It's a bit late but I couldn't leave you on Adam's favourite holiday without a seasonal little treat: my edit of Voodoo from New Orleans, the place I consider to be the spiritual home of Glam Nation. I have to admit I cheated a little with this one and used Glam Nation Live to bulk up the sound a bit as we didn't get any good quality audio. Luckily for me, this is possible as Voodoo uses a backing track and doesn't vary as much as the other songs. Enjoy!
The opening chords of Voodoo often come entwined with a spinetingling moment as the dramatic silhouette of Adam against a full moon heralds the beginning of an excitedly anticipated set. This one is my favourite from Glam Nation for going that extra mile through the costume additions. Not only does he have the voodoo staff but the creepy troupe hide mysteriously behind their elaborate masks. Much attention to detail is paid through the snaky Brooke, creeping Sasha, marionette Taylor and undead Terrance choreography. The way that witch doctor Adam uses his voice at times is quite ghostly, seducing you into a trance at your pleasure and peril.
For more seasonal treats, visit the quotes and gallery of Adam's Halloween costumes through the years and Adam's Party City set, sung as a vampire with fangs in and all. And if you fancy a cute spooky T-shirt inspired by his Glam Nation Voodoo visuals, click the pic.
One other thing I want to write about is my belated flail which is fitting to mention at this time of year:
When Adam's tweet appeared in my feed during a twitter party, I had to do a double, triple, quadruple take to make sure it really was a reply to my tweet. I still find that I have to look at it occasionally to believe it happened. That tweet was just wonderful because he gave me much more than a simple answer. He fucking winked at me! He also complimented my choice of avatar (I guess it's also a compliment to himself) which is Adam in my favourite costume of his that I've cropped to focus on his commanding stare. I love that he looks so alien in it, like a Glamazonian ice queen. I really want to see him go all-out with his beautiful Halloween creations again. I guess it's not really surprising that he's a friendly drunk, all the more reason why he's someone I'd want to go out on the lash with and see what zany shenanigans would ensue. Sometimes I think he divulged a little more about that Halloween than initially suggested. With that random capitalisation, I do think that perhaps he didn't just have a good one, but an Ebeneezer Goode one, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm thrilled that my avatar reminds him of crazy fun times. If I'm not too late, have yourselves a crazy fun Halloween!
My attempt at retiring from video editing didn't last long. The lure of fresh new material from the debut of Outlaws of Love was just too tempting to resist. My aims for this video were simply to make something beautiful and to reflect the breathy ethereal quality of Adam's voice accompanied by the delicate instrumentals. And to lessen the wincing from screams so we can comfortably watch it all the way through. Here you go:
The gentle guitar introduction leads to the opening note that reminds me so much of CLYG. It seems that there are many screamers in the audience who can't handle the excitement to the vexation of everyone else trying to shush them. When I hear Adam sing, everything else falls away. I guess this is what he meant by bringing the focus back to the voice and I adore it. It's the closest I've heard to an a capella, and his soothing, mellifluous voice is painfully, achingly, agonisingly beautiful. The pretty melody is fairly simple, the range not too challenging, no vocal acrobatics, it's all about the emotions evoked by that voice in a song written for that voice. Even without understanding the lyrics, we can feel it's a haunting lament about an enduring sadness, energy and hope slowly draining away, which is so heartbreaking to listen to. It's sung so smoothly and flawlessly with breathtaking trills effortlessly eased into that floating voice, topped off by a heart-stopping crescendo with grit providing the necessary light and shade. I must admit I have a bit of a fixation with the rich hoarseness of that final "hell". Stunning.
I suspect that the arrangement for this is much sparser than what the studio version will be, but I hope the vocals will still be central with nothing detracting from it. I like the idea of having an acoustic rather than an electronic production, perhaps with just a piano or even harp as accompaniment. Whichever way, I'm looking forward to seeing how Adam changes it up. Perhaps one thing I'd tweak is the bridge. It reminds me of Broken Open but I think the transition into it could flow a little better. I'm rather excited by video possibilities for this song, which feels quite cinematic. Ronnie and Clyde outlaws on a road trip. Wearing Burning Man costumes.
The lyrics are uncomplicated and sincere with a strong clear message, making it a potential anthem for LGBT rights. I think it would have been ideal for performing on the recent awards shows Adam has attended. We are all human, feel the same range of emotions but some of us are demonised simply because we lie outside society's rules over how we ought to love.
Oh, nowhere left to go
Are we getting closer, closer?
"No," all they know is "No!"
Nights are getting colder, colder
Hey, tears all fall the same
We all feel the rain
We can't change
Everywhere we go we're looking for the sun
Nowhere to grow old we're always on the run
They say we'll rot in hell, well I don't think we will
They've branded us enough, outlaws of love
Scars make us who we are
Hearts and homes are broken open
Far, we could go so far
With our minds wide open, open
Hey, tears all fall the same
We all feel the rain
We can't change
Everywhere we go we're looking for the sun
Nowhere to grow old we're always on the run
They say we'll rot in hell, well I don't think we will
They've branded us enough, outlaws of love
Aaah...
Everywhere we go we're looking for the sun
Nowhere to grow old we're always on the run
They say we'll rot in hell, well I don't think we will
They've branded us enough, outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Note to Screamflailberters: For the benefit of all concerned, STFU when adam sings please. Shit your pants, die, explode, whatever, AFTER he has indicated he has finished the song. Thankyouverymuch. I spent fucking ages trying to clean up after your mess and there isn't just just some fucking program I run this through to magically get rid of every unwanted noise. It involves manually pinpointing the set of frequencies of every single fucking noise for zapping. This means having to listen to every single fucking one of your painful wince-inducing sounds over and over, making sure Adam's voice doesn't become too distorted and the removal isn't too jarring. It's no wonder I want to retire after each edit, especially when cleaning the sound takes longer than the video. It drives me insane. Rant over.
