MP threatening to leave during FII tour

[Super Dude]

I can't believe I didn't think about this till now (and if this has been covered, go ahead and ), but what about that other time, when MP almost left?  He said then that it was almost the end of DT...was it?  Maybe their relationship then wasn't as terse, but everything surrounding his recent departure calls a lot of things into question for me.  Do you think they would've broken up then if he'd left?  Would they have kept going?  What do you think DT would be like now if that'd happened and they continued to go to outside producers, etc.?

[El Barto]

Maybe Desmond Child would have written them a long string of #1 power ballads.  They would have made a gazillion dollars.  We'd all be chatting it up on a MP message board, ragging on that cheesy pop band he used to be a part of, except Cozmo and Bosk who'd call them a guilty pleasure. 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

 

[darkshade]

we can talk about this or that, but what is the cost?

[Super Dude]

 

[rumborak]

Hard to tell those things. Mike is a bit of a drama queen, and in most cases we only had his version to go by.

rumborak

[JayOctavarium]

If he woulda left during the FII tour, I DT would have been over

[Nihil-Morari]

If he woulda left during the FII tour, I DT would have been over

Yes. Jordan wouldn't have joined the band, you'd have a Canadian with vocal chord issues, an out of place keyboard player, a silent bass player and a helpless guitar player to try to hold it together.

[SeventhSon]

I was flipping through Lifting Shadows last night and I came to this part of the story. JP said that had Mike left at that point, that would've been it.

[darkshade]

right, they werent the powerhouse they are today. They were still that 'one hit wonder' band still trying to find their place

[reneranucci]

right, they werent the powerhouse they are today. They were still that 'one hit wonder' band still trying to find their place

Yep. And at that point in their career, the opportunity cost of leaving DT was lower than now.

[Orbert]

I guess I'm not sure what the term "opportunity cost" means, although I think I have an idea.

Are you talking about how at that point, they were still kinda struggling (despite the one minor hit) but now that they've kinda made it big, there's a lot more to lose?  Something like that?

[JediKnight1969]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember an interview where MP said in those FII days he thought about disbanding DT, not just quiting, that means he always think of himself as the band's owner.

[j]

I guess I'm not sure what the term "opportunity cost" means, although I think I have an idea.

Are you talking about how at that point, they were still kinda struggling (despite the one minor hit) but now that they've kinda made it big, there's a lot more to lose?  Something like that?

Yeah, that's the gist of it.

-J

[Dublagent66]

If he had quit back then, I don't think it would've been the end of DT.  Some of the members may have felt that way, but ultimately it probably wouldn't have happened.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Maybe Desmond Child would have written them a long string of #1 power ballads.  They would have made a gazillion dollars.  We'd all be chatting it up on a MP message board, ragging on that cheesy pop band he used to be a part of, except Cozmo and Bosk who'd call them a guilty pleasure.

Actually, I'd still be listening to them.  Probably a lot more than I do now. 

[reneranucci]

I guess I'm not sure what the term "opportunity cost" means, although I think I have an idea.

Are you talking about how at that point, they were still kinda struggling (despite the one minor hit) but now that they've kinda made it big, there's a lot more to lose?  Something like that?

Exactly!

[Riceball]

"opportunity cost"

You have no idea how awesome it was to read opportunity cost in the context of a Dream Theater discussion. It warms my bones

[Orbert]

It's a wacky phrase.  It sounds like something you have to pay in order to have a chance to do something.


For just $49.95, you can try your skills as drummer for prog-metal band Dream Theater!  But you must act now, because Dream Theater are already in the studio and have finished writing their new album.

Whoa, last time it was only like ten dollars.

That's right!  But during the Falling Into Infinity sessions, the opportunity cost was much lower, as Dream Theater only had a few albums and an EP.  Losing a drummer then meant so much less!

That's bullshit, man.  The band would've broken up, the opportunity cost should've been higher.

Fuck you!

[Super Dude]

It's a wacky phrase.  It sounds like something you have to pay in order to have a chance to do something.


For just $49.95, you can try your skills as drummer for prog-metal band Dream Theater!  But you must act now, because Dream Theater are already in the studio and have finished writing their new album.

Whoa, last time it was only like ten dollars.

That's right!  But during the Falling Into Infinity sessions, the opportunity cost was much lower, as Dream Theater only had a few albums and an EP.  Losing a drummer then meant so much less!

That's bullshit, man.  The band would've broken up, the opportunity cost should've been higher.

Fuck you!

Basically, it's the cost of doing A instead of doing B.  For example, when you only got four hours of sleep the other night but you have a big test tomorrow, the opportunity cost of studying for two hours is being exhausted for the test and maybe not retain the information, or going to bed early but not getting an opportunity to study and therefore probably not being prepared in the first place.

[Orbert]

No, I'm pretty sure it means the fee you pay for auditioning to be DT's new drummer.

[Super Dude]

What's funny is in a way you can calculate the opportunity cost of that.

[Orbert]

Sometimes the simplest answer is best.

[reneranucci]

"opportunity cost"

You have no idea how awesome it was to read opportunity cost in the context of a Dream Theater discussion. It warms my bones

I'm teaching microeconomics this semester so it's in my bones, too 

[Super Dude]

DT: Music for Econ nerds.

[Vivace]

You know I think a lot of times when people look back at a given situation they tend to think they know exactly what they would have done given a specific condition happening. JP saying Dream Theater would have been done seems like it falls into this category. I bet if MP threatened to leave during Black Clouds and didn't, JP would have said the same thing. I have a feeling if the rest of the band wanted to continue if Mike did leave after FII, Dream Theater would have continued.

[wolfking]

Maybe Desmond Child would have written them a long string of #1 power ballads.  They would have made a gazillion dollars.  We'd all be chatting it up on a MP message board, ragging on that cheesy pop band he used to be a part of, except Cozmo and Bosk who'd call them a guilty pleasure.

Actually, I'd still be listening to them.  Probably a lot more than I do now. 

Add me to that list Barto, I agree with Cozmo here!