New Mike Mangini Interview

[tarskian]

This was a really interesting interview, mostly because it was by far the most honest that I've seen Mangini before.

[Jester]

It's possible the interviewer hasn't studied everything related to Mangini to the extent that you have.

Or even more likely, the interviewer is taking into account that the readers haven't studied everything related to Mangini.  The interview questions aren't really for the interviewer.  They are for the reader/audience.

The only taboo at this stage is to keep asking about the joining of the band 5 to 6 years later.  At some point the image of "the new guy" has to be dropped out of respect for "the new guy".

[TAC]

It's ironic that this most mundane interviewer now has the most talked about DT interview in years.

Well, to be fair, the interviewer was doing the Kevin Nealon Mr. Subliminal

 

[Jester]

It's ironic that this most mundane interviewer now has the most talked about DT interview in years.

Well, to be fair, the interviewer was doing the Kevin Nealon Mr. Subliminal

 

Somebody old enough to get it   

[Jester]

I kind of feel like Mangini used that interview the way we use the "Things that Piss Me Off" thread.

You post in there simply to blow off some steam.  You just need to get it off your chest so you can move on.  Odds are very low the boss, friend, relative or neighbor is going to ever see it on the DTF forum (and if they do, they don't know your screen name).

But now everybody is talking about it and Mike is counting down the days until it comes full circle back to the band seeing it "blow up", causing a meeting that creates more stress than the initial steam blown off.

JP/JR:  So it sounds like you have some issues with the band, Mike?

MM:  Just want a bit more input on the writing process.

JP/JR:  It says you are only given 10%.  Well, there are five of us, so your fair share is 20%.  Yet I hear you are looking for 120%?

MM:  Just want a bit more input on the writing process.

JP/JR:  So you wanted 120% of 10% ... or the equivalent of 12% of writing input

MM:  Just want a bit more input on the writing process.

JP/JR  Oh no you don't.  We know you know that we know you are good with numbers.  So do you want 120%, 12% or are you thinking of quitting the band, which entitles you to 0%?  And if you quit the band, then we probably have to get MP back.  And he will want 120% of 120% and we don't trust his numbers like we trust your numbers, but I don't think that adds up.

MM:  Just want a ... Myung? LaBrie? You know what I'm talking about, right?

JM:  ....

LaBrie:  I agree with Myung

MM:  Let's just pretend this never happened.

JP/JR:  Sounds great.  Now please excuse us.  We have a world music / funk themed album to write.

[Madman Shepherd]

 

[sfam2112]

I was waiting for the "JM: ..."
I was not disappointed 

[JiM-Xtreme]

I kind of feel like Mangini used that interview the way we use the "Things that Piss Me Off" thread.

You post in there simply to blow off some steam.  You just need to get it off your chest so you can move on.  Odds are very low the boss, friend, relative or neighbor is going to ever see it on the DTF forum (and if they do, they don't know your screen name).

But now everybody is talking about it and Mike is counting down the days until it comes full circle back to the band seeing it "blow up", causing a meeting that creates more stress than the initial steam blown off.

JP/JR:  So it sounds like you have some issues with the band, Mike?

MM:  Just want a bit more input on the writing process.

JP/JR:  It says you are only given 10%.  Well, there are five of us, so your fair share is 20%.  Yet I hear you are looking for 120%?

MM:  Just want a bit more input on the writing process.

JP/JR:  So you wanted 120% of 10% ... or the equivalent of 12% of writing input

MM:  Just want a bit more input on the writing process.

JP/JR  Oh no you don't.  We know you know that we know you are good with numbers.  So do you want 120%, 12% or are you thinking of quitting the band, which entitles you to 0%?  And if you quit the band, then we probably have to get MP back.  And he will want 120% of 120% and we don't trust his numbers like we trust your numbers, but I don't think that adds up.

MM:  Just want a ... Myung? LaBrie? You know what I'm talking about, right?

JM:  ....

LaBrie:  I agree with Myung

MM:  Let's just pretend this never happened.

JP/JR:  Sounds great.  Now please excuse us.  We have a world music / funk themed album to write.

I imagined JP and JR saying their lines in exact unison. 

[Jester]

I was waiting for the "JM: ..."
I was not disappointed 

His silence can speak volumes     He's too smart to get caught up in the drama.

[Kotowboy]

I imagined JP and JR saying their lines in exact unison. 

Like a boy band.

" Hi ! We're Dream Theater and you're watching MTV ! Hey y'all !!!! "

[KevShmev]

The whole "JR and JP Always wrote the songs anyhow" argument - even if it's been said in recent interviews - is not at all correct. Just look at the making of videos of the albums where that was available. 
 

