(hands sweating as this is my first post here)
I’ve been a huge fan of Alice In Chains in my teenage years (when the whole grunge thing was happening) and a couple of monts ago i reciewed a newsletter that they are reforming with a new singer, a certain Mr. William DuVall. Although I’m very sceptical that he can truly replace Layne Staley, the fact that they’re playing at Rock Im Park music festival in Germany was one of the main things that convinced me to go there again this year.
They have played a couple of shows in the US in previous weeks and if any of you, the respected Dopers, has attended one of their recent concerts, I would be very glad to hear what you thought of it.
Is the new singer at least a decent replacement? What should I expect from the show? Are there any new songs? I wanna know everything!
Haven’t seen them live, although I would kill to. Have heard their VH1 performance. Kid’s good, but he’s not Layne. Phil Anselmo did a pretty good job on “Would?”
The really impressive thing I’ve heard was the collaboration Jerry & Sean did with James Hetfield and Rob Trujillo from Metallica. Hearing James sing “Them Bones” was simultaneously freaky and awesome.
I also saw their VH-1 performance - the one with Heart. I thought Phil Anselmo was great. The other guy did a great job, too - he didn’t have quite as much…I dunno…musicality in his voice (is it just me, or did Layne Staley’s voice almost sound like a guitar with a wah-wah pedal on it?), but I think as a voice, he is a solid replacement - whether he can do the stage presence thing or help with songwriting in a value-added way is another thing…
I haven’t heard any of the newly redone stuff, but Laynes lyrics and Jerrys music is what made AiC great. Maybe if that guy from Days of the New kicks his meth problem he could possibly replace Layne, sound wise anyway.
Hetfield sounds interesting. I’ve heard the songs that Maynard James Keenan of Tool sang with them at that benefit, and I think he probably has the best voice for it. “Man in the Box” was great, and “Dem Bones” was good if sometimes off-key.
That’s if they have to do this at all, of course. I thought Layne was one of the really original voices to come from that musical scene, and somebody who sounds kinda like him - since tons of guys try - wouldn’t be an an adequate replacement.
A lot of the vocal sound, especially in the later years was supplied by Jerry, and Layne would just pitch in a chorus or two or a harmony here and there. The guy from Days of The New didn’t sound much like Layne, he sounds a lot like Jerry.
I don’t think anyone will come along that can perform “Dirt” as well as Staley (the song “dirt” specifically).
I saw them at Lollapalooza '93 and it was transcendant. Too bad Staley was a Junkhead. 