Adam Lambert 24/7 News

Looks like everyone is having FUN!!

I hope this is the last year for this band. Need a revamp. I am not a troll. I think Adam is so talented but he needs a professional band - more like he had with FYE tour minus TJR. They have no personality on the stage with Adam, TJ is a constant bad reminder and the musical direction didn't work. The fallout with Monte was a shame. I think he had great direction and hired professional seasoned musicians. Plus, rock was the way to go and releasing that rock album was okay to do.
I have no interest in this band and especially TJR. May be a friend of Adams' but he is holding him back with his ego. They are there for Adam supposedly - this band is not as good as Adam is and there needs to be a change. Please don't write troll, or I am not a fan or some other untruth. I LOVE Adam as much as all of you - prob more.

@11:01
I'm an ardent Adam fan, but I like Tommy and the rest of the band just fine and understand the reality & the economical side of having a band in these days...

Don't care who you are, just wanna say this to you and all of you Tommy bashers:

"Tommy holding Adam back with his ego..." and other dumbass comments like that are totally incomprehensible and unjustified - unless you bring something concrete to the table?!

Waiting for your answer...

Adam is basically a family-oriented person; he wants to have this close connection and team spirit in his real family and similarly this band glamily. Having said that, in comparison, the Monte-directed band did show more innovation and a clearer direction. I like Tommy, he's a loyal friend and worker and is always there for Adam. Monte indeed is a great musician but left for greener pasture; which is not exactly a fault or disloyalty; he has a big family to support. Brian London, Ashley, drummer and Vjjs are good to Adam and provide strong support. But when it comes to Adam hosting a big concert perhaps a Queen type band, ooh-la-la, is more able to bring out Adam's flair, style and extremely important, his voice/singing.

Lam-my

Adam is posing with the Newton's Cradle or often known as Newton's Balls. I enjoy contemplating on the almost exact amount of energy transfer from the first to the last ball so that the angle at which you let go of the first ball is almost equal to the angle swing of the last ball on the opposite side. Used to enjoy swinging it. Mind-boggling. lol!

Lam-my

Adam's band has been good and loyal and fun to play with. No doubt in the future there will be changes, i.e. larger band, more and different members, whatever, but for now they are helping Adam find his voice and have fun doing it.

It was my understanding that the fallout with Monte was because Monte proceeded with an album without Adam's permission. Yes, Monte was exceptional, but if he betrayed Adam, that is grounds for a split. Maybe they will come together again someday. If anyone has info other than this, I would be interested. That split was very sad.

As far as Tommy's ego, or for that fact any of the band members ego's, holding Adam back PLEASE give it a rest! Adam calls the shots and always has.

When Adam sang "Shady" with Nile's band and sang with Queen I think the quality and professionalism was evident. These musicians have had years and years of time playing together. They are TIGHT and the sound is perfected. Adam himself is already there, his band - whatever it turns out to be - will get there, too.

11:01pm, you may be a big Adam fan, but I think you pick on Tommy way too much. Your beef with him seems personal, not just professional. What gives?


xo laura

I never thought Monte was that great and obviously the all mighty dollar is paramount to him. Brian's music direction hasn't been to my taste but must be Adam's. Shady with Chic really drove that point home for me. Tommy is an ok guitarist. I really like Rick on drums. I also liked Kevin when be did the acoustic guitar with Adam for the BTIKM radio promo. I guess we will just have to wait and see who is available and who Adam choses for the next tour.

Sine Bright Like A Diamond did it for me!

I still miss Isaac.

The band did a great job. Tommy is a great guy, Brian get thinner every time I see him and Ashley has now become comfortable on stage. It's been quite a journey and who knows what will happen now.
Monte is a great guitarist whether you like him or not but that's all history with Adam.

Adam's first band was a real rock band and that includes Tommy on bass, Longineu, Monte and Zac from Korn on keyboards. Too bad about the rift. Sh*t happens maybe they can put it behind them.

11.01 If you were a true fan of Adam you would realise that TRJ is a very good friend of Adam and has been with him from the beginning. TJR will always be with Adam even if everyone else goes so dont watch the videos and just buy Adams music. You are the same person that is always saying the same thing about TRJ. Its just like a broken record, and getting very boring.