Here are the downloads, and thanks to TALCvids and fiercealien for letting me get my hands on their raw audio, includes an uncompressed wav for you quality whores out there. Enjoy!
Here's my latest edit for the Moscow concert. As with Whole Lotta Love, I wanted to build on the bleak minimalist feel of the set-up, making a grainy and almost monochromatic video. I think "Whataya Want From Me?" is the song during concerts where the connection between Adam and fans is at its strongest. There's a mutual outpouring of love and gratitude so I wanted to make a feature out of it. Not only is it his most well-known song, but it's one that became real — we were all there when it came to the fore after the AMA fall-out and felt it resonate with the hurt as events unfolded. With this passion in mind and the striking sea of hearts held aloft during this performance, red is a colour that features strongly in this. Enjoy!
After a potty-mouthed start, Adam addresses the crowd with enthusiasm before getting into an electric WWFM. Editing gives me a detailed look at his movements on stage and there are a few that I would like to pick out. First of all here's a gif from the introduction. Just fucking look at that face! Naughty, knows it, pleading innocent. There is no face that better epitomises the phrase "Butter wouldn't melt" and I challenge anyone to say no to that. As he goes into the first chorus, he strikes a bit of a rude boy confrontational pose, later doing a boyband-ballad-obligatory air grab. There are times when I think the sex is going to burst out of him or he's about to go in for the instinctive grab for the crotch but his hand settles just to the side.
I think this song often gets overlooked in terms of concert videos because we've heard it so many times and it doesn't vary by much. That's what sets this one apart. This sublime performance overtakes LA's WWFM as my absolute favourite for vocals due to the improvisation he puts in going into the instrumental break and especially, ESPECIALLY the riff right at the end which I could just listen to over and over. I love the power, the ringing on that high and the flow of the sequence of notes giving it that magnificent knockout finish. Perfection.
Here's my latest video edit for you of Moscow's Whole Lotta Love. The first concert since the Glam Nation era, there is a strong contrasting shift in the visual presentation. There are still residual traces of glam in the glittery trousers but the look is austere. Adorned with plenty of chains in a plain black T-shirt against the backdrop of industrial-looking rigging, Adam is suitably dressed for a rock festival in an airfield and I love it. In this video, I wanted to build on the visuals by giving it a bleak minimalist feel. I sometimes wish Adam would appreciate more the beauty of pale skin instead of piling on the bronzer. In the close-ups, you can see his face is tear-streaked and this is due to vodka spillage from over-enthusiastically knocking it back earlier on in the set.
This 'woman' WLL has a different feel to most of the previous versions, edging towards those from the AI tour but a little less full-on and with a trippy instrumental break. There's plenty of attitude in this, with disdainful snarls and gurning jaw as Adam rocks out with his commanding presence. It's a less sexual performance than those from GN, though you'll still find thrusts, grabs and tongue action in there. I'm guessing he's erring on the side of caution in playing to a rock crowd who aren't all hardcore fans... yet. The break is ghostly and is inhabited by sinister sounds as he punctuates it with feral howls and moans. They sound like primal mating calls, both frightening and irresistibly luring and I can't help but watch his expressions. Vocally he nails it throughout, at one point wailing and sounding so much like a guitar I have to double-check. His voice is so powerful and resonant, with the big notes here among my favourite ever, especially that 'Lo-ooooooooove' which rings with so much clarity and the bit of added vibrato is just perfect. He finishes with a jump and a whoop at the end. That's exactly how I feel after watching him too.
Can you believe it? This blog is now celebrating its second year which I think makes it one of the elder statesmen of Adam fan sites! Thank you all for being a part of this! Please also take a peek at my post from this time last year for a summary of everything up to then and my story of The Point of No Return.
It wouldn't be a celebration without presents now, would it? So without further ado here is my latest gift to you all, my edit of Sleepwalker from the penultimate Glam Nation concert at LA's Music Box. I had to sweat that extra bit harder, pulling out all the stops to make something worthwhile, especially since now I'll have to prise you away from the DVD.
Sleepwalker to me is about sadness, it's that pain that hollows you out and renders you numb to everything except that intense feeling of loss. It's what makes you feel that detachment from reality, a floating onlooker onto your own life. Nothing is quite real or comprehensible or possible or tangible in the way that had previously been so familiar and natural. The whole universe and everything in it has shifted and you don't want to be trapped this strange and frightening new reality but instead hope to wake up from it. That is what Sleepwalking in this song means is to me.
If I'm in despair, I'd be too weak to channel any anger and if I felt anger, it would be directed, which would keep reality in focus enough to be fully awake. This makes me curious about Adam's angry interpretation which I find it hard to reconcile with my own. He draws upon something to give us that emotion through clenched teeth, making “always there to haunt me” my favourite part of this intense performance.
I was a little more liberal than usual with the effects in this edit, primarily intending to make it into a haunting dreamscape where things aren't quite as they should be. I wanted the result to be beautiful and something you'd want to watch more than once. It's the edit which has the highest work-to-length ratio so I hope it was worth it!
Ever since hearing that first preview snippet of Sleepwalker, I have always associated it with a powerful visual cinematic element. The staging from Glam Nation is consistent with that and I think he built upon what we saw for the top two performance of MW. For Sleepwalker, he cuts a solitary world-weary figure, wearing an outfit that's part Matrix, part Final Fantasy or anime. The lonely tortured fantasy comic book superhero. That is what I wanted to capture with my attempt at artwork — Adam represented as a character who is regrettably too familiar with sacrifice but stays strong and resiliently optimistic in the face of adversity, continuing to fight. The results aren't quite as stylised or dynamic as I would have liked but I've already spent much longer than I'd care to admit on it as I'm not an artist and am new to this kind of illustration so it's another first for me.
