The original taper of the Manchester show posted it on
http://www.dimeadozen.org. The source was:
Sony MZ-NH1 Hi-MD (Hi-MD Mode) with custom made Panasonic binaural lapel mics>USB via Sony SonicStage to HDD>convert to WAV>slight volume boost in Sound Forge>split into tracks and converted to FLAC (level 
in CD Wave editor. Recorded from row e balcony dead centre stage.
If you have an account there you can still grab the show. Three things:
1. I loved the Vegas DVD, overdubbed or not, so I ripped it to mp3 years ago to listen to on my mp3 player, and I've listened to it frequently over the last few years. So I loaded the Manchester show onto it as well and kept going back and forth between the two on the train this morning, and yes, they're the same. A few of the songs, particularly "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Any Way You Want It" are different, but I need to line them up to see if they're just from a different recording or if they just edited out some of the vocal fluctuations from Vegas. In any case, this is real...It kills me to say it, my stomach felt kind of funny while I was listening, because that's when it finally sunk in.
2. As for the songs that weren't on Vegas, there's plenty of other sources to cull from (including possibly recording these vocals in the studio for live use). They're just
too perfect. Anyone who's ever heard an actual live Augeri boot knows he's not perfect...he had a great voice and did some good shows a few years ago, but he was far from perfect. Which was fine, it's the imperfections that make a live show unique. (As a Toto fan, god knows Bobby Kimball has had some bad nights) But this Manchester recording is
flawless, just listen to "Faith In The Heartland," which I'm willing to bet when I line it up, will match up largely with the studio version. I've seen many of the greatest vocalists in rock history: Bono, Peter Gabriel, Jon Anderson, Jon Bon Jovi, Axl Rose, Robin Zander, etc. No one
ever sounded that perfect and in tune so consistently as Augeri does on the Manchester boot. He doesn't veer off pitch, run out of breath, crack his voice, mess up a line of the lyrics, or have any other singing issues that even the best singers on their best days still deal with.
3. That infamous version of "Faithfully." This is the most subjective part, but after the alleged dropout of the pre-recorded track, Augeri's live singing not only is weak, but the actual vocal tone is completely different. There's raspyness, cracking, and just a weak sound overall, compared to the uniformly strong vocal presence of the rest of the show. There is no way that it's the same vocal that flawlessly blasts through "Faith In The Heartland" or "Be Good To Yourself" elsewhere in the show.
Sorry guys, this is real. I really wish the band would just come out and address this. I doubt it will break in the mainstream media the way Deano wants it to, but the real fans and the industry people will still know. Word will still get around, even among casual fans..."I hear that guy lip synchs to a tape." This is the internet age, true or not, rumors get around much faster now than 20-30 years ago, and as long as there's no offical word or proof to squelch it, it's going to continue to spread. It kills me to post this, but last night, doing my own research, I really believed it to be true.
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:21 pm
Sure sounds like one!
