MP's Shattered Fortress Tour

[Kotowboy]

Wow.  Couldn't disagree more.

Yeah two 1961 Gibson Les Pauls with the same wood and pickups sound different.

[bosk1]

Yeah, for real. A guitar is a huge part of a rig in terms of developing a tone.

No, it is not. Of course there's gonna be a difference between a $100 guitar and a $3000 guitar, but the difference between two guitars in the same price range, made for the same general style of music (in this case, metal), will sound eerily similar when played through the same amplifier. The pickups do quite a lot for the tone, but the guitar itself - that is, the piece of wood and all electronics apart from the pick-ups - does not.

Well first off, I disagree, but you are also attaching a lot of "ifs" to that statement. It doesn't make that big of a difference "if" the guitars are in the same price range, "if" they are design for the same style of music, etc.... If you are going to attach all those "if" statements, I could say the same thing about any part of any guitar rig.

It doesn't matter what amp you play, it doesn't change your tone that much. As long as you are comparing amps in the same price range, designed for the same type of music, and have similar features.

It doesn't matter what pedals you use, it doesn't change your tone that much. As long as you are comparing pedals in the same price range, design for the same type of music, and have similar features.

The fact of the matter is that ever single piece of a signal chain (guitar absolutely included) changes the tone of a rig in various ways. The guitar being used, the amp being used, and the player's hands are probably the three biggest tone-defining parts of any rig.

All of that.  Plus, there is a LOT more to a guitar player's sound than just tone, so I'm not sure how the scope of the discussion somehow got shifted to only be limited to tone. 

[mikeyd23]

All of that.  Plus, there is a LOT more to a guitar player's sound than just tone, so I'm not sure how the scope of the discussion somehow got shifted to only be limited to tone.

Absolutely, I totally agree. Somehow I got very focused on tones 

[Skeever]

Yeah, for real. A guitar is a huge part of a rig in terms of developing a tone.

No, it is not. Of course there's gonna be a difference between a $100 guitar and a $3000 guitar, but the difference between two guitars in the same price range, made for the same general style of music (in this case, metal), will sound eerily similar when played through the same amplifier. The pickups do quite a lot for the tone, but the guitar itself - that is, the piece of wood and all electronics apart from the pick-ups - does not.

But like others have said, they probably had those guitars anyway, because they are good guitars.

I don't own a JP Music Man (more of a single coil guy), but if I wanted a "metal" guitar, it would easily be in consideration for me. There is a lot that is appealing about the guitar, beyond simply "JP plays it". It features top-notch build quality, top-notch components, it feels absolutely great, and it has a classy, nearly timeless look to it without looking too boutique or ornate. What other "metal" guitar can you really say that about?

Now, if you want to bash the Majesty guitar, fine by me. That thing's hideous. 

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, for real. A guitar is a huge part of a rig in terms of developing a tone.

No, it is not. Of course there's gonna be a difference between a $100 guitar and a $3000 guitar, but the difference between two guitars in the same price range, made for the same general style of music (in this case, metal), will sound eerily similar when played through the same amplifier. The pickups do quite a lot for the tone, but the guitar itself - that is, the piece of wood and all electronics apart from the pick-ups - does not.

Well first off, I disagree, but you are also attaching a lot of "ifs" to that statement. It doesn't make that big of a difference "if" the guitars are in the same price range, "if" they are design for the same style of music, etc.... If you are going to attach all those "if" statements, I could say the same thing about any part of any guitar rig.

It doesn't matter what amp you play, it doesn't change your tone that much. As long as you are comparing amps in the same price range, designed for the same type of music, and have similar features.

It doesn't matter what pedals you use, it doesn't change your tone that much. As long as you are comparing pedals in the same price range, design for the same type of music, and have similar features.

The fact of the matter is that ever single piece of a signal chain (guitar absolutely included) changes the tone of a rig in various ways. The guitar being used, the amp being used, and the player's hands are probably the three biggest tone-defining parts of any rig.

All of that.  Plus, there is a LOT more to a guitar player's sound than just tone, so I'm not sure how the scope of the discussion somehow got shifted to only be limited to tone.

Funny story about Ted Nugent playing through Eddie Van Halen's rig, trying to get that same trademark sound.

"Ted was cool enough to give the band a sound check," he said. "He's standing off to the side and he's listening to me, and he comes up and says, 'Hey, you little shit! Where's your little magic black box?' I'm going, Who the fuck is that? And it was Ted. Hey Ted, it's nice to meet you, thanks for the sound check. And he's going, 'Let me play your guitar!' I go, 'Okay, here you go.' He starts playing my guitar and it sounds like Ted.

"He yells, 'You just removed your little black box, didn't you? Where is it? What did you do?' I go, 'I didn't do anything!' So I play, and it sounds like me. He says, 'Here, play my guitar!' I play his big old guitar and it sounds just like me. He's going, 'You little shit!' What I'm trying to say is I am the best at doing me. Nobody else can do me better than me."

