Would you please do a review of Devin's live performance of Awake?! The way he can adjust his pitch while screaming and simultaneously harmonizing with a female singer is insane.
It's funny that all the singing teachers are telling us how amazing his technique is and if you ask him he's like "I don't know, I scream until I taste blood" legend
Because he is practicer & has phycological specifics. In that huge career one can figure it out intuitively. And he had quite a big part of learning experience. He says he reverse engineered it, it is what clear practitioners do. But she is an example, her singing comes from a lot of concentrated learning and practice, one can not reverse engineer things she can do.
@@PiroXiline It's a matter of throwing versus planning the trajectory. You can be professional in two ways, hopefully a combination of both in a balance, but those are intuition and theoretical application.
A long time ago in the 90's, when I was still a teenager, I watched Devin walk on stage in a full diving suit - scuba mask, flippers, the works - and scream until he passed out on stage. Then wake up and keep screaming. I don't think anything encapsulates his vocals better than that, in my mind.
@@Naamturd101 that is somehow the most Devin Townsend thing I've ever fucking heard my love for this man and his ability to just be himself grows everyday
All of the success I've had in life is built on a bigger foundation of failure. The key is to be persistent and grow and learn from those failures. life is like riding a bike from the get go with no training wheels, or being handed a guitar with zero knowledge or instruction and trying to figure it out. You're going to be terrible at it, but you have to just do it. You'll eventually figure it out.
That moment around the 26-minute mark, when Devin says he has a question. Then he begins asking Liz what she does to warm up her voice, stay motivated, etc.... That was a game changer. It transcended "celebrity interviewed by huge fan" and went into legit shop talk between colleagues. Liz, you must have been screaming internally, in the best way. I know I would have been.
@@TheCharismaticVoice Devin is a truly respectful and unassuming person, and talking with him you quickly realize that he listens to everything you say without spending every moment thinking of a response. I had the rare opportunity to chat with him in chat after he released a song during the peak of the pandemic.
Yeah Devin is just a wonderful human being. And it's pretty amazing that he felt comfortable enough to ask for advice or help with something that he is so amazing at. But he is also just a human. And I love Devin for that. Very cool interview.
that`s a real professional talking, cause he knows he`s talking to an expert in vocals, a soprano who`s been doing the most dificult things with voice eeeeeeever...that`s why he did it, he knows shes awesome too! hahaha
The "I have the ability to intellectualize myself rather than participate in it" line kind of crushed my soul. Ive never heard a person say something that so accurately showed me what my own problem is.
It’s a form of dissociation. Essentially bringing our awareness out of the body and into the mind, effectively cutting ourselves off from sensation and actually LIVING the experience, as he was saying. It’s a survival mechanism. It can be hard to recognize when you’ve spent your whole life doing it and don’t actually know what it feels like to INSIDE the body, so therefore you don’t even know you’re dissociating. Like me my entire life. It was a shock to the system the first time I felt myself being alive. It honestly made me want to scream and rip out my hair. Fun.🙂
Yeah, that was an amazing answer... I have never heard an artist say this and it really makes you WANT to support the artist. Love Devin as much as a human as an artist.
Not being overly familiar with Townsend, I only planned to watch 10 or 15 minutes. However, I couldn't stop watching until the end. What a fascinating guy and a great interview!
He’s a born entertainer. I find his shows are like half-rock concert, half-standup. I’ve seen him live over 10 times and he’s getting more hilarious as he ages, I adore his ability to laugh at himself yet still the songs hit with deadly sincerity
Been struggling with life in general for a while, and I just wanna say that Elizabeth and Devin are two of the people who contribute to me making it through the day. Seeing nerdy, kind, intelligent, creative and charismatic people just warms my heart so much. Thank you, can't wait for this to air!
Life can be hard. Watching fun things is a good way to cope in the short term. I've heard good things about therapy, so if that's an option, you may want to consider it. In the mean time, welcome the joy that pops up in many days, and remember that on the days where it's missing.
As a formerly very anxious person (I still am, but much less now) my advice would be is to subject yourself to your fears. I couldn't even call for a pizza back in the day (I would freeze up completely) and I decided that just isn't sustainable. I was around 20 years old at the time. So what I did was get a job in telemarketing, and now I can call anyone and even argue with them if need be. Alot of other things got easier to deal with as well! Currently I'm the highest rank of accountant in at my (very big, nation wide) company all due to this, my experience and ability to speak up for myself and my accomplishments!
