Mike Portnoy leaves Dream Theater

[ariich]

From Facebook:

I BEG of the fans to please NOT hold A7X responsible for MY decision...they are just as shocked as you guys..I had been contemplating this and desiring a "break" (not split) as long ago as last year...everything else is fully explained in the press release...thank you all for your support and understanding...this is the hardest thing I've ever done... : (

I'd have thought this was pretty obvious. Anyone blaming A7X is quite frankly being irrational.

[hefdaddy42]

Agreed.

[tri.ad]

From Facebook:

I BEG of the fans to please NOT hold A7X responsible for MY decision...they are just as shocked as you guys..I had been contemplating this and desiring a "break" (not split) as long ago as last year...everything else is fully explained in the press release...thank you all for your support and understanding...this is the hardest thing I've ever done... : (

I'd have thought this was pretty obvious. Anyone blaming A7X is quite frankly being irrational.

Yeah, but there are many upset fans who say irrational things right now, so I can fully understand MP's message.

[Mladen]

I understand the band wanting to continue.  I mean, Mike wanted a hiatus, and the band is on one, and weren't planning to reconvene until January at the earliest anyway.  It's not the band's fault that Mike filled up his schedule with other stuff.

This is actually a really good point.

[RazielSR]

From Facebook:

I BEG of the fans to please NOT hold A7X responsible for MY decision...they are just as shocked as you guys..I had been contemplating this and desiring a "break" (not split) as long ago as last year...everything else is fully explained in the press release...thank you all for your support and understanding...this is the hardest thing I've ever done... : (

I'd have thought this was pretty obvious. Anyone blaming A7X is quite frankly being irrational.

Yeah, but there are many upset fans who say irrational things right now, so I can fully understand MP's message.

Well, maybe Mike's decision is not that rational, you know? We'll see in the future, can you assure that he will never regret this decision? That happend with other musicians.

[tri.ad]

Regretting decisions a few years afterwards doesn't make them irrational. MP had reasons to leave DT, and he thought them through for quite some time. To me, that's quite the opposite of irrational.

[TAC]

I haven't read through the whole thread..I will..but when I saw the pic of MP golfing and saying how the A7X guys actrually were getting him to leave his hotel room, I knew things would not be the same in DT.

[ariich]

Regretting decisions a few years afterwards doesn't make them irrational. MP had reasons to leave DT, and he thought them through for quite some time. To me, that's quite the opposite of irrational.

Indeed. He may well change his mind or regret the decision, or whatever, further down the line. But it's very clear that he's thought long and hard about this decision and that it is not an impulsive thing at all.

[ZBomber]

THEY TOOK OUR JERBS!


I mean..... THEY TOOK OUR DREMMER!





But I agree, you can't blame A7X for Portnoy's decision.

[Gadough]

I haven't read through the whole thread..I will..but when I saw the pic of MP golfing and saying how the A7X guys actrually were getting him to leave his hotel room, I knew things would not be the same in DT.

....What picture are you talking about?

[Zydar]

I haven't read through the whole thread..I will..but when I saw the pic of MP golfing and saying how the A7X guys actrually were getting him to leave his hotel room, I knew things would not be the same in DT.

....What picture are you talking about?

https://twitpic.com/2gdzo0

[TAC]

Yeah, it's funny, but as he's gone on about how much fun he's been having, it was translating to me as a lack of fun in DT. He's mentioned the comraderie of the guys in A7X, while in the past he mentions the chemistry of DT. Reminds me of the story he told back in the FII days where he was at a music fest and all these bands (Pantera,Slayer?) were having so much fun together.


I am very happy to hear that DT will continue. Honestly, that surprises me.

[RazielSR]

Regretting decisions a few years afterwards doesn't make them irrational. MP had reasons to leave DT, and he thought them through for quite some time. To me, that's quite the opposite of irrational.

Ok, so  if he decide to return in the future, then he will be choosing a rational or irrational decision?

Rational can't be "what I think it's better now". That is just a decision you think is better, not rational. Could be another person at your side thinking that is not rational. He has been thinking quite a lot it seems, but that is not enough to say this has been rational imo. That for me is the best decision he has chosen right now, cause his emotions are saying that is the correct. But that doesn't mean it's rational. It is just suitable.

Imagine somebody thinking one year about spending his life with a schizo, and suddenly he say: "well, I have decided to spend all my life with this schizo, cause I have been thinking a lot about it and I think it's the best for me". And one day that schizo decides to shoot that person...

