The question Portnoy did not get asked, and needs to be

[robwebster]

I don't think he's coming back. 

I think it would be healthier were he not to.

Not in a vindictive way, I've got a lot of time for Mike Portnoy. But he seems happier on other things, and I'll be looking forward to watching him continue his career in a more passionate capacity, doing lots of diverse things without being tied down to a band that isn't quite to his taste. Meanwhile, as far as Dream Theater goes, this has made them a lot more exciting. Change is invigorating, and establishing a new status quo is time-consuming. I think, were they to take a few steps back after re-building themselves would be almost to concede that they need the Portinator. Surviving a big change shows strength. Surviving the departure of Mike Portnoy, of all members, makes them nigh-on immortal.

I'd rather they both come out of this very strong and go on to do brilliant things, rather than make some changes only to shrivel back to their old form when it's easy to.

[robwebster]

MP really said he hopes to rejoin the band at some point in a few years?  If that's the case, that's not cool.  Either quit or don't.  I really feel he and the band need to come out with a new announcement in which they decide he's 100% leaving or 100% taking a break and returning in a few years.  The band needs to know that answer in order to proper fill the drummer's role.  If he's "taking a break," then a professional prog-metal fill-in like Mark Zonder would be a good choice.  He's 52 and hires himself out for various drumming projects and easily jumps in and jumps out of projects.  But if it's a permanent departure for MP, then the band can properly choose a suitable replacement.  But he can't do this half-ass quit where he's trying to leave the door open.  That's not fair to the band.  It's gonna lead to major major problems when the time comes.

Totally agree.

This whole "I will have gotten what I wanted" crap he said last night is extremely unfair to the band AND to his fans.  It is like he is saying that he can just waltz back into the band whenever he wants, and it is like saying to the fans, "I will be back eventually; it is just a matter of time," which is giving the fans possible false hope for the coming years.  You quit, so that is it.  Don't quit and say, "But I'll probably be back at some point."  Honestly, I think it was mostly lip service, as I still think there was more to it than either side is saying, but I still think that him taking that public stance is unfair. 

I think my thoughts are aligned with yours, a bit, on this one.

I dunno if he's thought about the fact that the band will be spending at least one entire album cycle without him, either. If MP were to come back, he'd be coming to a band that have proven they can take care of themselves with a new hierarchy. I think he'd end up having to take over, or find himself in a more passive role - and I dunno how happy the band would be with "Right! I'm back, into positions lads," nor how happy MP would be calling less of the shots.

[Mebert78]

See, right now it's easy for both parties to say they're trying to leave the door open.  But what if DT makes a great record without MP?  Maybe their best record since the 1990s.  Who's gonna want MP back then?  Not this fan.  And maybe not DT either.  I'll want them to stick with whatever drummer they chose.  I think it all hinges on the quality of the album next year.  It's a risk MP is taking.  If the album sucks, then we'll all be calling for MP's return.  If the album is actually really good, then MP can't be welcomed back.  He's also risking his legacy.  If DT makes a great album without him, then he'll be blamed for the band's lackluster releases in recent years.  So basically, right now it might be an amicable departure.  But this could EASILY turn ugly within the next year.

[Portrucci]

I can't help but get this small feeling, that Mike wants DT to struggle without him. Subconsciously I guess, but that's what I'm perceiving. From my POV, JP and JR are just too good of a musicians to not make something very tasty. Without any negative comments, I think Mike will be surprised at just how "fine" DT is without him.

[ainamotore]

I can't help but get this small feeling, that Mike wants DT to struggle without him. Subconsciously I guess, but that's what I'm perceiving. From my POV, JP and JR are just too good of a musicians to not make something very tasty. Without any negative comments, I think Mike will be surprised at just how "fine" DT is without him.

This is correct. The writing core is still intact. The people who write the notes and the chords and the lyrics are still there. All will be well.

[KevShmev]

  Without any negative comments, I think Mike will be surprised at just how "fine" DT is without him.

Agreed.  I really think he thinks they won't be able to get everything done that he did when he was running the band, but I, too, think he will be very surprised.  A band like DT can function just fine without a band leader micromanaging every little detail every second of the day.