I have made two pieces using my illustration of Adam, both available as T-shirt designs (links to T-shirts at bottom of page). One is the original dark moody version with a backdrop of turbulent clouds, the other is a charity Japan version that I would like to dedicate to my Japanese friends. $5 (£3) from each shirt featuring this red design will go to the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Tsunami appeal. Alternatively, you can donate directly to the UK Red Cross or US Red Cross sites. I decided to make this version because that's where the inspiration behind the style originated. I feel that my description of the character could also represent the qualities shown by the Japanese people in light of recent events. With the blossoms and warmer colours, I hoped it would have an uplifting and positive feel. Click to view the bigger versions. I'm afraid I've had to add a watermark as my other artwork has ended up on various pieces of tat on eBay.
UPDATE: Thank you all for your support through the purchases. As promised, I have donated £3 for each item sold bearing the design towards the Japan Tsunami Appeal and will continue to do so until it ends. After that, the donations will go to the Red Cross's most pressing appeal.
With your help, I won one half of a pair of crystal gloves, the other half of which is in Adam's possession. I tried to get a campaign going to reunite the gloves but unfortuntely this didn't happen when I went to my second Adam concert. The year has has its fair share of controversy with AI snub-gate, pap-confrontingfugly hat-gate, teen mom-gate and Gaga-gate. Almost everything he tweeted ended up trending. There was some gentle wrist-slapping whenever his followers got a bit out of hand and we enjoyed some classic rumour control tweets and twitter rants. Adam seemed to gradually gain confidence to step up to the challenge of discussing political issues, but still wanted to champion them in his own way.
We partied along with Adam to IIHY and its music video and were overjoyed at news of an acoustic EP. After such a long wait, we were relieved to finally be able to get our hands on a live CD/DVD from Glam Nation, sales of which have exceeded expectations. We got a remix of Aftermath supporting the Trevor Project, one of a number of charities supported by Adam. Well over half a million dollars has been raised for DonorsChoose.org and $320,000 for his Charity Water birthday campaign. We celebrated TVspecials, news of Adam's Grammy nomination and his appearance at their social media summit.
The summary wouldn't be complete without a commentary on Adam's chameleonic looks, where shaving a side of his head hit the headlines. There was the long hair with and without goatee and let's not forget the fashion choices, the memorable ones being the Glammer trousers, glittery zebra and lace-up trousers amongst others. The year ended neatly with a return to AI as Adam works on the second album and we are left speculating over the intriguing collaborations and eager to to hear anything new.
Another year on and the Adam Lambert Effect is still very much thriving as he continues to inspire us in many ways. The contents of this post sum up where it's taken me, which is to be creative, strive for perfection and to give something back. Thank you all for being a part of this, and thank you Adam.
It's a welcome trip down memory lane today with all the excitement, nervousness, anticipation and speculation preceding an Adam performance on AI. Without the pressure of competition we can all relax and enjoy, the result of Adam's season a distant memory because of his success in the aftermath. This week is a celebration of the song with the debut of the remix yesterday for the Trevor Project, and a return to AI with a planned acoustic performance today to promote the remix and Glam Nation DVD.
It feels like this could be the final step in Adam's 'rehabilitation' following the aftermath of the AMAs, which, surprisingly is still a topic of conversation during interviews. This could be the perfect opportunity to exorcise any remaining ghosts with a new water-cooler moment. We know it's not going to be an 'ordinary' acoustic performance like we saw on the tour. It seems important for Adam to keep pleasing his existing fans with little surprises and Monte has certainly hinted at it. So how's he going to change it up? Well it looks like Monte will be there on guitar, but with rumours of The Blonds providing the outfit, we could be in for quite a visual spectacle. I'm wondering if the arrangement will only partly be acoustic with a dramatic costume change during the performance. He could literally shed his armour and come out even glitterier. I know that Adam won't be able to resist taking full advantage of the visual as well as audio medium. The excitement is building with only hours to go now...
While we wait with sweaty palms, here is my contribution to Aftermath week. It's my latest video edit of one of my favourite acoustic Aftermaths of the tour at LA's Club Nokia, the final stop.
I love this version because he radiates joy and positivity from the very start when he carries a stool from the stage and sings about it. We see him smiling and bouncing about on the steps during the song and the vocals are beautifully sweet with some powerful belts. We know that the song comes from a personal place as he feels every word he sings so I tried to make an edit that reflects this. Hope you enjoy it.
It's been a whole year since I fairly casually woke up to watch some videos of Adam in concert. I didn't follow what happened, just decided to go to YouTube and see. What resulted was a physical reaction to the videos of the performance. My hair stood on end in goosebumps, my spine tingled and my breath got taken away. Right there and then I knew I was witnessing something special because I compulsively hit repeat like an addict needing another hit.
One year on, that concert and that WLL is still peerless. It's still my favourite, a favourite for many, still being watched regularly and we still recall it as stuff of legend. It has stood the test of time, testament to the power and the impact that performance has had on us all.
Here's a playlist of all my edits for that concert:
I haven't gotten round to finishing all of the set yet and many videos have since been removed so if you'd like to help me, I'm looking for lossless rips of original YouTube files (especially those from lekispop) or raw footage.
I find it a little bit surprising that after such a long time, FS hasn't been topped. Why hasn't this happened, and should it have been? Adam is one to keep pushing the bar so why hasn't this one been hurdled yet? One of the things about it is that it was unique. We haven't seen the same set list or the same desert-dwelling witch outfit whipped up by the elements since then, so there haven't been any direct comparisons of which a later concert has compared favourably. Subsequent concerts were hindered somewhat by structure, repetition, choreography. But I feel there's much more to Fantasy Springs being special, there was something momentous about the occasion. It was Adam's first solo concert and not only was everything fresh, exciting and surprising, it felt so alive, magical even. To use one of Adam's favourite subjects, it was like all the planets aligned and everything came together to give us that perfect moment. It was like there was a mysterious desert wind which threaded an energy through each performer, connecting each and every person like a sixth sense and the music just effortlessly flowed. I felt we saw Adam at his very best - open, natural, free-spirited, creative and spontaneous. With a new album and new music in the making, surprise will come more easily. I'm confident the mood and energy will be recaptured and there'll be more Fantasy Springs moments to come.