@3:24 AM........JAK here......oh, someone I agree with ! How exciting! Yes that was a perfect combination. Perfect for Adam on stage or recording. Sadly, Longineu was just on hiatus from Yellowcard and Zack from Korn. Monte was an excellent guitarist and Tommy was not strong on the bass, but in his defense that was not really his instrument.......he needed to play more boldly, but all in all they were a strong band supporting Adam's strong voice. I watch the FYE unplugged music from that group and the FYE AOL sessions with Lisa on keyboards, she was also superior.

The breakup with Monte was unfortunate.....but I never blamed Monte, they made those records with the hope
they would be successful and there was a contract. I understood both sides.....Adam was on his way and in a different direction and didn't want them published, the publisher and Monte and other musicians saw an opportunity to make money with the release of their work. Obviously the legality was not on Adam's side, he
lost in court. It was sad that the friendship was lost and Monte's skill as well. I did not buy the album partially out of loyalty to Adam and mostly because I only thought 2 songs were good at all.

Snarky comments for and against Tommy here. Let it be. People aren't going to agree no matter how much one may want it to happen so there's no need to be nasty if someone disagrees with someone else's opinion.

I didn't buy that album because I didn't think the songs on it were fantastic but Monte is an excellent guitarist and it's sad that he and Adam parted ways, However, Adam seems very happy with his current band. I think the backing vocalists could be better and they detract from Adam's performance but that's just my humble opinion, and I'll probably be screamed at from a great height for simply voicing my opinion.

@3:24
Adam's first band had Lisa on keyboards, not Zac, who was 'a temp', sadly (and that was told to fans, so we knew he could not stay).

I have liked & loved all band members, but the one I miss most is Longineu & his drumming... and the rare smiles... and that handsome body of his... hmmmmm... No, I mean I miss his drumming for REAL! :)))))

I bought the CD Beg For Mercy. I love the rock vibe. This music is great. I really hope it is the kind of music Adam will be making. As for Monte, he can't be trusted, what a shame. They seemed to be so close. As for Tommy, he's just a carefree, loving, accepting, supportive and very open-minded person. I really like him. Yes, he could use some improved skills, and he has shown improvement. I think he'll be fine. Bottom line I love Adam. People in his life will come and go. I choose to appreciate them while they are here. I do miss Issac!

Longineau was great. Spent some time with him and Monte and they were really fantastic guys.
Yellowcard is touring right now.

Tommy has stayed loyal to Adam and I love the black and white of the guy. Dissing him is so darn disrespectful. We love you Tommy!

11:45
Great comment!
AND for those who diss TJR..... believe me NOONE will ever hold Adam back! TJR is a fantastic guy
and a darn fine friend. Show some love people!

If the album had Citizen Vein on it instead of Adam Lambert, I could agree with Monte as well, but it was Adam's brand that was being affected by having Adam's name scrawled in it.

I always felt Monte had an ego the size of Texas and though he was a technically good guitarist, his playing lacked melody and character, imo.

6:22. Agree about Monte 100%. He thought he was the star.

Band members come and go....musicians need to make a living that's the bottom line. I personally like the edginess of Tommy, Ashley and Brian but I'd like a better drummer. The girls and dancers at this stage are superfluous. I'm sure the next band supporting Adam for his rock album will be made up of different cast members with only Tommy as the lone hold over.

GMT

I hope Adam's 3rd album doesn't consist only of screaming rock numbers. His FYE and Trespassing albums are so, so superb.

If Tommy stops seeking affection from Adam on stage, then I'm okay with him. It grates on my nerves seeing him being a cock teaser, making big doe eyes at Adam, taking every opportunity to rub up against him, and longing to be kissed by him. That I don't like and it takes away from the band professionalism. Tommy's playing skills have improved tremendously! However, the biggest drawback to me during the Trespassing Era were the backup singers, though nice ladies, but very distracting. They didn't enhance the band nor Adam at all. Now for the biggest Annoyance: The Dancers, especially Johnny!!! Even Terrence became an amature sleazy dancer! As for Monti, aka Benedict Arnold, good riddance! I love Adam's band because they feel like family, but Tommy needs to cut the non-professional antics with Adam and Ashleigh. Right now, I'm extremely happy with what's going on now with Adam career!

