Mike just posted this on Facebook, saying that he is very sad

[Perpetual Change]

and so it is to be expected that some people won't be hugely respectful back, which sadly ends with him getting upset easily.

He called a bunch of people ungrateful on his forum for merely having a discussion on whether it was legal for him to sell (auction off) his ipod full of songs while keeping the originals. And I seem to remember some of those people being banned for the altercation.

Selling copies of mp3s that you are keeping the originals of is, technically, piracy. I fail to see a problem with that, we wouldn't allow it here either.

I think he's saying people were banned from Mike's forum for pointing out that Mike selling his iPod full of songs to fans was illegal.

[Super Dude]

Think of this way: say you and a girlfriend of many years broke up.  Now, of course you aren't gonna get over it just like that, but let's say the guy (who was shocked by the breakup) handles getting over it by making little comments here and there on his facebook page, knowing that friends of both will see them, and is frequently making not-so subtle remarks about how the breakup really wasn't his fault.  In a sense, he is trying to drum up support for his cause post-breakup (so his ex looks like the "bad guy," not him), and the constant comments are his way of saying he is not even close to getting over it, but they come off as bitter and angry.  That is essentially what Mike Portnoy is doing.  I am not saying he is wrong, because like I said, we all handle things differently, but maybe it isn't the best way to go about it, no?

Dude, I can tell you that if me or any of my friends did that post-breakup, our friends would tell them to shut the fuck up and quit whining (in those exact words, actually).

If your friends tell you to "shut the fuck up" when you try to talk to them about your problems and things that are upsetting you, then you have shitty friends.

That's not what I meant.  I meant lamenting my problems in a widely public manner, like Facebook.  I am completely capable of talking to my friends in a personal setting.

[Super Dude]

Think of this way: say you and a girlfriend of many years broke up.  Now, of course you aren't gonna get over it just like that, but let's say the guy (who was shocked by the breakup) handles getting over it by making little comments here and there on his facebook page, knowing that friends of both will see them, and is frequently making not-so subtle remarks about how the breakup really wasn't his fault.  In a sense, he is trying to drum up support for his cause post-breakup (so his ex looks like the "bad guy," not him), and the constant comments are his way of saying he is not even close to getting over it, but they come off as bitter and angry.  That is essentially what Mike Portnoy is doing.  I am not saying he is wrong, because like I said, we all handle things differently, but maybe it isn't the best way to go about it, no?

Dude, I can tell you that if me or any of my friends did that post-breakup, our friends would tell them to shut the fuck up and quit whining (in those exact words, actually).

If your friends tell you to "shut the fuck up" when you try to talk to them about your problems and things that are upsetting you, then you have shitty friends.

Did you read his post, ariich?  He wasn't talking about talking to friends about your problems.  He was talking about posting shit on a facebook page, painting the other person in a negative light, knowing that friends of both would see that.  If I acted that shitty towards someone, and my friends let me slide without telling me how messed up that was, I would be worried about the quality of my friends.

Just read this.  Yeah, this is pretty much what I was saying.

[slycordinator]

and so it is to be expected that some people won't be hugely respectful back, which sadly ends with him getting upset easily.

He called a bunch of people ungrateful on his forum for merely having a discussion on whether it was legal for him to sell (auction off) his ipod full of songs while keeping the originals. And I seem to remember some of those people being banned for the altercation.

Selling copies of mp3s that you are keeping the originals of is, technically, piracy. I fail to see a problem with that, we wouldn't allow it here either.

Mike was auctioning off his ipod since he bought a bigger on and using it as a promotion for us to see/have the stuff he liked. He called everyone ungrateful when a discussion started on whether it was legal.

[Seventh Son]

and so it is to be expected that some people won't be hugely respectful back, which sadly ends with him getting upset easily.

He called a bunch of people ungrateful on his forum for merely having a discussion on whether it was legal for him to sell (auction off) his ipod full of songs while keeping the originals. And I seem to remember some of those people being banned for the altercation.

Selling copies of mp3s that you are keeping the originals of is, technically, piracy. I fail to see a problem with that, we wouldn't allow it here either.

Mike was auctioning off his ipod since he bought a bigger on and using it as a promotion for us to see/have the stuff he liked. He called everyone ungrateful when a discussion started on whether it was legal.

When did that happen?

