MP is gone...

[CrimsonSunrise]

I guess any band can evolve.... I mean  we only have 2/5 original members left as it is

[rumborak]

In my book the only one irreplaceable is JP really, because he is the driving force behind DT's songwriting. Technically they can all be replaced (as the ease of replacing the "totally irreplaceable" MP has shown) and frankly I would be rather tempted to hear a top-notch singer have a go at DT's songs.

rumborak

[FretMuppet]

Nah JLB is the one

[Adami]

I guess any band can evolve.... I mean  we only have 2/5 original members left as it is

Better than bands like Iced Earth with only 1 original member.

Or bands like Stratovarius..............with no original members.

[Elaitch]

All of the band members are indispensable for the sound and structure of Dream Theater songs. I'm not sure about Mangini yet, but I'm sure he'll prove himself on ADTOE.

The one loss that would really be devastating to the band is JP, since he is and has been (together with MP, as you know) the one mainly in charge of production (and things surrounding it) of recent DT albums. I don't think JLB, JR or JM would be able to shoulder that responsibility; in that case they would have to bring in an outside producer, which would really mean a big change; not only musically, but in the general way they make albums. Loss of JLB, JR and/or JM (and maybe MM) would mean a significant change, but it would mainly mean a loss of some fans and gain of others, since those three mainly contribute with how the music sound, and not so much in how the album is actually produced and put on the market... that's JP's part right now.

[DarkEternalNight]

I'm still sad about it and I think Dream Theater won't be Dream Theater without him but I'm more excited about the new music now that's he gone simply out of curiosity.

[CrimsonSunrise]

I guess any band can evolve.... I mean  we only have 2/5 original members left as it is

Better than bands like Iced Earth with only 1 original member.

Or bands like Stratovarius..............with no original members.

True... just  kind of strange when I think of the situation that way.

[Adami]

I guess any band can evolve.... I mean  we only have 2/5 original members left as it is

Better than bands like Iced Earth with only 1 original member.

Or bands like Stratovarius..............with no original members.

True... just  kind of strange when I think of the situation that way.

Well think of it this way, John and John were playing music together long before they met Portnoy. So you still have the core.

[skydivingninja]

It was a huge shock to me the first day. After that, I was more excited than anything.

Now, I honestly am kind of indifferent towards the whole thing... I'll wait until the new album comes out.

This.  I like Mike, he's a great drummer.  I listened to "Metropolis pt. 1" the other day and was blown away once again by his skill and creativity.  But if his heart and mind wasn't in it, and MM's was, I'd rather have MM.  Not to mention it seems he really did have a bit of a vice grip the way it was rumored.

[Miyazaki74]

Right now fans are excited to see what Mangini will bring to DT but in about 2-3 years DT fans are going to want MP back. MM doesn't have Portnoy's charisma, and none of the band members can connect with the fan base the way MP can. Mike Portnoy is the backbone of DT and fans will realize this one day.

[Adami]

Right now fans are excited to see what Mangini will bring to DT but in about 2-3 years DT fans are going to want MP back. MM doesn't have Portnoy's charisma, and none of the band members can connect with the fan base the way MP can. Mike Portnoy is the backbone of DT and fans will realize this one day.

I have no doubt that a few people like yourself will always want MP back no matter the situation, but many of us won't.

[Miyazaki74]

Right now fans are excited to see what Mangini will bring to DT but in about 2-3 years DT fans are going to want MP back. MM doesn't have Portnoy's charisma, and none of the band members can connect with the fan base the way MP can. Mike Portnoy is the backbone of DT and fans will realize this one day.

I have no doubt that a few people like yourself will always want MP back no matter the situation, but many of us won't.

When the goodies that MP provided the fans stop comin we'll see what happens. Like I said, I give it 2 years until fans start crying out for Portnoy to return.  To me Portnoy leaving is the same as if Petrucci were to leave and got replaced. It's just not Dream Theater to me.

[King Postwhore]

Unfortunately, it's Mike's fault he's not in the band anymore.  So why bang a dead drum.

[Adami]

Right now fans are excited to see what Mangini will bring to DT but in about 2-3 years DT fans are going to want MP back. MM doesn't have Portnoy's charisma, and none of the band members can connect with the fan base the way MP can. Mike Portnoy is the backbone of DT and fans will realize this one day.

I have no doubt that a few people like yourself will always want MP back no matter the situation, but many of us won't.

When the goodies that MP provided the fans stop comin we'll see what happens. Like I said, I give it 2 years until fans start crying out for Portnoy to return.  To me Portnoy leaving is the same as if Petrucci were to leave and got replaced. It's just not Dream Theater to me.

