various Mike Portnoy comments

comment: I know DT tries to be as progressive as possible, I’m guessing that includes the tours getting progressively smaller and smaller. Dream Theater is a studio band to me.

MP: That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard (well, not quite...but close!) We have got to be one of the hardest touring bands in the business. (especially for a band 20 years into its career – and with 5 wives and 11 children sitting at home)

We have been on the road since last June pretty heavily and have tried to visit as many cities in the world as we can. That’s about 10 months of travelling and who knows how many 100’s of thousands of miles... If we can’t make it to your city in those 10 months, perhaps YOU can get off your butt and see a show someplace else.

Just to be clear: The omission of certain cities in an itinerary isn’t ONLY due to lack of offers from promoters, etc. as everybody thinks. There are MANY variables involved in booking a tour.

In some cases, we did have workable offers from promoters in Kansas, Texas, Florida, Seattle, Timbucktoo, Bumf*ck Iowa, etc... But routing is another issue that needs to be considered (it takes X amount of time to get us, our crew, our gear and our production from point A to point B) and of course all shows need to be worked out in a way that makes sense geographically...

Another variable is the length of a leg... Being we all do have families at home that we miss dearly, there are certain members that do not want to stay away for more than X amount at a time per leg. And there’s only a certain amount of shows you can play in X amount of time. (in fact, this last leg is already longer than certain members initially agreed to in order to make the Central America shows happen)

And finally, we have made a major effort on this tour to play in places that have NEVER seen us and have been waiting FOREVER for a DT show. So inevitably when we add places like Bogota, San Juan, Guadalajara, Caracas, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. to our travels it means we may not have time in a leg to get to some other cities.

The moral of the story is...we try our best to cover the globe in the time available...and I think we do a damn good job. Look at some of your other favorite band’s itineraries and maybe you’ll appreciate all the road work we do to play as many places as possible...

If we’re not playing your city (Kurt), try doing 1/1000th of the traveling we do and come see a show someplace else... Of course, somebody will argue we’ll “I can’t afford it”....and then maybe then you’ll understand our variable #1 listed above (the “promoter variable”)

That’s it from me...

Hope to see the rest of you on the road

comment: I sure wish we could get an LTE DVD.

MP: I wish you could too...

But a certain label (who shall remain nameless) would sue me if I ever dared release anything...

Pretty pathetic...

comment: Back vocals are his limit. Even at that, I don’t think he should be doing them. He was horribly off key during fatal tragedy on LSFNY.

I’d rather hear Jordan doing backing vocals. I like JP’s very much.

MP: ugh...haven’t we been through this particular harmony before on the Forum?

If you are referring to the incredibly flat lower harmony on “There can be no turning back”....that is JP’s vocal (whose you like very much)...not mine!

Why do I always get blamed for that one?

PS – those Spirit Carries On and Anna Lee vocal “leads” were not for real, they were completely joking...so please don’t take those seriously....

comment: I was thinking mike should pull a nick d’virgilio a sing a dt song as lead and maybe john and james as backup. I think that’s be cool

MP: Now that you know I’m lurking, please...there’s no need to kiss my butt with compliments!

If you have the MP-Live At Budokan Drum Cam DVD, you can hear my isolated vox on the 2nd audio track and hear the extent of them through a normal DT show (which is a lot – maybe more than most realize)

Don’t worry, I have no interest in pulling a NDV and doing any “real” lead vox in DT as some of you are suggesting. I’m very happy with the capacity I currently handle and I know my limitations...

But I have already had certain “lead” moments in DT songs (The Glass Prison, War Inside My Head/The Test, ACOS: Carpe Diem, Octavarium: Full Circle & Intervals, etc.) and many songs where mine and James are doubled/harmonized through the entire piece (New Millennium, Panic Attack, etc.)

Not to mention many “lead” moments in Yellow Matter Custard (Nowhere Man, Wait, Lovely Rita, Think For Yourself, etc.) and TransAtlantic (In Held Twas In I, Stranger In Your Soul, Suite Charlotte Pike, Shine On You Crazy Diamond)

comment: on the topic of ‘who wants to come’ – is it MEANT to have a double meaning (as in, the craps term ‘come’ and the sexual term) or do I just have a dirty mind?

