RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 2025 Tour Thread *SPOILERS INSIDE*

Prowler said:
It was still not that good. It was passable. The only time I actually thought he did really well was during the Somewhere Back in Time tour.
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I think some of the early 2018 tour performances, most notably first night in Helsinki (one of Bruce's best nights from the past 10-15 years?) are among the best live versions of Aces High out there, somewhat close to Chile 2009 and such, but admittedly that goes mostly for the chorus: even when Bruce nails the high notes in the chorus, the verses are a bit tricky since the song kind of asks for a high tempo & intensity, but it makes the verses extremely challenging with the pacing, breathing and all. So yeah, as far as the chorus goes, I think 2018 had a handful of outstanding Ace Highs, but of course the tempo wasn't quite as fast as in 2008-09, let alone 1999.
 
Randalf said:
I think some of the early 2018 tour performances, most notably first night in Helsinki (one of Bruce's best nights from the past 10-15 years?) are among the best live versions of Aces High out there, somewhat close to Chile 2009 and such, but admittedly that goes mostly for the chorus: even when Bruce nails the high notes in the chorus, the verses are a bit tricky since the song kind of asks for a high tempo & intensity, but it makes the verses extremely challenging with the pacing, breathing and all. So yeah, as far as the chorus goes, I think 2018 had a handful of outstanding Ace Highs, but of course the tempo wasn't quite as fast as in 2008-09, let alone 1999.
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1999 was Aces High on cocaine.
 
Randalf said:
I think some of the early 2018 tour performances, most notably first night in Helsinki (one of Bruce's best nights from the past 10-15 years?) are among the best live versions of Aces High out there, somewhat close to Chile 2009 and such, but admittedly that goes mostly for the chorus: even when Bruce nails the high notes in the chorus, the verses are a bit tricky since the song kind of asks for a high tempo & intensity, but it makes the verses extremely challenging with the pacing, breathing and all. So yeah, as far as the chorus goes, I think 2018 had a handful of outstanding Ace Highs, but of course the tempo wasn't quite as fast as in 2008-09, let alone 1999.
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True. One very good aces high and the speed is ok
 
Vaenyr said:
He didn't "sing-talk", unless you've never listened to Bruce's mid and low range. He sounded exactly as he does on large chunks of the Senjutsu album. He had great control over his voice and healthy technique, things he severely lacks when he sings the second half of Aces High's verses when healthy. The "panic" is also pretty much imagined. This isn't the first time Bruce has done this, he's done stuff like that in the fucking 80s.
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He was absolutely sing-talking the last verse, in between gasping for air. There was neither “great control” or “healthy technique” - he was doing all he could do to get through the song without actually singing it.

He honestly reminded me of Ace Frehley.

You’re the lone voice on here of thinking it sounded good.

What do you think of Blaze doing The Evil That Men Do in 1998? Was that a masterclass of skilful theatrical baritone deliverance?
 
Ascendingthethrone said:
One final thing: the arrogance is grating on me. That you can go in front of people who have paid a lot of money and sing they poorly. Not because you can’t sing, but because you are too stubborn to change. The illness doesn’t change anything. He was poor before being sick.
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Does not make sense to me keep singing in E tuning. Idk if its only up to him to decide. He makes almost entire solo career in d tuning. He sings better in his solo shows. And in IM he been singing average since what 2023?

They could at least try a key drop for 2026.
 
dickinson1978 said:
True. One very good aces high and the speed is ok
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Those high notes in the chorus give me goosebumps. Man. I forgot what an insane show that was. Also looking at the stage show, I'm sure glad this was before their idea of the biggest, greatest show meant a giant screen because just look at how cool the whole package is with the lights and the goddamned Spitfire.
 
BludBrutha said:
They don’t need to do a key drop. They need to swap out one song.
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Ok but they haven't changed the setlist between legs since legacy of the beast iirc. (with the exception of the third leg and only because they would have to include senjutsu in the setlist at some point).
 
Ascendingthethrone said:
I admire your optimism, @Vaenyr. But I’m with @GhostofCain on this though. It is simply not good enough. Pick an easier song FFS.
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I wouldn't call it optimism. I just really really really dislike the regular version of Aces High and prefer the version in his comfortable range to him barking like Blaze :D

I'm fully on the "don't play Aces" plane train, for the record. I have probably dozens of comments in these threads where I stated that I don't want them to play it again. It is what it is though.
Prowler said:
I don't think he ever got the range to sing Aces High well (consistently). Of course, when he was younger, it was easier to hit the high notes, but to hit them for an entire song consistently was always a trouble for him. Songs like Aces and WED were always really difficult to perform and nowadays they're impossible. He can still do the screams ( like Wrathchild, Rime and Number) as it's a different technique. Also, he can still sing songs like RTTH that have some high notes.
Imo, he can still hit some high notes, but not for entire verses or choruses. Some C5s and D5s are still there.
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Pretty much. That's why I call it "fundamentally unsingable". Even the early 1984 bootlegs at the start of the tour, before he shot his voice, had him struggle immensely and I didn't find a single performance where he didn't suffer through the verses. The chorus is anthemic, but the verse is an atrocity.

MindRuler said:
Alot of melody lines of the verses didn´t go well together with the instruments. Since the video is no longer available I can´t say the exact parts but there were quite a few in the first verse and some in the last.
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I appreciate it! Sorry if I came across as too hostile. I value your perspective and opinions and wanted

dickinson1978 said:
True. One very good aces high and the speed is ok
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See, I listen to stuff like that and can't for the life of me understand how people are happy with the second half of the verses. All I hear is a vocalist torturing himself to reach notes he can't pull off reliably (not because of lacking the skill, but because Steve wrote some really sadistic vocal lines back then). It's exactly the same issue I have with Blaze on The Trooper or TETMD.

BludBrutha said:
He was absolutely sing-talking the last verse, in between gasping for air. There was neither “great control” or “healthy technique” - he was doing all he could do to get through the song without actually singing it.
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Again: Objectively wrong. He sang as he does on Senjutsu and his solo records. You can dislike the altered melody lines, but stuff like breath control and technique aren't subjective.

BludBrutha said:
You’re the lone voice on here of thinking it sounded good.
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I'm used to being the only one right :D this is a Virtual XI joke

BludBrutha said:
What do you think of Blaze doing The Evil That Men Do in 1998? Was that a masterclass of skilful theatrical baritone deliverance?
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That proves my exact point and I've already explained it multiple times in this thread: Blaze in 98 had to go for vocal lines well outside his comfortable range and ended up sounding strained and tortured. The same exact thing happens with Bruce when he sings the second half of the Aces High verses in his healthy state. He strains to hell and back and barks to even get close to the notes and just sounds like a tired old man. Again: that's the not-sick version. That's why I prefer the altered lines. Yeah, they are lower intensity, but he at least sounds musical and like someone in control, not someone holding on for dear life.

In other words, my criticism for both Blaze in 98 and Bruce on Aces High is identical and thus consistent. Somehow many here are judging those two on very different levels though ;)
 
More photos from graspop festival:









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