Mike Portnoy interview (excerpts)

StageShottz Magazine: Let’s discuss your first real connection with music and what connects you today.

Mike Portnoy: My first real connection with music had to have been when I was 2 weeks old. I have been surrounded by music from the day I was born. My dad was a rock and roll DJ and he was literally surrounding me with The Beatles, and The Stones, The Who, Zeppelin all of that from literally day one. I have pictures of me eating out of a cereal bowl next to a Mickey Mouse record player with little 45’s with apples on it, which of course is The Beatles. I guess that’s my earliest memory.

SSM: What connects you still?

MP: Well nothing has changed. I’m still that zero year old kid eating cereal and listening to The Beatles! I’m just going to be 48 now. (chuckles) My beard has grown.

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SSM: You have always said that you did not want to just be “the guy behind the drums.” Tell me why that is so important for you.

MP: It’s just my personality. I’m very outgoing, an extrovert, a control freak. I’m OCD so it’s just my personality. I can’t sit quietly in the back. The first time I saw Keith Moon play, I pointed at the screen and said “that’s what I want to do.” I had been a Who fan my whole life but I had not seen him on screen until The Kids Are Alright in movie theatres in 1979. There was this drummer who you couldn’t take your eyes off of. He was captivating. I wanted to be that type of drummer. I don’t care about technique. I have kind of been pigeon held as a technical drummer since I was in Dream Theatre for all those years but it’s actually very far from the truth. I am not a technical drummer at all. I’m more from the Keith Moon/Lars Ulrich school of “hey, look at me!” I just get up there and bash. I have no interest in playing “perfect.” To me, it’s more about being an entertainer. Having a connection with the audience.

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SSM: The last question I have is one I ask anyone because the answers are always so interesting. Tell me about the coolest musical experience you have ever had.

MP: I have been blessed with so many, but 4 come to mind. One was being invited to Frank Zappa’s house by Joe Travers who runs the vault, and Gail Zappa, God rest her soul, to spend the afternoon going through the vault. Joe let me listen to anything I wanted. He let me go into Frank’s office. That was like being invited to go to The Dakota by Yoko Ono! Another was back in ’95 drinking a bottle of Jagermeister with Jimmy Page in Germany. Just me and him, in my dressing room drinking a bottle of Jager. It was amazing. Next is any of my experiences with Neil Peart. We have become friends over the years and he has always been my hero. It even says in my high school year book “will become the next Neil Peart!” The fact that he sends me gifts, pictures of he and his daughter, anytime he’s in town he invites me out. One of the most gracious host ever, and I have so much respect for that man. I cherish, honor and value that friendship with him. Finally I got a chance to interview Nick Mason in 2006 and he invited me to Madison Square Garden where he was playing with Roger Waters. They were playing “Dark Side Of The Moon.” I was literally sitting there at sound check while they went through “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” It was pretty intense.