MP: It was an intentional double meaning on the phrase “Who wants to come?” (I purposely placed it that way in opposite speakers on the CD and in split screens on the video)

The two brothers are simultaneously indulging in their separate obsessions (one is out gambling, drinking, etc. while the other is cheating with his girl back at home – and both are about to “come”)

Pretty much my entire lyrics to Home are dealing with this stage of the love triangle. (one verse & chorus each is from Julian’s, Edward’s and Victoria’s different perspectives on what “Home” is to them...)

MP: Hi all,

I am writing this from a hotel room in Miami on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, our connection for our flight to Bogota today was missed due to a major delay out of San Juan Puerto Rico. (there was an iguana on the runway that caused a 2-hour delay....I sh*t you not!!)

As a result, we did not arrive in Bogota this evening as expected and I will not be able to make my in-store appearance tomorrow afternoon as planned.

We have done everything in our power to still make sure we will make it to Bogota to play tomorrow evening’s show (ourselves and the crew will have barely slept to be able to pull it off), but unfortunately this means missing my autograph appearance.

Once we have spoken to the dealer, we will determine if it is to be completely cancelled or rescheduled for Monday. When I know, you’ll know....

I apologize to all our disappointed fans... But hey, at least the iguana is OK! OK time to get some sleep...

Q: Some countries get the “budget” edition of a DT concert?

MP: This topic is also a bit frustrating for us as well...

Just for the record, the cities on this [2005-2006] World Tour that got the scaled down shows are:

-- Buenos Aires, Argentina
-- Sao Paulo, Brazil
-- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
-- Santiago, Chile
-- Caracas, Venezuela
-- Taipei, Taiwan
-- Hong Kong
-- Bangkok, Thailand
-- Singapore
-- San Juan, Puerto Rico
-- Bogota, Colombia
-- Guadalajara, Mexico
-- Mexico City, Mexico
-- Monterrey, Mexico

The reality is that it has taken us extremely long to get to play a lot of these new territories because our overhead to do a “normal” show is very high and most of the promoters in these countries are scared or unwilling to pay us what we would normally need to cover our asses as we are an “unknown entity” (for them) in some of these markets.

For many years, we refused to sacrifice or compromise our show because some local promoters didn’t have faith in us or our audience...but finally on this tour, we decided to bite the bullet and create a scaled down version of our show (aka our “B-rigs”) in order to get into some of these new markets and prove ourselves to these promoters.

It turns out the risk was totally worth it as all of these “B-rig” shows ended up being HUGE successes (in most cases, even the biggest and best shows of the tour!) and the promoters were all blown away by the tremendous success of the shows.

Hopefully that will now enable us to “open up” these markets for future tours where we can bring most if not all of our gear and production when coming through next time.

It’s funny that thread was posted today as I was just saying to the guys last night after our show in Puerto Rico that most of the biggest and best shows of the tour were the ones where we had our smallest show and that it’s strange to think that we’ll play a 2,000 seat theater in the US with our full production....but play to 20,000 people in Santiago with a bare stage!

Thanks to all of our new friends in these countries, the shows were all spectacular and their incredible enthusiasm will get us back again in the future. (hopefully with the Albino Monster, spinning keyboard stands and modular system, guitar foot rests, video and light shows, spinning dragons and flying monkeys all in tow!)

MP: Let me just say this has been 24 (or 30) hours from HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After having to spend the night in Miami, we all slept for about 4 hours and awoke to 3:30AM wake up calls to leave for the airport for a 6:15 flight... (which was horrible enough in itself)

Upon arriving back to the airport at 4:30AM, we find out the 6:15 flight to Bogota was cancelled and the next flight wouldn’t be until 10AM!!!! We then spent the next 6 hours this morning sitting in Miami airport completely out of our heads and dead tired.

