Even with a new singer, it's the same old song
Fri Sep 1, 2006 6:32 PM ET
By Mitchell Peters
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - While ticket sales seem promising, this fall's upcoming Alice in Chains tour is one of several recent outings to beg the question of whether a band can remain relevant without its original singer.
Four years after the drug-overdose death of Layne Staley, virtual-unknown singer William DuVall joined the core lineup of Jerry Cantrell (guitar/vocals), Mike Inez (bass) and Sean Kinney (drums) for a successful club trek of six U.S. cities in May and then ventured to Europe for a series of festival dates. The band's last outing with Staley was in 1996.
The latest North American trek begins September 22 at the Joint in Las Vegas and wraps November 26 at the Warfield in San Francisco, with more dates to be added. General on-sales began August 19, and so far the numbers look good. Minneapolis' First Avenue date (November 13) sold out immediately, and dates at Norfolk, Va.'s NorVa (October 22) and Baltimore's Rams Head Live! (October 24) were well on their way, according to venue representatives. Those shows will have a capacity of 1,500 and an average ticket price of $40.
"It's one of the strongest onsales we've had in the history of the NorVa," president Bill Reid says.
The concept of recruiting a replacement vocalist isn't new, and it's one that has worked for bands like INXS, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Journey and Lynyrd Skynryd. Tom Vitorino, who manages Riders on the Storm, which consists of former Doors members Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger, is all for new singers. He says original music never dies if there's a demand for it.
"Fans want to have a place to go celebrate the music they love," he explains. "As long as the vocalist doesn't become a bad imitation, it's good . . . If you put together a singer with a band and it comes across strange, the fans will alienate you."
CHUTZPAH REQUIRED
With Riders on the Storm, fans were not surprised to see the Cult's Ian Astbury step in on vocals, Vitorino says. "People know Jim Morrison has passed on. They don't expect him to appear at shows."
But filling the Lizard King's boots isn't easy. "You've got to have a thick skin to step into that center stage microphone, playing Doors music with original Doors members," he says. "It takes a lot of balls to do that."
Paradise Artists agent/owner Howie Silverman, who represents Queen + Paul Rodgers in the States, agrees with Vitorino that it's important for new vocalists to bring individual strength and personality to the table, not just a poor imitation. "I want to see a star in his own right," the agent says. "Don't give me some guy singing them like a tribute band."
Longtime promoter John Scher has seen his share of frontmen come and go. The co-CEO of Metropolitan Talent Presents, which produced INXS' North American tour with vocalist J.D. Fortune, says it's easier to replace a frontman who was not a key instrumentalist.
"You have situations where the lead singer was the dominant songwriter and sometimes the dominant instrumentalist. The lead singer can also be the lead guitarist," Scher explains. "That wasn't the case with INXS. Michael Hutchence was not the lead guitarist or a principal instrumentalist."
The promoter adds that the CBS reality TV show "Rock Star: INXS" played a tremendous role in the success of the band's Switched On tour. The reality show competition was held to find a replacement for Hutchence, who dies by his own hand in 1997.
"The TV show had an enormous effect because it gave exposure," Scher explains. "I think there's any number of acts this could work for depending on how it's treated on television."
Scher also points to the success Journey is having on its U.S. co-headlining tour with Def Leppard, which recently added a third leg. Journey is on its third replacement lead singer, Jeff Scott Soto, but that did not stop the trek from grossing $10.4 million between June 23 and July 30, according to Billboard Boxscore.
As a Journey fan, former Lynyrd Skynyrd manager Charlie Brusco has enjoyed something different about all three vocalists. But there are two reasons he returns to the live show: "For Neal Schon's guitar playing and the songs," the Alliance Artists president says. "As long as somebody is singing those songs well, I'll go back to see them."
Brusco, who helped organize Skynyrd's 1987 reunion tour with new vocalist Johnny Van Zant, says bringing in a new singer boils down to believability. "If it feels authentic to the fans, then the band can continue to go out there and do great." If not, "They won't be able to get enough gigs to make it work."
Skynyrd's initial lineup split after the tragic plane crash in 1977 that killed original frontman Ronnie Van Zant (Johnny's brother) and guitarist Steve Gaines. When the Southern rockers regrouped a decade later, fans rushed to see the live show. "The reaction was so big that it ended up being a full-fledged, 32-date tour," Brusco says. "At the beginning, it was only being done as a tribute."
There are also tours that don't do well, as was the case with this summer's New Cars amphitheater jaunt. The reincarnation of the '70s/'80s new wave band featured original guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes, but excluded vocalist Ric Ocasek, a key member. (Bassist/vocalist Ben Orr died in 2000.) Todd Rundgren was drafted to front the band.
Ten concerts reported to Boxscore between May 13 and June 10 reveal that the New Cars/Blondie co-bill sold 43.7% of the available tickets, grossing $1.5 million.
As for the fate of Alice in Chains' tour, the outcome will ultimately fall on fans' shoulders. "It's an emotional decision for their fans and whether their hearts and souls are open to something new," Scher says.
Reuters/Billboard
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