[ariich]

@Sly: Ah sorry about that, yeah I understood it the other way round. That is quite a strange reaction in that case.

[emindead]

Inside cover:

[ReaperKK]

While I'd like to read the article, I'm not that interested to buy the magazine, maybe I'll skim it at borders.

[Perpetual Change]

I'm interested in it, but I　doubt I'll be able to find a copy anywhere in Hong Kong. Well... at least there's the internetz for that!

[Aniland]

and so it is to be expected that some people won't be hugely respectful back, which sadly ends with him getting upset easily.

He called a bunch of people ungrateful on his forum for merely having a discussion on whether it was legal for him to sell (auction off) his ipod full of songs while keeping the originals. And I seem to remember some of those people being banned for the altercation.

Selling copies of mp3s that you are keeping the originals of is, technically, piracy. I fail to see a problem with that, we wouldn't allow it here either.

Mike was auctioning off his ipod since he bought a bigger on and using it as a promotion for us to see/have the stuff he liked. He called everyone ungrateful when a discussion started on whether it was legal.

Discussing legality = / = ungrateful. I understand entirely his position, and I think that him selling his iPod with music on it should be legal, but for people to point out that it might not be allowed has absolutely nothing to do with gratefulness. Good god.

[EPICVIEW]

I have empathy for Mike no matter how it went down , it appears he is hurting and still torn up by the reality of it all.

this really is like a marriage failing..no matter how was right or wrong, it still hurts and only time can heal it.

[Bone_Daddy]

Mike decides to leave Dream Theater.
Mike is devastated that Dream Theater decides to go without him.

I have to imagine that he thought this out before making his move. No?

The damn thing about choices is that they ALL have consequences: good and bad.

[Super Dude]

I agree, I see nothing wrong with discussing the legality of selling his iPod. I'd say if you're gonna buy an iPod in a publicized auction not officially sanctioned by Apple or those record companies relevant to the music therein, that there's nothing wrong about expressing that concern.

[El Barto]

Actually, I beg to differ. From how I see it and from what he's said, it's not the side projects that caused him to feel this way. Note that I didn't say that he has tired out in that he needs a break to relax from performing music - he just needs a break from DT so it doesn't feel tedious or like he's simply going thru the motions (which he also apparently thinks the other guys might be feeling, judging by how he commented that there didn't seem to be the comradery on the Maiden tour that there had been in the past).

Personally, and this is just speculation on my part, I think that what he saw (the other band members seemed to be distant from each other) was probably somewhat true. But I also think that a large part of what caused him to get burned out on DT is that he did so much for DT in those "off" periods of time when the other 4 guys would be enjoying the break with their families. Had MP taken an actual break - not working on official bootleg stuff, the next video, behind the scenes stuff, or anything else related to DT - perhaps he wouldn't have felt the burn out that he did.

Interesting, since that's not how it looked to me.  I saw the first and second nights of the tour, and I recall thinking that JM, JP, and JLB all seemed to be having more fun that I've seen before.  It looked exactly the opposite of a band that had grown tired or distant.  It was noticeable enough for me to think to myself how cool it was that they were having so much fun playing. 

[TAC]

Actually, I beg to differ. From how I see it and from what he's said, it's not the side projects that caused him to feel this way. Note that I didn't say that he has tired out in that he needs a break to relax from performing music - he just needs a break from DT so it doesn't feel tedious or like he's simply going thru the motions (which he also apparently thinks the other guys might be feeling, judging by how he commented that there didn't seem to be the comradery on the Maiden tour that there had been in the past).

Personally, and this is just speculation on my part, I think that what he saw (the other band members seemed to be distant from each other) was probably somewhat true. But I also think that a large part of what caused him to get burned out on DT is that he did so much for DT in those "off" periods of time when the other 4 guys would be enjoying the break with their families. Had MP taken an actual break - not working on official bootleg stuff, the next video, behind the scenes stuff, or anything else related to DT - perhaps he wouldn't have felt the burn out that he did.

Interesting, since that's not how it looked to me.  I saw the first and second nights of the tour, and I recall thinking that JM, JP, and JLB all seemed to be having more fun that I've seen before.  It looked exactly the opposite of a band that had grown tired or distant.  It was noticeable enough for me to think to myself how cool it was that they were having so much fun playing. 

