Mike Portnoy interview (excerpt)

Stefan Adika: I’m good friends with Sherinian and I am the guy responsible for the shag [carpeting] and lava lamps.

Mike Portnoy: [laughs] All right, I’m hanging up! You’re probably the guy responsible for Derek being removed from Dream Theater – indirectly!

SA: You know what? I had to make it up to him, because I’m also responsible for another thing. I always felt the guilt. I went with him to see Dream Theater – I think it was the House of Blues – went to his show. Because I’m not a prog guy, I’m like, “This is great, but Derek, were you there?” and it was a whole mockery thing. “I didn’t even see you up there! Didn’t even see you on the stage!” It’s like ‘Me and My Shadow’ – I’m busting his chops. I go, “You need to make it sexy.” He goes, “I do?” I go, “You do.” “What do you mean?” I go, “Get the lava lamps; Starsky and Hutch; bring back the ‘70s. You know, make it sexy! Looking for Mr. Goodbar! Bring some sex to Dream Theater – they’ll love it!”

MP: Yeah, and then he got fired! [laughs] The funniest thing is, the first show we did after Derek was let go, we get over to (I think it was in) France – and sure enough, we open up the wardrobe case, and in the wardrobe case were his platform shoes, his yellow feathered boa, his big Bono yellow glasses and a few other things that have to remain unmentionable. Anyway, we put them on a chair in front of the stage to pay tribute to Derek’s time in the band as we moved on into the next chapter. But he was with us at that first show in spirit with his lava lamps, feathered boa and platform shoes.

SA: I always felt guilty. One day I got a phone call; I go, “I know I’m the reason why you’re not a Dream Theater, and your career might be in the toilet, but let me tell you something: I’m here to save you.” “What do you mean?” I go, “I just got a phone call from Eddie Van Halen. We’re gonna play his backyard party.

MP: Oh OK – so you set that up.

SA: I’m the guy.

MP: That imaginary story. Your idea for Derek was the right idea, but the wrong band.

SA: It wasn’t the right band. I had an idea; sometimes they don’t go as well as planned. [laughs]