We finally got in the air and arrived here in Bogota at around 2:30 this afternoon...after spending an hour on line at immigration, we finally get to baggage claim only to find out my 2nd suitcase is missing! Under normal conditions that would be not so hard to believe....but inside my missing suitcase are the MASTER TAPES of the upcoming Ytsejam releases that I was going to be sending into production next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everybody out there, please say a prayer this bag shows up on the next flight tonight....

We finally cleared customs and got out of the airport. (sorry to any fans that were waiting at the airport....please understand we are BEYOND zombies at the moment)

At this moment, the crew is now at the venue trying to get the show up so we can still pull it off. (Normally they would load in sound, lights and backline at 9am – today’s load in will be 4pm!) The doors were supposed to open at 6pm, but that is obviously not going to happen (even though the police are currently insisting)

Hopefully this will all end nicely and tonight’s show will rock, but I must say this has been a nightmare 2 days and we are all totally BEYOND FRIED.

MP: We did it!

The crew got the entire stage up and running in 2 hours (a job that usually takes roughly 7!) and we were able to do the show. And it ROCKED!!!!

The Colombian fans did not let us down and made the entire ordeal worth it! A totally sold-out show with 5,000 crazy DT fans. We were exhausted, but they helped bring the best out of us...

And the best news of all: My suitcase (with the new Ytsejam Masters tapes) showed up while we were on stage.....so you’ll get the next wave after all!

OK...enough of our soap opera...unpinning the thread and time for sleep!

MP: We regret to announce that we have been forced to cancel our Salt Lake City show. Bad weather & travelling conditions have made it impossible for our trucks to get to Salt Lake City in time to play the show. We are truly sorry about this and are surely as disappointed as the fans as the show was sold out and we haven’t played for our fans there in over 5 years. DT

comment: I’m a little confused, though. The weather really hasn’t been very bad. It started snowing this morning around 9:00 or so, and it was pretty much done by 1:00 PM. In fact, right now the roads are clear and it’s sunny.

MP: Most of the roads between California and Utah are closed. Our trucks spent 2 hours last night trying to get up (and then back down) an icy hill...

comment: Any chance of rescheduling the show for some time this year?

MP: sorry...I wish we could but the tour is all over after April 1st in NYC....

MP: We regret to announce that we’ve been forced to cancel tomorrows show in Detroit.

James is not feeling well and we fear that by doing a 4th show in a row, he’ll push himself over the edge and endanger the remaining shows on the tour (and most importantly, the DVD shoot in NYC in 2 weeks)

We are truly sorry to disappoint all of our great fans in Detroit and to have gotten their hopes up (as we only confirmed this show a few weeks ago). We had hoped to pull off 4 in a row (which we normally never do on an “Evening With” tour), but it doesn’t seem meant to be this time....

The local promoter will announce details on refunds soon...

MP: Without going into too much detail (I promised myself and my family some rest and time away from the computer), I have to THANK all of you in attendance last night at Radio City Music Hall for helping to make last night’s show one of the most incredible evenings of my life. Of the hundreds of shows (maybe thousands at this point?) that we’ve done through the years, never before have I been moved on stage as much as I was last night. There were several points in the night where I was literally brought to tears by the power and emotion in the air. I just wanted to thank our AMAZING fans from all over the world that helped make last night so electric and magical from start to finish....you guys were the ULTIMATE audience last night! We always dreamed of playing with an Orchestra one day and last night’s performance surpassed my wildest expectations. Jamshied Sharifi (our beloved arranger & conductor) and the incredible musicians behind us rose to the occasion and lifted our music to a whole new orgasmic level. I cannot wait to share this evening with all of you that weren’t able to attend via the upcoming DVD and CD sets that I will be working on in the coming months.(No rest for the wicked...or at least me!) I truly believe last night was the PINNACLE of our 20 year career thus far and an incredible ending to the latest chapter in DT history. How the hell will we top it??????????? Give me some time, and I’ll think of something!

comment: [after quoting a DT.net post] That’s from http://www.mbrauer.com/ so it looks like “Live at Radio City” is the title.