Well we can't have an anniversary without presents now, can we? In the year since then, I've picked up more sound editing skills and have re-mixed the audio for WLL, targetting most of the audience speech and screams. I used the excellent wav recordings from tinafeapf and swflaboy to create the files. Uncompressed wav format is also included because this legendary WLL deserves to be listened to in the best quality possible. You can listen to a compressed preview below though the downloads are much better in quality. Enjoy!
This Whataya Want From Me? edit of mine was meant to coincide with the celebrations for Adam's Grammy win for best male pop vocal. I can't help but wonder if his chances would have been better if the record production did more justice to his voice. After listening to so many renditions of the song and even though the sound quality is lower, I'd take a live version every time. The vocals have the edge with the extra dynamism that's not flattened by meddlesome production, and a raw vitality that comes from the buzz of singing to a live audience.
I've watched about 95% of all concerts from start to finish and this acoustic WWFM from the final stop at Club Nokia is my favourite. Why? Aptly, it's because of the vocals. Before we get to those though, there's banter at the start, where Adam's charm is at work and he gives us a glimpse as to what he would be like as an evil villain with his sadistic little laugh. I noticed that he started singing a little lop-sidedly with a wonky mouth at times towards the end of the tour, but nevertheless it's impossible not to fall for his gritty belts and soaring improvisations at the end. Amazing.
I've got the results of some crude polls taken by you. The one on the left was taken soon after the album was released and the one on the right taken soon after the end of the tour (where were you all for this one?!). I've only taken the songs included in both. The complete album poll included a total of 16 songs and the Glam Nation poll included a total of 20 songs including some classics, which may explain why overall percentages have generally declined. Users were allowed to select multiple answers.
It's not the most scientific study (especially as participation was fairly low on 2nd poll), but if we compare the percentages, I think it's an indicator of a number of things:
Song's ability to stand the test of time
Difference between album production and live experience
Comparison of different arrangements
Results
Contrary to my opinion above, WWFM, the song whose sound Adam wants to base his second album around, has suffered a significant drop between polls. It could be that the acoustic arrangement performed on the tour is less popular than the original (I'm doubtful of this because of the popularity of acoustic Aftermath), but I'm inclined to believe that fans have become tired of hearing the song. I don't think it bodes well if he decides to continue down this route.
The biggest loss has been from Music Again, which has continued with the same arrangement. I think it has suffered from its change in order too, from being the album opener to one near the end of the set. Performance-wise, it had a lot of energy but there was little that stood out or made us keep tuning in to see what Adam would do differently each time. Without any tricks, the popularity of this OTT song has fallen so I think the decision to include "Less rhinestones, more leather" is a good call on Adam's part.
FYE and Broken Open have also suffered considerable drops and I think their results were partially due to their scarcity. FYE had a different arrangement which I feel was lacking in melody and punch, and was also buried within a medley which didn't help. Broken Open came in two different varieties during Glam Nation. In its initial form at the start of the tour it seemed too long and sleepy, sucking the life out of the set. It later re-appeared with an acoustic arrangement. There are too many differing factors to conclusively explain why they fell in popularity.
DTRH has held steady, but SFW and Strut with the same arrangements have fallen a little in popularity. As well as the dilution effect of more songs in the second poll, I think this is due to their attention-lull position in the set after a long interlude. They tended to go by in a blur, maybe because they're not the strongest of songs.
On the positive side, the biggest gain has been from Aftermath, which was our least favourite on the album (and I reckon one of Adam's too, who describes it as "Heartland, adult contemporary rock" and admits to always having heard it as a dance-pop anthem), but its debut on the tour through an acoustic re-arrangement has become one of the highlights. I think the acoustic version is better placed to showcase his vocals and sheds the outdated feel of the original. It'll be interesting to see how its message will be received after being re-packaged as dance-pop.
And now we come to arguably the most important part for deciding future direction - the songs that have scored consistently high. For a song to achieve lasting success, it needs to be well-written to stand the test of time, and Adam needs to be able to perform it well live. I think the latter contributed to FYE not taking off - the key is too low for him.
Fever was on top by some margin in both polls. I'm sure the kissing antics made a significant contribution to the Glam Nation poll but nevertheless, it's a superb disco-dance-pop song. Catchy but evidently not annoying because we still love this arrangement, it has an addictive bassline hook and oozes sass. And we know Adam does wonders with it live. It's just a shame it hasn't been released as a single.
IIHY has had an appreciable increase after already scoring well on the album. The live performances were less dance-pop, and being the last song incorporated the band and dancer introductions to keep up interest. The audiences were also very familiar with it, generating a lively atmosphere. Its success is down to both the quality of the song and the interactive live performances.
Sleepwalker still has the same arrangement so seems to have stood the test of time as a well-written song. It's atmospheric and engaging but it's Adam's voice that really makes this. The live performances have been electrifying, leaving audiences in awe.
Soaked is another song which puts the focus on the voice. Both the aggressive original and the gentler tour instrumentals take a back seat for a timelessly rousing experience.
So how do the results of these opinions fit in with what we know about the second album so far?
The results show no predilection towards songs that Adam was involved in writing but that shouldn't discourage him, especially as two of the top performers are songs that had been written by established artists some time ago and had already made it to the demo stage. I think there was a lot of promise shown on the album and with more time in which to perfect the songs, the results could be impressive.
"Personal and honest" immediately translates as self-absorbed and serious, even soppy to me, so it rings a few alarm bells. I hope Adam avoids extolling the virtues of love or getting emotionally over-indulgent with the dark. At times during the tour, the way he worked backwards to fit the set neatly into an unnecessary box labelled "Love" made me cringe a bit. It's like he tried too hard to create a flowing theme out of the material so the result felt rather crude and inelegant. When he was explaining it to the audience, it seemed like he was also trying to convince himself at the same time. It's probably a result of having followed everything too closely but I'm afraid to say that for me, it missed the mark and felt contrived. But that is a niggle over how he tried to find a common theme to link the set, not his songwriting, which I believe won't follow that style. I'm not a fan of the direct and overt like Aftermath and WWFM when it comes to emotional songs. I prefer something a bit more oblique, leaving the listeners with something to interpret.