Do you mean the "making of videos" that were basically directed by Portnoy? 

[TAC]

The whole "JR and JP Always wrote the songs anyhow" argument - even if it's been said in recent interviews - is not at all correct. Just look at the making of videos of the albums where that was available. 
 

Do you mean the "making of videos" that were basically directed by Portnoy?

Was thinking the same thing!

[gzarruk]

The whole "JR and JP Always wrote the songs anyhow" argument - even if it's been said in recent interviews - is not at all correct. Just look at the making of videos of the albums where that was available. 
 

Do you mean the "making of videos" that were basically directed by Portnoy?

Was thinking the same thing!

Recorded, produced, filtered and edited by Portnoy 

[Mosh]

Those documentaries also never really showed any of the writing process. It was all the recordings and editing stuff as they went along. The bulk of the songs are clearly written by the time MP starts filming.

[Jester]

Wait.  Now the making of videos were just Portnoy Propaganda.  Is this where I find out the Illuminati were pulling the strings the entire time?

[Adami]

Wait.  Now the making of videos were just Portnoy Propaganda.  Is this where I find out the Illuminati were pulling the strings the entire time?

Only since the new world order played upon our fears.

[Jester]

Damn. It is all there for everybody to see.

Did the band expel the dark master or is that just what they want us to think?

[Scottjf8]

Dude... "Take me out to the ballgame" isn't the Cubs theme song...  It's a universal baseball song...

He should know that.

[DoctorAction]

The impression of a band pulling TOGETHER to create is the thing I crave. It's the basis of all ensemble music. I think the more that impression is given, the more affecting it is.

DT have such enormous talent. They don't need to build it up, they need to break it down  to show the beauty of great musicianship and creativity. In my opinion. Drums are so core in rock and metal. MP and JP came across as equal top billing in the past, and it was stunning.

START with Mangini and build from there, JP!

[YtseJam]

What part was shitty about the interviewer? He just asked questions, and very calmly I might add.
I'm getting a distinct "shoot the messenger" vibe.

What part wasn't? You can hear clearly there was no enthusiasm and it was a boring delivery of a scripted set of questions. A good interview has some chemistry and somewhat of a stimulating conversation.

[erwinrafael]

This is an example of a good interview:

https://noisefull.com/interviews/mike-mangini-dream-theater

[hefdaddy42]

Agreed, that was a fantastic interview.

[erwinrafael]

It is also an interview which is a good example of Mangini expressing his honest opinion on DT-related things. For example, he clearly has issues with production:

"From “A Dramatic Turn Of Events”, I learned a lot about almost sounding like there were two microphones in the room and that was it. That was not the case, but that’s my impression of my sound."

"On “Dream Theater”, I learned a lot about the feel with the time changes because my snare sound was completely different for me, I didn’t come up with it, and I evolved and changed because of that..."

"If I was engineering it, I would want at least a solid 4 or 5 days alone with it. I’d then want another two days after all the instruments are weaved in just to adjust to all those other frequencies. However, I basically have to get the drum sound set in a day or two. Once my sound it set, we don’t want to change it and I am not involved in the final production of it after the others still are taking time to craft their sounds. This is a big challenge for me because I am not hearing what the end result is when I record."

So it's not really a case of Mangini only being honest in the interview in this thread.

[rumborak]

What part was shitty about the interviewer? He just asked questions, and very calmly I might add.
I'm getting a distinct "shoot the messenger" vibe.

What part wasn't? You can hear clearly there was no enthusiasm and it was a boring delivery of a scripted set of questions. A good interview has some chemistry and somewhat of a stimulating conversation.

You do realize the interviewer's native language is not English, correct?
If I were interviewing someone in a foreign language, I would absolutely script my questions.

[YtseJam]

It wasn't the language barrier, the dude was just lame

[noxon]

I resent that type of comment. You realise this is a hobby interviewer? Not a professional journalist? Its people who do it for free. He's not native English, and he's most likely quite nervous since this is not his job.

Coming with these kinds of comments make my job much harder. I can't get people to help
Me if the response they get from the audience is that "they're lame"

[nikatapi]

Agreed, that was a fantastic interview.

Thanks, i really enjoyed conducting it, and Mike was very informative and excited about it.

I resent that type of comment. You realise this is a hobby interviewer? Not a professional journalist? Its people who do it for free. He's not native English, and he's most likely quite nervous since this is not his job.