MP: Not correct...that was probably just his working title for the project... For the record, we are NOT allowed to use the venue’s name in the CD/DVD title... (but I wasn’t planning on naming it that anyways!)

MP: Shortly before he [Kevin Gilbert] died, I was actively speaking with Kevin Gilbert about producing DT’s next CD... I had sent him demos of some of the FII tracks and I still have the phone message he left for me a few days before he died.

I am convinced I would have worked with him in some capacity had he lived...(perhaps TransAtlantic?)

I was (am) a huge fan of his work and his death was a sad tragedy and a major loss for music fans.

MP: Yes I can confirm this DVD will have The Glass Prison and Panic Attack filmed in Montreal.

I did indeed originally intend on using The Glass Prison and Honor Thy Father but there was a major mix-up which prevented HTF from being filmed (so much for best laid plans...)

So I chose to include Panic Attack instead (which therefore kept it off my RCMH setlist knowing it would be on this DVD)

Also, the entire version of Cemetery Gates will be included in the documentary (at least it was on the version I approved...hopefully Dave kept it intact...)

comment: I figured Panic Attack wasn’t on the RCMH setlist because MP knew it’d be on the fanclub DVD, but this makes sense too.

MP: Actually, I picked the songs to be included on the Fan Club DVD based on offering songs that I knew wouldn’t likely be on the RCMH DVD. Trust me, I’m always thinking!

comment: How was the title “Score” decided?

MP: Like 90% of the ideas and decisions: I thought of it, the others liked it...so let it be done!

(BTW – that’s not a knock on the other guys or a toot of my own horn...just the reality of the process...)

comment: Why would they choose The Great Debate and Honor Thy Father as extras [on Score]? What’s so important about those songs?

MP: I chose the bonus live tracks based on songs that haven’t previously been on any of our DVD’s... I’d think that would be a criteria that is “important”... (I’m sure so many of your other favorite bands always take that into consideration as I always do...)

MP: Thanks for your concerns and comments [regarding being fined $30,000 for going over 3 minutes at the Score show]...

Here’s the facts:

--- Yes, the unions in NYC are especially strict and tough (we get this in all the big venues in NYC we’ve played: Jones Beach, Beacon Theater, The Theater at MSG). However, Radio City was *especially* strict for some reason. (and we knew this going in..)

--- Yes, the fine for going over the 11pm curfew was $10,000 per minute. And we stepped off the stage at 11:03 and were fined $30,000.

I was made aware during Octavarium of how close it was getting and you’ll see us running off for the encore and pretty quickly run back for Metropolis to get going as quickly as possible. You also can see us running to move on and off stage super quickly for the bow – I even forgot to take my inner ear monitors out!

I had timed the set to fit the 3 hour allotment perfectly, but a delay at the start of the show and a delay to begin the 2nd set caused the 3 minute overage...

--- Although the union *did* in fact hit us with the $30,000 penalty, the promoter and the manager of RCMH were so cool to split the expense and cover it out of their profits so we wouldn’t have to pay it ourselves. (they were very happy with the show!)

--- In addition to this penalty, you wouldn’t believe the expenses the RCMH union charged us. Let’s just say, of the (roughly) $600,000 budget for this DVD....almost 1/3 of that money went to the local union to play this show!

To put that in perspective: at all DT gigs, there are union/local crew fees. At a typical show in Anywhere USA, the fees for us at the end of the night may run between $5-10,000... At Radio City, it was in the vicinity of $200,000!!!

So in the end, the DVD may have had to skip an audio commentary – but at least the elevator operator or carpet sweeper at RCMH will be able to put their grandkids through college!

--- Now mind you, *I AM NOT COMPLAINING* – this is the way things are and we knew this going in.....

There is a reason you can’t name many live DVD’s shot at Radio City Music Hall or Madison Square Garden (can you name many? I can’t...) It is an incredibly expensive building to play...and especially to record in....but at the end of the day, we wouldn’t have changed a thing as it was a magical evening in a magical venue and it was worth every extra penny. (but it will be sometime – if ever – before we do it again!)