What goodies? Do you think DT will stop releasing DVD's and the such? It will be less frequent...........I personally have 9 DT dvd's. I don't really need a whole lot more.

[Jamesman42]

It's not about the DVD's anyway. I have 2 DT DVD's and that's enough for me...though I really need to get LaB, but my best friend has it so whatever.

[Miyazaki74]

I know it's Mike's fault that he's not in the band. I'm not blaming the band one bit, they didn't fire him. And it's not just about the goodies that he provided the fans but I can't think of to many mainstream artists that have a connection with their fans the way MP does. The constant communication he has with his fans on his forum about the band or when the other band members didn't want to provide an audio commentary for the Tokyo show or Score, he went out of the way and did those himself just to make the fans that like that type of stuff a little happier. It's just little things like that I think fans are going to eventually miss.

[SystematicThought]

I do have to admit, I wish JLB and JP would increase their activity on their boards. They did for a long while, but now they don't. However, they are busy but MP always would post on the road.

Also, JP seems to have issues with Twitter updates 

[chaotic_ripper]

JP, JR, and JLB have all done a great job staying in contact with the fans and keeping us updated ever since MP quit. It's been almost a year now and I don't feel like I'm being short-changed as a fan or that I'm being left in the dark in any way. Also when these guys talk about the band or the new album it doesn't just sound like hype, if you catch my drift.

[D_Halco]

If anybody still hasn't moved on from MP being out of DT by now, that's really very sad. Anyway, there's alot more important things in this life to be concerned about...like those filthy Moon People!

[SystematicThought]

JP, JR, and JLB have all done a great job staying in contact with the fans and keeping us updated ever since MP quit. It's been almost a year now and I don't feel like I'm being short-changed as a fan or that I'm being left in the dark in any way. Also when these guys talk about the band or the new album it doesn't just sound like hype, if you catch my drift.

I do agree with you, and they are hyping the album in a great way. They aren't comparing the new album to songs a la Mike with Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

MP just would participate in other threads with fans on his forum, and JP and JLB haven't been on their forums in about a month. JLB does great on twitter though. JR continues to do a phenomonal job with Twitter. The one thing I like now with JP and JLB and JR handling PR, they come across as more sincere and more interested in the band

[Miyazaki74]

Yea for now they're doing a pretty good job. Lets see if it stays that way. Plus when MP spoke or wrote something it didn't just feel like an update. He made you feel as if their was this bond that you had with him even thought you didn't personally know him. I'm not saying the others guys are doing it the wrong way it's who they are and that's fine. I'm just saying MP's way is more fun

[Miyazaki74]

If anybody still hasn't moved on from MP being out of DT by now, that's really very sad. Anyway, there's alot more important things in this life to be concerned about...like those filthy Moon People!

Oh I know their alot more important things to worry about.  I'm not losing any sleep over this, I barely even think about it unless I'm online hanging around these forums.  I just have some free time on my hands and having a little fun opining on the DT/MP situaton.

[j]

The constant communication he has with his fans on his forum

This was a big part of the problem for me, actually.  I mean, the idea of it is a fan's dream come true of course: it was cool when he'd drop in and interact once in awhile, but the nature of internet communication combined with some of the negative aspects of Portnoy's personality inevitably portrayed a very off-putting side of him.  And it continues to this day.

As for the OP, I was completely shocked when I first read he was leaving, and I was very skeptical until it was confirmed.  In hindsight, he's probably the second-to-last person I ever expected to leave the band, behind Petrucci.  But I soon became excited to see what DT will do next, not only because some of the things people have been guessing for a long time about Portnoy's former role in the band are looking more and more to be somewhat accurate, but also because it's a "shake-up" in general that could have been just what they needed.

-J

[JPX]

Yea for now they're doing a pretty good job. Lets see if it stays that way. Plus when MP spoke or wrote something it didn't just feel like an update. He made you feel as if their was this bond that you had with him even thought you didn't personally know him. I'm not saying the others guys are doing it the wrong way it's who they are and that's fine. I'm just saying MP's way is more fun

Maybe he should have spent less time writing on his message board or playing in side projects and more time practicing.

[Aramatheis]

I adapt to just about anything extremely quickly, I was fine about 10 seconds after it happened.