Well, that is rational too, isn't it? Cause that person was reasoning.

You need time to know if a decision was rational or not. You don't need time to know if the decision was the best for my feelings at that time or not. I think all these kind of things could be easy if they decided to think what DT represents, but I understand that it's impossible to fight against your feelings. And MP's feelings right now are all about "bye bye DT".

[Gadough]

I haven't read through the whole thread..I will..but when I saw the pic of MP golfing and saying how the A7X guys actrually were getting him to leave his hotel room, I knew things would not be the same in DT.

....What picture are you talking about?

https://twitpic.com/2gdzo0

I don't see how that pic could have helped anybody predict the future, but whatever.

[tri.ad]

Regretting decisions a few years afterwards doesn't make them irrational. MP had reasons to leave DT, and he thought them through for quite some time. To me, that's quite the opposite of irrational.

Ok, so  if he decide to return in the future, then he will be choosing a rational or irrational decision?

Irrelevant.

Rational can't be "what I think it's better now". That is just a decision you think is better, not rational. Could be another person at your side thinking that is not rational. He has been thinking quite a lot it seems, but that is not enough to say this has been rational imo. That for me is the best decision he has chosen right now, cause his emotions are saying that is the correct. But that doesn't mean it's rational. It is just suitable.

Apparently, you haven't thought about what I said. I didn't say that he made the better decision just because it was suitable. I just said that he didn't act impulsive, that he thought it all through for, as it seems, months, and that he had reasons to come to such a decision. That's the definition of "rational". Whether this decision was better or not is not the question.

Imagine somebody thinking one year about spending his life with a schizo, and suddenly he say: "well, I have decided to spend all my life with this schizo, cause I have been thinking a lot about it and I think it's the best for me". And one day that schizo decides to shoot that person...

Well, that is rational too, isn't it? Cause that person was reasoning.

Love stuff =/= business stuff. You're comparing two completely different things here.

You need time to know if a decision was rational or not. You don't need time to know if the decision was the best for my feelings at that time or not. I think all these kind of things could be easy if they decided to think what DT represents, but I understand that it's impossible to fight against your feelings. And MP's feelings right now are all about "bye bye DT".

The thing is that MP wasn't only guided by his feelings, but by pretty much everything that surrounds him. He set his priorities that way that he wanted a break to spend time with his family after the A7X tour. The rest of DT can't really rely on him financially to take a whole more year off, so that was probably the last straw. It's a solution that is completely rational and understandable.

[Shadow2222]

The thing is, even if Mike wants to come back in let's say 3 years, will DT simply pull another Derek Sherinian and fire the current drummer?

[TAC]

I haven't read through the whole thread..I will..but when I saw the pic of MP golfing and saying how the A7X guys actrually were getting him to leave his hotel room, I knew things would not be the same in DT.

....What picture are you talking about?

https://twitpic.com/2gdzo0

I don't see how that pic could have helped anybody predict the future, but whatever.

Gad, like I said in my above port, MP's been saying how much FUN he's been having on this tour. When he posted that pic, he mentioned how the A7X guys have this great comraderie and they have been able to get him out og his hotel room.  I think he posted something along those lines when he posted the pic. Reading between the lines, I just knew this was going to affect DT in some way..that's all.

[RazielSR]

The thing is WTF is gonna happen now? Cause MP was more than just the drummer, and that scares me.

[Perpetual Change]

From Facebook:

I BEG of the fans to please NOT hold A7X responsible for MY decision...they are just as shocked as you guys..I had been contemplating this and desiring a "break" (not split) as long ago as last year...everything else is fully explained in the press release...thank you all for your support and understanding...this is the hardest thing I've ever done... : (

I'd have thought this was pretty obvious. Anyone blaming A7X is quite frankly being irrational.

I don't blame Avenged Sevenfold. But I will say this much: at the end of the Black Clouds tour it seemed pretty obvious that Portnoy was getting tired. Initially, when it was announced that there'd be no more DT shows for the year after only one headlining tour, many people speculated that it was the entire band getting tired, not just Mike. Now, it turns out that it really was just Mike who needed to slow-down.

Or so it would seem.

Yes, "or so it would seem" because then DT announced the Maiden tour. And then Mike went off to play with A7X. Consciously or not, Mike must have known that he needed to start "testing the waters," that maybe simply touring wasn't getting to him as much as he realized his involvement in the band itself was.  Getting tired with Dream Theater, Mike must have joined up with A7X temporarily, with the conscious or, at least, semi-conscious frame of mind that maybe it was time to start taking all of his eggs out of the same basket.