If you really feel sympathetic (as you are all posting), please just BUY the DVD and CD and show Rhino Records that the budget for the project was totally justifiable and give them the further proof that if “we build it – our fans will come!”

comment: Do you guys really think that the other members of DT haven’t heard of Opeth? I highly doubt such a high caliber band would go unnoticed or unlistened to by top-notch musicians who appreciate such good quality music.

MP: Are you implying I’m lying??? OK...In all fairness, James has heard them as I took him along with me to see them live in Finland. But the other guys have indeed NEVER heard them...

How do you know what the other guys would “appreciate”? The fact is, they simply don’t listen to much modern metal at all... I am indeed the only one in the band that follows the scene and listens to this kind of music...

And BTW - they haven’t gone “unnoticed or unlistened to”, as Opeth are one of my favorite modern metal bands.... (see some of my hero of the days posts from the past...) The other guys may not listen to them, but they are surely VERY much “appreciated” by me...

comment: [On the Gigantour DVD] Of course, they dedicated it to Dime, but the screen that came up right after the some said the following: “Dimebag Darrell Williams 1965-2005”

OK, I know I might not be the crunchiest peanut in the turd, but does that seem wrong to anyone else on three different accounts?

I’m a huge Dimebag fan, and for this to go unnoticed and slip through the cracks to make it on the final cut of the DVD is fucking STUPID AT THE ABSOLUTE HIGHEST LEVEL.

If you’re going to pay tribute to a fallen guitar hero, master musician and one of the most \m/etal mother fuckers to ever walk this planet, GET IT RIGHT, DOUCE NOZZLE!!!

RIP, Dime

Dimebag Darrell Lance Abbott

1966-2004

MP: WOW

I did notice all of those errors on the initial version sent to me for “approval” and I sent an extensive email to the director about correcting it...

I am SHOCKED (and embarrassed) that they never did...

Well, at least the performance still made it...

comment: My worry is that people will see this [mistake about Dimebag Darrell’s name on the tribute on the Gigantour DVD] and think it’s Dream Theater’s fault, because it was DT that played the song.....I just don’t want DT bashing because of this, thinking that DT actually messed that up...

MP: That’s EXACTLY my concern as well... I could see the track being posted on YouTube and then *WE* get the bashing for that error as it was our tribute....

This is SOOO LAME....

comment: Octavarium - on the [Score] DVD, why in world didn’t they focus on the video screens showing all the montages of the people being referenced in the “Full Circle” part of the song? Live, this was one of the coolest parts of the song... yet on the DVD, they show almost none of it...

MP: Copyright clearance HELL

For Budokan, I got direct clearance from Gail Zappa to include Frank on the screens... To clear all of the Full Circle images would have taken many months and likely mucho $$...

comment: He has been getting much better, although I still suspect backup vocal overdubs on “I Walk Beside You”

MP: Just for the record, my vocals are COMPLETELY LIVE (no overdubs, no tuning)

MP: Well, as I briefly mentioned in passing a few weeks ago when I did Eddie Trunk’s show, I can now announce the details of this great special issue of Rhythm Magazine I have been working on. (for those of you unaware, Rhythm is a drum magazine from the UK)

I am honored to have been asked to play “guest editor” for this upcoming issue and I was given the opportunity to pick 4 drummers to interview that were influences on me and help shape me as a drummer in my formative years.

The 4 guys I ended up choosing were Neil Peart, Nick Mason, Bill Bruford and Lars Ulrich. (for those of you knowing my love for the Beatles and wondering...yes I did have Ringo on my initial list as well, but Rhythm had just recently done a piece with him, so he was scratched off...)

All 4 guys were totally accommodating, totally cool and totally happy to be on board for the project.

Neil was the first to get together with me as we were able to spent some time together while he was in NYC in September doing some promo for his latest book. (which he so kindly had a personalized copy waiting for me!)

Finally meeting him was really a cool experience as he’s really one of the only drum heroes of mine that I hadn’t met yet through the years. He was totally accommodating and friendly and he opened up to me on everything from his early influences to the writing and recording process in Rush. (and I must admit the “fanboy” in me couldn’t resist having him sign one of my custom drums from my “Cygnus and the Sea Monsters” kit!)