[axeman90210]

Per MP's twitter there will be an NYC show on September 24th. Ticket details to come tomorrow.

[Nick]

Per MP's twitter there will be an NYC show on September 24th. Ticket details to come tomorrow.

Sweet, awhile back he posted about trying to get something together for that day. Really hoping this is at the Playstation or Grammercy.

[MinistroRaven]

MIKE PORTNOY's THE SHATTERED FORTRESS confirms the ONLY US headlining show (other than the Prog Power Festival in Atlanta which Sold Out months ago): it will be at Irving Plaza in NEW YORK CITY on Sept 24th

This is it...there will NOT be another North American show added!!
DON'T MISS OUT ON GETTING TICKETS TO THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT!

Tickets will go on sale TODAY at 12 Noon EST

https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/0000527CE2FF252F

Password Only! Must Use the Password FORTRESS to purchase tickets

[Nick]

I'll be going. Interesting to see what tickets will run, I'm expecting $60+.

[axeman90210]

In. $58 including fees isn't too bad.

[rumborak]

Bummer it's on a Sunday. I might have gone on a Saturday, but a Sunday would require me to take the Monday off.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I got my tickets. I'm hyped.

[FOXAN03]

I think Mike has confirmed a lot of the shows will have Next to None as support but thats yet to be confirmed. Still Ł40 or $60 a ticket is very expensive in my books for essentially a DT cover band. I've brought mine and i'm massively looking forward to it just hope for that price we get something very special.

[Stadler]

I'm in. 

[axeman90210]

I smell a DTF meetup for beers before the show

[cramx3]

MIKE PORTNOY's THE SHATTERED FORTRESS confirms the ONLY US headlining show (other than the Prog Power Festival in Atlanta which Sold Out months ago): it will be at Irving Plaza in NEW YORK CITY on Sept 24th

This is it...there will NOT be another North American show added!!
DON'T MISS OUT ON GETTING TICKETS TO THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT!

Tickets will go on sale TODAY at 12 Noon EST

https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/0000527CE2FF252F

Password Only! Must Use the Password FORTRESS to purchase tickets

Thank you for sharing the code

In. $58 including fees isn't too bad.

Spent the extra to make it $71 for the access to the top area for the better view and I am in for a DTF meet up 

[Stadler]

All in for the meetup.  I'm coming down from CT, and will probably come down in the morning, and I will at least stop in for one round from McSorley's, about eight blocks away. 

[WheyWaffles]

Yeah, for real. A guitar is a huge part of a rig in terms of developing a tone.

No, it is not. Of course there's gonna be a difference between a $100 guitar and a $3000 guitar, but the difference between two guitars in the same price range, made for the same general style of music (in this case, metal), will sound eerily similar when played through the same amplifier. The pickups do quite a lot for the tone, but the guitar itself - that is, the piece of wood and all electronics apart from the pick-ups - does not.

This is correct and I'm quite surprised a number of people here seem to subscribe to tone metaphysics. What is this, the Seymour Duncan forum?

'What SD pickups would sound good in my swamp ash bolt-on with maple neck and pau ferro fingerboard? Oh btw it has vintage Kluson machine heads and a NOS aurochs horn nut.'

'We'd love to help you with a recommendation, but you've neglected to tell us if the fingerboard is attached to the neck with hide glue or inferior wood glue. If wood glue, we'll need to know if it's the red, blue, or purple labeled Titebond.'

[ytserush]

Bummer it's on a Sunday. I might have gone on a Saturday, but a Sunday would require me to take the Monday off.

Sunday isn't helpful for me either, but if I had an overwhelming desire to see this I'd probably try to make it work. 

[SwedishGoose]

Shattered Fortress will have one show in Scandinavia...

2nd of July in Malmö at the theater in Slagthuset. A 925 seat theater.

I will be there on row 1 with 3 friends. Swedes, Norwegians, Danish and Finnish people... get your tickets while they last at:

https://www.ticketmaster.se/event/mike-portnoys-shattered-fortress-biljetter/464409

[rumborak]

Slagthuset = slaughter house?

[SwedishGoose]

Slagthuset = slaughter house?

Yes... it is an old building from 1904 that used to be a slaughter house.
It was converted to a house of entertainment after a period of neglect between 1969 (last slaughter) and the theater was opened in 1991.

[ToT-147]

For those who haven't seen it, or already did but might wanna see it again:

Mike Portnoy's Shattered Fortress - Twelve Step Suite (Multi Angle)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrZT_EyxXGk

[FOXAN03]

https://www.metaltalk.net/columns_seventeen/andy_rawll_mike_portnoy_shattered_fortress.php

So confirmed no A Change of Seasons, Honor Thy Father or The Best of Times

.... and it seems Mike is not happy about DT playing a Change of Seasons... 