Mike's a pro and, well, people with careers all do stuff like this at one point or another. We fill out resumes without letting our employers and coworkers know we plan on leaving. Or, on a more personal level, we realize we aren't with the person we thought we loved-- regardless of how much we may have loved them in the past. That's just the way life is. People change/grow/move-on. It's sad when it happens, of course, but fortunately that changes too.

And so I don't blame A7X, just like I don't blame myself for making some of the hard decisions I've had to make lately. Just like I tried really hard not to blame a good friend of mine for breaking up with my another good friend of mine, who's really like a sister to me, recently.

The fact is Mike was going. He wasn't happy. If gigging with A7X didn't work out, he would have just gone somewhere else. It may not have happened now, but it would have happened eventually. And if it didn't happen, Mike's boredom would have shown through on DT's music.

Thankfully, Mike found a good fit for himself, or at least I hope so.

[JayOctavarium]

Ok... after a few hours of thinking... I have decided on how i feel about this. I know people have probably mentioned things im going to say but w/e


I originally blamed a7x.... (I honestly H8 them.... but i still respect them as a band. no flaming me)... and then i blamed JP, JMX, JR, & JLB. Now idk. Honestly he is... well was the leader of a band that pretty much kept me from going on rampages killing hookers with a spoon (point to who can tell me what that's from...). I was the typical angry confused teen... andi found something that was non comformist that i actually liked. DT. ... *fast forwarding*....  it kinda baffles me that one of the few people in music i look up to would devote his life to something... and then abandon it... because spent his off time being a drum whore (that's my phrase.... Sherinian is a Key Whore... lol) and then  when the rest of the band wants to carry on with the band as planned after the break....


god i thought i was cool and collected enough to do this but nevermind....

what a slap in the F*cking face.

[?]

WHAT THE....?! 
I DIDN'T see this coming! I never thought Mike would ever leave DT! This is so sad... Who could replace him?

[KevShmev]

It is almost like a guy, who is in a marriage for a long time, and made a lot of girl friends on the side, just friends, but was having too much fun on the side with them, while the marriage had grown stagnant, especially compared to the new relationships, which is normal since something new is always gonna be exciting.  And when that happens, it is somewhat shocking when the guy up and leaves his wife out of nowhere, but few are surprised when he is in a full blown relationship with one of the girl friends a few months later.  The guy insists he didn't leave his wife for the girl, but it sure looks like he did, whether that is right or wrong.  In this situation, A7X is the girl friend.  And as such, will anyone really be surprised if, in a few months, Portnoy is an official member of their band?

And no, I am not saying Portnoy "cheated" on Dream Theater , but that is the best analogy I could come up with this early in the morning.

Oh, and just like the guy eventually realizes that the new and exciting thing didn't give him the stability and satisfaction of his previous marriage, and longs to return to his wife, I suspect there will come a day where Portnoy looks back and thinks he made a terrible decision.  Just my two cents...

[RazielSR]

It is almost like a guy, who is in a marriage for a long time, and made a lot of girl friends on the side, just friends, but was having too much fun on the side with them, while the marriage had grown stagnant, especially compared to the new relationships, which is normal since something new is always gonna be exciting.  And when that happens, it is somewhat shocking when the guy up and leaves his wife out of nowhere, but few are surprised when he is in a full blown relationship with one of the girl friends a few months later.  The guy insists he didn't leave his wife for the girl, but it sure looks like he did, whether that is right or wrong.  In this situation, A7X is the girl friend.  And as such, will anyone really be surprised if, in a few months, Portnoy is an official member of their band?

And no, I am not saying Portnoy "cheated" on Dream Theater , but that is the best analogy I could come up with this early in the morning.

Oh, and just like the guy eventually realizes that the new and exciting thing didn't give him the stability and satisfaction of his previous marriage, and longs to return to his wife, I suspect there will come a day where Portnoy looks back and thinks he made a terrible decision.  Just my two cents...

I agree.
This is not a rational decision, it is that suits his mental state now. He will regret, we all will see.

[Pyroph]

It hasn't really hit me at all. I don't think I can think of DT and not Portnoy, it just doesn't exist. I don't mean like a OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO way but, just because he was so integral.

[PixelDream]

Ofcourse the only one who knows if he wants to come back eventually, is MP himself. But indeed, I can definately see a reunion coming up in a few years. New energy, new views on making music.. maybe this has potential of turning out for the better.