To know that the production will do more justice to Adam's voice must be music to our ears. Since I prefer the live recordings, I hope they'll leave it well alone this time round.
With the the decline of MA, it looks like time's up for glam rock, but should we really be swapping rhinestones for leather? I'd say the top songs are a mix of clubwear and leather. We can group them into two categories. One is dance-pop with a strong melody, a driving bassline and a rock edge, the other is big vocally-driven dramatic power-ballads. Adam seems to counter-intuitively be wanting to back away from camp favourite Fever. Could it be the wrong decision to ignore the former to focus on the latter? Let's not forget that the poll was taken by fans and one of the aims is to win over new ones. My guess is this second album is geared towards the US market where WWFM did better than IIHY and Fever was deemed unsuitable for release as a single.
So what's the point of this post? Well I've learned recently that Adam is more easily influenced by fans than I expected, from an interview where he said he kept kissing Tommy because he thought it was what we wanted, to the social media summit where he said he has used ideas from fans. It's evident from his recent blog post that he's interested in our opinions and we know he lurks a lot around this fandom, so I thought it might be useful to do a bit of market research for him using stats. Also, maybe now is a good time to express our opinions when the second album is still in its embryonic stages. Please help out by completing and sharing these simple polls:
What type of music do you think Adam should record for his second album?
If achieving commercial success were not an issue, would your choice be different? If so, ideally what type of music would you like to hear from him?
WHAT DO I WANT?
I prefer the bonus tracks on the last album so wasn't keen when Adam said he'd be basing the next album on the safe pop-rock sound of WWFM. I'm hoping to see him push things, be more adventurous, experiment a little, but I also understand the need to turn in a profit so he's better placed to do this in future. There has always and will always be this balancing act between artistic integrity and commercial success. He's managed it quite well so far and I expect it to continue.
If I could decide what to have on the second album I'd have a funk-rock core, especially after having been teased by a few licks from Monte during the tour. I'd put some soulful vocals on top of it, and to add variety but keep it cohesive, there'd be elements of acid jazz, electrofunk and disco thrown in. The lyrics would be witty and have a little humour in them. The voice would take centre stage and there'd be a stripped-down jazz/blues track or two just to kill a few people. And there'd be a crazy-as-fuck bonus track that I don't even have the imagination to describe.
Adam thought that on his first album he tried too hard to stamp his identity, but could it be that on this second album he'll try too hard to please the masses? Something that one of the AI mentors said comes to mind and that is the aim shouldn't be to make music that's popular, but to make music that you like and work on it so that it becomes popular. Even though this whole post has been about what we want, ultimately I don't want Adam to over-think things and pander to what he thinks other people want, but to follow his musical instincts. The advice I'd give to him comes from his own mouth and is the reason why he has won over so many of us in such a big way. That is to stick to his promise of surprising us and to stay ahead of the curve, giving us what we didn't know we wanted.
Here's my latest edit of one my favourite performances of Fever from the tour. I did actually end up with a fever after this concert as I'm sure did many others after braving the freak arctic conditions in London! It makes a welcome change to do a short edit after all the epic length encores.
Fever tends not to be one of the first videos I watch straight away after a concert. I think it's so dominated by the kissing that the rest of the singing and choreography unfortunately take a back seat. A lot of work has gone into all the performance aspects so it's a bit of a shame if people tune in only for the kissing. I feel it has become a touch contrived, lacking the fire of authenticity but I guess that's my own fault for watching a gazillion concert videos!
It starts off with Adam locking horns with Tommy before gripping his bass and going in for the kill. Those hip movements as he starts dancing are big and he's so playful and still so fierce. With a mischievous glint, he's tempting and daring us to be really naughty. Sound issues are evident as Adam taps his ear and mic but it doesn't impede the fun and he carries on smiling. I think he tends to compensate when there are sound issues by making sure he pushes his voice that little bit further. That first ringing high note in a bonus riff is a startling addition and it made me gasp, gave me a rush and made the crowd scream in approval. The climax of the song is equally impressive and he gets a bit jiggy with the mic. The surprise ending with the stratospheric high is amazing, so much so that we had to turn to each other as if needing confirmation of what had just happened. To the thrill of the audience, his voice was on top form and as so often happens on the last night of consecutive gigs, he went for it.
Seeing this live as opposed to a video was a whole different kettle of fish as Adam was magnificent. His movements were more amplified, much fuller and graceful yet sharp. It's also very different seeing his facial expressions in person. On the videos he looks super dramatic, doll-like even, but in person those expressions are very believeable. There were lots of smiles and here he was having fun being very cheeky and flirtatious, nudging and winking his way deeper into our affections.
Happy new year to you all! We've come such a long way since last year's Gridlock and I decided it was about time to do a sentimental post. You can listen to and watch my latest improved edit of Adam's LA Music Box performance of A Change Is Gonna Come and reflect on the journey of Adam and this song, and also our personal journeys that have run in parallel. It's an assured performance although not quite flawless towards the end. I think the serene look of accomplishment as he surveys the crowd after he finishes the song captures the mood perfectly.
Adam references both his earlier performances in his speech at the start, the angry Zodiac one spurred on after having been on the receiving end of homophobia, and the one performed during the AI finale. It could be said that they are all seminal moments in Adam's life, one paving the way for the next. I see that first one as giving him the fire and drive to unapologetically be himself and perform as he chooses and it's those bold, out-of-the-box choices that got us gripped in time for the second, completing the first full circle. I still wonder whether Simon Fuller's choice was influenced by that Zodiac performance. At the time, it was the biggest audience Adam had ever performed to on the most important night of his life. It was the platform that gave him the exposure required to build enough of a following to complete a sell-out international tour of 100+ dates, at the end of which came this second full-circle moment in the place where the circle started.
