Lana's lacking live performances - a discussion

[sparklrtrailrheaven 8,094]

I remember back when I’d wait with bated breath for the live updates from each of Lana’s shows, but once LATTM hit, and we had not only the same set lists (add a slight rarity here or there — Radio or Paradise half-sung) but lackluster vocals and looks as well, it sucked the joy out. (And she didn’t play Wayamaya in Hawaii like she promised, which, yes, I’m still resentful over )

 

Back in the day, this upcoming show would’ve been incredibly exciting — after a long break, LDR is coming back to perform with an album’s worth of new songs under her belt — but I’m not even getting excited, because we’re all horribly fearful that it’ll be the same show we’ve seen for years.

 

Even when I saw her on LATTM, it was magical because I was seeing Lana for the first time, but it could’ve been a better show — the high point, for me, was Yayo: not only because of my Lizzy Grant attachment, but also because it’s the only song in the set list that wouldn’t allow her to hide behind dances and playback vocals.

 

Even still, there’s been a couple bright spots that can give us some hope — the Apple show was pretty well-done and featured one new and one yet-unreleased (!) song, and there was the show with Jack where she played her ‘country’ songs and sounded the best live she had in years.

 

And what’s sad is that her live shows these days have so much potential — the sound she’s presented with the NFR singles could be so successfully fitted to her hits and even some rarities — imagine Kill Kill by way of Venice Bitch — and the new material is so well-suited to performance.

 

So, fingers crossed — but I’m not expecting too much.

[Hannus 1,617]

I remember back when I’d wait with bated breath for the live updates from each of Lana’s shows, but once LATTM hit, and we had not only the same set lists (add a slight rarity here or there — Radio or Paradise half-sung) but lackluster vocals and looks as well, it sucked the joy out. (And she didn’t play Wayamaya in Hawaii like she promised, which, yes, I’m still resentful over )

 

Back in the day, this upcoming show would’ve been incredibly exciting — after a long break, LDR is coming back to perform with an album’s worth of new songs under her belt — but I’m not even getting excited, because we’re all horribly fearful that it’ll be the same show we’ve seen for years.

 

Even when I saw her on LATTM, it was magical because I was seeing Lana for the first time, but it could’ve been a better show — the high point, for me, was Yayo: not only because of my Lizzy Grant attachment, but also because it’s the only song in the set list that wouldn’t allow her to hide behind dances and playback vocals.

 

Even still, there’s been a couple bright spots that can give us some hope — the Apple show was pretty well-done and featured one new and one yet-unreleased (!) song, and there was the show with Jack where she played her ‘country’ songs and sounded the best live she had in years.

 

And what’s sad is that her live shows these days have so much potential — the sound she’s presented with the NFR singles could be so successfully fitted to her hits and even some rarities — imagine Kill Kill by way of Venice Bitch — and the new material is so well-suited to performance.

 

So, fingers crossed — but I’m not expecting too much.

whattt??? she promised to sing wayamaya?????? i-

[Creyk 11,495]

whattt??? she promised to sing wayamaya?????? i-

Yes.

[Rorman Nockwell 53,546]

As several people have pointed out, it's as if she's trying too hard to cater to her audience, which is mostly teenagers and 20-somethings.

 

Maybe she thinks we all enjoy chaotic, disorganised outdoor shows with Taylor Swift-ish dancers 'n' shit?

 

I'm in my 20s and I definitely don't. I would sell my kidney to attend a nice, calm indoor show like the Apple one.

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

 

The energy in this performance. Iconic

[SlowGinFizzzz 15,305]

 

The energy in this performance. Iconic

History in the making! 

[knives 2,524]

i dont want to echo what everyone else is saying, but i have been thinking about this for a while now, so it feels kinda good to get it out there, you know. i thought maybe it was just me being too harsh, but i guess not.

 

honestly i think theres a multitude of reasons why lana's performances are lacking. like others before me have said: she doesn't trust herself, maybe she's tired of touring, she's gotten a little too comfortable, the songs aren't suited to her performance style anymore....and i think this is all true. i definitely think lana is more comfortable being on stage now more than ever, but that doesn't mean you can't get tired of performing. if you had your absolute favorite meal every day you'd get sick of it.

and not to be that fan, but i just think of marina: she got so sick of the writing→recording→planning→promoting→touring cycle that she took a 4 year hiatus. i would say it's safe to say most if not all musicians will feel this way at some point in their career.

