Tico´s mistake in Osaka 2006
 

Was listening to the bootleg..the end of prayer is totally chaos. After the mistake in the last chorus they never get back on track..sounds really strange.

I still think this is because of the fact that they use a backing track. The high notes in the outro chorus after the key change aren't sung by the band live and I've noticed in several shows that Tico has an earpiece in that doesn't look like the standard in-ear monitor that the other guys wear.

As long as Tico keeps time with the backing track, everything's fine but if he steps out of time, there is very little chance of keeping it sounding anywhere near polished.

Maybe I'm wrong as I obviously don't know for sure but I have had my suspicions about this in the past and this would definitely support the theory of the backing track method if they couldn't bring the song back after a mistake.

I don't suppose you have a link to it on youtube or anything?

I would like to hear that too..... link, anyone?

I think it's quite obvious that they do use a backing track for the really high "Whoa Livin' on a prayer" part of the chorus. Richie and Dave used to sing those parts but it's blatently obvious that Richie now mimes that line (yet you can still hear his voice) and Dave surely doesn't sing it on it's own. From watcing performances of LOAP from this tour, none of Jon's vocals, even after the solo, are mimed. It's just that really high part of the chorus.

Agreed. LOAP and IML seem to be the only songs this tour that DEFINETELY, without question, use a backing track. A refreshing change from the Bounce tour where so many damn songs had guitar samples.

It's pretty obvious that ALL the high notes except the refrain before the guitar solo are back tracked and haven't been sung live, at least to my ears, since 87. The "WHOA Livin On a Prayer" parts sound exactly the same in all concerts dating back to then.

So yeah, timing would be particularily crucial.

What parts of IML? The song is so damn slow live I'm surprised they need it. Or do you mean the background "humming" during the chorus?

The drum machine parts and the backing vocals. You can totally hear David singing falsetto loud and clear during some performances and it sounds nothing like the backing vocals. Which would mean it's all coming from Hugh? No way. There's no way they can pull off that big vocal sound with just them.

The backing in Have A Nice Day during the choruses is of a similar structure to that of IML so it'd be interesting to take a look at some live footage of that song and see if they use a bt.

To be fair though, the backing vocals holding the notes in those songs during the choruses are pretty taxing so it's not a surprise that those would be bts purely because of the duration they are held rather than a lack of vocal range amongst the band.