Other "Dramatic Events" in DT history

[wammabe]

I've noticed that many members here in the forums have known Dream Theater for a long time, some have even mentioned that they've known Dream Theater back when they were called Majesty. I'm interested to know about the announcements and events that have happened in Dream Theater history and reactions from the fans. For instance, Kevin Moore/Derek Sherinian/Charlie Dominici's departure. 

This is my first thread, I hope I'm posting this in the right forum section. 

[ariich]

I wasn't a fan back then, but I remember others talking about how when KM left, nobody really knew anything about it until the album came out, and even then most people didn't really care. We live in the internet age now, where information comes out instantly and people feel they have a right to know everything, whereas back then you only found out when you saw the liner notes, or if you read it in a magazine.

[wammabe]

I wasn't a fan back then, but I remember others talking about how when KM left, nobody really knew anything about it until the album came out, and even then most people didn't really care. We live in the internet age now, where information comes out instantly and people feel they have a right to know everything, whereas back then you only found out when you saw the liner notes, or if you read it in a magazine.

Never really thought about that  Anyways, I guess that answers many doubts and questions I had. 

[wasteland]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmxUUSyy0LQ&t=15

And of course...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz_nBOmrIQg&feature=channel_video_title

[Aniland]

^I seem to remember another one in the same gas station where LaBrie or someone is holding the camera, and they pan to Jordan who is holding like a shitton of chocolate and he says it will only last him a week. Do you know which that was?

[Tunnel Vision]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVJycQU0MYI#t=2m33s

and btw wasteland, I nearly spit out my drink after seeing your avatar and reading the quote below it!

[Aniland]

Don't the admins throw a fit if you do that?

[FretMuppet]

^I seem to remember another one in the same gas station where LaBrie or someone is holding the camera, and they pan to Jordan who is holding like a shitton of chocolate and he says it will only last him a week. Do you know which that was?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUacfF7kzJw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[KevShmev]

I wasn't a fan back then, but I remember others talking about how when KM left, nobody really knew anything about it until the album came out, and even then most people didn't really care. 

How can you possibly know that?

Speaking for myself and the friends at the time who were DT fans, we found out about Moore's departure literally minutes before we got tickets to go to our first DT concert.   It was in a magazine that I was skimming through while we were waiting for tickets to go on sale.  We were all like, "Aw shit, that sucks," but hey, life goes on. 

But it it still impossible to know how much most people were affected by his leaving at the time.

[Aniland]

Was Derek in the band by the time you saw them?

[Vajra]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz_nBOmrIQg&feature=channel_video_title

Never before has JP looked more like a bear than he does there.

[Kotowboy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz_nBOmrIQg&feature=channel_video_title

Never before has JP looked more like a bear than he does there.

Pretty Sure that's Portnoy...

[ML]

I think it's a bit wrong to say that we live internet-time now, as Dream Theater was on internet very early. They even made some mp3's available from FII before it was released, at least New Millennium and few of the songs that were dropped to B-sides were available from their site back then. Naturally took a while to download with a modem, but anyway. Still, I can't remember any big fuzz about Moore's departure, but I remember when Rudess came into the band and how some internet radio-station played Scenes before it was released and how we were thrilled about the flashbacks from the I&W. 

Very OT, sorry...

[robwebster]

I wasn't a fan back then, but I remember others talking about how when KM left, nobody really knew anything about it until the album came out, and even then most people didn't really care. 

How can you possibly know that?

He doesn't! Just remembers others talking about it! He said.

In fairness, while there were a couple of VHSes out by that point (I think - was IAWLIT out by then?), nobody really "knew" the band members as people - not in the same way they do now - so it was hardly gonna create the same kind of massive stir as it may have done a couple of years down the line.

[Vajra]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz_nBOmrIQg&feature=channel_video_title

Never before has JP looked more like a bear than he does there.

Pretty Sure that's Portnoy...

Oops, wrong link lol.


Wtf, I can't find the link now lol. The one where MP talks about Metroplois.

[Pols Voice]

The Myung Tackle

[ytserush]

Although I became a fan in 1989, I didn't know Dream Theater was even still a band until I saw promo copies of Images and Words at a record show in June 1992.

Imagine my surprise when I put the CD on while also noticing that Charlie wasn't in the band. I wasn't sure if I liked James at that point or not because I spent almost three years listening to When Dream and Day Unite with Charlie.

The production on Images and Words was very different too.  At first I thought they sounded like Journey on Another Day and Surrounded. It took me a few months to get used to it.

As soon as I saw my first concert with James, all was right with the world -- Well except for James' habit of twirling his hair. I'm glad he grew out of that.


