Regarding Mike Portnoy

[millahh]

Am I the only one who thinks this is surreal?

[skydivingninja]

Nnnnnope

Also, you used to be 4 posts away from an awesome Coheed song and 5 posts away from an awesome Rush song.  I hope you celebrated them appropriately.

[YtseCullen]

Ok, I'm probably gunna get some hate for this but I think It'd be cool to see MP become somewhat active here as well as his own forum, I think it would be a good thing to show that he has moved on and that he's willing to participate in the community as a fan. Any body else think that way?

[yeshaberto]

I am looking forward to mp's posts and opinions in the other thousand threads here.  Nice to have you around 

[Jamesman42]

To be honest, I've talked some shit about you Mike. I respect what you did for a lot of DT's career and I don't actually think you're a bad guy, though your public image after leaving DT hasn't been well-received (as I think you know). A lot of people respect you. And people will always talk shit. I think it would suit you best to ignore what is said altogether and live your life. If I studied a lot of the crap people talked about me, I would be depressed and not doing well. And I can get as obsessive with things as you get, so I can relate.

Anyway, stick around and Blob will give you mud cake (or so he says).

[johncal]

Mike,

Since I know you're reading this thread, I just wanted to talk to you as a MP fan. Just so you know, I was always a huge fan from the first time I heard DT and got into playing 100% because of you.... right down to my Tama Drums and Sabian cymbals. I have to admit that I was pretty pissed off about some of the things that you said AND the way you left the band. However, i'm sure the whole thing was pretty crazy in your mind at the time (I know how those things can be) and things get very emotional and sometimes pretty out of control. For whatever and all the reasons you left, what's done is done. I think the change worked out really great for DT,  and I'm sure at least down the road you'll get things sorted out and everything will work out better than ever for you. I think it's totally fine that the band and you had different directions you wanted to go in, but it took a lot of guts on both sides to get that "divorce" done (so to speak). 25 years is a pretty damn good run. This is definitely a case where it was best to part ways, and deal with the hurt rather than go on being unhappy and everybody suffering for it. By the way things went down it's pretty apparent you reached a point in your life where something needed to give. I have the feeling that at this point, everything is cooling down and sorting itself out, especially if the fans and the supermarket rags (BM) let it. 

I really hope you and the guys get the business things straightened out so we can start hearing some of those MP driven songs down the road. It would be a shame for those songs to turn into nothing more than history.

Again, thanks for getting me into my drumming career, and giving me lots of great, I mean the BEST music ever and fond memories.

JohnCal

[King Postwhore]

Welcome Mike and I'm looking forward to seeing you on That Metal Show Saturday night.

[Nick]

My prediction: Things will go fine until MP starts getting involved in some of our heated P/R debates.

Welcome Mike, I hope you enjoy your time here.

[Ultimetalhead]

Mike Portnoy is posting on DTF.

This is truly quite the historic occasion. I'll still be more impressed when Kevin Moore signs up.

[TheGreatPretender]

Mike Portnoy is posting on DTF.

This is truly quite the historic occasion. I'll still be more impressed when Kevin Moore signs up.

Do you really NEED to be that much more impressed?

[lonestar]

Well spank me, MP is on DTF.


All I have to say to you Mike is thanks, for all the music.  Everything else is your personal thing and none of my business.  You were gracious to share your vision, heart, and talent with all of us, which is more than most people are capable of.


And keep coming back, it works!!!

[SPNKr]

posting to participate in a bit of a historical event.

if it makes you feel even better Mike, i still haven't heard ADTOE.

[ResultsMayVary]

if it makes you feel even better Mike, i still haven't heard ADTOE.

Everything aside, this needs to change asap.

[Madman Shepherd]

In any case, TRUST ME, I try my best to NOT discuss this stuff AT ALL, but inevitably it comes up in every interview I do...and from there, things get taken out of context and blown up into sensational, instigating headlines...

I can pretty much say that the majority of things you've done/said were things either you posted on your forum ("rewriting the past") or you've liked some nasty comments on facebook, etc. Yes, interviews have brought up the issue time and time again (and you must have assumed this with the popularity of DT).

And i'll give you credit, you've stayed away from the DT stuff on your forum and the liking comments over the past few weeks (to a certain degree), but you should have done this way back when you quit Dream Theater. You could have had a lot more support now if you made that decision then. And as a result of your comments, you've alienated fans.

This sums it up.  I don't know or care too much what has gone on behind the scenes with you and James but it was you that brought it all front and center and kept it going and took Blabbermouth stories out of context (against what youve always preached).  It really pushed me out of the door of your forum when the threads on his modest tour were deleted.  Just think how it looked, the then drummer of Avenged Sevenfold erasing threads about a group of honest hardworking musicians upcoming tour and a modest tour at that. 

To be honest, and I'm not saying this to be a dick, I just am not interested in what new projects you have coming up.  I might check out the John Sykes thing and give it a chance, but I will also say that whatever has transpired over the last year has in no way affected my love of other aspects of DT you had a part in.  I will always love and respect the Ytsejam bootlegs you put together, the various other duties you chose to do, or some of the lyrics like Constant Motion which fit me all too well.  I also wish DT would play a few more tunes you wrote the lyrics too. 