 

i've also seen discussion of the dancers, and here's my two cents: i think she only added them bc she got tired of people saying she only stands there and sways. i was watching an interview from BTD era a few days ago (cant remember which one exactly, but there are like 5 total so they shouldnt be hard to find lmao) and she said she didn't think coachella is so eager to book her bc all she does is stand there and sway. she knows people have this perception of her and i think the dancers were mostly added for that reason. it's obvious she likes her dancers (and perhaps the image she's creating by having them), but honestly i cant tell if she actually enjoys the choreography. i mean. she went from "standing there and swaying" to dancing half-heartedly. and it's not like before she had them that she would never dance, but it seemed more genuine bc it wasn't choreo.

 

lana's allowed to perform the way she wants to, and as long as she's happy i'm happy...but that doesn't mean i'll be paying a ticket to see her any time soon 

[Groupie Lover 1,240]

I literally like, enjoy, appreciate and analyze everything she does in her career; visually, musically, mathematically, etc. I enjoy her dramatic, Lolita lost in the hood, Mexican telenovela-worthy performances of Born to Die just as much as her part-time worldwide popstar, part-time matcha expert shows. I don't think she's gotten any worse. Of course there were some lackluster shows, but that happened every era. The most recent bad show I can think of was her gig in Chile, but that's probably because she arrived in the country just hours before it.

 

Fans calling her lazy is just straight-up stupid. She always reinvents her shows. From the low-key, little orchestra of Born to Die/Paradise with the pretty dresses to the jazz singer in New York aesthetic of the Endless Summer, to the shiny, choreographed pop darling of the LA to the Moon. I think the main reason why some complain about her setlists is because she always avoids "fan favorites"... but it's obvious that she won't perform the most obscure and intimate tracks.

 

I'll always want to go see her live because I always appreciate when she's on stage. Touring Lana is literally my favorite Lana.

 

And I know this is very unpopular but -- her current Off to the Races performances are among my favorites.

 

saying she has gotten better when she struggles with basic breathing during songs, sounds strained for lack of vocal technique and lessons, changes the tone of the songs because she can't sing in her normal register because she decided to lower her voice when everyone knows that, that is in fact dangerous and damages for her own vocals chords makes what you are saying are look ridiculous, totally agree on the fact that her confidence level is on the clouds but singing the same songs since 2012 gets old and tired. The only reason she sings the same couple songs since 2012 is because she wants to make sure the crowd isn't dead on her just like they did on 2016.

I don't think she's interested in performing, if she were she would change up her set and such. Her setlist is comprised of 70-80 percent BTD every single year, in 2016 she would sing Blue Jeans, BTD, VG, SS beautifully and full which made it bearable. Starting from 2017 to now it's like she forgets the words to her own songs. Even when she'd do songs like Gods last year, she wouldn't take them seriously. She'd literally laugh and talk-sing through it.. dumb. The BUKU show was awful, as were the filmed shows last year. 2016 was the last year of her great live vocals honestly, I miss when the stage was simple and she'd just move around in smoke, mist, and pretty lights. Made her seem mysterious and charming, these days her shows are just kind of tacky and barely put together. When I saw her in 2018 she wasn't terrible vocally, but she didn't sing more than like 4 lines of OTTR at a time, it was almost all instrumental, along with most of the BTD songs

 

Singing the same songs would be forgivable if she actually sang them, not talk sing or let the audience sing entire parts. 

 

THIS omfg, she used to have such passion and held herself to a standard

 

This! Change it up, I'd love for OTTR to hit a lot harder, almost heavy metal. 

 

TOTALLY FUCKING AGREE, I don't know why she sings the same fucking songs when she doesn't take them seriously, 

[Macintosh Manhattan 6,505]

Lana has dropped the ball since Endless Summer tour. She was actually doing well in fact she was often great. I wonder what happened?

