MP 98/99 wanting to quit and 2010 quiting

[Anjohl Tennan]

I'm listening to the commentary on the 5 years in a Livetime DVD and I was stuck by MP's comments about wanting to quit in 1998/1999.  I don't know if this has been mentioned before but it almost, well it did, seem like he was jealous of other bands (Slayer and Pantera in 1998/1999).  His exact words were "I was so depressed and I looked at them and they were so cool and together and we were frustrated"  I find that interesting because he did mention working and having more fun with other artists in his press release when he quit DT.  WHy does he look at other bands and compare them to DT?

I know the tread will likely be locked or deleted because of MP bashing and whatnot but I ma interested in others thoughts on this.

[John94]

Basic human instincts. Tell me you don't look at someone else and compare them to yourself. Likewise, all teams must look at other teams and want to emulate them. Same goes for bands. Happy bands make good music and have a much better time in doing so.

[FretMuppet]

Dream Theater were doing pretty well in 2010, especially after BC&SL came out, so popularity surely wasn't a reason. In all honesty, I don't blame Mike for his decision, he was all burned out. In 1998/99 he still had more inspiration and freshness which sort of motivated him to carry on.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

What it boiled down to in 1998 and 2010, I think, is personalities.

MP is very different from everyone else in DT, which isn't a big deal if he is only with them for short periods of time (like Transatlantic), but after 10+ years, it's going to start to take a toll on the relationship.

[millahh]

It seems to me like he has trouble allowing himself to be happy with what he's doing...leading to things like juggling six projects at once, and doing the "grass is always greener" thing described in the first post.  He seems to be compelled to do more or something different, feeling that he'll find peace or fulfillment in it...and it never happens, because he won't let himself feel it.  It's like the cartoons where the rabbit has a stick with a carrot on it tied to his head, with the carrot just out of his reach...no matter how fast he runs, he can't quite get it.

[Anjohl Tennan]

First, man I have a TON of typos in that first post!

I have been a fan since 1992 so I have seen them rise and fall in popularity.  That is why I am not understanding why he would compare DT to other bands since the one thing DT has done is make sure they are not like other bands be it musically or personally (taking their families out on the road and touring for only three weeks at a time).  I was in the understanding that DT had accepted the mantle of being the "uncool" in progressive metal.  They do what they do and aren't really concerned with those who don't get it because they have a loyal fan base that does get it.

When I heard that section of commentary I was struck by his jealousy of others and it put the situation of the past months in a different perspective.

Don't get me wrong.  I like MP and think he is an insanely creative artist and great drummer.  I was just pointing out that it seems that the issues that led to him quitting last year may have been festering since 98/99/

[Zook]

Why on earth would anyone be jealous of Slayer? Poor Mike...

[reo73]

As far as I understand it, in '99 he was frustrated with the record company and the business side of it all.  More recently he seems to just be burnt out with the whole DT thing.  I don't really think the 2 situations are related much.

[The Dark Master]

The only commonalities between the two situations is Mike's perception of other bands being "tighter" then Dream Theater.  Back then, it was Slayer and Pantera; now, it's Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold.  Other then that, reasons for him wanting to leave back in 98 are completely different from 2010.  In 98, most of his frustration was aimed at the record company, the management, and, to a lesser extent, Petrucci, as well as the loss of control and subsequent dip in popularity they experienced during the Falling Into Infinity era.  In 2010, they had total control over their music, a record company that appreciated and supported them, a solid management team, a top 10 album, and a productive working relationship between Petrucci and Portnoy.  Mike's primary reason for leaving in 2010 was that he was feeling "brunt out on Dream Theater."  Back in 98 that most certainly was not the case.  They had written a double album worth of material and even the final product has more Portnoy penned songs then any other album in their career, so if anything at the time MP and co were suffering from creative diarrhea rather then creative constipation.  Mike's touring with those other bands in 09/10 may have skewed his perception that Dream Theater wasn't the band of brothers it used to be, although to date the other members still insist the relationships between members is the same as it has always been, so it is up for debate if the band was ever like that.  MP definitely can suffer from a "grass is always greener" syndrome from time to time, and touring with three other bands in the past two years probably exacerbated his view of the situation with in DT, leading him to believe that the band needed a break.  I think after having so much fun with the other guys, combined with his lack of interest in writing material for the next DT album, MP may have had a crisis of commitment with regards to his relationship to DT, which is what caused him to suggest they take a break, which they refused, which resulted in his ejection from the band.  But in no was was the band suffering from the same multitude of problems that plagued them back in 98.

