T.O. - Mike Portnoy Ends Dream Theatre Run

[yogi]

I love this band. Images and Words and Octavarium are two of my all time favorite albums.

Mike is a GREAT GREAT drummer. He sure seemed to handle this situation with TOTAL class to his fans and his bandmates.


Had a chance to meet him a few years back when Styx was playing the lobby of a local Burger King. He seemed like a really goood guy. He is also a fan of Styx.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Dream Theater is one of my favorite bands. I was surprised when I read his letter on FB last night. He's only taking a "break", not splitting from the band.

Here's his letter:

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

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I love this band. Images and Words and Octavarium are two of my all time favorite albums.

Mike is a GREAT GREAT drummer. He sure seemed to handle this situation with TOTAL class to his fans and his bandmates.


Had a chance to meet him a few years back when Styx was playing the lobby of a local Burger King. He seemed like a really goood guy. He is also a fan of Styx.

Burger King - LOL

Ah, that's right, he's mentioned a few times in articles that he's a Styx fan.

[Ash]

Suite - DT is moving on without him.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbe ... mID=145759

He's quit Dream Theatre....

[Archetype]

Todd is on a very short list of drummers who could replace him. How about this: Todd joins Dream Theater, then Dennis enters the Styx fold again and brings Tom Sharpe with him.

On another note, I'm glad I got to see Dream Theater with Iron Maiden this summer; Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy is like a Styx that is void of both Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung (Lawrence Gowan, JY, August Zadra lineup )

[Saint John]

Ending his letter with the word "sadly" tells me there's more to this than he's telling us. This is a bit telling as well "I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects ... " And there's this "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'... " Throwing the word "simply" in there implies that he pretty much viewed the decision as an easy one, but the rest of the band didn't. Anyway, he sounds waaaay too self-absorbed to let them go on without them, his letter sucked cocks and my guess is that he'll either be back or start an open feud with the rest of the band.

PS No one gives a fuck that your dad named the band, asshole.

[Born4adventure]

Todd is on a very short list of drummers who could replace him. How about this: Todd joins Dream Theater, then Dennis enters the Styx fold again and brings Tom Sharpe with him.

On another note, I'm glad I got to see Dream Theater with Iron Maiden this summer; Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy is like a Styx that is void of both Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung (Lawrence Gowan, JY, August Zadra lineup )

or maybe the bass player from gowan's band (his brother) could join styx and then tommy can leave and glen can come back and then jy leaves and they get david st. hubbins. and the styx train keeps on a chugin'

[DerriD]

If Todd joined Dream Theater...oh the debates Zan and I could have about who the best drummer in world is. Of course if he did, he'd get to show the hell off a LOT more than he does now.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Suite - DT is moving on without him.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbe ... mID=145759

He's quit Dream Theatre....

I originally wrote that and other things about DT but deleted it when I posted the article, thanks There's so much talk all over the internet on a HUGE variety of music boards - he'll be back within a year, I bet.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

If Todd joined Dream Theater...oh the debates Zan and I could have about who the best drummer in world is. Of course if he did, he'd get to show the hell off a LOT more than he does now.

I agree!!! His name has come up on a variety of non-Styx and even non-DT forums about filling in for Mike.

As for you and Zan debating......... Mike is #2 on my list of drummers

[DerriD]

If Todd joined Dream Theater...oh the debates Zan and I could have about who the best drummer in world is. Of course if he did, he'd get to show the hell off a LOT more than he does now.

I agree!!! His name has come up on a variety of non-Styx and even non-DT forums about filling in for Mike.

As for you and Zan debating......... Mike is #2 on my list of drummers

To further that point, it's more like me trying to convince her and she responds by hitting me over the head with a shovel.

[kansas666]

Portnoy is currently on tour drumming for Avenged Sevenfold. He played drums on their new album since their drummer died last year.

They are a great band. And I have to say that I like them better than Dream Theater.

I think it would be great if he became a permenant member

[Ash]

Todd to Dream Theatre would be very interesting. He definitely has the chops for it. It seems to be Todd's "style" too. While he is a great drummer, he does tend to overplay Styx songs to some degree (though not NEARLY as bad as Boston's drummer). I don't mean "overplay" as a negative at all - he's just really good and has an excellent sense of rhythm and timing. I think it'd be a gas to see him on DT or fill in for a metal band.