This guy got it right.

[73109]

Another MP thread. OMGZ!!!111ONE!!11111!!!!

I would like to quote a long time lurker wo decided to post this today:

Mike leaving DT can be very easily summed based on that experience;

Mid-life Crisis.

Simple as that. He is playing with younger guys, partying probably, seeing what a popular American band pulls in money wise, seeing the groupies (which DT doesn't get).  Heck I'm 42, if someone offered me a new job hanging with a bunch of 20 somethings, more money, and tons of groupies it might be fun for awhile.

I mean a 40-something father getting a tattoo on a tour bus at 3:30am? Come on, that's just pathetic.

DT never experienced the bombastic, groupie filled world that most rock bands enjoy. All married young, kids, and a mostly male crowd until recently.

Someday Mike is going to look back at this decision and see it for what it really is about. Psychoanalyze his statement, this is a mid-life crisis - no doubt in my mind.

If it really was about time off, he could have worked it out with the band. Or stated he will record, but sit the tour out. Honestly a compromise could have been reached.

I couldn't agree more. DT isn't the party band that you hear about when it comes to most bands. MP never had the opportunity to just do a bunch of drugs and have sex with a bunch of random chicks and just party. DT was never that band. Now that he can do that (minus the sex and drugs) he is having fun. He is playing to 15+ thousand people a night. He never did that with DT. But the thing is, with all mid life crisises(sp), they end. He will be in DT before the next album. Mark my words.

[zxlkho]

do a bunch of drugs

You know what the 12 Step Suite was about, right?

[SystematicThought]

I just hope MP can stay true to himself and avoid drinking while with A7X.

[73109]

do a bunch of drugs

You know what the 12 Step Suite was about, right?

Alcohol. Not party drugs.

[moffatt]

Hmmm this does make sense.

[Sigz]

this does make sense.

[7StringedBeast]

Another MP thread. OMGZ!!!111ONE!!11111!!!!

I would like to quote a long time lurker wo decided to post this today:

Mike leaving DT can be very easily summed based on that experience;

Mid-life Crisis.

Simple as that. He is playing with younger guys, partying probably, seeing what a popular American band pulls in money wise, seeing the groupies (which DT doesn't get).  Heck I'm 42, if someone offered me a new job hanging with a bunch of 20 somethings, more money, and tons of groupies it might be fun for awhile.

I mean a 40-something father getting a tattoo on a tour bus at 3:30am? Come on, that's just pathetic.

DT never experienced the bombastic, groupie filled world that most rock bands enjoy. All married young, kids, and a mostly male crowd until recently.

Someday Mike is going to look back at this decision and see it for what it really is about. Psychoanalyze his statement, this is a mid-life crisis - no doubt in my mind.

If it really was about time off, he could have worked it out with the band. Or stated he will record, but sit the tour out. Honestly a compromise could have been reached.

I couldn't agree more. DT isn't the party band that you hear about when it comes to most bands. MP never had the opportunity to just do a bunch of drugs and have sex with a bunch of random chicks and just party. DT was never that band. Now that he can do that (minus the sex and drugs) he is having fun. He is playing to 15+ thousand people a night. He never did that with DT. But the thing is, with all mid life crisises(sp), they end. He will be in DT before the next album. Mark my words.

They partied in the early days man.

[antigoon]

do a bunch of drugs

You know what the 12 Step Suite was about, right?

Alcohol. Not party drugs.

God you're dense.

[zxlkho]

do a bunch of drugs

You know what the 12 Step Suite was about, right?

Alcohol. Not party drugs.

He also admitted to using cocaine for a bit, iirc.

[robwebster]

do a bunch of drugs

You know what the 12 Step Suite was about, right?

Alcohol. Not party drugs.

Er...

Mike used to do cocaine. Seem to remember the drugs were the final straw. The 12 Step Suite is about recovering from addiction. Not specifically alcohol. He hasn't had any drugs since he joined the AA.

Bit of a massive leap of logic to say that he might have restarted. Like, astronomical stab in the dark. Can only be speculation, and a little bit toxic. Bit insulting. But not 100% unfeasable. Depends what the atmosphere was like. If the rest of them were to drug, I'd feel a little uncomfortable around them were I a teetotal alcoholic. So I figure they're probably not a drug band.

That said, wouldn't have guessed he'd have used drugs back in the SFAM days, either. I don't think it does anyone any good to speculate, though. It's a bit horrible, messy, and v. impolite.

[73109]

Ok, so lets say he did drugs, that wasn't what I was really talking about. He never expirienced the "party rock star" thing that all the famous rock stars did. The Metallicas, the Guns N' Roses, the Motley Crues. You get my point. Sorry for my mistake but the bases of my point still stands.

[LCArenas]

I just hope MP can stay true to himself and avoid drinking while with A7X.

I thought about this this morning. I think he's grown up enough to avoid alcohol again, but you can never say never.