Next up was Nick Mason who was in town to play Dark Side of the Moon live with Roger Waters. I met with him in his dressing room at Madison Square Garden and we chatted for about an hour about stuff ranging from Syd Barrett to performing The Wall live. After we did a photo session together (as I did with Neil as well BTW), he invited me up to the stage to sit with him at his kit for soundcheck.

I must admit it was a pretty surreal experience sitting up there with him and Roger while they ran through “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Comfortably Numb”. Once again, the fanboy in me struck as I just had to have Nick and Roger sign my vinyl copy of The Wall...as it is my favorite album of all time!

Then last week, I got together with Bill Bruford to do our chat and photo session. I’ve known Bill for about 10 years now and he’s always been a totally great guy and always open arms to me. We talked about all of the stages of his career and got into interesting details about his experiences in Yes, King Crimson, Genesis and UK.

And finally, today I wrapped up the “fab 4” by doing a phoner with Lars. (as much as we tried to set up a face to face meeting, it was just impossible to align our schedules as he’s in the studio with Metallica in CA and I am in the studio with DT in NYC)

I’ve also already known Lars for many years now and he’s also always been incredibly cool with me. We talked about everything from the new Metallica sessions to his feelings on the “bad rap” he’s gotten by a lot of drummers through the years.

(And he even told me that DT’s performance of the entire Master Of Puppets back in 2002 had definitely inspired them to do it themselves this past summer!)

As if all of this stuff wont already make an unbelievably cool issue...we rounded out the magazine by having Jason Bittner of Shadow’s Fall interview me. The idea being to have an “up and coming” drummer that I had an influence on bring the whole issue full circle...

It’s really gonna be an incredibly cool special edition that you won’t want to miss and I must say doing the footwork for it has been a true “labor of love” for me.

I must thank Louise King & Jon Cohan from Rhythm and especially the 4 awesome guys who got together with me to make this upcoming issue so unique.

comments: This is based on skill, showmanship and experience. Who is better? Mangini or Portnoy?

MP: I vote for Mangini

comments: For all you guys hoping for InsideOut, I highly doubt it. DT needs tour support, which InsideOut can’t provide at this juncture. I imagine they signed with another major or mid-major that can at least provide the tour support that Atlantic gave them.

MP: Just for the record, we don’t “need” tour support....nor did Atlantic, Elektra or East West ever give us any... We are completely self-sustained financially both on the road and off...our previous label NEVER gave us any money beyond our recording budgets (which is all recooperable anyways)

MP: [Regarding the String Quartet Tribute to DT] I submitted a list of 13 songs to them and they then chose these 8 from my list. (FYI - the other 5 titles I suggested were: Erotomania, Finally Free, Misunderstood, Stream Of Consciousness and Panic Attack - I purposely stayed away from stuff we already did Orchestral arrangements with on Score)

I also wrote the liner notes for the CD as well...

However, the extent of my involvement ends there - I’m as curious to hear this as anybody....

So it should be noted that this isn’t an “official” DT product...but I am supportive of it as they went through the proper channels to include my input and make sure we were OK with it before proceeding (unlike some other releases!!)

comments: From Tony Levin’s Diary

Nov 28 - Miami, recording.

Some new photos at the right: while recording an album in New York I ran into my Liquid Tension Experiment bandmates, who are working on a Dream Theater album. Jorden Rudess had just left the studio when I ran in with my camera to get a shot of myself with Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci.

MP: Do you believe this coming Fall will mark the 10 year anniversary of the first LTE sessions???

Just for the record: I think my initial feelings of no longer being interested in another LTE album because of the similarities to DT with Jordan have finally passed... It’s been long enough now that I think it could indeed be exciting, creative and a lot of fun.

The 4 of us did mention in passing how much fun it would be to someday make some more music together, so as I always say: “Never say never!”

(Unfortunately, there is one obstacle that could make a future LTE album very difficult...and I’ll just say, it is NOT any of the 4 people pictured above!!)