Mike Portnoy Q&A

Question: If you could play with any other band besides Dream Theater, which would it be?

Answer: The hypothetical dream answer is Frank Zappa....to have played for him would have been the ultimate musical challenge and a privilege.

If you’re looking for a “realistic” answer, I think it would be fun to fill-in for Lars Ulrich in Metallica or Neil Peart in Rush for a show.

Question: Looking at your top 10 albums-list, including artists and bands such as The Beatles, The Who, Elton John and David Bowie, how is it that you have generally been playing progressive rock and metal?

Answer: I am a fan of so many kinds of music. It just so happens that some of my favorite albums of all time are “classic rock” albums because those are the albums I grew up with. Of course, I have many favorites that are progressive rock albums and metal albums as well.

When I met John Petrucci and John Myung at Berklee and we formed DT, our common favorites were bands like Rush, Yes and Iron Maiden so that formed the basic “sound” of DT...but because of my broad musical tastes apart from the rest of DT, I could’ve just as easily ended up in a band like Pantera and Lamb Of God or a band like Ben Folds Five and Jellyfish and have been just as happy.

Question: What is your personal view on file-sharing/audio piracy?

Answer: I can see why it bothers many artists and the music industry in general, but as a huge music fan and collector I’d be a hypocrite to say I am against it.

Question: On Dream Theater’s past albums the ending note of the last track would be the starting note on the first track of the next album. On Systematic Chaos this isn’t the case with no such thing linking it to Octavarium. Why did you guys decide to start off fresh and did it have anything to do with your signing to Roadrunner Records?

Answer: No...nothing on the album had anything to do with signing to Roadrunner as we wrote and recorded the album before we decided on what label we were going with...

In answer to your question, the “connecting albums” idea was cool for a while, but then it started to become predictable and as soon as anything becomes predictable, it’s time to change it up....so I purposely connected the end of the Octavarium album to the beginning in order to create a full circle and break the chain... (“trapped inside this Octavarium”)

Question: Given that you have been doing backup vocals for dream theater a lot more now, have you ever toyed with the idea of being a frontman in a side project?

Answer: As much as I enjoy singing and think it works nicely in its current capacity, I have no interest being a frontman....(well I already am a “frontman” in many ways, but I’m happy doing it from behind the drums!)

Question: If there was one thing in the history of the band that you could somehow go back and change or do differently, what is it, and why?

Answer: As far as the history of the band - although there’s been some “down” periods, they’ve all happened for a reason and have ultimately made us stronger...so I don’t think I’d want to re-write any our history. But there are a few minor, anal things that the OCD side of me would’ve changed: for instance, I now regret putting the “Six Degrees” tracks in the Live at Budokan setlist (War/Test and Goodnight Kiss/Solitary Shell) as they ended up being in the Score setlist 2 years later because of the orchestra (I always try to repeat as few songs as possible from live album to live album..)

Question: I know a lot of Dream Theater fans are into Coheed & Cambria because they write good, yet catchy music with a conceptual twist. Since they have an album due out this year, I was wondering if they are a band with whom you would consider touring this year or at some point in the future?

Answer: Actually, now that DT is having opening acts again, I compiled a list of about a dozen bands that I really like and that I think would make for interesting opening acts in the future...and Coheed & Cambria are indeed on that list! In addition to already respecting what they do, they’ve recently added my friend Chris Pennie (formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan) to their line-up, so that’s another reason I’d love to have them out with us someday down the road.

Question: I just wanted to ask what you think of today’s metal acts or anything fairly new such as Slipknot or the brand new Sanctity etc...Thanks!

Answer: I love both the band’s you mentioned (Slipknot and Sanctity). Other metal bands I currently like are Opeth, Lamb Of God, Machine Head, Stone Sour, Trivium, Mastodon...In fact, most of my favorite metal bands happen to be Roadrunner acts! I swear I’m not saying this because we’re signed to them...in fact, it’s quite the contrary...we’re signed to them BECAUSE I really admire their roster!

