James LaBrie interview

Kerrang: Welcome to the Kerrang podcast. We’re backstage day three with James from Dream Theater – how are you?

James LaBrie: Doing great! Yep – just arrived.

K: Ah yeah? Oh what time you get on stage today?

JL: I believe just before seven we're on. So we're looking forward to it. It's the first festival this year with this tour.

K: [Metallica’s doing a] by request set this evening as well. Is that ever been something you consider doing?

JL: They're doing requests?

K: By request, yes, or the fans pick the –

JL: We haven’t gotten to that point yet. I don’t think so. Although we have enough songs that we could do that. It would just probably take a little bit more rehearsals to make sure that we’ve got all those songs down pat. [laughs] But no, I think that’s really cool. I mean the fact that they can just pull out any one of their songs from their vast catalog. It would be really cool to do, but, yeah, that’s probably later on down the road, if ever.

K: Do you ever want to mix up your set list if you could? A lot of fans worry that fans won't hear the ones they want to hear, but are there any that you wish you could play more often?

JL: We have done that in the past, where our sets would differ from each night. I mean, there would be the staples — the ones that we played each and every night — but then there be other ones that we would throw in and kind of mix it up, so that we felt that we were satisfying the fans. But I think, over the years, we’ve really always been taking that as a priority: What’s going on? What’s the latest album that we’re promoting? And what songs from the previous albums would, more or less, the fans wanna listen to? So it’s always something that we’re definitely always keeping in mind. But you can only hope that the songs that you did pick are the ones that they’re gonna be content with. And so far, I think it’s been great.

K: We've been asking everyone if they could do guest vocals with another band on the bill, who would they stage crash?

JL: Well it's convenient I should go on with Metallica tonight. Sure, that'd be great! I mean we even covered Master of Puppets so it’d be really cool to just get up there and do a tune with them. That'd be quite the thrill for sure.

K: What’s your plan for after Sonisphere? What are you up to? It’s your first festival.

JL: We are doing other festivals, but we're also out headlining a European tour at the same time. So tomorrow we’re in Paris and then we go onto Czechoslovakia and Poland and we're just going all over. So we'll be out until August first doing this and then back home, and then Asia and South America. But basically it's headlining shows with festivals in between.

K: And you’re sure to pick up new fans along the way a festivals like this. What can they kind of expect – perhaps with people that haven’t heard you before?

JL: Well for the most part people would say, “Oh yeah, I've heard of these guys, but I've never actually taken the time to listen to their stuff,” and I think with the songs that we're playing, it gives them a pretty good palette as to who and what we are and what we encompass musically. So it benefits every single band here to be playing in front of such a huge crowd and a cross of many different fans, right? And yeah, it is a great way to sell yourself, basically. That's what you're doing and you're attracting new fans – there's no doubt about it. So it's all worth it, not to mention it's just a completely different experience doing festivals and doing headlining shows. Those are fans that are there with the headlining that have always been there and that's a beautiful place to be in, but with festivals you're playing to a new audience for the most part and you're trying to win them over. So that's what it's all about.

K: Any secret tactics to winning over new fans?

JL: Going onstage nude – that’ll do it. [laughs] No, I mean just going out there and just giving it your all, giving it your best and really giving them a clear picture of who and what you are both musically and as people, and the energy you put out, the vibe that you're creating. That's what it comes down to.

K: Clothes are optional at that point. [laughs]

JL: Yeah, I guess so! Yeah clothing being optional. But yeah, I think I'll keep them on. [laughs]

K: Well thank you for talking to us – have a good set.

JL: Thank you.