The Kevin Moore thing was different.  I was in the fan club by then and we were sent notice (a copy of the press release was in the fanzine)  that he was leaving right after it was announced that Awake was "in the can."

Since I thought Kevin was a MAJOR contributor, I was shocked and stunned. I wasn't sure how they would overcome that.

I couldn't understand why until Kevin sent his demos out to fans and then I understood completely why he had to leave.   While accepting this, I still didn't think that Derek was the best choice for the band. I didn't really like what he brought live and I thought the songs suffered live most of the time with him in the band. (My fandom definately took a hit in those years) That said, he was a great guy. I just didn't like what he brought to the band. (I LOVE the stuff he's been involved with after he left the band by the way)


When Jordan joined, I was incredibly stoked and thought a mistake had been corrected. I thought the band was back on the road to greatness.

[Mladen]

I couldn't understand why until Kevin sent his demos out to fans and then I understood completely why he had to leave. 

This guy knows something the rest of us don't. 

[wasteland]

I couldn't understand why until Kevin sent his demos out to fans and then I understood completely why he had to leave. 

This guy knows something the rest of us don't. 

Maybe he's speaking of the demos of the songs that would later become his first couple of albums. They may have appeared so different from everything DT was doing in that period (and has ever done) to justify and clarify KM's decision to leave the band and its musical path.

[ZirconBlue]

I signed up for the Ytsejam mailing list in ~1995.  There were a lot of people disappointed in KM's departure, and, back then, there were still actually some James vs Charlie debates going on.

[ariich]

I wasn't a fan back then, but I remember others talking about how when KM left, nobody really knew anything about it until the album came out, and even then most people didn't really care. 

How can you possibly know that?

He doesn't! Just remembers others talking about it! He said.

This. I have no idea, I was only 10 years old and hadn't even heard of DT. I was just relaying what I remember a very small number of people here saying, which is all I have to go on really.

[VioletS16]

Although I became a fan in 1989, I didn't know Dream Theater was even still a band until I saw promo copies of Images and Words at a record show in June 1992.

Imagine my surprise when I put the CD on while also noticing that Charlie wasn't in the band. I wasn't sure if I liked James at that point or not because I spent almost three years listening to When Dream and Day Unite with Charlie.

The production on Images and Words was very different too.  At first I thought they sounded like Journey on Another Day and Surrounded. It took me a few months to get used to it.

As soon as I saw my first concert with James, all was right with the world -- Well except for James' habit of twirling his hair. I'm glad he grew out of that.


The Kevin Moore thing was different.  I was in the fan club by then and we were sent notice (a copy of the press release was in the fanzine)  that he was leaving right after it was announced that Awake was "in the can."

Since I thought Kevin was a MAJOR contributor, I was shocked and stunned. I wasn't sure how they would overcome that.

I couldn't understand why until Kevin sent his demos out to fans and then I understood completely why he had to leave.   While accepting this, I still didn't think that Derek was the best choice for the band. I didn't really like what he brought live and I thought the songs suffered live most of the time with him in the band. (My fandom definately took a hit in those years) That said, he was a great guy. I just didn't like what he brought to the band. (I LOVE the stuff he's been involved with after he left the band by the way)


When Jordan joined, I was incredibly stoked and thought a mistake had been corrected. I thought the band was back on the road to greatness.

Really?? He did that???
THAT IS SO HOT!
Sorry I'm a James crazed girl 

[tgstk2]

hmm let me see

KM leaving is one
MP not having great drum solos after his live in tokyo performance
MP going trading endorsements
JP leaving ibanez, his old sigantures where awesome, and you know it was a JP guitar...this musicman..pfff....and it doesn't even come with floyd rose!
JP just having 1 DVD
DS leaving, i really liked him. JR is cool at keyboards..but he comes a across like a dull turd sometimes... you know very focussed all the time.
the lack of fortune in lies on there setlists.

[nikostheater]

I think that an almost dramatic turn on events would be the almost kicking out James from the band around the time after the Six Degrees tour..

[WildeSilas]

I think that an almost dramatic turn on events would be the almost kicking out James from the band around the time after the Six Degrees tour..

Never knew about this.

I figured DT was OVER when KM left. I remember reading it in a magazine and thinking, "Oh well, at least I got two great albums from them." There were lots of metal bands trying the prog thing in those days - I was hearing about Symphony X, holding out some hope for Queensryche to stay the course, etc. Lots of interesting bands coming out, but I felt like KM's keyboard approach gave DT that extra something special and I didn't hold out much hope for them replacing him. When CoS and FII came out, I was really disappointed and kind of moved on until after SDOIT came out - then I went back and learned to appreciate CoS and FII, and of course, discovered SFAM. I'd still pick KM over JR any day of the week, but KM leaving was a HUGE turn events for me as a fan.

