Madge & MJ are two you go check out for the theatrics and spectacle., and are always top notch.

MJ and Madge are not someone you catch thinking in the same terms as attending a jazz combo or the philharmonic.

If you don’t put much thought into it, you will enjoy the lasers, dancers and the smoke machine and leave for home happy.
[Edited 5/31/09 12:14pm]

graecophilos said:

He is called "king of pop", that means to me "king of pop music". In most forms of popular music, singing is an integral part (unless you are Mike Oldfield), dancing is an extra.

And I have a suggestion: if he can't do the singing anymore, maybe we should also be generous with the dancing. He could just show some old footage in the concert with him dancing.
[Edited 5/31/09 12:16pm]

EmancipationLover said:

but he gave that title to himself. it wasn't someone else who called him that.
it was a media campagne and everyone was asked to start calling him the king
of pop.

i'm sure i read this in a legit bio one day. can someone back this up?

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

Thank you that you summarised the essential prerequisite to be a fan of these two artists.

And if real live music can only be expected in a jazz club or the philharmonic, then I understand why pop music is so f***ed up these days.
[Edited 5/31/09 12:19pm]

IstenSzek said:

We can even go further and help the old man by allowing him not to show up for his "concerts" at all. As the show is the only thing that matters, well, the lasers and the smoke work even without the physical presence of Mr. Jackson.

That would be funny though, Michael doing the singing live and having the dancing being played back from a tape on huge screens.

EmancipationLover said:

pop is so much more than just the music. In pop music the image ALWAYS has been much more important than the music. This goes from Elvis, Beatles, Jackson, Madonna, Britney and Lady GaGa.

graecophilos said:

I strongly disagree!!! The image has been AS IMPOTANT as the music. Elvis would not have been Elvis with polka music instead of Rock'n'Roll.

However, a live concert is not an event to remember an image (the place to do that would be a museum), it is an event where music is performed (and that performance can be supported by a certain type of optical presentation, which can and will of course use the image of the artist).

The attempts to defend any potential use of lip-synching by Michael Jackson are just outright ridiculous!

EmancipationLover said:

Lip synching is never great to see, I agree.

However Michael Jackson is the kind of person who wants to give fans what they want to see.

Its more than just the singing really.

That's not the case with other artists.
[Edited 5/31/09 12:42pm]
[Edited 5/31/09 12:44pm]

[quote]

graecophilos said:

Right.

Its kinda obvious by this clip from the Dangerous album advertisement.


[Edited 5/31/09 12:46pm]

EmancipationLover said:

You're welcome!

... and just when I had defended in that other thread that Michael Jackson does not look gay when dancing...

EmancipationLover said:

Or simply tweak the name,

This Is Shit

EmancipationLover said:

When he puts on a world-class dance show, during the songs he's lip-synching, then yes, he's got the right to do it!

PatrickS77 said:

O.k., so then enjoy your Michael Jackson records with added visuals, aka "concerts" (cough). I might have to focus on the philharmonic instead, because I'm one of those stupid fools who expect musicians to perform music.

However, the next best Ashlee Simpson thread will have me quoting all of you on it, that's for sure!

Cinnie said:

Haha, how funny, if you would have actually seen the show... not having seen the show, it just makes you an idiot!

EmancipationLover said:

Yes, do that! Nobody needs you to have fun at an Michael Jackson show! We can do well without you!

PatrickS77 said:

I can only speak for myself, but any so-called concert where a so-called singer lip-synchs will be labelled "shit" by me, regardless of how good its pyrotechnics will be.

PatrickS77 said:

Now that is something we both can agree on!

Did Akon really say these things? This sounds like a tabloid story.It seems odd for a friend/collaborator of Michael's to go to the press and say these things.

Let's take MJ/ Akon out of the equation for a minute. Do people really think that it is acceptable to attend a concert and watch a performer mime?!

I don't care how many visual distractions are put in place to hide the fact that a supposed 'singer' is miming,if I'm paying to see someone perform their songs I wanna hear their live interpretation.

Absolutely astounding to see so may ppl trying to justify why mming is ok! Fine, waste your money. But any artist who cannot go on to their stage and perform their whole set live to their paying fans gets no respect from me.

80spfantwp said:

Don't forget that his ticket rates are much cheaper compared to even Madonna's concerts too.

So I think the fans are getting a pretty good value for their money.

SoulAlive said:

You didn't read the thread. In MJ world, it doesn't matter if he sings live!

Methinks I'll just keep fond memories of Mike as he used to be.

babynoz said:

Me too. Michael lost his soul a long time ago, anyway. I suggest peeps watch the Jackson 5 in Mexico 75 on Youtube. Just him, his brothers and a band and hardly a firework in sight. Yea he dance, I got out of breath just watching them dance but at the same time inspite of his changing voice he also sang live too, he took the songs to the audience, something he finds difficult to do now.

whatsgoingon said:

Things were quite different back in those days.

It wasn't all about what Michael wanted only, it was about what the whole family wanted included Joseph as well.

Michael's style back when he was with his brothers is a lot different than his style when he broke away away from his brothers and went solo.

I guess that's why Michael never cares about performing a show with his brothers
[Edited 5/31/09 14:46pm]

suga10 said:

Still no excuse for miming. A truely great singer wouldn't stoop that low to lip sync at "live" show. MJ is not a dancer. He was always a singer, first and foremost who happened to be a great dancer, therefore his priority should always be about the singing and everything else should be secondary including the dancing. Moreso now because of his age, there is no way he is going to be as flexible as he once was. He neglected his vocals and now he has to rely on alot of other things. To have peeps compare MJ with the likes of Britney when he once was compared with the likes of James Brown, Stevie Wonder and even Prince just goes to show how differently he is now perceived.

first of all his name is MICHAEL JACKSON not jacko, and he is not gonna lip sync!!
as always he i going to present an expensive rich show!! with a lot of great dancing! at least admit that he ROCKS as a performer!!!

Once again people there is HUGE differences in artists and performers. And like it was said before, its whatever floats your boat, if you wanna pay 100bucks for a show that will for the most part not feature alot of live music and intimacy of what makes music shows, then thats what you are there for. I mean i spent 100bucks on Mariah on her MIMI tour and i couldnt care less about one song that was sung, most werent even sung, but i was in the 2nd row and was there for her looks and body, i mean thats what she is.

Now on the other hand this is what seperates MJ and Prince, and always has, this is why i never get these debates on these 2 guys, NOTHING ALIKE in any way shape or form, 2 different planets of their approach to music and what it means to them.

In the end i couldnt get into a show that would feature an artist miming to 20 year old versions of songs, i just couldnt get into that show, i mean if i bought tickets to a Billy Joel/Elton John show and paid 100+ dollars and they both mimed to 1970's records, id have some serious issues with that. Not saying this is what MJ will do, but this is what ALOT of performers do now, everyone from Janet to Madonna to Mariah all pre-record vocals and lypsynch to them, but in the end its all up to what kind of show you wanna see.