@@TheCharismaticVoice o- boy!!!!! Floor just did " euphoria "...... Yet another original, became the cover after floor did her thing!!!!! I think your in for a treat!! 😃😃😃😃
I never thought nerdy metal fans would finally see recognition like this for our favorite artists through the medium of RU-vid reactions but I am very happy.
Wow, amazing interview. Devin is so down to earth but so interesting to listen to. Then you see him on stage and the shear presence and power he displays is amazing.
I've been listening to Devin in all his forms for nearing 30 years now and this was, without caveat, probably the best interview I've seen with him. That's a serious compliment to you too, Elizabeth - giving people enough time to answer & think. Utterly glorious.
I can't claim to have listened to Devin for that long. But as far as this interview goes, I'd even go as far as to say it's one of the best interviews I've ever seen. Lemmy (and several others) sure gave great ones too, but there's something about Devin that makes him instantly come across (at least here) as your sincere and trusted best friend. That is a rare quality.
27:42 - 32:05 This section got deep. "The voice becomes almost an analogy for the part of you that has been protected by your ego, but also punished by it." "To sing and to be who you are unashamedly requires an ability to be okay with being vulnerable." Two wonderful people here.
Truer words never said.. the anxiousness, nervousness, etc is experienced by almost everyone and it affects performance and technique for everyone .. not just singers
"How do you cultivate self love after years of being disparaging to yourself and that process has been wonderful, but very difficult, if your internal dialogue for as long as you can remember has been one of criticism" This line hit way too close to home. Thank you for that whole segment, it definitely leaves you with something to reflect on.
I got to say this - I have personally spoken to Devin Townsend a dozen times in the past 20 years. I swear, he is THE most polite person I have ever met. Extremely down to Earth and very real. The man has ZERO ego. He is super funny and very witty and just ridiculously friendly. I LOVE talking to him. The guy is just sooooo nice, even after a hard show when he isn't feeling well, he STILL signs every autograph and talks to people until everybody is satisfied. I absolutely LOVE this dude!
So true! I talked to him after a concert in 2011. Big line waiting for autographs and photos. He wouldn’t shut up! I had to close it down because I felt it was rude to hold up the line. Guy is so nice! Asked me about my recent wedding and talked about how long he has been married.
Devy is such a massive, powerful, explosive, singing, epic rock star BEAST one stage....but then when you meet him up close, he is literally an extra polite, super gentle and extremely warm "Mr. Rogers" real life. It's so hard not to love the guy after you meet him!
51:40 "You hold the button, you go 200 mph, things explode and it tells you you're awesome." That is probably the best description of the Burnout franchise I have ever heard!
I agree. And the discussion leading to that part explains why Burnout is so liked by some people. It also explains why I personally don't like it and prefer proper simulators instead.
@@MikkoRantalainen Idk, it's the best simulation for causing massive traffic accidents! Accidents are totally incorrect for Gran Turismo and most all other racing games. If GT borrowed from Burnout, you'd be able to full-on crash the stands or blast outside the race track walls/fence and cause millions of $$ in visible destruction!
@@gregmoldovan5921 I guess BeamNG is the best we have for simulating crashes for entertainment. See for example: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VNXT3Dr_jTY.html
@@MikkoRantalainen As facetious as my comment was, I'm blown away! How have I not heard of this game?! Looks like I need to download, play it, and listen to some Deconstruction!
Yeah this is my first time watching an interview with him despite being a fan for many years and I thought to myself" This guy talks just like I would in this situation"
@@TheCharismaticVoice if you haven't, you should definitely check out his performance of Funeral on First Play Live. One of the most beautiful acoustic performances I've ever seen. It made me cry the first time I saw it.
@@buffalothebison4850 'The Death of Music' on the Ocean Machine livestream made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck - absolutely incredible, check it out if you haven't seen it.
One thing I've really began to notice in these talks, is that these professional singers & vocalists don't seem to treat this time with Elizabeth as just "chatting' but they are asking her questions, asking for her advice and sometimes it seems like...therapy for singers? I feel this is what really separates Tea Time™ with just a standard interview we're used to witnessing.