Also - when they hit the top 10 on Billboard with BCSL. Pretty dramatic turn of events. 

[GasparXR]

I think that an almost dramatic turn on events would be the almost kicking out James from the band around the time after the Six Degrees tour..

Really? Explain, I have never heard of this before.

[tgstk2]

thsi is new to me as well

i know he was almost kicked out during FII, due to his vocal problems...but not in 6doit.
fii almost was the end of DT in gereral...

so pics or it didn't happen.

[GasparXR]

I don't think he was almost kicked out furing FII, he considered quitting, IIRC.

[FretMuppet]

I heard that the band were thinking about giving him the boot because he wasn't keeping himself in shape (vocals wise), and he could only stay if he started to fix up lol

Luckily, he stayed

[ZirconBlue]

This event is documented in Lifting Shadows.

[Dublagent66]

I wasn't a fan back then, but I remember others talking about how when KM left, nobody really knew anything about it until the album came out, and even then most people didn't really care. We live in the internet age now, where information comes out instantly and people feel they have a right to know everything, whereas back then you only found out when you saw the liner notes, or if you read it in a magazine.

Pretty much this.  I didn't realize KM was gone until the EP "A Change of Seasons" came out and I saw Derek's picture on the back.  I'm like, who's this guy?  They must have gotten a new keyboard player.  I didn't think much of it, but was kinda curious what happened.  Didn't find out until much later.

[ytserush]

I couldn't understand why until Kevin sent his demos out to fans and then I understood completely why he had to leave. 

This guy knows something the rest of us don't. 

Maybe he's speaking of the demos of the songs that would later become his first couple of albums. They may have appeared so different from everything DT was doing in that period (and has ever done) to justify and clarify KM's decision to leave the band and its musical path.

That's exactly what I meant.  It just seemed so natural, like it was meant to be.

Posted by: VioletS16 

Quote from: ytserush on June 20, 2011, 12:32:44 AM

Although I became a fan in 1989, I didn't know Dream Theater was even still a band until I saw promo copies of Images and Words at a record show in June 1992.

Imagine my surprise when I put the CD on while also noticing that Charlie wasn't in the band. I wasn't sure if I liked James at that point or not because I spent almost three years listening to When Dream and Day Unite with Charlie.

The production on Images and Words was very different too.  At first I thought they sounded like Journey on Another Day and Surrounded. It took me a few months to get used to it.

As soon as I saw my first concert with James, all was right with the world -- Well except for James' habit of twirling his hair. I'm glad he grew out of that.


The Kevin Moore thing was different.  I was in the fan club by then and we were sent notice (a copy of the press release was in the fanzine)  that he was leaving right after it was announced that Awake was "in the can."

Since I thought Kevin was a MAJOR contributor, I was shocked and stunned. I wasn't sure how they would overcome that.

I couldn't understand why until Kevin sent his demos out to fans and then I understood completely why he had to leave.   While accepting this, I still didn't think that Derek was the best choice for the band. I didn't really like what he brought live and I thought the songs suffered live most of the time with him in the band. (My fandom definately took a hit in those years) That said, he was a great guy. I just didn't like what he brought to the band. (I LOVE the stuff he's been involved with after he left the band by the way)


When Jordan joined, I was incredibly stoked and thought a mistake had been corrected. I thought the band was back on the road to greatness.

Really?? He did that???
THAT IS SO HOT!
Sorry I'm a James crazed girl   

Here's a sample for you at about 11:40 in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S72RmOXiyRw

Enjoy!

[Sketchy]

The thing in this thread which surprised me was the existence of "Charlie Vs James" debates. It's not that I think one is better than the other, it's more that as WDADU was the most recent DT album I got, even after many Official Bootlegs, including Majesty Demos, it just never really occurred to me.

Thinking about it, it's not that surprising, seeing as Kevin vs Derek Vs Jordan debates are relatively common still.

[Knguro]

The Myung Tackle

Does somebody has a link for this one?

[reo73]

I remember not really caring that KM left because I was Petrucci fanboy and who cares about the keyboardist anyway (guitar player sarcasm).  And then I remember liking DS quite a bit because he had a vibe and ACOS was absolutely fantastic.  When they replaced DS with JR I remember thinking it kind of sucked but was able to roll with it.  I initially like JR until about ToT when I started to realize the song writing magic that was brought to the table with KM was gone and DT had turned into version of LTE with lyrics.  At that point I really missed KM and understood better what I wanted out of keyboards from DT which is more atmosphere and less wankery.