It's easy to see that it's a proud moment for Adam. A feeling of celebration and fulfilment pervades the performance in the way that it was felt when Adam got up on stage for his performance of Beth. Returning home after touring for months I think it only just hit him how far he has come. Unusually for him, Adam's speech touches on the political whereas he's shied away from it in the past. With increased confidence he's more comfortable talking about it and I think he realises he has made a difference, feeling the change as he connects it back to the other ACIGCs. I believe he's now accepted he'll inevitably be looked upon as a political figure and is perhaps on his way to stepping up to the challenge, knowing he can make a difference for the better. It's bittersweet having to say farewell to Glam Nation but I'm looking forward to the next phase and the excitement of not knowing what changes are gonna come.
Wishing you all a happy festive season! And for the cynics, a joyous celebration of rampant consumerism! I hope you all have an enjoyable time no matter what you do. As a little something to say thank you for your continued support, I have present for you all. This edit had been sitting around for a while, half-finished because Terra had beaten me to it with her excellent version. I've managed to claim back some time to finish it after the end of Glam Nation and used some different angles to Terra. With countless videos of the event to watch through, it's the most time-consuming edit, and with 111 clippings, it's also the most complicated to date. I added a few effects to try to capture the mood of the music. Enjoy!
Paradiso is one of the most beautiful venues Glam Nation has graced so far, and I think it adds a sprinkling of magic to the proceedings. A converted church, coloured light glimmers in through the imposing gothic stained-glass windows behind the stage, illuminating the venue in a mysterious glow and bestowing a feeling of awesome gravitas.
The encore starts with Purple Haze and a kiss followed by some crotch grabbing. Sasha comes onto the stage handing Adam a spliff, 'Purple Haze, motherfuckers!', Taylor does the same for Tommy. After taking a few tokes, Adam continues to sing as clear and powerful as ever with soaring high notes. He has a bit more reefer as Monte lets rip for his solo, then blows smoke onto Monte's guitar and attempts a blowback.
It's to be a double encore and Adam requests that it has to be (in a low booming voice) 'Real sexy'. As the band prepares, he does an excellent job of simulating the opening guitar licks of Voodoo Child. Watch out for Tommy grabbing Adam's cheeks just after he changes guitar. It's a slow burner of a start, with sparse instrumentals, funk guitar and the ebb and flow of cymbals. The lag of the bass reminds me of Art 4 Life Crazy. It's quite hypnotic and could be the perfect trippy soundtrack to a den of debauchery. With Isaac breaking into a huge grin, there's some obscene mic action as Adam gives us a sneak peek of his fellatio technique. From the balcony where the glitter confetti fell during the band intros, Adam catches a feather boa. The pace gradually rises and falls in waves, the vibe slightly Eastern and recalling aspects of FS WLL. He ends up atop the steps, turning it into a primal mating call, creeping up to Tommy and giving him a slow, hot kiss. Tommy's bass playing freezes for a few moments as his hands go limp and Adam runs his hand up and down his fret board. The kiss gives an adrenaline shot to the performance and he throws himself with such vigour that he busts out of his waistcoat, buttons flying apart. A huge leap leaves Adam on his knees in backbend before he crawls and slides around the stage, feral but so natural. Tommy attempts to straddle him but it seems at that moment he is somewhere else. He comes to with a shrug of the shoulders and feigning of innocence. Spotting the minor wardrobe malfunction, he swiftly does the buttons back up. The last section is a mindblowingly climactic one, fierce, thrusty and orally fixated with staggering vocals. Sexy indeed. At the end, we can see him ease out of the performer persona to modestly thank the audience and bow.
Looking back to the earlier Glam Nation performances, we were going nuts over a bit of writhing on the stairs but we've come such a long way since then. The backdrop here lends extra power to performance and I wonder if it's the religious association that inspires Adam to want to push it that little bit further. The stairs are the altar upon which Adam sums up what he stands for - love and freedom of expression. For that, I'm a regular worshipper joining the congregation at the Temple of Glam.
Here's a little bonus for you. The acoustic EP cover was released just before this performance and this idea came to me instantly. The parody was begging to be done so I'm a little surprised that no one else beat me to it. If you obsessively watch the video, you might spot this image flashing subliminally within it for a split-second:
If you're missing Glam Nation, then please be sure to check out my Glam Nation compendium.
Note that there may be a deceptive advert parading as a download button. Please make sure you use the real link below the dashboard as illustrated here:
Monte had been teasing us with those Enter Sandman riffs during the band intros for a long time so we finally got to see the full version on the special occasion of Tommy's birthday. It hasn't been repeated since. I'm afraid the quality of the source videos aren't great and the strobe lights played havoc with the cameras but I did the best I could. Here's my latest edit:
Adam with a wayward tuft of hair explains that it's one of Tommy's favourite songs and admits to not knowing all the lyrics. We get the cutest giggle just after he says it's going to be karaoke and asks us not to judge him. He performs the verses on his knees while reading the lyrics off pieces of paper stuck to the floor. Getting very frisky with the mic, he probably kills off all the fans in his firing line. Tommy gets a special birthday smooch, long and sloppy which he no doubt enjoys as he leans in, leg rising up to stop himself from getting swept off his feet. The thing that I love most about this performance is we get to hear a different side of Adam's voice that's more in line with his old Citizen Vein material with a much harder and heavier sound. His voice has added grit like a cutting Axl Rose wail and it's effortlessly powerful. In contrast to the Metallica growl, it's also surprisingly mellifluous and bright like a beacon, carrying a seemingly impossible amount of melody.
Here's my latest edit of one of the most memorable, popular and funniest performances we've had so far. It's also the most complicated and time-consuming edit I've done, being a whole 15 minutes long. There are about 70 different pieces stitched together which took hours upon hours of watching each video at every single point to pick out the best frames for you. Enjoy!