[TheCountOfNYC]

A Change of Seasons is understandable because it would be weird if he played it at the same time that Dream Theater was playing it. The real loss here is The Best of Times. It's a shame that neither he or Dream Theater will probably ever play it live.

[Nick]

Frankly I'd rather hear this band do A Change of Seasons at this point. Reaaaaally not happy that instead I might get Constant Motion and New Millennium.

[FOXAN03]

Frankly I'd rather hear this band do A Change of Seasons at this point. Reaaaaally not happy that instead I might get Constant Motion and New Millennium.

Agreed and Mike says in the interview the plan was to do A Change of Seasons as the Encore but now dropped it since DT are playing it.... Shame 

Of the Dream Theater songs for which you wrote the lyrics, it would be great to hear the two songs about fatherhood, 'Best of Times' and 'Honor Thy Father', as part of the setlist.

"Those two songs are very important to me on a personal level as well as 'A Change Of Seasons' which I wrote for my Mom when she died in a plane crash over thirty years ago. So, there are three songs right there that have deep personal meaning for me. But, to be honest, I'm not going to do any of those three songs for three different reasons.

"I intended to do 'A Change Of Seasons' as the encore for the Shattered Fortress shows, but I recently found out that Dream Theater was doing it on their current tour, which breaks my heart because it's a song that I wrote about my mother's death that's such a very personal song for me. In any case, once I found out that they were doing it, I pretty much dropped it from my set, because it just felt weird for both of us to be doing it at the same time.

"As for those other two songs, I'm not going to perform those either because they both bring back very heavy emotions to me. 'The Best Of Times' is something that I wrote for my father and played it for him on his deathbed while we held hands and both cried. After he passed away, a few days later, I played it again at his funeral and to be honest, I've not listened to it again since then. It just breaks my heart and it's so difficult for me to hear that song now.

"'Honor Thy Father' is the opposite. It's a brutal hate song that I wrote for a family member and even though those feelings were genuine at the time, since then we've reconciled and I don't want to be exploiting that hate any more; now that I have a good relationship with that person.

"That being said, there's plenty of other songs that I wrote lyrics to in the Dream Theater catalogue to work with. There's literally twenty – thirty songs of mine to choose from for the Shattered Fortress set, for example 'Constant Motion', 'Finally Free', 'New Millennium', 'The Test That Stumped Them All'."

[Mosh]

I don't think it would be weird. The only problem (that I imagine MP wants to avoid) is that people are inevitably going to compare the two renditions.

[Cool Chris]

"'Honor Thy Father' is the opposite. It's a brutal hate song that I wrote for a family member and even though those feelings were genuine at the time, since then we've reconciled and I don't want to be exploiting that hate any more; now that I have a good relationship with that person.

On a positive note, this is good to hear. 

[FOXAN03]

I don't think it would be weird. The only problem (that I imagine MP wants to avoid) is that people are inevitably going to compare the two renditions.

I guess but cant be that much different from any song they'll play being compared to how DT played it with Mangini. DT have played nearly all of the possible songs with Mangini so there will be comparisons.

[JayOctavarium]

Sucks... because I'd love to see / hear the Haken boys and Eric tackle ACOS

[MirrorMask]

"'Honor Thy Father' is the opposite. It's a brutal hate song that I wrote for a family member and even though those feelings were genuine at the time, since then we've reconciled and I don't want to be exploiting that hate any more; now that I have a good relationship with that person.

On a positive note, this is good to hear.

Indeed!

And for the record, last thing that would have crossed my mind if news got out that MP was playing ACOS at these shows would have been "Meh, he's copying DT". It's a very personal song for him and it would have felt right for him to play it... just as it feels right that DT play it as encore after the Images and Words set, since it's from that era anyway.

[Lynxo]

Anybody knows why it "breaks his heart" that DT plays that one? I mean, I get that its personal but they've played it a lots of times before and in this scenario, where they're playing I&W in its entirety, it certainly makes a lot of sense to play it as an encore, given that it was supposed to be on the album.

[MirrorMask]

Well, he said it, it's about his mother's death, so it's a very personal song for him... but as you said it makes sense for DT to bring back after so many year such a universally beloved epic, considering they're playing the album that was supposed to have the song, and furthermore the lyrics are vague enough to be open to personal interpretations.

The Best of Times on the other hand has many direct references to situations from his relationship with his father, so it's already harder to try and pretend the song is about anything you want it to be.

[jakepriest]

Anybody knows why it "breaks his heart" that DT plays that one? I mean, I get that its personal but they've played it a lots of times before and in this scenario, where they're playing I&W in its entirety, it certainly makes a lot of sense to play it as an encore, given that it was supposed to be on the album.

I'm pretty sure that it breaks his heart that he can't play it because people would call him a copycat, not that DT are playing it.