC/DC a few times and every time I did, Johnson's voice was shot by the end of the 3rd song. A backing track might have sounded better for the rest of the set. 
 

Seems to me, lip syncing is OK if I know that's what's happening before I buy a ticket. Then I can decide whether it matters to me or not.  But that's never what happens (and probably won't). These revelations always leak out and become controversial.  Rock bands from back in the day know that clearly stating some portions of this show were pre-recorded will cut down on the ticket sales. Someone like me who saw them live in their prime probably wouldn't buy a ticket for that.  But some kid who's never seen them, might. 
 
 
 
 

[Stitsel]

Interesting points from all here.
All I can say, is when I too saw him singing for Mad Mikey back whenever that was ( latter day, not Assault Attack era ) , he sounded very live and super heavy, to my ears. He was belting that shit out like his life depended on it, and I was close enough that I could clearly and plainly hear that it was live, and real. I got massively excited witnessing this, certainly hearing it. He was great. I have no idea what's going on now, or any way to rebut these claims, I can only speak for what I saw then, which really wasn't that long ago. But as DDave points out, who knows what's really going on with these guys, physically, mentally, psychologically etc., most of these guys aren't getting any younger. 
I hope it's not true, it seems to violate the ethos of guys like him, but what do I know.

[eduardoritos]

I was too sat that mining is theater act, not music but, even on theater, you have to say your lines.

If you're not able to do your job properly, just quit.

Dio just finished his career two tones below the range he started whit, but doing actual singing.

​​​​​​That's ok for me, not mining.

[Bent out of shape]

For me if you can't sing live, either don't do it or make it clear to those buying a ticket what the deal is.

[Dinosaur David B]

Phil from Wings of Pegasus just proved the Eagles are lip-syncing.  I don't even want to guess what an Eagles ticket goes for these days. 
 

[Duojett71]

Jeff Young the former lead guitarist for Megadeth apparently got the Alcatrazz gig before Joe Stump. There are even Youtube videos where he is in his house playing Yngwie’s parts to various Alcatrazz songs(The one I watched was Bigfoot and Jeff played it note for note). Jeff claims he quit the gig after learning that Graham was going to be lip syncing to a prerecorded track. I believe him. He doesn’t have a reason to lie about it….unless he actually got fired. Jimmy Waldo did state that at one point they were having problems with a guitar player, but I always assumed it was Joey Tafolla. The Graham Bonnet band played a show at Darrel Hall’s club with Tafolla on guitar and most of it was the Yngwie era Alcatrazz. Tafolla completely flubbed Yngwie’s solos. That surprised me because Tafolla back in the 80’s was basically an Yngwie clone.

Gettting back to Bonnet….I saw him on the Michael Schenker fest in the Spring of 2019, and he sounded great. He also sounded very live. I don’t think the lip syncing could have been pulled off in a situation with that many singers involved and the sound engineer having to deal with punching Bonnet in and out. I don’t think Schenker would have agreed to that either.
 

[eduardoritos]

Jeff Young the former lead guitarist for Megadeth apparently got the Alcatrazz gig before Joe Stump. There are even Youtube videos where he is in his house playing Yngwie’s parts to various Alcatrazz songs(The one I watched was Bigfoot and Jeff played it note for note). Jeff claims he quit the gig after learning that Graham was going to be lip syncing to a prerecorded track. I believe him. He doesn’t have a reason to lie about it….unless he actually got fired. Jimmy Waldo did state that at one point they were having problems with a guitar player, but I always assumed it was Joey Tafolla. The Graham Bonnet band played a show at Darrel Hall’s club with Tafolla on guitar and most of it was the Yngwie era Alcatrazz. Tafolla completely flubbed Yngwie’s solos. That surprised me because Tafolla back in the 80’s was basically an Yngwie clone.

Gettting back to Bonnet….I saw him on the Michael Schenker fest in the Spring of 2019, and he sounded great. He also sounded very live. I don’t think the lip syncing could have been pulled off in a situation with that many singers involved and the sound engineer having to deal with punching Bonnet in and out. I don’t think Schenker would have agreed to that either.
 

 

The MSG gig Was live. But he sang 5 songs only.

 

[Bent out of shape]

That would make sense,  Walldo said he could manage 4 songs at a time ok.....but not much more.

The industry/media of course won't want any such rumours gaining any prominence