With that being said, I do appreciate the levelheadedness as of late and the short and civil discussion I had with your sister on your message board. 

[AtmosphericV]

Mike, I just want to say this:

For me, this is so surreal when you come here and speak, because this is like hangout place where all the fans are hiding and can talk shit you know. And we're talking about DT and everything around the band. And when I talk about DT, I talk about it like if I was talking about my favorite football team. Its nothing personal involved, people just talk, discuss, enjoy being spectators you know?

I probably said earlier, something negative towards you, because I was talking shit with my friends. BUT, its NOTHING personal, and it shouldn't be taken that way.

Mike, I admire you and I have seen hours and hours of DT and Porntoy material on DVDs, youtube, etc. Stay busy with AM, I wish you all the best!

Cheers from Norway.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Mike, I admire you and I have seen hours and hours of DT and Porntoy material on DVDs, youtube, etc. Stay busy with AM, I wish you all the best!

Cheers from Norway.

so that's what you do in your spare time?

[lonestar]

:mikeportnoy:
:portnoy:
:mp:




Um, bosk?

[WildeSilas]

I like Mike.  I think everybody here likes Mike and respects what he did in making the DT empire what it is.  But I'll admit I was among fans that were not MP uber-fans in recent years for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, while he had some great lyrical moments, I personally felt his lyrics were not consistently as strong as other DT members -- and being a big lyric reader I want the strongest lyrics possible.

You've obviously not read JP's lyrics to TMOLS or DEN. Or TMOLS. Or TMOLS. Not only the worst DT lyrics EVAR, but possibly the most horrible lyric of all the songs in all universes physical and imaginary. No disrespect intended but MP is far, far, far from having bad DT lyrics at all compared to the waking terror of the bad lyrics that are TMOLS.

Seriously though, the ONLY cringe inducing/silly lyrics in DT songs IMO have been written by JP - TMOLS, ItPoE, ANTR, Wither, TCOT. Yikes! Glad he's raised his game on ADTOE.

Edit: Awesome that Mike's posting here. I don't think anyone wants anything other than for bridges to be repaired between him and the DT guys and all the fans, regardless of their career choices going into the future.

[TheGreatPretender]

You've obviously not read JP's lyrics to TMOLS or DEN. Or TMOLS. Or TMOLS. Not only the worst DT lyrics EVAR, but possibly the most horrible lyric of all the songs in all universes physical and imaginary. No disrespect intended but MP is far, far, far from having bad DT lyrics at all compared to the waking terror of the bad lyrics that are TMOLS.

Seriously though, the ONLY cringe inducing/silly lyrics in DT songs IMO have been written by JP - TMOLS, ItPoE, ANTR, Wither, TCOT. Yikes! Glad he's raised his game on ADTOE.

See what I mean? There's criticism toward everyone, if given the opportunity.

[Mat JB]

Welcome, Mike!

I can't wait for the album with Steve Morse, he is a great hero of mine. Hopefully one day we can all hear LTE 3 - that would really be a dramatic turn of events



(ba dum tssshhh)



...




Sorry, that was incalculably bad taste on my part. Anyway, thanks for the decades of great music. You and your old comrades really changed my life for the better.

[moof]

I'd love to know what MP thinks of the new album. Not in a snide way, but just as a music fan.

You made your decision, Mike, and JP, JM, JR and JLB made theirs. I hope, in time, there'll be no bitterness/anger/regret from your side. You deserve to be happy.

I'll always love and respect you, as you have helped shape my life.

X

[WildeSilas]

Oh, dude. I'll travel to far distant galaxies simply to make sure that no one thinks TMOLS is typical DT fare. It reflects badly on me, my family, and music lovers in general, such is my loathing of that song.

[Madman Shepherd]

We can agree on TCOT and ANTR but the others were dark, literary, and poetic.  They worked great.  Might not be your cup of tea but they are far from horrible. 

I won't turn this into a MP lyrics bashing fest but he has his share too.  As you said, JP upped his game on ADTOE....I just don't know what he was thinking with TCOT...I mean, he must have honestly sat down and said, "I'm gonna make this blunt and to the point..."

[moof]

See what I mean? There's criticism toward everyone, if given the opportunity.

No way, he must be a WUM. JP is beyond criticism!

[WildeSilas]

All I can say is I've never felt the need to skip a song with MP lyrics because someone else was in the care with me. Hell, I've never had to skip one because I was in the car by myself and was embarrassed. That is NOT the case with pretty much every JP lyric from BCSL.

ANYWAY: Back on topic. MP = love. DT = love.

[bss4life15]

Oh, dude. I'll travel to far distant galaxies simply to make sure that no one thinks TMOLS is typical DT fare. It reflects badly on me, my family, and music lovers in general, such is my loathing of that song.

The lyrics in TMOLS are good IMO

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

You sound positive in your posts here, and that's something I respect very much, Mike. I hope you stick around here, there's some very interesting discussion in both old/new DT that you may find different from other places on the internet. 

