Mike Portnoy Leaves Dream Theater

A

acwild

Experienced
From his Facebook page;

Wednesday September 8th 2010

I am about to write something I never imagined I'd ever write:


After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater....the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.

To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision...it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so....

After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater...

Please don't misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them...it's just that I think we are in serious need of a little break...

Dream Theater was always my baby...and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985...24/7, 365...never taking time off from DT's never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was "off" between cycles)...working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band...

But I've come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out...and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired.

We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a "hiatus" to recharge our batteries and "save me from ourselves"...


Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather...I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be...


While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way...so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes....

Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about "always following your heart and being true to yourself"...sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater...and I would simply be "going through the motions", and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.

I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come...I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played....

I'm sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world...I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work...I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)...but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within....

You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me....(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!)

Sadly...
Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,
MP
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:shock:
 
Wow, that was definitely unexpected. I can sympathize, though. I've been running my company for 17 years and there are times I want to move to Bali and just rest for a decade. Running a band for 25 years can't be much different.
 
He is very very talented but I always had the feeling he might be kind of a douche actually. But this does not detract from his abilities and talents. Just glad I don't have to go home with him LOL!
 
JeffinSoCal said:
He is very very talented but I always had the feeling he might be kind of a douche actually.
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+1 I almost puked reading that crap. If he had said "I" one more time I probably would have. He makes it sound like he was a one man band. Perhaps now without his "leadership" the band can take a new, fresh approach to being the really great cutting edge band they once were.
 
t0aj15 said:
Perhaps now without his "leadership" the band can take a new, fresh approach to being the really great cutting edge band they once were.
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and please, don't focus on showing they can play
 
I'm surprised but I'm not surprised.

One of the main criticisms of DT in recent years was that Portnoy and Petrucci had taken too much control over the band and that they were not nearly as dynamic and creative as back in the early and mid 90's when they were receiving strong contributions from all members. Portnoy always claimed that the reason for this was because that was how the band functioned best and that it made the most sense.

I think the fact that the band was so willing to carry on without him shows that the other members did not necessarily agree with Portnoy's point of view. I think the band might get a lot more democratic in his absence and I'll be eager to see more contributions from Labrie, Rudess, and Myung.

Also, when you look at it financially I can see how the idea of an extended "break" might bug the other guys. Portnoy is probably getting a nice hefty check from his Avenged Sevenfold gig and meanwhile the other guys in the band are not pulling in much cash because they're not touring or working. Then he comes back to them and tells them to continue to not pull in any cash while he recharges his batteries. I don't blame them for moving on.
 
t0aj15 said:
JeffinSoCal said:
He is very very talented but I always had the feeling he might be kind of a douche actually.
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+1 I almost puked reading that crap. If he had said "I" one more time I probably would have. He makes it sound like he was a one man band. Perhaps now without his "leadership" the band can take a new, fresh approach to being the really great cutting edge band they once were.
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I see your point but the fact is that Dream Theater would never happen if it wasn't for Portnoy. I think Petrucci and Myung, who've always been pretty humble despite their huge success, needed a strong personality, energy and driving force like Portnoy. That said, after all these years maybe they are ready for some reordering.

I've been a fan for many years so to me this is a sad day. Still looking forward to follow DT in the future and I hope this eventually will bring something positive to the band as well.
 
IMO - and dont get me wrong, I am a DT fan, They havent floored me since the 90's. I would have liked to have seen them go on hiatus and get that "hungry vibe" back. I think that is what Portnoy is experiencing with Avenged Sevenfold. They are hungry and had to fill a void of a lost brother. Mike can go into this gig and just play and write and not be a control freak.
 
He'll be back. They might even try a different drummer for a little while, but it simply is not DT sans Portnoy.

If they can get off their butts and write some good songs (not shredscapes), MP hay get excited about it again. Can't say I blame him.
 
I was shocked at first too but then I realized MP is getting a lot of money from A7. A7 guys probably make him feel younger too while DT makes him feel like an old geek. (it is quite geeky music isn't it?) IMO he can't justify leaving the band with the fact that he is OCD with his music. That's his own problem so he can't blaim others. Sure I sense some selfishness from MP and jealousy from other DT members for not being in a #1 ranked Billboard band. TBH that Thomas Lang guy is way more interesting than MP.