@6.42AM
'Monte thought he was the star'??? That's ridiculous. Adam has always been the star.

7.29am
Adam gives the distinct impression of absolutely loving his on-stage antics with Tommy. He sings next to him often so if you have a problem with that, take it up with Adam!

I love the on-stage chemistry they have. They seem so comfortable with each other. Haters are gonna hate. That's their problem.

I really liked Monte. Wish they would re-kindle their friendship. I know it will be hard for Adam to trust him again.

thanks for the silly video.

I have to agree with those who kind of enjoy Adam and Tommy onstage. To me, it's just friendly playfulness, esp. compared to so much other overt sexuality onstage by some other acts. Those few moments when they just sing close together or back-to-back are so non-threatening, at least to me. They're just fun moments. I have always liked Tommy and still do. He's quiet and pretty unassuming for the most part. He cute and kind of shy. And he's been playing killer guitar solos onstage, in my opinion. I am not at all involved in the Tommy fandom craziness, so I guess I don't feel the tension of it. Thank God. I hope that someday Adam will be able to support a top-notch band that stays with him for the long haul. That may include Tommy. Who knows? In the meantime, I enjoy them onstage together and I don't think most people read anything much into it. I agree that they do have chemistry. Guess we have to agree to disagree and let it go, till Adam decides to change it.

DRG

I was never a Monte fan. I am not a professional, I just have an opinion. I love the band Adam has now and as far as the moves Tommy makes on stage I would imagine they are the idea of the boss himself, that being Adam. Tommy has grown so much as a guitarist and I for one think he is a great talent. He is not holding Adam back, all these people have a right to pursue fans and a future.

I think the onstage antics are all part of the show, this is just my opinion but I think if Adam didn't like it wouldn't happen . Seems to me TJR had been a good friend to Adam ...and unlike some others....will remain that way ....I really like TJR .... love that he is so supportive of issues involving the LGBT community ...,,rose petal

I also enjoy the playfulness of Adam and Tommy on stage. I believe these two are good friends and probably share some good laughs together. They definitely have chemistry and I wish Adam and all the band every success. I hope to see them all together in the future, we just have to wait and see.

Adam and his Band is all he needs for a dynamite rock n roll even pop band.

Since he's been doing shows without those dancie boys and the va jay jays, he has gained more and more fans.
They were too much distraction, girls took over his voice in some songs. Dancers took away from Adam, he can sing and dance and put on the best of shows.
Hope he continues with out them.
Not that they arent nice people, only my opinion.

This is Truly a labor of love.This was an INCREIBLE editing job. I could listen to it a LOT! Real talent to do this.

I find Tommy's stage antics with Adam distracting and as disgusting as Johnny's, only Johnny's are more out-there, Tommy looks like he's sneaking up for a feel! Yucky!

I don't think Monte was a traitor, I think he just disagreed with Adam. Adam didn't get his way. It happens in life.

I am sure they were having fun, but I think the video is dumb. IMO. iMO. IMO.

Tommy's antics onstage generally last about ten seconds, total. Hardly enough to get worried about. Monte has been Madonna's lead guitarist for a long time and still is. He has a really good job with her. He just happens to have been a good friend of Adam, too, and agreed to do the long, grueling GNT tour with him world-wide, while his wife was pregnant. The CD controversy wasn't a personal issue; it was business. Too bad it affected their relationship. They may mend it at some point.

DRG

Please stop using Adam Lambert to promote Tommy!

11.11 you are delusional seeing something there that isn't. Nothing goes on that stage without Adams say so, he is the boss.

Anon 6:09
Thank you! So was yours!!!
:)
11:45

I love Adam and I love Tommy. I don't think it's a bad thing to love both. Love is a positive thing. I'm not that prudish to get all bent out of shape because of some on-stage playfulness. I even enjoy the naughtiness. I'm a big girl. I can take it. Haha.

releasing beg for mercy album messed up the release date of tresspassing

Monte is a weasel only out for himself and I agree with the person above, it did mess things up with Trespassing.