[kiwiclapton]

Why on earth would anyone be jealous of Slayer? Poor Mike...

Ha ha, you've got a nail hit with a sledge hammer .

[ricky]

idk, maybe im wrong, but dream theater is on such a higher level than pantera...etc, you can't really compare.

but anyways, in answer to what you said, no, theres no real correlation.

MP was unhappy, so he quit, and he regrets it. move on. kthanx.

[jdprsaga]

In 98, most of his frustration was aimed at the record company, the management, and, to a lesser extent, Petrucci, as well as the loss of control and subsequent dip in popularity they experienced during the Falling Into Infinity era.

Why was he frustrated with petrucci?? is there something i missed??

[The Dark Master]

In 98, most of his frustration was aimed at the record company, the management, and, to a lesser extent, Petrucci, as well as the loss of control and subsequent dip in popularity they experienced during the Falling Into Infinity era.

Why was he frustrated with petrucci?? is there something i missed??

Yes, they actually mention it somewhat in Lifting Shadows.  They disagreed over the split in their management, Mike took issue with Petrucci actually agreeing to work with Desmond Child, and Petrucci took issue with mike getting more out of control on road, in particular, when Mike fired Petrucci's guitar tech.  Allegedly, there was also some personal differences that were not discussed in the book.

[hefdaddy42]

idk, maybe im wrong, but dream theater is on such a higher level than pantera...etc, you can't really compare.

I have no idea what this means.

[Orion1967]

Why on earth would anyone be jealous of Slayer? Poor Mike...

ROFLMAO, this was the first thing I thought too when I read the OP 

[ReaperKK]

Basic human instincts. Tell me you don't look at someone else and compare them to yourself. Likewise, all teams must look at other teams and want to emulate them. Same goes for bands. Happy bands make good music and have a much better time in doing so.

Grass is always greener on the other side apparently . . .

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Why on earth would anyone be jealous of Slayer? Poor Mike...

It's easy, mang. It's defi...



RAINING BLOOD

[El Barto]

Mike fired Petrucci's guitar tech?  WTF?

[contest_sanity]

I think the thing with Slayer and Pantera I thought was that MP was jealous of their closeness as bands, you know, sticking together to create the type of music they wanted to make, regardless of what was popular.  MP felt that's what DT was losing around 98, not just due to record execs but also that Petrucci was more receptive to outside input at that time.

[Aniland]

This is most speculative, but does anybody else feel like some of the jealousies that Portnoy seems to hint at, may arise from the fact that the rest of the band were more social and warm with one another than with him? As if Mike's control issues began to surface as a product of being out of the loop socially with the rest of the band, and as if making executive decisions reconciled this relationship. I don't know... just something I thought of through reading all of this. It also seems that the rest of the band is less pressured now with him gone, based on recent tweets and interviews and the like.

[rmp0012002]

I had thought that MP did all the work because the other guys weren't doing their share but after reading Lifting Shadows all of Mikes issues are due to Mike himself for being a control freak. It must have been a huge relief that Mike left as he had wanted to fire most of the members at one time or another or just ended up alienating then.  Now they can just make music without constantly having Mike standing over them shaking his finger at them when something wasn't done his way.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

rMP


hey, hello you.

[Perpetual Change]

Mike fired Petrucci's guitar tech?  WTF?

Yeah.

I think people generally underestimate what kind of position Mike was in at that time.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Mike fired Petrucci's guitar tech?  WTF?

This. What in the hell...

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Mike fired Petrucci's guitar tech?  WTF?

Yeah.

I think people generally underestimate what kind of position Mike was in at that time.

I think people generally underestimate what kind of position Mike was in at all times.