[TAC]

I wonder how MP will respond to his "diminished" role when/if he returns. No doubt, the band will return to a democratic way of operating while he is gone. I mean, it's all good...

[TheOutlawXanadu]

How do you guys think their popularity will be affected by his departure?

Do you think his leaving will make a lot of more casual fans say, "Well. This isn't the real DT anymore", and as a result make their concert attendances diminish?

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

How do you guys think their popularity will be affected by his departure?

Do you think his leaving will make a lot of more casual fans say, "Well. This isn't the real DT anymore", and as a result make their concert attendances diminish?

I think it depends on the new album. There are a lot of MP diehards, but on the other hand there are lots of DT fans that are open to anything DT does. If the new album proves to be amazing, I think they will be successful, and people will go to the concert with a different mentality. Not the normal DT show, but a new DT show with a new DT member involved.

[The Letter M]

How do you guys think their popularity will be affected by his departure?

Do you think his leaving will make a lot of more casual fans say, "Well. This isn't the real DT anymore", and as a result make their concert attendances diminish?

I think it depends on the new album. There are a lot of MP diehards, but on the other hand there are lots of DT fans that are open to anything DT does. If the new album proves to be amazing, I think they will be successful, and people will go to the concert with a different mentality. Not the normal DT show, but a new DT show with a new DT member involved.

This. It really does depend on what the DT puts out on their 11th album. If it's not received well, I doubt the concerts will be packed. But if there's a lot of positive reaction, and held-up hype, I think even the most casual fan will go out to see them to hear the new music and see how they work in a live setting.

-Marc.

[ainamotore]

Also, there are presumably lots of new fans to cultivate from the recent IM tour. Most of those fans will not care about MP's departure. They will be very open to a new album, a new drummer, and a new tour.

Which is precisely why the timing of this sucks. The point of opening for another band at this stage of DT's existence was to expand the fan base. To then propose a hiatus following this tour makes very little business sense. If anything, the recording of a new record should be accellerated, not delayed.

[TAC]

Also, there are presumably lots of new fans to cultivate from the recent IM tour. Most of those fans will not care about MP's departure. They will be very open to a new album, a new drummer, and a new tour.

Which is precisely why the timing of this sucks. The point of opening for another band at this stage of DT's existence was to expand the fan base. To then propose a hiatus following this tour makes very little business sense. If anything, the recording of a new record should be accellerated, not delayed.

Exactly..so you can see why the guys wanted to move forward...But MP really sounds completely Dream Theater burnt out.

[Samsara]

Dream Theater is much bigger than Mike Portnoy. This is fact. All will be fine.

Unlike my once favorite band (the original Queensryche), which lost its primary songwriter, Dream Theater still has its core writer in Petrucci. They won't skip a beat, perhaps with the exception of fan relations a little bit, because Mike was so outgoing.

But the rest won't be an issue.

And that's not a slag on Mike at all.

[wkiml]

No, he doesn't need to be asked that, because this is a band. He does not need to stay in the band. Kevin Moore did not need to stay in the band, and neither does MP. Nobody should be forced to create music they cant even relate to.

Please. Stop it. This is a VALID question. Mike Portnoy wanted a break. Not the band. The band wanted to play. Why? Because they wanted to, and because all of them depend on that band for their lives and income. There are realistic, real life reasons. And Portnoy didn't address any of that, and tried to make this whole thing out to be a difference in opinion, which it was, but why isn't MP called out for being selfish and putting other guys' lives and incomes at stake by taking a break at this point in their career, when they are at a high point.

It's a very valid question.

JLB and JM write almost nothing. They likely get almost no publishing. They NEED to be out on the road to bring in money. Having some of them sacrifice their lifestyle because MP needed to have a break, seems a little unfair.

I totally get MP and how he might feel, but if I am in a family of five guys who depend on their family busiiness in order to make a living, I do the unselfish thing, and instead of calling a break, perhaps structuring things so that he can have more "in cycle" breaks instead of just doing nothing. This way his bandmates get what they want, and MP gets more time to himself.