Anyway I think this makes complete sense and while I think he won't come back before the next album, I DO think he will come back. Maybe not that soon. Maybe 5 or 10 years later, but I think he will. Even as an Outside Producer.

[Sigz]

What's to say that he ever wanted to be a huge rock star? I mean, going into the prog world you pretty much know that's not what you're going to be getting.

[73109]

I think that now he has a taste, he wants it more.

[Sigz]

I think this is complete speculation at this point.

[7StringedBeast]

I think that now he has a taste, he wants it more.

I dunno man, he is so dedicated to his kids.  I doubt he would ever do anything to ever compromise himself as a good father at this point in his life.  Just my thought on it.

[73109]

Oh yeah, I am speculating, but it makes sense.

Um...what else, what else...Ah!

Look at this tweet:

"Its 3:30am and I am getting tattooed by Grant Cobb on a moving A7X tour bus after losing a bet to Dan The Body...this aint DT!! : )"

I just think that he is finally having some rock star fun. I could be wrong.

And 7string, I'm not saying he is doing drugs or drinking again, I just think he is finally in a rock star situation and he digs it. Like I said, I could be wrong.

[bosk1]

So I figure they're probably not a drug band.

Correct.  Despite those nasty rumors going around, Rev actually died choking on a warm cup of herbal tea.  

I think this is complete speculation at this point.

This.  And, frankly, it's speculation that, as Rob already pointed out, is incredibly insulting.  I think this thread is better off locked.

[Sigz]

"Its 3:30am and I am getting tattooed by Grant Cobb on a moving A7X tour bus after losing a bet to Dan The Body...this aint DT!! : )"

Oh wow he must be snorting coke out of a 15 year old groupie's ass based on that crazy tweet.

[SystematicThought]

The smiley face after "This ain't DT " is something I'm surprised no one has overanalyzed  

[7StringedBeast]

Yeah I hear you numbers.  I thought you were thinking he was drinking again or something.

[Marvellous G]

I'm with 73109 here, of course it's speculation, but we can't really do much else other than sit and be happy with what's clearly a fraction of the story. It's also perfectly acceptable of MP if this is the case to be honest, although handled a bit badly.

[73109]

The smiley face after "This ain't DT " is something I'm surprised no one has overanalyzed 

Um...this is what I was talking about.

[Octavawake]

What's to say that he ever wanted to be a huge rock star? I mean, going into the prog world you pretty much know that's not what you're going to be getting.

So true lol

[Edan the Man]

He will be in DT before the next album. Mark my words.

Ok.

[73109]

FUCKING. AWESOME.

[Nic35]

Okay guys, let's get this straight. He did not want to leave DT. He was kinda forced to leave. Plus, he left because he has more fun playing with many other bands, which allows him to play the music he wants to play. The man's a freaking music fan and this year he played fulfilling music with 4 very different bands. He realized that's what he likes the most. End of the story. It has nothing to do with this silly mid-live crisis thing.

[LCArenas]

Okay guys, let's get this straight. He did not want to leave DT. He was kinda forced to leave.

I wouldn't say so. He wanted to follow his heart and leave DT because, well... He wanted them to break for a little time and they didn't want to. He could have easily gone condescending mode and keep doing stuff with them anyway, but he didn't feel that way (And that's okay) and thought leaving was the best way. They didn't ask him to.

[TL]

this year he played fulfilling music with 4 very different bands. He realized that's what he likes the most.

Maybe if he hadn't put a bunch of arbitrary restrictions on what 'Dream Theater music' is, he could have played more of those styles within the DT environment.

[Nic35]

Oh come on. JP and JR were the main creative forces of the band. It's funny how people think MP was controlling every aspect of their music.

[nightmare_cinema]

Oh yeah, I am speculating, but it makes sense.

Um...what else, what else...Ah!

Look at this tweet:

"Its 3:30am and I am getting tattooed by Grant Cobb on a moving A7X tour bus after losing a bet to Dan The Body...this aint DT!! : )"

I just think that he is finally having some rock star fun. I could be wrong.

And 7string, I'm not saying he is doing drugs or drinking again, I just think he is finally in a rock star situation and he digs it. Like I said, I could be wrong.

I don't use twitter so I never saw that tweet, but that sounds really shi*tty of him. Like, oh i'm having soo much fun now being rock n roll, this isn't like boring old Dream Theater!  I have nothing but respect for the guy overall but if he ever starts to slag off or show disrespect to the band he formed and nurtured for 25 years I will start to lose little bits of that respect.

On another note I really hope that this isn't a slide into him getting back into drink and drugs etc. DT seemed like a pretty safe kinda band to be in if you wanted to avoid drinking or drugs, I don't know anything about A7X other than the music (which I dislike) but alcoholism is a disease you learn to live with, not something you can cure and I hope that he has all the support he needs in place to keep strong and not go down a terrible route.

[ariich]

Sorry but this thread borders on personal attacks on Mike. If that's what you feel fine, but keep it away from this board, as we have made perfectly clear already.