I totally get that sense as well. Elizabeth exudes that- you know.. buttery pureness, which coupled with her expressive countenance makes me feel connected to her, the content she's reacting to, the artists that made it, the things the artists were inspired by.. and ultimately all of you. Whereas, normally I just think of people as bacteria on the Earth (slightly joking), so her channel is a very pleasant departure that I'm thankful for. And, Devin in particular is so open and direct, as well as articulate about his inner struggles and his journey that yeah, I definitely got that sense as well.
@@mistercrankypantsi mean aside from the "buttery pureness" shes also incredibly knowledgeable about the topic she's focused on.. Idk seems like maybe that's a bit more worth mentioning than how buttery she is.. 🤔
What a wonderful and deep insight to who Dev and also Elizabeth are as people - wonderful interview - Bravo 👏🏾 🎉❤ An absolute gem in this Information Age..Defs getting myself an octopus..
only half way through this interview, but I have to say right now: I love these two. I appreciate, probably more than anything, emotional articulation. Devin through his conversations about his journey through life, and Elizabeth through her ability to spontaneously convert her feelings into expressions and narration. Her emotional palette is broad, sensitive and instanteous.
@@TheCharismaticVoice you're like an emotional amplifier or an emotional microscope: you help us see things and feel things we wouldn't normally see. Your success is well-deserved and we appreciate you bring more joy into the world (or at least helping us see more joy).
@@jeffmartin-g8r Yep. It's hard to articulate Elizabeth's thing without writing a novel, but good job. She connects with things so expressively and deeply..and purely that it in turn connects people. And she's just so casual about it- unhindered by nefarious intentions or complex schemes and stratagems.. nah just being her which of course is the real magic. She's not just some manufactured personality. Great channel.
I found a copy of the Ziltoid at Royal Albert Hall performance on dvd on ebay, turns out it was Devin himself selling off his extra stock of it. He signed it for me! I didnt even ask! What a legend!
wow! that moment you connect him back to the potential of loving his voice (29min mark). That I think was a special moment in time, so stoked to see Devin's eyes light up at the new approach. You altered his path, you should be proud.
"It's like you're a child playing hide and seek under a blanket in the middle of the room. Everyone can already see you, turn it up!" HeavyDevy and the people he works with are treasures to this world.
@@andersschrder4446 A new world has been unveiled for me: I was curious as to who this person was and, as I was about to research the name, I did remember Nickelback's frontman was Chad K-something, but surely that couldn't be him, right? Not in a million years. W-o-w. And now I just finished watching Devin talking (really nicely) about Chad elsewhere on YT. Thanks, quite the revelation!
In 1993 I purchased the new @stevevaihimself album, expecting the usual guitar greatness. But little did I know, I would be getting so much more! 30 years later @dvntownsend is still blowing me away.
I've seen Devin a few times on stage, and apart from his unique musical talent, he is always the most hilarious guy! Anytime the music is in a break, he is saying something very funny. What a personality.
I think it's kinda sad too.... he is too modest to be able to accept that people are willing to pay for his hard work. Yet he does this for a living, he needs an income like everybody else, right?
Usually I'm not a fan of "celebrity interviews", but this came across as more of us being a fly on the wall, and listening to the two of you talk just about stuff. It was very refreshing and genuine. Thank you for bringing us along.
Devin is fantastic. And I can't help but think based on this interview and his talking that something bad happened to him as a kid. And if that's the case, I wish he wouldn't worry about it. Because we all love him.
I think sometimes that if you get to do what you love and be successful to support a family that might just come with it. I think I was most bitter and shitty when I wasn't happy with my station in life. If I got to do what I love and earn enouh to keep doing it until I die I'd be zen af, promise! :D
This is probably the most inspiring, interesting, deep conversation I have heard for a long time. How aware Devin is about his feelings and how he deals with it is mindblowing. Thanks both of you for this.
This man is so authentic and bold... He is great expressing the difficulty of growing and living and managing all our own shit...and he produces great pieces of art from within... He is making it.
Given how his mind seems to work, would be no surprise if it happened. He once needed a certain soprano tone and that's how we got Floor Jansen singing a few notes on Pandemic..
Just seen Devin perform live in Bristol last night on the Lightwork tour, I guess I got the middle shows because he sounded ridiculously good! Been listening to the setlist for days in the run up and he sounded better live than on the studio recordings! One of the best gigs I've been to :D
Great chat! For non-hardcore Devy fans if you found this thought provoking, deep or just enjoyable I *highly* recommend you go listen to his podcast where he's been retrospectively going over his albums one by one and the thought process behind them, where he was in his life, how he thinks about them now etc. They're fascinating pieces of introspection and thoughts on the human condition.
