Speaking of Mad Mikey.....

[Stitsel]

I've had several of his recent vids pop up in my YT feed & in every one of them, he's back to playing Gibsons....... ....I mean, cool!! But I have to admit I'm a bit surprised as I've basically grown used to him on his Dean's ( it's been close to 20 yrs he's been with them, right....? ) & while it was a  bitter pill to swallow at 1st, I got used to it & have always been just happy he's still playing & doing pretty well overall. So I actually just checked out Dean's site & he's no longer on their Artist page...!! News to me, he was actually one of their more iconic legendary artists they've had on their roster, and he seemed overall happy with their guitars. IDK, but it just seems kinda weird. 

Seems like for every big name Dean gets, another one leaves..... 

[Bent out of shape]

Yes, a mate at the recent Troon, Scotland gig texted me on this week. Been watching his recent rockpalast show a bit, was still using Deans then.

[Tatosh Guitar]

Things on Dean went sideways when Elliott Rubinson passed. I have it on good authority things haven't been cool with most of their artists' roster and this confirms it.

[Dinosaur David B]

He's probably got dozens of Dean Vs around now. He'll probably auction them off for a boatload. 

[Dinosaur David B]

I'm seeing the recent November 2023 live footage with him playing the Gibsons again. Doesn't sound any different really. 

Is it just me or are Michael's leads -- even the old classic ones -- sounding a little sleepy these days? To me he sounds almost too relaxed. He's playing the notes, but there's no urgency or energy to it. No fire. He used to play those leads and you'd feel fucking SCORCHED.
 
 
 

[Stitsel]

You know, I couldn't quite put my finger on it....but now that you mention it I think so too. Also, as much as probably everyone is lauding his supposed return to Gibson, I kind of got used to that high end sizzle of his Deans & in comparison the Gibsons sound flat & kinda muddy in the vids I've seen. It could be a combination of factors.....Schenker laying back playing wise, the venues sound etc., who knows. I do know he had a signature PUP w/Dean, and I honestly have been digging on his tone the last 10-15 yrs. Whatever.

I'll have to YT some more recent shows so I can maybe see/hear if that's always the case lately. 

[Tatosh Guitar]

I am pretty sure I actually made a post about this a year or so ago... About how he seemed be running by the numbers these days. He plays the notes, but there is no fire, or attitude behind it. He sounds like he is sitting on his couch watching TV with a guitar on his hands.

As for his tone, my friend who opened for him last year told me he found his live sound very weird, and the Deans were still there. The way he was EQed and all... Not appealing at all, and he sat thru every soundcheck on that tour while Mikey was playing by himself. But by the time the show started and he played with the band it was better. maybe it was the way it should sound sitting on the mix. For what is worth, I saw one of his soundchecks 12 years ago and it was glorious. Tone to kill for.

I haven't seen any video of him playing Gibsons recently but I wouldn't be surprised if he sounds weird. Maybe his entire setup was based on the Deans and they haven't tinkered the whole thing yet.

[Dinosaur David B]

I saw him a 4 years ago when he had all the singers with him and I was 6-10 feet in front of him. His tone was great and he played great. It wasn't 1981 level of on fire, but it was much more lively than this. 

[Tatosh Guitar]

I saw him a 4 years ago when he had all the singers with him and I was 6-10 feet in front of him. His tone was great and he played great. It wasn't 1981 level of on fire, but it was much more lively than this. 

 

I actually noticed it when my buddy sent me a video of one of the gigs he saw last year, with Romero on lead vocals. He was telling me about how great the whole thing was. I think the song was Lights Out... I watched the whole thing and was totally left cold. It was hard to explain, I mean, he was playing the song, you can tell it is him playing, the notes are right and the tone is there, and yet, it was totally devoid of balls. When I saw him 12 years ago it was fantastic in every way. Borderline brilliant level of performance.

[Dinosaur David B]

Here's the perfect compare and contrast. Rock Bottom a couple of weeks ago:



Solo starts at 3:38
He starts "ripping" -- as it were, at 6:14 with all this bullshit cascading harmonic stuff. You can say that's a choice after playing the song a million times, but it's like he's too lazy to pick. 

Rock Bottom from Rockpalast (arguably the best live version of the song -- certainly ON FILM). 



Solo starts at 3:46
He starts ripping at 6:16. He's taking your head off. He's picking like a demon.


Aside from the lack of fire when he's going for it in 2023, compare the sonic and picking dynamics. Even in the slow introductory licks when he's just getting warmed up, 81 seems dynamic and purposeful. The notes are picked differently. Some are delicate, some he digs in. Some sound fat. Some have more bite.

2023 is like he's sleepwalking through it. Every note seems like it's played exactly the same. (Very Satriani). And it's not just ONE (off) show. All of the clips I've seen from this tour are like this.

If this is the way he's playing now -- mailing it in -- I'm not gonna bother going to see him anymore. I've seen him play a dozen times since the 80s, and several when he was on fire. I'm good.