Bart, I said the same thing when I saw them in Worcester. This was the most animated and energized this band has EVER looked. Even JM played at the front of the stage quite a bit.

[King Postwhore]

I second what TAC said.

[Setlist Scotty]

Actually, I beg to differ. From how I see it and from what he's said, it's not the side projects that caused him to feel this way. Note that I didn't say that he has tired out in that he needs a break to relax from performing music - he just needs a break from DT so it doesn't feel tedious or like he's simply going thru the motions (which he also apparently thinks the other guys might be feeling, judging by how he commented that there didn't seem to be the comradery on the Maiden tour that there had been in the past).

Personally, and this is just speculation on my part, I think that what he saw (the other band members seemed to be distant from each other) was probably somewhat true. But I also think that a large part of what caused him to get burned out on DT is that he did so much for DT in those "off" periods of time when the other 4 guys would be enjoying the break with their families. Had MP taken an actual break - not working on official bootleg stuff, the next video, behind the scenes stuff, or anything else related to DT - perhaps he wouldn't have felt the burn out that he did.

Interesting, since that's not how it looked to me.  I saw the first and second nights of the tour, and I recall thinking that JM, JP, and JLB all seemed to be having more fun that I've seen before.  It looked exactly the opposite of a band that had grown tired or distant.  It was noticeable enough for me to think to myself how cool it was that they were having so much fun playing. 

Understood. I can't comment since I had to skip the Maiden show in my (relative) area. What I'm just stating is simply what I remember MP had said - that they didn't seem to hang around like they had in the past, they all had their own dressing rooms, etc. So my deduction is that he must have felt that the other guys were going thru the motions or at least didn't have their hearts in it either. It would have been interesting to see what the atmosphere was like backstage on that tour in comparison to a few years ago.

[pmahoney1337]

Bart, I said the same thing when I saw them in Worcester. This was the most animated and energized this band has EVER looked. Even JM played at the front of the stage quite a bit.

When you said you saw them in Worcester, were you talking about the show at the Palladium on July 10? Because I went to that show!

[slycordinator]

Discussing legality = / = ungrateful. I understand entirely his position, and I think that him selling his iPod with music on it should be legal, but for people to point out that it might not be allowed has absolutely nothing to do with gratefulness. Good god.

Pretty much this.

When did that happen?

Way back in 2004. Clearly it's old news, but I remember it happening since I was one of the "ungratefuls" explaining why it might not be legal for him to do it. He overreacted because a couple of the people involved moved their comments into satire mode.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

While I'd like to read the article, I'm not that interested to buy the magazine, maybe I'll skim it at borders.

Good luck. Classic Rock presents Prog is usually sealed in something

[Ħ]

While I'd like to read the article, I'm not that interested to buy the magazine, maybe I'll skim it at borders.

Good luck. Classic Rock presents Prog is usually sealed in something

It's only tape.  I read Prog all the time at my school bookstore--I don't think I've bought it once!

Although, this issue is a good piece of DT memorabilia.  How cheeky would it be if I asked them all to sign it when MP rejoins?

[slycordinator]

How cheeky would it be if I asked them all to sign it when MP rejoins?

Or ask him to sign it now... 

[TAC]

Bart, I said the same thing when I saw them in Worcester. This was the most animated and energized this band has EVER looked. Even JM played at the front of the stage quite a bit.

When you said you saw them in Worcester, were you talking about the show at the Palladium on July 10? Because I went to that show!

Yes

[Dream Team]

I was thinking this morning, knowing MP's MO I believe it will be very hard for him to EVER let this go completely . . . just imagine when the new drummer is announced; when they are embraced by the fans; if the new album is great and DT is touring with their new drummer playing MP's parts perfectly . . . I imagine some future posts like "Hey, don't forget about me - remember what I used to do for you guys?". I don't know, I'm just not sure he'll ever be able to move past it.

[Seventh Son]

I think Mike has to at some point. I mean, what's he going to do, sit in his room and mope all day long? He's a musician after all, so he should be going out and making music that he can enjoy!

[Lowdz]

Mike decides to leave Dream Theater.
Mike is devastated that Dream Theater decides to go without him.

I have to imagine that he thought this out before making his move. No?