@@Crabfather it’s on all the usual podcast platforms. He uploaded most of them to his RU-vid channel too. Just called ‘Devin Townsend Podcast’ - there 14 episodes/albums covered so far, would recommend starting with the first episode as the Devin back then he talks about is a world away from the guy you see now.
Devin is the greatest.. I've loved his music since he started and as the more interviews I see, the more I realise why his music resonates so much with me. This is a fantastic interview.
I hope Devin knows that his entertainer identity is not tied to screaming.I enjoy the personality and presence. The fact that I was very entertained by this interview is evidence enough for me.
His cleans are quite powerful, he certainly could shift gears to gentler material or speak style poetry (Leonard Cohen style) or whatever "cultivates self love".
Devin Do not scream just because he can, but because it serve a purpose in the song. I see Devin's work as a contiunous search of improvement. I hope he continue to impress us for years to come!
I think as long as he can use it as "punctuation" in ways that don't feel like self-exploitation, it would be smart for him to have at least some fry/screaming during performances especially for older songs. But it sounds like it would be healthy for him to put out more albums with a lower scream/song ratio so he can phase out the scream-intesive performances long-term.
Damn, when Devin Townsend basically opens himself up and you are like "hmm, I'm not the only one who does that" loved this so much, it helped me feel normal.
Oh wow of all the hundreds of music reactors who made Devin Townsend reactions, I'm blown away that Devin finally did an interview with one of them !! And not a bad one 😃
Honestly, I think most of the 'deserving' reaction channels are vocal focused now. There are some quality channels focusing on other things but the vocal channels are adding so very much to the enjoyment of the performance and don't just play the song/video start to finish without saying much... Excellent choice Devy.
@@Rosannasfriend oh I know, I really like Anna Vaskelainen and Christi Bovee and Jennifer Glatzhofer and Jess McKenzie and...well a lot of them. But I don't know that any of them sang one of the hardest pieces in opera perfectly for a top royal European competition. So like there's sing and there's S I N G. It is unfair tho that Floor Jansen reacted to herself! Now she is the reactor who can S. I. N. G.
I have never heard an artist advising you to not bother buying their stuff. The humility is beautiful. A genius and a gentleman. Thanks for a wonderful interview, Elizabeth, and for your reaction videos. Thoroughly enjoying your channel. First heard DT opening for, strangely enough, DT (Dream Theater) in Amsterdam earlier this year. Can't get enough of him now. We'd love to send you some free books from our SFF collection (Temple Dark Books), if you're interested. Take care.
Thank you! I'm a bit late to the party but that interview was awesome. I'm from Vancouver too and Devin is a legend in these parts. I saw him in a club in the 90s with maybe 10 other people in the audience on a Wednesday night I think? Crazy.
The HONESTY and transparency that Devin has is sooooooo refreshing and inspirational to me. You go Devy,...you GO buddy!! Absolutely FACINATING!!! Congrats Elizabeth on this truly superb interview!
The idea of an interview is horribly contrived and restrictive. It comes from old media. Newspapers and television. RU-vid has allowed conversations, instead of interviews. People trash Joe Rogan, but what he does is the template for the modern era. Turn the camera on, relax and have an interesting conversation.
Huge Devy fan... Don't know how I missed this. His unabashed dedication to his own creative process is exactly what has kept me here for so many years. He un-apologetically gives us something epic and new with every turn.
An hour and a half! That is not just an interview - that sounds like the start of a friendship. Great job in knowing how to abandon the questions and let the conversation steer itself.
No, that's an interview with Devin Townsend. It takes 45+ minutes from him to order a freaking pizza that never arrives because the pizza maker had a sudden existential crisis, quit and traveled to Nepal.
First comment ever on RU-vid, so 16 years ... Best interview I have ever seen. No BS. Thank you Elizabeth and Devin. My daughter is on the spectrum and LOVES singing, and this conversation means so much to me. Thank you to both of you so much.
Great discussion and awesome tips from about @25:38. 'Treat and love your voice as a person', that one hit me hard in a good way. Very, very helpful, thank you!
I discovered Devin and Elizabeth at about the same time. I was terribly sick with Covid-19 and listening to his performances and her analysis videos helped my spirit be sustained while my body healed. So thank you to both. I’m a fan for life because, in away you guys helped me heal.