Coming with these kinds of comments make my job much harder. I can't get people to help
Me if the response they get from the audience is that "they're lame"

Yeah i can't fault the interviewer, he's not a professional as you said and i think he did a good job. Don't blame the interviewer for Mike's answers.

[YtseJam]

Sorry if my opinion of the interviewer upsets you. You don't need to be a professional journalist to show some enthusiasm

[JiM-Xtreme]

I don't get the people here bashing the interviewer tbh. As others have said, English isn't his first language and to be fair he does attempt humor to break the ice in places, it just doesn't go over that well with Mike. But that doesn't make him responsible for Mike's demeanour or answers.

My interpretation of this is that Mike was either having a bad day or was preoccupied with something, or maybe was just plain tired and wanted to get to his hotel room. Of course he may be dissatisfied with his role in the band but I can't see him quitting over it - not in the immediate future anyway. As he said, it's more or less the same role he's performed with his other bands to date so no doubt he's used to it.

[TAC]

I don't get the people here bashing the interviewer tbh. As others have said, English isn't his first language and to be fair he does attempt humor to break the ice in places, it just doesn't go over that well with Mike. But that doesn't make him responsible for Mike's demeanour or answers.

My interpretation of this is that Mike was either having a bad day or was preoccupied with something, or maybe was just plain tired and wanted to get to his hotel room. Of course he may be dissatisfied with his role in the band but I can't see him quitting over it - not in the immediate future anyway. As he said, it's more or less the same role he's performed with his other bands to date so no doubt he's used to it.

All of this has been my stance since the beginning.

[Jester]

You can blame the interviewer when they are combative.  That wasn't the case here.

[Madman Shepherd]

You can blame the interviewer when they are combative.  That wasn't the case here.

Exactly.  Perhaps not the greatest interview but certainly not the worst. 

I actually wish we had more amateur interviewers because then we wouldn't have these lame "professional" interviews where 95% of it is them just promoting the new album and the other 5% is them thanking the fans for their support. 

[Ben_Jamin]

People again reading to much into things. He seemed exhausted and tired.

and I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Besides I hope the band does include him more or the others in the songwriting process including arrangement, overdubs, and possibly lyrics.

The Astonishing was a good project and I enjoyed it.

[RaiseTheKnife]

To address a few of the comments and various points sprinkled through this thread:

One of the things MM may be expressing is that if his role were to expand, as he clearly has more to contribute, then we, as fans, would experience the full value of what he can bring to the table. 

MM “tailored” the demo drum tracks of ADTOE in the recording process because some of what JP laid down on a machine was simply not natural to reproduce by a living person, the parts needed to be transcribed into something actually playable.   

His shifting the emphasis of his body from left to right depending on key changes is an intriguing concept and I will listen for these stereo subtleties more closely.

Another area which may have been addressed is publishing credit – or in other words – who gets money if a song is licensed or royalties are earned.  This is a sensitive subject for many artists, because beyond the pride of authorship, it also establishes who is entitled or precluded from future royalty payments. 

I need to check the DT13 guitar tab book which definitively lists publishing credit for each song, but my recollection is that he has ZERO (0) publishing, which could be a sore spot.  Even if MM contributed original parts, they may not have qualified as copyright protected composition, as most drum parts do not, and/or JP didn’t think they contributed enough to garner publishing (again, I need to verify the actual credit though).

Once upon a time, Portnoy had stated that there was some serious contention about giving JLB publishing credit for songs in which he did not actually contribute, and after 2002 the band decided only members who composed would be allotted a share in the publishing.  (Conversely, for example, Red Hot Chili Peppers divide publishing equally, regardless of a member’s contribution, just to maintain a positive vibe and band stability).

Lastly, I will point out that MM called Dream Theater’s self-titled album DT13, a nomenclature that developed around this forum.  Pretty cool little nod I think. EDIT and CORRECTION:  I think he meant to say DT12, not DT 13!!

[Stewie]

While it is known that MM didn't contribute to the actual songwriting on The Astonishing, I'd find it very hard to believe that he didn't come up with most of his drum parts. I'm sure JP and JR had plenty of input and suggestions, and probably felt strongly about certain sections having a certain feel to them, but beyond that I would imagine he was given the freedom to come up with his own parts. Also, I've seen a lot of negativity towards the drumming on The Astonishing (and the album overall), and every time I listen to the album, I'm reminded of how FULL of Mangini-isms it is. You KNOW JP didn't sit down and plan out all those drum parts. No way. Whether or not MM is truly 100% happy in DT, who knows. If not, one would hope he'd communicate his feelings to the others.