11:45 TJ encourages the crays and doesn't put an end to the nonsense. Is that concrete enough for your judgemental head? I was just saying that he would be better off without him and there are massive avid Adam fans that agree with me. Needs a revamp of the band. Get professionals.

So enjoyed this! So that's what 30 now looks like! Really enjoyed the music too. Anyone know the song/artist? Too lazy to look thru the comments above to see if someone already gave that info. . . . Adamluv

I have seen Adam in concert several times Monte was well known before Adam.So with that said i did feel like Monte did act to cocky on the stage my first GNT concert.I said to my daughter i just feel like he is hogging the stage she said but mom it is Monte Pittman I didn't care it was Adam Lambert I wanted to see.Tommy was very good way back then & he was a crowd pleaser. The way I under stood the thing between Adam & monte was that they was advertising Adams name & his face like it was his new album. Adam said they would not put the Album out before then when his name became famous they used it why didn't use Monte's name just put Adam as the group.

Because that would have been dumb. Adam sang all the songs and of course the fact that he was now a recognized name made the album sellable. The company was in business to make money.

Squabbling over Tommy Joe and Monte - you sound like schoolyard children.

I think it all boils down to legalities and bottomline, the case was settled in court. Adam could have signed an agreement with Monte and company as a sort of joint venture which would allow the company to use Adam' name and picture; otherwise the company would not risk using it. We don't know the intricacies of the matter. On the surface it does appear as exploitation of Adam's fame to garner greater profits. So in that case if Adam sang the songs and his name and picture were used on the album, Adam would have got a portion of the gains due to him, wouldn't it. So as I've said we really are in the dark about the court settlements.

Lam-my

Love the closeness they all share. They all seem very happy. I think they love what they do. I'm sure they'll put on a great show Friday. Wish I was going.

Have to agree with Lam-my on this one. I personally like all in Adam's Glamily and have always liked Tommy Jo. They're decent musicians. I've met Tommy and he's a sweetheart and very loyal to Adam, but I believe it's not enough for Adam to attain what he's prepared to atain. It was unfortunate that Monte and Adam had differences that were personally too great to continue on together, as Monte had years of experience with Adam and with his affiliation with Madonna. Monte also was so tuned in to Adam he could anticipate any variance Adam would make on the spot. They had over 10 years together. Adam is such a polished, versatile performer that I feel needs more than what he currently has. There is a vast difference between Queen, their writing, musicianship, (listen again to Brian May's masterful, intricate guitar solos and Rogers drums.)polish and vision. Adam needs a band on that level, to push and challenge Adam to new heights. His current band are all having fun and play decent music, but Adam's talent is on a higher plane. Just my thoughts.

@Jak, I also likes the original band. LP was the best drummer IMHO and they were a cohesive group. I thought the GNT was well put together,and musically on equal footing with Adam. What disturbed me about the release of the earlier album was not it being released. Adam was paid at the time of recording with no further contractual agreement in the future. The timing of it was sneaky and underhanded, releasing it weeks before Adam's album, calling it Adam's new release, implying it would be Adam's long anticipated album, capitalizing on fan's excitement,knowing they would buy it until Adam protested, temporarily stopping it. Many thought Monte's wife was also a catalyst for the split, as she had posted some snarky remarks about Adam before the split. I think she wanted to see them as equal partners, but in reality Adam was the main attraction and the one in charge.

@Jak, I also likes the original band. LP was the best drummer IMHO and they were a cohesive group. I thought the GNT was well put together,and musically on equal footing with Adam. What disturbed me about the release of the earlier album was not it being released. Adam was paid at the time of recording with no further contractual agreement in the future. The timing of it was sneaky and underhanded, releasing it weeks before Adam's album, calling it Adam's new release, implying it would be Adam's long anticipated album, capitalizing on fan's excitement,knowing they would buy it until Adam protested, temporarily stopping it. Many thought Monte's wife was also a catalyst for the split, as she had posted some snarky remarks about Adam before the split. I think she wanted to see them as equal partners, but in reality Adam was the main attraction and the one in charge.