I definately understand MP's decision, must take a lot of balls to do such a thing. I don't even care why he doesn't really like being in DT anymore, sometimes you just get bored or fed up with something, with no particular reason.

[ZKX-2099]

Wow... this is out of nowhere to me...  DT and A7X are my top 2 bands... so I don't know how to feel.

I was looking forward to the next DT release though...

Have any of the other members made an individual statement yet?

[ariich]

Raziel, I don't think you understand the meaning of the word "rational". It is rational because he has spent a lot of time thinking about it and weighing up the pros and cons. Whatever happens in the future has nothing to do with it.

[XJDenton]

Rational =/= correct.

[ariich]

It hasn't really hit me at all. I don't think I can think of DT and not Portnoy, it just doesn't exist. I don't mean like a OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO way but, just because he was so integral.

This is the case with me as well. Totally surreal and bizarre.

[Dr. DTVT]

I wonder when Mike actually made his choice, when he informed the band, and when he made it public?  Since they weren't planning on entering the studio til early next year, I kind of wish Mike would have waited to make this decision if the timeline of events I questioned happened quickly.  I respect his choice, but I just want to know how rash of a decision it really is.  It seems like he made his mind up a while ago, and by formallizing his departure he is allowing the rest of the band to find a new drummer and proceed as planned, which is what I would like to think he did.

[Pyroph]

  I mean even when they get a NEW drummer, I'm still going to think Portnoy is still in DT.

[Fluffy Lothario]

I don't know why you guys are that upset. Look at it from a pure musical standpoint. DT HAS been stagnant for awhile now. This forces them to change...not to mention Portnoy himself has been on cruise control for years.

Pros:

- no terrible harsh vocals
- JP + MP "team" is broken up, perhaps they get a producer?
- new member in band = new creative juices flowing


This really can't be bad for Dream Theater. It's kind of sad to think he's not in the band, but hey, admit it -- he simply wasn't as good of a drummer as he used to be (or as interesting). This makes me excited for the next DT release.

As much as a part of me fairly well agrees with this, you have to remember that in a lot of aspects, MP carried the band. It's likely that it could go very well for them, but things may get much worse than we can imagine. In fact, I seriously suspect that the band is going to find out how much MP really did for the band only as it takes its toll on them, and then they could be done altogether.

Finding this out is kind of like when my parents split up with each other. I had long felt our family needed a good shake-up - my parents hated each other, my dad often treated us all like shit, and had become a financial burden on my mum - so it was most likely going to end as a very good thing, and everyone was going to be happier. But it was still sad news because of the almost inevitable turbulence that lay ahead. And as much as I did still have a family, initially, it felt very much like it was gone.

I rarely listen to DT anymore, so I'm not equating the two events in how much they've effected me emotionally. I'm just comparing the situations.

[Kotowboy]

I cried while listening to ACOS  

I agree it's no Octavarium, but it's not that bad !

[Pyroph]

I don't know why you guys are that upset. Look at it from a pure musical standpoint. DT HAS been stagnant for awhile now. This forces them to change...not to mention Portnoy himself has been on cruise control for years.

Pros:

- no terrible harsh vocals
- JP + MP "team" is broken up, perhaps they get a producer?
- new member in band = new creative juices flowing


This really can't be bad for Dream Theater. It's kind of sad to think he's not in the band, but hey, admit it -- he simply wasn't as good of a drummer as he used to be (or as interesting). This makes me excited for the next DT release.

As much as a part of me fairly well agrees with this, you have to remember that in a lot of aspects, MP carried the band. It's likely that it could go very well for them, but things may get much worse than we can imagine. In fact, I seriously suspect that the band is going to find out how much MP really did for the band only as it takes its toll on them, and then they could be done altogether.

Finding this out is kind of like when my parents split up with each other. I had long felt our family needed a good shake-up - my parents hated each other, my dad often treated us all like shit, and had become a financial burden on my mum - so it was most likely going to end as a very good thing, and everyone was going to be happier. But it was still sad news because of the almost inevitable turbulence that lay ahead. And as much as I did still have a family, initially, it felt very much like it was gone.

I rarely listen to DT anymore, so I'm not equating the two events in how much they've effected me emotionally. I'm just comparing the situations.

They've all been there for a long time though. With the solo records, other releases, etc. I think that they'll be just fine. It'll be really weird without Portnoy, no doubt, but we could get amazing things like Jordan's great piano skills, JM' lyrics, etc. It's not like they're completely clueless on what to do.

[ZKX-2099]

Fuck were never gonna get that 12 steps live performance...