Sorry folks, you can defend MP all you want, but that question is very valid, and I for one would really wish MP would address that, and if he even thought about how his bandmates might suffer financially if they did go on a long hiatus.  They aren't millionaires folks.

Sam,

Mike was just being Mike...he realizes he works a lot more in other projects than the other members and to be honest I honestly don't think he thought about the other band members when he decided he wanted a hiatus....he mentioned in his interview and his posts ...HE WAS BURNT OUT BY ALL THINGS DT...he asked the band to take a break without thinking about how they would respond, I feel he figured they would agree with them, when they didn't, he stepped aside...I feel it may have backfired on him when they decided to move forward, but it is what it is.  I don't think he needs to explain to us, if he was thinking about the other band members, when he decided he had enough. I'm not defending him nor the band. He stepped aside and the band decided to carry on

[ReaPsTA]

The question in the first post isn't a super big deal.

I think when Portnoy said he was willing to do work in 2011, he meant touring. I think the rest of the band absolutely wanted to write an album.

[The Letter M]

The question in the first post isn't a super big deal.

I think when Portnoy said he was willing to do work in 2011, he meant touring. I think the rest of the band absolutely wanted to write an album.

I bet they did. They're all probably VERY creatively charged right now, even though it seemed like Mike thought they needed some creative recharging and a break from the somewhat growing staleness of the band. However, JR is always doing very creative things, JLB is releasing Static Impulse soon, JMX is working on The Jelly Jam 3, and JP is working on his second solo album... seems to me that they're in a good point to be creative and come together with new and interesting ideas they've employed and/or learned while being away with other musicians.

It's a shame Mike didn't see it that way after being with Hail, A7X and TA this year. Imagine the influence he could've brought to the DT floor after being with three very different bands?

-Marc.

[ReaPsTA]

I still just find it ironic how so many people wanted the record/tour/break/record/tour/break cycle to end, thought Portnoy was the one keeping it going, and now are super quiet about the idea now that we know he wanted to stop it and left the band over it.

[The Letter M]

I still just find it ironic how so many people wanted the record/tour/break/record/tour/break cycle to end, thought Portnoy was the one keeping it going, and now are super quiet about the idea now that we know he wanted to stop it and left the band over it.

Well I feel that there's a bit of solid reasoning as to why some may have thought it was his idea to be in that cycle - he's been known to always want to stay busy, thus his involvement in many side-projects over the last 10-12 years (LTE, TA, OSI, YMC, HOTG, C&TSM, AJ, G3 Tour, etc. etc.), because apparently writing, recording, and touring with Dream Theater weren't enough.

It *could* have been his idea to keep that cycle going, but after a decade of going at it, and being (way) busy outside of DT, he probably finally realized the strain it would take on him after last summer, having just released BC&SL, touring with DT, then recording with A7X and then touring with TA, then touring with DT, then touring with A7X... it probably came to a breaking point for him, so he probably decided enough was enough. So... they (the people who thought Portnoy wanted that cycle to keep it going) may have BEEN right, but over the last year, Mike was probably just so tired of it.

-Marc.

[hefdaddy42]

I still just find it ironic how so many people wanted the record/tour/break/record/tour/break cycle to end, thought Portnoy was the one keeping it going, and now are super quiet about the idea now that we know he wanted to stop it and left the band over it.

They probably think that cycle DID end.  By the time they get back together in January, they will have been off for a pretty long time (for them).  I almost don't even count the summer stuff they did with Maiden and the Japan festival - they didn't rehearse anything new for those spots, and only played 6 songs a night so they were playing almost on autopilot.  They were almost touring vacations.

Any break the individual band members (other than MP) may have needed from each other - they got, as far as I'm concerned.

[robwebster]

I still just find it ironic how so many people wanted the record/tour/break/record/tour/break cycle to end, thought Portnoy was the one keeping it going, and now are super quiet about the idea now that we know he wanted to stop it and left the band over it.

I'm not sure whether the same people who suggested it are the same people who think DT made the right decision. But, even if it is, I think the phrase is "a change is as good as a rest."