The damn thing about choices is that they ALL have consequences: good and bad.

i don't believe he thought it through. I think he probably reacted in anger, believing they would give in rather than lose him and got something of a shock. his excuses of not being into DT for a while doesn't wash with me as maybe he wouldn't then be so cut up about leaving.
i still think the A7X thing was the overriding factor rather than MP wanting a rest. 2010 was meant to be the rest.
Fair play to him if I'm wrong and I certainly don't blame him for it. probably better all round that he left rather than being fired if he just didn't turn up in January.

[Chino]

I'm starting to think that MP didn't just want a break. I think the A7X tour started going on much longer than he thought initially and he wanted to finish it.

[Dublagent66]

[Seventh Son]

*Marks that one down for future reference*

[Setlist Scotty]

i don't believe he thought it through. I think he probably reacted in anger, believing they would give in rather than lose him and got something of a shock. his excuses of not being into DT for a while doesn't wash with me as maybe he wouldn't then be so cut up about leaving.
i still think the A7X thing was the overriding factor rather than MP wanting a rest. 2010 was meant to be the rest.
Fair play to him if I'm wrong and I certainly don't blame him for it. probably better all round that he left rather than being fired if he just didn't turn up in January.

I don't think MP reacted in anger - if he did, I doubt JP would have said that MP acted like a gentleman when he made his decision. I don't think the A7X thing was what finally pushed him to make that decision, any more than playing with TA or HAIL! did. That said, MP did say that he would love to be a part of A7X longer than just this album and tour, if his schedule allowed for it, so maybe it did have some influence.

And yes, 2010 was meant to break the cycle and give them a break, but then the Maiden tour came up and put them pretty much right back on the track that they have been on.

I'm starting to think that MP didn't just want a break. I think the A7X tour started going on much longer than he thought initially and he wanted to finish it.

I don't think so - MP said that he would play with them thru the end of 2010, which suggests he knew the tour was going to continue on into 2011, with a different drummer. It was only after he left DT that he said that he finish off the tour with them.

[pmahoney1337]

Bart, I said the same thing when I saw them in Worcester. This was the most animated and energized this band has EVER looked. Even JM played at the front of the stage quite a bit.

When you said you saw them in Worcester, were you talking about the show at the Palladium on July 10? Because I went to that show!

Yes

cool man! I just thought I'd mention it. Great show BTW

[rumborak]

I was thinking this morning, knowing MP's MO I believe it will be very hard for him to EVER let this go completely . . . just imagine when the new drummer is announced; when they are embraced by the fans; if the new album is great and DT is touring with their new drummer playing MP's parts perfectly . . . I imagine some future posts like "Hey, don't forget about me - remember what I used to do for you guys?". I don't know, I'm just not sure he'll ever be able to move past it.

I think that's already happening really. I have the impression he was somewhat shocked at how quickly the public accepted his departure. I mean, look at this forum; for the most part, the reaction was "bummer, but probably good for the music. Ok, who is the new guy?!!"
As Adami (I think) pointed out, he uses the public as his sounding board. Terrible, terrible idea, with the result that he started lashing out at mp.com members for discussing his successor.

rumborak

[Lowdz]

[
I don't think MP reacted in anger - if he did, I doubt JP would have said that MP acted like a gentleman when he made his decision.
I don't think the A7X thing was what finally pushed him to make that decision, any more than playing with TA or HAIL! did. That said, MP did say that he would love to be a part of A7X longer than just this album and tour, if his schedule allowed for it, so maybe it did have some influence.

And yes, 2010 was meant to break the cycle and give them a break, but then the Maiden tour came up and put them pretty much right back on the track that they have been on.





It's not as if MP doesn't have previous in reacting in anger is it. I refer you to the JLB interview and his reaction without reading it, amonsgst other examples. And I would not expect JP to come out and diss MP no matter what went down.
A7X are far and away bigger than HAIL or TA and money is likely to be a factor (it would be for me so I'm not having a go at him for that). And the Maiden tour lasted what , 4 weeks? That's hardly a big chunk of the year.
But it's all old news and speculation and whilst I still wish none of this had happened I'm looking forward to the announcement and more importantly, some new music..

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

*Marks that one down for future reference*

[Rafael Guerra]

Didn't want to create another MP-related topic, but just wondering if you guys saw this interview that came out two days ago:
https://www.musicradar.com/rhythm/mike-portnoy-and-a7x-taking-baby-steps-together-289938