Question: Hey Mike! I’m Asher and I first listened to DT’s music when I was 13 and now I’m nearly 16. Your music has inspired me and other friends of mine to be better musicians and to be more accepting of other genres, so I thank you for that :) My question is - How did you meet your wife from Meanstreak? How did you end up meeting up with an all female thrash metal band?

Answer: My wife Marlene was originally one of the guitarists in an all-girl thrash band Meanstreak in the late 80’s. Before I even knew Marlene, I used to see them opening for bands like Anthrax, Overkill and Motorhead and they were great. Me and John Petrucci ended up meeting Marlene and Rena (who was Meanstreak’s other guitarist and later became John’s wife) while at the Foundations Forum Metal Convention in LA in 1989 and we’ve been together ever since. A few years later, John Myung ended up hooking up with Meanstreak’s original bassist Lisa, and they also got married. The band broke up around 1995 or so, but we are all now one big happy family!

Question: What is the significance of the Ants on the Systematic Chaos album artwork? Is there a concept on how the title and artwork came together?

Answer: There were already plenty of album covers with Uncles....

Question: In twenty years, do you think that you will be physically able to play all the parts your are laying down today?

Answer: Sure playing these parts is no problem...the question is: will I be able to “hock a loogie” as well as I do today?

Question: In what direction do you think rock music is headed?

Answer: I think the next big thing will be Celtic Bluegrass Trance Jazz Death Prog.

Question: Will Dream Theater be coming to Australia/Mexico/Argentina any time soon?

Answer: Yes, Yes and Yes

Question: Mike, I was wondering if you are at all familiar with Qabalah. Specifically, have you ever seen a painting known as the Bad Teinach altarpiece, located in the Black Forest? It is dated 1673, and was commissioned by Princess Antonia. You can find it here: http://www.levity.com/alchemy/bad_teinach.html

I ask because at the top, you can clearly see the Dream Theater/Majesty symbol, pre-dating its use by Mary Queen of Scots. Coincidence? Or were you aware of the Qabalistic significance? Many Dream Theater lyrics seem to hold Qabalah-like messages, but that might just be my interpretation. Anyway, I hope you found this interesting! All the best, Lewis

Answer: This is the first I’ve ever seen of this....interesting! But merely coincidence...

Question: Hi Mike, I live in Iceland! Would you ever consider making an album with Bjork? Thanks, Ervin.

Answer: I was never a huge fan of Bjork’s music, but I have been impressed with her visual output....mainly some of her videos that Spike Jones directed as well as the film Dancer In The Dark that was directed by a favorite filmmaker of mine, Lars Von Trier.

Question: Which human qualities do you value the most?

Answer: Big pinky toes.

Question: First off I just want to say thanks. DT got me through the tough times in Iraq. I love the new album. I have a question though. I’m from L.I. as well. I’m doing a family tree thing and was just wondering if maybe we’re related. Who are your grandparents? Thanks, Jason Portnoy.

Answer: Mac and Anna Portnoy from Brooklyn who then relocated to Malverne, Long Island. (both now deceased)

If you’re looking for free concert tickets, forget it!!!

Question: Would you allow your music to be used in a video game such as the Guitar Hero or Rock Band series?

Answer: Of Course! We’re just waiting for the offer!

Question: Hey Mike, is it true you might be putting together something with Mikael (from Opeth) and Steve Wilson (from Porcupine Tree)?

Answer: We’ve been talking about it for years now...hopefully it will someday happen. They are both friends of mine and I have a tremendous amount of respect for both of them musically. The 3 of us are 3 of the hardest working musicians in the business, so hopefully our schedules will align sometime before 2025!

Question: Are you planning to do a Liquid Tension Experiment III?

Answer: Anything’s possible. The 4 of us have spoken about it and are all up for it.

Next year marks the 10 year anniversary of the first CD, so perhaps some shows could be fun. But doing another studio album may be tricky as we’ve all had issues with the former label, so I’m not sure how that work out... In the meantime, there is a CD coming out in October of all unreleased, improvised jams by me, Jordan, Tony from the LTE 2 sessions called “Liquid Trio Experiment - Spontanious Combustion”. There is some really cool stuff on there.