[Miyazaki74]

Yea for now they're doing a pretty good job. Lets see if it stays that way. Plus when MP spoke or wrote something it didn't just feel like an update. He made you feel as if their was this bond that you had with him even thought you didn't personally know him. I'm not saying the others guys are doing it the wrong way it's who they are and that's fine. I'm just saying MP's way is more fun

Maybe he should have spent less time writing on his message board or playing in side projects and more time practicing.

Practice for what? The world drumming olympics? He's an exceptional drummer that influenced many drummers out there. How many drummer reader's polls did he win in a row? You're telling me you would rather practice than write and play songs with some of your favorite musicians? Practice?!! We talkin about Practice?!!

[SystematicThought]

He often admitted that he never practiced and thus his playing never developed and thus it became kind of stale.

[rumborak]

How many drummer reader's polls did he win in a row?

I don't want this to deteriorate into a shitfest, but I have to point out that most of his awards were as "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" between 1996-2006. That's not exactly a big pond to compete in, and once Porcupine Tree and Rush (re)appeared on the scene he no longer held the title.

rumborak

[Miyazaki74]

How many drummer reader's polls did he win in a row?

I don't want this to deteriorate into a shitfest, but I have to point out that most of his awards were as "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" between 1996-2006. That's not exactly a big pond to compete in, and once Porcupine Tree and Rush (re)appeared on the scene he no longer held the title.

rumborak

All I'm saying is that he influended alot of drummers out there. I'm not saying he is the best, he's far from it. Even though it's not a big pool, 12 years in a row is still impresssive and being in the modern drummer hall of fame just proves his influence in the drumming community.

[JPX]

How many drummer reader's polls did he win in a row?

I don't want this to deteriorate into a shitfest, but I have to point out that most of his awards were as "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" between 1996-2006. That's not exactly a big pond to compete in, and once Porcupine Tree and Rush (re)appeared on the scene he no longer held the title.

rumborak

All I'm saying is that he influended alot of drummers out there. I'm not saying he is the best, he's far from it. Even though it's not a big pool, 12 years in a row is still impresssive and being in the modern drummer hall of fame just proves his influence in the drumming community.

No doubt, and he was great. But this this thread is about him being gone - and had he practiced and focused more of his time on Dream Theater, then perhaps we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[Miyazaki74]

How many drummer reader's polls did he win in a row?

I don't want this to deteriorate into a shitfest, but I have to point out that most of his awards were as "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" between 1996-2006. That's not exactly a big pond to compete in, and once Porcupine Tree and Rush (re)appeared on the scene he no longer held the title.

rumborak

All I'm saying is that he influended alot of drummers out there. I'm not saying he is the best, he's far from it. Even though it's not a big pool, 12 years in a row is still impresssive and being in the modern drummer hall of fame just proves his influence in the drumming community.

No doubt, and he was great. But this this thread is about him being gone - and had he practiced and focused more of his time on Dream Theater, then perhaps we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The reason he's not in DT is not because of lack of practice. Are you really accusing MP of not focusing his time enough on DT? He handled nearly everything in DT when he was with the band or so he says which even the band admits.

[KevShmev]

I think some would argue that he focused too much on controlling every little thing, which not only took away from certain things (like, his play becoming somewhat stagnant in the band), but suffocated certain other band members to the point where working with the band merely became a job they showed up for every day, in a manner of speaking.  Bands rarely survive over the long haul when it is a dictatorship, rather than a democracy.

[JPX]

How many drummer reader's polls did he win in a row?

I don't want this to deteriorate into a shitfest, but I have to point out that most of his awards were as "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" between 1996-2006. That's not exactly a big pond to compete in, and once Porcupine Tree and Rush (re)appeared on the scene he no longer held the title.

rumborak

All I'm saying is that he influended alot of drummers out there. I'm not saying he is the best, he's far from it. Even though it's not a big pool, 12 years in a row is still impresssive and being in the modern drummer hall of fame just proves his influence in the drumming community.

No doubt, and he was great. But this this thread is about him being gone - and had he practiced and focused more of his time on Dream Theater, then perhaps we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The reason he's not in DT is not because of lack of practice. Are you really accusing MP of not focusing his time enough on DT? He handled nearly everything in DT when he was with the band or so he says which even the band admits.

He should have focused his time on being the drummer for Dream Theater and he was doing everything else but that.

Maybe if he had continued to push himself then he wouldn't have become bored. Who knows.

[El JoNNo]

Or he would have become more bored. Plus I don't think boredom really had much to do with it.

[JPX]

Or he would have become more bored. Plus I don't think boredom really had much to do with it.

He left because he felt things were getting stale/repetitive/boring...it's all the same.

And John and John have been playing the same songs for 20+ years, yet they seem happy.