Steady on! It takes decades for a band to be as good as Queen. They have been honing their craft since the '60s/'70s!! You have to walk before you can run!

Such unkind & unreasonable comments re Adam's band. It's obvious Adam loves his band, otherwise he'd replace them and no amount of complaining is going to change the situation.

Adam Lambert needs a good band. Proof that RCA never gave him the importance he deserves is in the fact that RCA not give him a good band with good musicians and of course all those guys have here there opportunity and take advantage of Adam Lambert to promote themselves.

Oops! Didn't mean to post twice. My mistake. I do think Ashley is very good on base and Rick decent on drums and has a great smile. Tommy has vastly improved and Brian has a healthy ego and good on keytar, but I still see Adam with more polished musical director and of Queen caliber if they could be found.

Adam's For Your Entertainment & Trespassing albums are soooooooo much better than the Beg For Mercy album. It simply isn't in the same league.

Hey funbunn!
I also thought there was exploitation of Adam's fame by the company when they chose to release their album to time it so close to Adam's album release. Well, it's business strategy and based on that, it's strictly business; meaning they have the right to release it at the most opportune time, though somewhat mercenary and callous.
The GNT band was excellent with Monte on solo guitar at times and the lady pianist who did Soaked; even Longineau gave fantastic drum solos; so it gives variety to the accompaniments.

Lam-my

@Anon 1:25AM
THANK YOU , yours is the FIRST & ONLY totally wise, objective & unpartial plus professionally put comment on this whole thread!!!

However, one 'problem' in this whole discussion (of Adam's band members etc) is that Queen was a band from the start w Freddie as their lead singer, they were together years and years. There is no band called Adam Lambert & the Sensational AL Band (or whatever, lol), even the fans say "band members come and go", cause Adam is more of a SOLO act...and yet he (obviously) needs and wants a band he's comfortable & 'glamilylike' with...

And as much as I think Adam's the best there is, unfortunately his popularity, sales and marketing value is NOT bringing in that kind of money (YET) that he would just like that get the best possible musicians in "his band", that really is not a band... Those musicians cost a lot of money and they have/want fame and steady jobs... they don't come and go...

So let's get real and give kudos to Adam and the current band members for doing their best in the current situation (also financial & economical etc) - and I hope they will continue to play together even after tonight!

Good luck Adam & the Band and have a party tonight!!!

LTAF
:)))))

@1:30
Love your comment! Right on!

No one is saying Adam's band must be as perfect as Queen which as stated, took years and years playing together to accomplish. In fact the 1:25 comment as singled out by 2:42, is partially irrelevant!! We know Queen took 30-40 years to accomplish their present standard/status. Adam's GNT band was excellent, came pretty close to the standard of Queen. I certainly hope Adam doesn't wait 20-30 years for a Queen type band to accompany him on stage. lol! There are many ways to skin a cat.

Lam-my

@Adamluv 7:44
The song is called American Trash
The band is Innerpartysystem...

The vid here had so many vid bits I had never seen (don't do twitter and follow every kerk, vine etc), looked like they've had so much fun during their time together! Funny & fab people, thank you all!

PS. At first listening I thought that could be Raja's voice... lol

@Lam-my
If Adam's current band is with him in 30-40 years time, they too may be as excellent as Queen I.e. if Adam and his band are still performing in 30-40 years time! ;-)

For those who pine for Adam to have a Queen-like band, perhaps Adam will become the permanent lead singer of Queen.

So many misunderstandings... don't you people ever read with thought before you post... just saying...

Adam is performing now in big, expensive shows; we pay good money to see Adam. I bought the highest range ticket, not cheap at all and so did many other people. Adam always delivers so an excellent band is essential to attract even bigger arenas. It's now that is of utmost importance not wait for his present band to come up to Queen standard, 20-30 years ahead. And the GNT band was very versatile as described in my comment. Yes I have said it before, Adam's present band is excellent but lacks innovation, sounded pretty much the same all through, at the theatre Trespassing concert I attended. Having said that I will still attend Adam's concert with his present band when he decides to come again, dancers and vjjs inclusive.