[Rorman Nockwell 53,546]

Lana has dropped the ball since Endless Summer tour. She was actually doing well in fact she was often great. I wonder what happened?

 

Got rich and famous enough that she felt she didn't need to try anymore.

[Macintosh Manhattan 6,505]

Got rich and famous enough that she felt she didn't need to try anymore.

And here we have girlies the hottest tea there is in one post.

[Rorman Nockwell 53,546]

And here we have girlies the hottest tea there is in one post.

 

Does anyone remember when she said that people know what to expect when they come to her shows and they don't come for dancers and lights and props, they come to sing along? Or something?

 

I don't remember her exact words but it was to that effect, and it suggested that she thought the music was the most important aspect of a show. And it is, which is why she needs to actually sing songs in their entirety and not rely so much on backup tracks 'n' shit.

[UltraviolentJack 2,409]

saying she has gotten better when she struggles with basic breathing during songs, sounds strained for lack of vocal technique and lessons, changes the tone of the songs because she can't sing in her normal register because she decided to lower her voice when everyone knows that, that is in fact dangerous and damages for her own vocals chords makes what you are saying are look ridiculous, totally agree on the fact that her confidence level is on the clouds but singing the same songs since 2012 gets old and tired. The only reason she sings the same couple songs since 2012 is because she wants to make sure the crowd isn't dead on her just like they did on 2016.

 

TOTALLY FUCKING AGREE, I don't know why she sings the same fucking songs when she doesn't take them seriously, 

 

Yes!! When she does that it feels like a slap in the face, I love these songs and have for years so paying to see her not even try and sing them correctly is absolutely infuriating. I don't go to her concert solely to be in the same room as her, I want to hear the songs from the records I've collected sang professionally but I guess that's too much to ask. 

[Hannus 1,617]

As several people have pointed out, it's as if she's trying too hard to cater to her audience, which is mostly teenagers and 20-somethings.

 

Maybe she thinks we all enjoy chaotic, disorganised outdoor shows with Taylor Swift-ish dancers 'n' shit?

 

I'm in my 20s and I definitely don't. I would sell my kidney to attend a nice, calm indoor show like the Apple one.

i agree. i know the good sis loves playing outdoor shows because that makes her feel like a hippie but she should think a little more about her FANS in the audience who would like to hear some other songs, not just cherry and summertime sadness over and over again. plus her indoor shows are much more intimate and less demanding phisically. and i wish she ditched those dancers, their bad acting skills make me uncomfortable, plus they are TOO much, Lana is not the type of flamboyant performer who owns the stage, having dancers does not complement her shows, it only creates a distraction.

[poetic jess 2,257]

[Hannus 1,617]

I wanna add to these points because they're so valid and I think it should be talked about more. The thing about music festivals is that their lineups are hit and miss, along with the services they provide. Then there's general admission pit that you have to stand in for hours along with thousands of other music fans that'll either irritate you or suffocate you once they push to see their fave come on stage. And sometimes you have to sit through a set you end up not liking because you want that good spot. You have the option to sit/stand outside the crowd, but personally I'm not paying hundreds of dollars to look at a performer on a screen when I can do that in the comfort of my own home. And the setlists aren't usually special because again, the artists are trying to appeal to casual fans and a general audience. And they are physically demanding. I mean correct me if I'm wrong, but they're usually not accessible to people who are physically disabled. And I'm also including people who aren't "visibly" disabled- there are some people who "look" physically healthy, but they have a disease/condition that prevents them from standing for long periods of time, or need accommodations when they go to events to not exhaust or hurt themselves (this hits home for me, b/c my husband has a condition that falls under this category). And let's be real, festivals have a history of failing even those who are physically-able. 