[rush-signals]

Everyone has been pissed at Mike for one reason or another since he mentioned his departure from DT. I'm glad he posted here, but I would like to see him post here, answer some questions, and not be bitter about everything. Hell I got into DT because of their music. I continued loving the band because of their music and then because of MP's involvement with the fans. But I also came to dislike his control issues with the band. But as far as any band member is concerned in any band, Mike has been the BEST!!!

This whole thing has been hard to deal with. Do I like the outcome, YES. Do I wish the best for Mike, YES! Do I wish he could have maybe been more flexible and less controlling, YES! But Mike is Mike and I do understand where he's coming from, be it wrong or right. It is what it is and life goes on for both sides, and may both sides do well.

[Chimpi]

As a longtime fan he's part of the history and part of discussions, be it good or bad.

This, and only this.  I've never felt profoundly positive or negative towards his actions regarding the band (since his departure), only just that it occurred and there are new things abound.  I'm highly appreciative of Mike Portnoy's dedication and musical contributions to the band.  He's definitely an important part of the band (the bands history) and shall always be.
I find he seems to be able to express himself fully in Adrenaline Mob perfectly.  It's really the perfect fitting musical expression for him at the moment. 

[vulcandj]

Wow. it's nice to see that MP put in his two cents (or maybe it's 2, then 3, then 2, then 4. It's a prog thing.)

While I was disappointed that you left DT (and have moved past that), I respect the decision that you made. It had to be hard. And I truly don't understand a lot of the bashing that you took. You were not the first person to leave a band, nor will you be the last. You did what you had to do. I wish you the best of success, and look forward to hearing the new stuff that your doing.

Take care, and I know you'll be putting out music, because you have to. It's part of who you are.

[LCArenas]

I remember when some user bumped a MP appreciation thread made over a year ago just to insult him. I admit that I've also said harsh stuff about MP in the past, but to be honest it was because I was shocked of the news (Specially the Blabbermouth lawsuit thing).

But I've realized that I can't go from "MP is a pretty cool guy, eh is close to the fans and doesn't afraid of anything" to "MP left DT! He's the worst person ever!". I do disagree with him in aspects of this split, I think the band has done a big step in the right direction in ADTOE, but I'm also trying to understand what would you do if you left your long-time band, the fans reaction, the media quoting every phrase you say and the pain and all this stuff (Shit ain't easy, yo)... I still appreciate his unique antics in live shows (I miss that part a lot), the way he was close to the fans and what he did for us, the songs he wrote and what he contributed to DT. What he did recently can't change the good things he did in the past, over 25 years to the band.

[blackngold29]

It's nice to see that some people still have fond memories of the 25 years I spent in DT.

Of course we do Mike! 98% of DT fans out there became fans when you were in the band. People look at things with a very short memory, but the vast majority understand how long and how much you contributed a great deal of your life to DT.


Also a shameless plug, if you ever get tired of blabbermouth twisting things, I'll gladly publish anything for you on Ytse Times.

[Aramatheis]

Very nice of you to come on over to DTF and talk to us Mike! It's really neat to be able to hear directly from the man himself


I'll always be a fan of Dream Theater, and of Mike Portnoy. Rock on 

[KevShmev]

For the record, the level of disrespect towards fans was always what bothered me about the post back in 2002 as opposed to any personal feelings since your comment was mainly directed at those booing at the Chicago show, which I have always said I didn't do, even though our whole group was thoroughly disappointed with the MoP cover (and I love Master of Puppets).

But kudos on manning up and addressing it.

Also, believe it or not, I offered quite a few understanding words when you first left Dream Theater, as I acknowledged how hard it had to be.  Only when things got out of control this year with the constant comments about DT and whatnot did I start getting really critical again.  But I even said recently how much cooler and laid back you seem to be when in projects where you aren't in control.  On the Testimony Two making of DVD, you come across as very down to earth and likable, but on the newer DT DVD ones, your presence was always so overpowering and in your face, and often at the expense of the others.  I know you say you can't help but want to control everything, but sometimes it is better to relax and take it easy.  Speaking of which...

Assuming you are still reading this thread, please have Neal Morse talk to God again and get some more new Transatlantic music cranking.

Rock on.

[YtseJam]

Although nowhere near the magnitude of D/T, years ago I walked away from my band, these were my brothers, my best friends and people I spent most of my time with. It was love & hate, blood sweat and tears. I had to do it though and can't say I have no regrets but I know I made the right choice.

To MP: You knew it was your time to take a break and I think it's about time everyone respects that. I love D/T but by listening to the new album it's obvious it was a necessary break (up). You are a massive drummer, songwriter and understand how important arrangement and energy is not just within a song but within an album. I think you need to create your own new monster. There is life after Dream Theater and just like Megadeth - imagine if Dave Mustaine stayed in Metallica? I'm anxiously awaiting something powerful from you but most importantly - do what you set out to do originally. It's time to really enjoy and start writing your next saga. You are a leader and need to keep being one or the music world suffers in the end.