Lam-my

Well said Anon 1:25am.

I love all of Adam's music. His voice is what I love. And ofcourse the musicians want to promote themselves. They have to make a living too. Everyone struggles. Everyone should have the opportunity to do what is best for them. I' m sure all of you out there would do the same if you were smart.

Finally got a chance to watch the vid. It was fun to see Adam, the band, dancers, back up singers, etc., just having fun and being goofy. :)))

Haven't had time to read all the comments, but as we're all dissecting the band, I'll put in my 2 cents worth.
I like Tommy, I don't follow him, or look at pictures of him or even particularly watch him in videos, he's just there. But he loves Adam, is a loyal friend, loves working with him and doesn't have an ego at all. And his guitar skills are fine.
Never liked Monte, there was always something about him, agree with earlier poster, he really did seem to have an ego. Don't want to see him back.
My favourite drummer was Issac, bring him back, he had the best personality of them all.
Ashley seems sweet, she can stay:).
Brian seems nice, don't think he's really the right fit for Adams music though, and I don't like the way he shouts out and/or tries to sing backup.
So basically I'd like Tommy, Ashley, Isaac and Kevin, would love him to come back, I thought he was great.
Don't like the back up singers, their voices just never meshed with Adams.. Don't miss them at all.
I' fine either way with the dancers.....

I love Adam. I love the band. I think Tommy and Adam have such great chemistry on stage it would be strange not to see them together. I think all of these people are talented and are just trying to earn a living, Adam included. I hope to see much, much more of them in the future.

As I remember it, Monte tried to hit up fans to fund an album he couldn't afford to finish recording. I remember that most of Adam's fans didn't feel good about that.

9:12. I agree and I am sure many of the fans who have been there from the beginning also agree. Well said.

@3:05 - thank you so much for answering my question. Will have to google them as I love their song. . . . Adamluv

My opinion for what it's worth re Adam's band, both current and past members..

Monte was and is an excellent guitarist. I've met him several times and he was always friendly and nice. I appreciate the level of talent that he brought to Adam's back up band. I liked him. I also contributed to his album on Kickstarter a couple of years ago. He's not a rockstar with a backing label. Many artists do that. They raise funds in order to get projects done. Each person could chose to contribute, or not. I got a signed album out of it for my small contribution. Seemed fair and reasonable. Things just got complicated. after that. Very very complicated......

That said, I was very sorry that the whole Beg For Mercy mess happened. It was the producers of the music obviously capitalizing on Adam's fame, which made a certain amount of sense as a business decision and marketing strategy on THEIR part, but in a very blatant way so as to maximize the Adam connection, but definitely not a good thing for Adam at that critical moment in time. Even Monte agreed that the release and resultant confusion could be detrimental to Adam. From what I understand, from discussions at the time this was going on, there was already a signed agreement in place, from when the music (of BFM) was originally recorded, before Adam became famous via Idol: the producers could release the music if they chose to do so at any time... And again, from what I understand, there would be money paid out to those involved in the recordings, including Monte and Adam, as contributing song co-writers, to varying degrees, on assorted songs and music. That part was vague..so who knows what monies might have ultimately been paid out as a result of sales of BFM. Probably minimal at best...

HOWEVER, the VERY BIG mistake that they (the producers...not Monte or Adam..neither of whom were producers of the album..) made, unfortunately, and what caused the drama, was their poorly thought out marketing strategy of claiming it was "Adam Lambert's new single...". Absolutely misleading and false advertising. "Technically" correct perhaps, as Adam was singing the lead for the band, and the music was "new" to many, except for Adam's hard core fans who had already heard much of it, myself included; but ultimately dishonest just the same, on the part of the producers. And of course it was at approximately the same time that Trespassing was due to come out, which would certainly have been confusing to anyone other than Adam's most dedicated and savvy fans, who knew that BFM was not his "new" music at all, but was instead older "unreleased music", in album form, from "back in the day". So Adam had no choice but to "clarify" the situation by filing a request in court that they stop (cease and desist) the misleading advertising campaign. It was settled in some undisclosed fashion (bottom line: no longer being called "Adam's Lambert's new single"), BFM was made available in stores, and on Amazon, iTunes, etc.. alongside Trespassing, and became part of Adam's music "repertoire", without his endorsement. Personally, I think that if they had marketed BFM in a different way, as simply "Rare, Pre-Idol Citizen Vein with Adam Lambert" music (well, music from a band he was briefly in anyway...), it could have worked on some level. But it was badly handed from the get go. And as resulting fallout, Adam and Monte's long term business relationship, and apparently their friendship, ended. Sadly. I think Monte was proud of the music that they did together. He also has a family to feed. It's understandable that he would want the music out there. Disagreement and bad feelings resulted. I also understand why it would not be in Adam's best interest, particularly at that crucial time of Trespassing's immanent release, to have people confused by BFM. Water under the bridge..