Exactly the same here, I knew of Devin, but nearly dying from Covid makes gives you time to go out, find things, and appreciate them with a new lease of life, and a new sense of awareness.
Devon seems so nice and chill! He can stay at my place in Sweden anytime! 😊 Also, he's humble enough to ask advice and take in the information, I'm NOT saying Elizabeth isn't qualified, but that must have felt awesome? If he asked me for advice I would have started crying lol! It's Devin ffs😍
I appreciate immensely Devin's candor. Anytime I hear him talking openly he always says something that causes me to self reflect. His podcast has been great for this reason. Well done interview!
Holy cow! I never knew that Devin is such sweet, sincere, open, considerate, intelligent and sensitive person. Just as Elizabeth has her amazing gift of expression, there is also so much that can be directly read/felt from just watching Devin's face. Seriously wise words coming from his mouth too. Honestly, just watching this interview already feels like a privilege.
Go listen to his podcast series on his youtube channel where he reflects on each of his albums. They're really amazing and really exposes that side of him.
Saw Devin on tour in L.A. after the release of Transcendence. He had a cold and told us that right from the get-go and apologized if he wouldn't be able to sing well. Even with a cold, he was still amazing. He was better than almost anyone else that could have been on stage. What a showman.
The same thing happened when I saw him in stockholm, yet after the set I thought to myself that he was probably the best live singer Id ever heard, and I go to a lot of concerts!
I totally agree about the rain and dark days. I love the winter and the dark short wet days, the trees with no leaves and snow. I find a certain peace and almost relief from the 'world' if you will from it and in it.
didnt know you lived in arizona! everything i had seen about you always referenced to LA(or somewhere in california) now just gained a whole new level of respect and appreciation! - Cheers!
as a side note, what a wonderful interview. so many life lessons to take away from this. not just vocally. i wasnt expecting devin to be so open and honest about these things and what a pleasant surprise. especially when he said he "loathes small talk"... phenomenal job elizabeth.. and devin. what a guy. so well spoken, so relatable. gained a new fan for sure.
Wow, a totally engrossing interview with Devin, what an incredible human being he is...warm, intelligent, funny and very humble. Well done on this one Elizabeth you really managed to get into the nuts & bolts of what makes DT tick, really hope you get the chance to sit down and chat with him again at some point in the future 10/10 👍🏻
Absolutely perfect interview from both parties.Been a Devin fan for years but Elizabeth’s questions,appreciation and respect was fantastic and am absolutely loving her discovery and journey through metal,much love
Being from the region near the polar circle in Sweden, it warms me to hear I´m not the only one that finds comfort in that kind of climate :) Not many people, I´ve found, does that. Love this personal talk. Keep it up!
Jag åxå! Fast jag bor ju här, och det är en fördel om man uppskattar klimatet där man bor. Men jag misstänker att jag är stationerad en bit söder om dig (bor i Uppsala).
@@kirbys1370 yeah yeah, I've watched this video at least 5 times hahahaha and also the first video that she was with the octopus behind her, I remembered immediately 😆
Devin talking about his loyal fans appreciating his authenticity is no joke, I love anything he puts out that is from his soul at that time, not what he thinks people want. I've listen to him move from one end of the spectrum to the other and have absolutely loved every step of the adventure and eagerly look forward to his future work.
This struck me as well. He genuinely enjoyed speaking to Elizabeth and they made several connections within the guise of an "interview". There was reciprocal respect....I thoroughly enjoyed this!
YES!! I can't wait to watch this interview! Giddy Elizabeth is such a mood. I wonder if she'll start giggling like a schoolgirl in front of Devin just like she does when she watches his performances ;P
I'm really happy that you got an interview with Mr Townsend. He's a special kind of music genius. Add to that your very interesting reaction to his "Kingdom" video when you analyzed it. I feel that you got somewhat "charismaed" by him back then. =) Great relaxed interviw BTW.
I don't know what I was expecting from this interview but I certainly wasn't expecting something so touching emotionally. I didn't expect to relate with Devin so much, he's so down to earth and humble. Great interview, thank you. :)
In my personal opinion, Hevy Devy is one of the most talented songwriters and performers in music. I’ve been a fan since he performed on the Sex & Religion album.
It's always such a joy to listen to Devin speak. His honesty and self reflection is super interesting. A true artist. Thank you Elizabeth for creating this cool relaxed atmosphere for the interview 😊