The band all return to the stage for a TCB encore wearing ridiculous dreadlocked wigs in honour of Longineu. Adam's ones are particularly glittery and being as style-conscious he is, he wears it a little way back from his hairline to give him that well-groomed look, like he's wearing a hairband. He breezes onto the stage with a feather boa and freshly applied coat of black lipstick and I realise that this is Adam playing dress-up within the limitations of the Glam Nation wardrobe. I love the way he looks, there's something other-worldly about him, reminding me of a beautiful Predator. It's so lively on stage as they're all having fun headbanging away. Adam moves with such vigour that it sends an adrenaline shot to anyone watching. It's hilarious and manic and buzzing and pumping and chaotic and made of win.
Adam throws the wig into the audience but Monte has to tell him he shouldn't have done that. It's really fascinating to see the interaction between them. When Adam protests and justifies what he just did, Uncle Soy Sauce, cool as a cucumber, doesn't need to say anything, just starts playing the guitar. We can see it gradually dawning on Adam that the wig is an essential accessory for a reggae-infused WLL so he has to ask for it back. Every once in a while I'm reminded that Adam doesn't always sound perfect when he sings that comical little sound effect 'Ga-ga-ah!'. We can see such joy as Adam bounces along, trying to get Tommy to do the same. Tommy's wig, by contrast, is a ragged mess just sitting on top of his head and it actually falls off at one point. You can only see Monte's arm signalling to a roadie to put it back on for him here, but for the whole thing, watch geert1302's video.
Adam does some extraordinary wriggling during WLL and I love the way he chuckles to himself when he knows he's being OTT ridiculous. It's so fun to watch. The arrangement has a very cool vibe to it even though I don't think it fits the song lyrics. Reggae to me is about lying on a beach getting stoned with a nice cold cocktail, bobbing about in slow-motion at most, but too lazy for giving or receiving any sort of love. It does however pick up a few gears and the dreads come off, the electric guitar comes out and they prepare to rock. Adam isn't impressed by the huge white briefs that are thrown onto the stage, saying they need to be high cut. Another glimpse of the Adam-Monte relationship is revealed as they share a little joke. We get to appreciate Longineu's dexterous drumming one final time via a hectic but excellent solo and for once, the sound quality is up to doing it some form of justice. The song finishes with magnificent vocals and a flurry of obscene tongue-action.
There are hugs all-around at the end, with Monte calling him 'Adam Motherfucking Lambert'. We see Adam with a naughty expression after he pours water over Longineu, realising that he may have damaged some of the equipment. He can be seen sheepishly discarding the water bottle behind him, feigning childish innocence but fully aware of his mischief. It's unbelievably cute. Longineu, encouraged by Adam, stagedives to top off his Glam Nation tour. I don't think the crowd has quite enough time to prepare as he doesn't end up surfing on a sea of hands but disappears into the crowd. It's one of those performances that I don't want to end. Are you still smiling? Because I am.
I decided it was time for a little seasonal Halloween treat. Remember last year's Party City fund-raising gig? Well when I was cut off from the online world, distraction-free and incommunicado, I got constructive. My perfectionism decided to sort out the videos with those wishy-washy colours and the sound that dribbled out of one ear, so we could enjoy it that little - but very important - bit more. I omitted all the footage that didn't include Adam, adjusted the picture, muted some of the screaming and created a synthetic stereo track. Here are a couple of before and after shots:
Adam sings without a band behind him and the venue doesn't appear to support the performance with the same level of professionalism as he's accustomed to. There are constant sound issues and the engineer is unresponsive to Adam's gestures so he has to interrupt his performance to give verbal instructions. As you can tell, this isn't one of my favourite gigs because I think this is one of the rare occasions on which Adam seems a little uncomfortable. It's like he and the audience - which isn't made of avid fans - aren't quite on the same level and that energy exchange he often mentions is somewhat stunted. He has to work extra hard to engage them and get them going. I feel his frustration that they don't afford him enough respect and he has to tell them to shut up at the start of BtbW.
All videos from this concert are now in this embedded playlist:
Despite all this, the vocals are brilliant throughout and the banter is charming. I love this longer version of RoF and this is the only time we hear him sing both BoW and BtbW outside of AI. It's been a while since we last heard this slow emotional version of MW and he manages to recreate those stratospheric notes of BtbW with aplomb. We get a triple helping of 'Baby', 'Woman' and 'Man' at the a capella ending of a high-energy, gyratory, rocking WLL. I miss this arrangement and would love to hear it before the end of the tour. It's hard to believe he does all of this whilst wearing fangs. Yes, he can still fucking sing amazingly well with big fangs in his mouth!
Get my Halloweeny Glam Nation design in velvety print on a T-shirt:
OK you asked for it so you get it! Here's my latest edit after what seems to be a very long time. Between catching up, doing T-shirts, blogging and generally being a fan, I've been spending time learning how to use my recent editing tool acquisition. Unfortunately my little laptop can't cope with anything else when I'm using it, hence the long periods of radio silence. This video's better quality than my previous efforts as there's less quality loss, and I think the fact that most of the videos are from the sweaty mosh pit really add to its feel. Enjoy!
This is the wild rock star Adam coming out to play, and instead of causing outrage and offence, I think he's like a mischievous imp indulging in a bit of naughtiness, testing how far he can push it. With hindsight we can see him prowling the stage scanning the audience for pretty people for potential pashing. He eyes them up, flirting, playing and loving how they go crazy. In the first of the tonguedives, we can see Adam lock onto his prey before going in for the kill but he's not quite as savage as his approach would lead us to believe. He's gentler than expected but it's only when the crowd starts to ravage him, clawing at him, trying to rip his clothes off that things get a bit wild. We then see modest Adam pull away and do his buttons back up, not wanting to reveal more freckled flesh than intended. He then continues to pick out another lucky person to lock lips with and elevate to the envy of everyone else in the room. It's shortly followed by a startlingly high and perfect glory note and plenty of thrusting just to make sure we know that he's on heat. For the frantic finish, the wildman gets down on his knees for uninhibited and primal thrusting, writhing like he can't handle it any more and is about to explode. Then he gets up with that butter-wouldn't-melt smile, telling the crowd with a nudge-wink tone that he lurves them. He blows special kisses to those who've already had more than their fair share, thanking them for being game.
