Meanwhile, Ozzy is tuning down a FULL step, and many 90s bands are down a half step.
Tuning down isn't ipso facto LAME, but if I'm spending $150 for a ticket, I'd like for my singer (he's working for me during the concert) to keep himself in shape and hit the notes.
So yes. It's not lame. But....Tuning down is a sign of inferior conditioning and not caring about the finishing product. Age takes a toll, and we are all built differently. But if Bruce Dickinson can hit the high notes in regular tuning, some loser in his 40s can hit the gym and hire a voice coach.
Your mileage may vary.
Which is why I didn’t even bother with the last Genesis tour. That is not how I wanted to remember them.
Seriously, do you have perfect pitch? I don’t, so a performer who can hit a note is better than one who is trying to hit the original.