If it was up to me I would've replaced LaBrie and Rudess while we're at it.
 
I don't blame him whatsoever. The longest I've been able to hang in a full-time, touring band was 4 years. It's so intense, there are so many interpersonal dynamics, and you're together all the time...on the road you work together, live together, travel together. The little personal frictions really become magnified. I BADLY needed a break at the end of 4 years. 25 years? Please. That's an amazing run. So he can get the break he needs and still have a nice gig with A7? Sounds like he made the right decision. I will miss seeing him with DT though.
 
AdamCook said:
I'm surprised but I'm not surprised.

One of the main criticisms of DT in recent years was that Portnoy and Petrucci had taken too much control over the band and that they were not nearly as dynamic and creative as back in the early and mid 90's when they were receiving strong contributions from all members. Portnoy always claimed that the reason for this was because that was how the band functioned best and that it made the most sense.

I think the fact that the band was so willing to carry on without him shows that the other members did not necessarily agree with Portnoy's point of view. I think the band might get a lot more democratic in his absence and I'll be eager to see more contributions from Labrie, Rudess, and Myung.

Also, when you look at it financially I can see how the idea of an extended "break" might bug the other guys. Portnoy is probably getting a nice hefty check from his Avenged Sevenfold gig and meanwhile the other guys in the band are not pulling in much cash because they're not touring or working. Then he comes back to them and tells them to continue to not pull in any cash while he recharges his batteries. I don't blame them for moving on.
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+1000

seeing them live twice & in their dvds is one facet of the awesome talents in the band. their dedication & effort clearly shows. but watching commentaries, making-ofs, interviews, etc. gives a full picture of how tenuous their situation has become over the years, at least to me under the surface. i love their music; each album is its own galaxy of creativity, but as adam points out, perhaps getting stuck in too much of a control-struggle is not the best for any artist. even if mp was investing effort willingly, he still has to do what's "right" for him. it's unfortunate that this had to happen and i wouldn't say it was either inevitable or avoidable--that's up to him and the rest of dt.

it's just like watching two mutual friends in a relationship break up...i wish it didn't have to happen, but i just have to accept this is the way it is. forcing things either way wouldn't make it any better; berating either party for their actions & decisions won't get them back together or make them feel any better. i think time will be the judge whether this was the best option after all.

needless to say this is still a shocker! :eek:
 
Clark Kent said:
If it was up to me I would've replaced LaBrie and Rudess while we're at it.
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I have always liked LaBrie and had to defend him against insults of all kinds :D

But I fully agree as far as Rudess is concerned, he never did it for me. When he unpacked the "circus sound" for the first time, I felt violated in a way.

Liked Kevin Moore, but even more I liked Sherinian. He seemed to get a good bashing at the time (and still I sometimes feel I must be one of two or three people who thought he was great in DT), just as FII was not well received generally, but for me, he was definitely the most fun and interesting keyboard player they had so far.
 
Surprised, shocked, saddened a little ... but not too much! I mean, they can find a capable drummer I'm sure. It's not like say, one of the guys in Rush quitting, getting sick etc. Now they really are irreplaceable!

About Rudess: When he joined DT, I thought "oh great! Someone else who can shred robotically at mind-numbing speeds!" :(
I'm not trying to trash Petrucci with that statement either - he has come up with some absolutely brilliant sounds and melodies over the years. Anybody else love the "Under a Glass Moon" solo?

and if I hear one more melodramatic piece about a lonely misunderstood girl, or a dude-we're-soooooo-heavy section like that pitch-shifted spoken bit in "A Nightmare to Remember"... Fony!
I didn't get the same vibe from "Dark Eternal Night", which struck me as some great riffing and a sense of humor.

My favorite DT of the past decade is still the first disc of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance. And, almost my least favorite is the second disc of that one, go figure!
 
I spoke to mike today, he said he quit because John refused to use his axefx on the A rig.....
 
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