 

I think Lana doesn't get it because she didn't have to endure it like we do. She said in one interview that she didn't attend concerts growing up because not a lot of artists went to her hometown to perform. She also only performed in small venues when she was first starting. Now fast forward to now, and she can stroll through Coachella with security and no hassle, walk to the VIP section, dance to whatever music she wanted to listen to, then leave when she wants and enjoy whatever perks they give celebrities at festivals. She doesn't get that most of us can't do that. lmao Like, I don't know where her headspace is sometimes, but back when she stared touring the the US again in 2014, people went crazy in the GA section and so many people got hurt and fainted near the barricade. It was terrible, but you could hear her in videos saying how much she loved the crowd and the atmosphere.    So the  was really the best compromise. The best tour of hers overall even if she didn't look her best to some people. She got to perform outdoors- which she loves, and play with the setlist because she was performing for her hardcore fans. Fans had the option to sit and have good views of her without breaking some necks. I really regret not going to see her during that time...

 

 

fans in the GA pit:          

Lana:    

i 100% agree. when i saw her last summer she was the headliner for that day, so she was the last performer on the main stage. that meant that if you wanted to get to the barricade you had to get there really early and sit stand through the 3 concerts before her show. it was a really hot day, it was really crowded, we were standing in front of gigantic speakers and there was no air, so by the time she even set foot on stage about 50 people had been pulled out of the audience by the security guards because they fainted.  

 

and my problem with her setlist is that most people either like her music or not, there's no in between, so there is no point trying to appeal to the GA in my opinion, beacuse it's just not the type of concert that you just casually go and dance to when you're drunk at a music festival, that suits dua's music for example, but not Lana's.

 

and i'm a little worried because it seems to me that she doesn't really play smaller venues anymore, she only does festivals outside of the us, so those intimate concerts might be a thing of the past for us.

[Sugar Venom 9,651]

i noticed (i’m sure we all did) lana just mouths the words and then when she actually sings she embellishes it, but do you think she thinks we can’t tell that she’s just mouthing the words?? like since the backing vocals are on do u think she thinks we think (lmao) that she’s just that good and sounds exactly like the studio track? or does she know she’s ripping us off. i wonder if she’s ever thought about the fact that people come to her shows to hear her SING and she’s not doing the one and only thing she’s supposed to, that people travel for huge distances and pay a lot of money for and are really looking forward to. we don’t want fancy shows with lights and props and choreography, lana we just want to hear you sing!! i really hope if she tours for nfr that it’ll be different. i really didn’t enjoy how commercialized latm was and that whole era. i wouldn’t care if she brought out a couch and sat on it the entire time if she just SANG. and smaller venues please miss del rey, i fucking hate going to concerts in stadiums/arenas it’s like...... awful. it feels fake almost? idk but i wish she would go back to theaters and maybe just do two nights or festivals as well as a theater date in places where she might have more fans or something. and please get win and his crew BANNED like genuinely what more do they need. start doing all expenses paid come travel with me and get barricade giveaways or smth so other people can finally get a chance like jesus lmfao why doesn’t he just work for her so he can travel everywhere and be close etc and then maybe the GA crowd will actually be fun again lmao

 

i wouldn’t mind if she took time off from touring if it meant she gets herself in a really good mental space and can give us an exceptional tour later on, with a setlist for the FANS not the gp and performances where she’s clearly passionate about what she’s playing. not disinterested no effort performances of a persona she’s clearly over. i feel for her, that does sound rough being forced to sing things from your past that you really want to/have moved on from. WHoooooo is in charge of her setlist tho like i thought she’d get the final say but why would she keep choosing songs she clearly has no interest or investment in??

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

I always thought that her stage delivery always depends on her mood in terms of (not) being in the mood to put effort into her voice. If that makes any sense lol

 

Anyway, especially these three performances are the representation of her capability to deliver when she's in the mood.

 

By the way, does anyone have an audio file of the Cola Intro? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rorman Nockwell 53,546]

She definitely appears to be putting more effort in vocally these last three performances (especially today's) because she read all our complaints here

 

I noticed her drummer liked a post from someone who said that they wanted Doin' Time back on the setlist

 

Do those dancers actually sing backup vocals? I've seen them with mics but they never seem to be singing very much.

[SweetHenny 14,466]

I so agree with everyone here who say that Lana needs to go back to indoors performances for the fans. I really like the idea of the new Madonna Madame X Tour with small venues in theatres. It's so intimate and the artist can really sing songs which are not for the GA, but for the actual fans. It's perfect for Lana's type of music especially