Damn The Naysayers

“I had the whole vocal rupture thing that happened to me 20 years ago, and I took a lot of flak when I had all these vocal problems because of that,” the Canadian admits. “I bled onto my vocal cords, and it almost ended my career. But I was able to persevere and come through. I used to get caught up in that, where I’d see somebody saying something negative about me as a singer, and I’d be like, ‘Whatever, this guy doesn’t know what the hell’s going on here and it’s not just a walk in the park.’ Sometimes it is an organic instrument, and you fall prey to many elements that affect you as a singer.

‘Whatever, this guy doesn’t know what the hell’s going on here and it’s not just a walk in the park.’

“Any singer I’ve ever spoken with in the industry goes through the same thing. They get some flak here and there. I think with me being in a band like Dream Theater, people are going to be much more analytical than say they would be with Brian Johnson from AC/DC. He’s a great singer, but I think it’s more of a, ‘let’s have a good time and rock the night away.’ But with Dream Theater, you’re getting into a band which is musically proficient and technical, so everybody gets scrutinised. And it’s fine. I take it with a grain of salt nowadays. I don’t really see it like I did when I was going through a lot of my problems.”

To the uninitiated, their unapologetically elaborate compositions can appear impenetrable, even overwhelming. “I think when somebody makes a comment like that I don’t think they really know who Dream Theater is. They might have heard a bit of this song or that song, and to them, that’s just not their cup of tea as far as these instrumental passages.

“I think when someone really takes the time to listen they’ll realise there’s many layers to the band, and it’s not about being superfluous. There’s a lot going on as far as there’s many ways we go about expressing ourselves. It just happens to be a part of who and what we are. We are technical, there’s no doubt about it. But I also think that the songs are constructed well enough that they are something… It’s much deeper than just the technical aspect.”

Fans will surely dissect every note during their Australian shows. The two-set, three-hour “evening with” includes commemorating 1994’s Awake and 1999’s concept suite, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory’s respective anniversaries.

LaBrie says they’ve established adequate stamina to sustain such marathon performances. “I jog five kilometres a day and do some weights. I don’t drink when I’m on the road… I abstain from any of those vices. I think everybody else is pretty much the same. I think it’s important that you’re mentally and physically on top of your game.”