Adam's tongue-diving and glory note tongue on a T-shirt I designed:
It's my Adam cover of the Rolling Stones logo. It was during Adam's cover of a Rolling Stones song that we first saw that infamous tongue snake out so I think there's a lovely symmetry to it all.
Here's my latest video edit which a few of you requested. This San Francisco WLL starts off with Adam looking both fierce and pouty and appearing to move in slow motion to the first few acoustic chords. Turning his back to the crowd, he's teasing us, not wanting to give anything away until he's satisfied with the energy and decibel levels behind him. This happens after a few lapdancer gyrations. The start is slinky, the voice velvety as he settles down on his perch. His legs are so wide open that the whole audience is able to feel nestled between them and we know where all things lead where Adam's concerned. This version is comparatively smiley as Adam alternates between Mr. Dominator and Mr. Sweet. It's the stuff of many a romantic daydream as he gently serenades 'I'll give it to you, my love'. Monte switches guitars for the instrumental break, during which Adam once again turns his back to us, his movements very suggestive of something mildly obscene. His inclination towards the mischievous but subtly subversive is what initially hooked me during RoF and is one of the things I love most about him.
We have an exciting build as Adam's voice ascends and impossibly keeps ascending to the first of many crescendoes followed by a release. It turns into a version that fully rocks out, well supported by the instrumentals and heavy guitars. We have a very long pause as Adam takes his time to survey the crowd, soaking up the energy. He transforms from sexy to sweet as he nods and smiles to the audience in acknowledgement - a move hearkening back to the AI days. The ending is suitably and marvellously grand thanks to Longineu's drums and Adam's magnificent power-belt.
This edit took ages as I couldn't stop tinkering with it to try to get everything in perfect synch (which it still isn't). The audio mixing took a heck of a lot of work as the sources didn't play back at the same speed. I removed the ear-splitting screams and attempted to simulate a stereo effect with the mono recordings. Enjoy!
Thank you all so much for winning me the Adam Lambert Swarovski glove by watching and spreading my video! I'll post about the glove very soon. For now, here's my latest edit, which I guess is quite apt, considering the circumstances!
I think this is the best Sure Fire Winners yet, with so many daring glory notes high enough and powerful enough to make me repeatedly gasp in astonishment. The energy is electrifying as a super-charged Adam inhabits his wildest mischief-making rock star, whipping the audience into a frenzy. At one point, he ferociously points at and mock-kicks a beefy security guy who's blocking the view trying to stop photos and videos from being taken. He obviously doesn't like it and tries to sweep him away to the tune of an extremely high shriek of 'Get out!' which I find both hilarious and ridiculous. But more than that, it also makes my heart swell that he's so dedicated to giving the his audience the best concert experience possible. He's on our side and wants to allow us the freedom to capture precious mementoes. He stays fierce when he tells the audience 'Take my picture, bitch!'. It's like he's the audience's conductor, all fired-up and commanding them on his whim, knowing that they are at his complete disposal. Just to balance it out, once he gets out of that character after the song, he's all considerate, blowing kisses at the security guy at the start of Strut, which I've included here. Enjoy!
Well you knew it was coming as there was plenty of good video for this performance. It just took a while for me to get into gear. Here's my latest edit, comments and download links as usual are further down the page. Enjoy!
This is the second performance of WLL in the tour. The light strumming at the beginning leads us to believe that it's going to be another MW but that unmistakable first bar of WLL is enough to make us go crazy with excitement. It feels like the sexual tension is resting on a knife-edge as Adam paces restlessly around the stage before settling on the steps open-legged, flicking out his tongue in anticipation. We finally hear the first notes, telling us what we need and we know he's right because we're already burning up. The song gives way to sensual cries as he leans back arching, writhing and revealing an extra sliver of flesh. It's like the whole audience has focused enough lust to psychokinetically have its way with him, materialising hungry mouths and eager hands all over his body. It's potently erotic because we can visualise it and imagine how it feels. It's too much, we can't handle it for long and he knows it, so he gets back up allowing us to breathe to prolong the agonising pleasure.
He slinks around all sultry but keeps us simmering at the instrumental break. He turns up the heat again with that strong voice, suggestively drawing our attention back to his hottest parts and building us up. Then he stops, teasing, sneering and sleazily licking his lips before the main 'baby' climax. The intensity is maintained for a while as he riffs and runs his hand down his body making us go wild. He then returns to the steps, legs snapping open in a raunchy move so reminiscent of the Art4Life Crazy that I wonder whether he's going for the glory grab. He doesn't, but finishes on a breathy and gentle moan then a sweet 'I love you Milwaukee' incorporated into the melody. Adam is on fire, extra horny, radiating a sizzling sexual energy stronger than ever before in a scorching-hot show.
WLL seems to be the one we look forward to most at every concert and the one we have the strongest reaction to. It's a classic we all know and love but it's still a cover. Going forward, I think it's really important for Adam to make us feel that way about his own material. It'll probably be different when his songs have left a deeper imprint but I think it's a reflection of the quality of songs as well. I'm hoping for a reworked FYE that's darker, slower and sexier now that we're all familiar with it. Just thought I'd put that out there in the universe.
The opening chords of Voodoo often come entwined with a spinetingling moment as the dramatic silhouette of Adam against a full moon heralds the beginning of an excitedly anticipated set. This one is my favourite from Glam Nation for going that extra mile through the costume additions. Not only does he have the voodoo staff but the creepy troupe hide mysteriously behind their elaborate masks. Much attention to detail is paid through the snaky Brooke, creeping Sasha, marionette Taylor and undead Terrance choreography. The way that witch doctor Adam uses his voice at times is quite ghostly, seducing you into a trance at your pleasure and peril.