RE Tommy:

I think Tommy gets lambasted way too much and unfairly blamed for all sorts of things. He has a few delusional fans who imagine this and that about Tommy and Adam, and on the other end of the spectrum, there are Adam fans who blame Tommy for whatever is not happening in Adam's career. "It's Tommy's fault" which is baloney.. Adam calls the shots on stage, and off.. It all boils down to Adommy in one form or another. I agree with those who say Tommy has been a loyal band member and friend to Adam since day one. And I think Tommy has greatly improved his guitar skills over time since Monte left and Tommy was reassigned from bass to guitar.

RE the others...

I think the various other band members, past and present, are all adequate musicians and all fit into Adam's personal vision of what he wants his band to look like and sound like, for now. His current budget for his occasional concerts certainly doesn't allow for world-class musicians. When I've been at live shows, as recently as San Diego a few weeks ago, I thought the band's sound was quite fine. I pay complete attention to Adam and Adam only. The band is pretty much background to me, even though I completely appreciate them as individuals and as a cohesive group. When I watch videos, again it is Adam I focus on. How the band sounds, and even how Adam sounds, depends a lot on the quality of the the audio on amateur vids, and even live the sound has a certain amount to do with how the sound is mixed at the venue, the speakers, where you're sitting..etc. But to me, Adam ALWAYS sounds amazing. The rest is background..........

Too bad Monte didn't fight the release along with Adam. That would certainly have shown where his allegiances laid. He showed his true colors and Adam deserves better than that.

I think that the dancers and the background singers were a distraction to Adam's vocals esp. in a small venue. The members of the band have changed since the beginning and there are any numbers of reasons for that, but TJR has been with Adam from the start. Probably the longer the band is together it will get better. I don't think Adam has the financial backing to look for "world class" band members at this point in his career esp. if he doesn't have a record label or a deal for a third album. Playing at these country fairs and entertainment parks will get him through the summer and until he starts filming on GLEE. It should also give him time to work on new material. I only get to hear Adam through the vids that are posted and if he sounds great on them, I could just imagine how terrific he sounds in person on that stage. My focus is always on Adam and as someone said, the rest is background.

As I've said, Adam's present band is excellent if only they had remained as "background" but it wasn't at the Trespassing concert I attended. It went full steam and overpowered Adam's voice most of the time and the delicate nuances and finesse peculiar to his voice were drowned out. Perhaps this band being used to playing often in large open spaces could have overlooked the extreme sensitivity of the enclosed theatre (brand-new, three-tier) acoustics. In a large open space/arena, that sound would have been excellent. Bottomline, Adam's voice is the main 'instrument' of the band and must always be in the fore. Dr Brian and Roger know that all too clearly.

Lam-my

That's rock concerts for ya!

Monte was mediocre at best and TJR is light years behind him.

If Monte was so brilliant, why did some of us fools donate money to his Kick Start campaign so he could make a solo album? And then he totally screws Adam by releasing years old music just before Adam was to release Trespassing. Remember Maprilish? You can thank Monte, his huge ego and the love of money for that.

There's an old joke where a tourist asks a stranger how to get to Carnegie Hall and the stranger replies, practice, practice, practice. That's what TJR needs to do.

The Chubbetts are superfluous and a large distraction as are the dancers and although I love Terrance he needs a new gig.

Adam can find better musicians and I hope he does before his next tour.