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Shredi Knights unite!

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Storm Rider:
He was in their early years, I think before they started recording the concerts. I believe he was in '99 and '02. I'll do a quick search on amazon.

bucky_2300:
There are actually several G3 performances that you can't get on DVD/VHS, I believe, and I think that the Robert Fripp is one of them. The ones I know of that are available are the one with Eric Johnstone, G3 '03, G3'05, and '04, I think.

As for Petrucci's lack of theatrics...I'll just copy/paste my rant from another forum, ;)



To me, he just comes across as a shyer person than Satriani or Vai (I'm not even going to bother mentioning Malmsteen....) In the commentary on the soundcheck on the G3 Live in Tokyo DVD, there were often long pauses on his commentary track, and he seemed to be a quieter person than the other two, who just wouldn't shut up. Another thing that seemed to show that he was a quieter person was that when Steve hauled out the rubber chicken at the end of the soundcheck (it's worth buying the DVD just for that scene) John laughed and made comments, but they seemed to be much more reserved than what he was actually thinking.
I think that he is more of an introverted person, and that that comes through in his stage antics, or lack thereof.

EDIT: But hey, I'm an actor, and analysing people is part of my job. I might just be blowing things up a bit.

-----------------------------------


In my experience, people that are quieter in social situations are almost always less exuberant and big onstage. In fact, after two acting tours, three acting workshops, and the first four months of a high school Performing and Visual Arts course in drama, I can think of one person who was socially quiet and big onstage.

And since Mike Portnoy is his drummer, I would think (or at least hope) that he was comfortable enough with him to talk into a microphone. But on the spot, all alone, he seemed to be much quieter. And that makes sense, because if you think about it, there's no one to support or to fill dead spots in the commentary.

This is, however, not to say that he doesn't enjoy being onstage. On the G3 DVD, especially on the jam, he was smiling a lot and obviously having a great time. However, I think that this proves what I said above about him being more relaxed when he was someone else to be with. During most of his solo performance, when he looked at the audience, he looked at what would have been a spot above the heads of the people all the way up in the mezzanine. I think that he was trying his utmost to not let the audience intimidate him. And by all means, he did an absolutely incredible job. Glasgow Kiss and Damage Control were flawless.

During the jam, he was much more "outgoing," and appeared to be much more relaxed, which was in my opinion because Steve and Joe were up there as well.

...and that concludes bucky's second installment of the "Let's Overanalyse a Performer" series.

Thrillho:

--- Quote from: Storm Rider ---
--- Quote from: DynamiteKid ---Fuck shred.
--- End quote ---


Yeah, because appreciating talented musicianship is totally dumb. [/sarcasm]

Seriously though, while I can appreciate the occasional shredding, I much prefer if the guitar wizardry stays within the boundaries of taste. Hence why I prefer more restrained virtuosos such as John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, and Eric Johnson to nonstop shred maniacs like Becker or Malmsteen.
--- End quote ---


I don't see why the sarcasm was necessary when you essentially just said my opinion.

I think that 'shred' defines only sped-up scale exercises. Basically, wanking. Not playing, wanking. However, when someone like Satch shreds they put an actual melody into it, and that's when it becomes soloing and therefore - in my eyes - not shred.

Though I choose not to listen to it anyway. It annoys me. David Gilmour puts more passion into one note than the average shredder puts into a 2 hour set. I shall go into this more when I return, as I don't have much time here (which is why I merely wrote 'fuck shred' earlier; I had even less time.)

bucky_2300:
^ If I just shoot up and down a scale pattern, it really does not sound like shred. Shred is not just lots and lots of notes played very quickly - it's virtuosity. And virtuosity means not just playing scale patterns. Anyone with enough practice on speed on the guitar can play scales very quickly. Even Malmsteen, who I would defy anyone to deny that he is in love with playing lots and lots of notes very quickly, does not just wank scales.

As for the "shred is passionless and emotionless" argument, it's bullshit. I'll say that right up front. Telling anyone, be they Steve Vai, Jason Becker, John Petrucci, Shawn Lane, or any number of other shred artists that the way they choose to express their musical passion and emotion is neither - you'll be laughed at. Music is essentially, at its core, an outlet for emotion. And telling people that their chosen way of expressing the sounds they hear in their heads is emotionless is close-minded and arrogant.

David Gilmour and Steve Vai (my personal favourite) are linked extremely closely. They are both amazing guitar players, with incredible skills and musical talent. They can both take ordinary notes and make them something extraordinary. They just do different things with the skills that they have. David Gilmour is famous for his bending skills, and his ability to hold a note for two bars, and keep people entranced the whole time. Steve Vai is famous for his talent for writing extremely unusual compositions that while they are completely out of the ordinary, they sound decidedly musical and refreshing to the ear. When I first heard "Building the Church," I thought the instrument in the intro was a synth. Nope. It's Steve and his guitar, with an effect pedal lending a slightly different tone to the instrument.

No matter what, music is music, and it's an outlet for emotion, and the notes that people hear in their heads. If someone happens to hear more notes closer together than another, it's still music, and music = emotion.

Thrillho:

--- Quote from: bucky_2300 ---^ If I just shoot up and down a scale pattern, it really does not sound like shred. Shred is not just lots and lots of notes played very quickly - it's virtuosity. And virtuosity means not just playing scale patterns. Anyone with enough practice on speed on the guitar can play scales very quickly. Even Malmsteen, who I would defy anyone to deny that he is in love with playing lots and lots of notes very quickly, does not just wank scales.

As for the "shred is passionless and emotionless" argument, it's bullshit. I'll say that right up front. Telling anyone, be they Steve Vai, Jason Becker, John Petrucci, Shawn Lane, or any number of other shred artists that the way they choose to express their musical passion and emotion is neither - you'll be laughed at. Music is essentially, at its core, an outlet for emotion. And telling people that their chosen way of expressing the sounds they hear in their heads is emotionless is close-minded and arrogant.
--- End quote ---


Look, I had to go quickly so I couldn't put this across. I wasn't trying to imply that shred is passionless. I think that, if done right, shred can be pure passionate music, like Satriani. I just find that - and I hate to say this, Petrucci comes to mind - a lot of shredders seem to mind any melody in their solos an optional extra and it just doesn't SOUND like passion. Most Dream Theater I hear - note MOST - seems to be Petrucci just shredding because he can.

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