When Dream Theater Returns To The Stage...

[reneranucci]

I for one will be sitting on the edge of my seat, In curiosity of what the new drummer will do to the sound. If they're smart, they will not leak a single note of the new album before release, to maximize the anticipation.

rumborak

Exactly. And this will definitely be a factor in renewing the interest of DT fans who may have got tired of the band, and increase sales IMO.

[Tick]

Anyone who thinks Dream Theaters album sales and ticket sales are not going to fall with the departure of Mike is fooling themselves.  I think venues will be much less filled on there upcoming tour. They may even have to play smaller venues. That is my opinion.

[cygnusaz]

Anyone who thinks Dream Theaters album sales and ticket sales are not going to fall with the departure of Mike is fooling themselves.  I think venues will be much less filled on there upcoming tour. They may even have to play smaller venues. That is my opinion.

I think there will be a hit, but it depends on who they hire. If it's a complete unknown concert attendance will suffer, if its Neil Peart (for example) concert attendance will increase.

Most likely it will be someone in-between, but someone who has the 'skills'. DT cannot go the Queensryche route here and hire a total unknown player. QR have been on a consistent downward spiral since they lost Chris Degarmo.

DT have an opportunity here to hire a drummer with a name and who can bring something to the table. The best hire they have ever made since they formed was Jordan Rudess. He helped turn the band back into a progressive giant with SFAM.

At this point I can't speculate on the effect until we find out who the new drummer is, which probably won't be until they start recording the new album.

It also will depend on the quality of the album, I agree that pure interest in this 'new' Dream Theater will spark sales, probably close to BC/SL. I will buy it day one as I have always done, and I bet 99% of the DT fans will as well. Add in the fans they made on the Maiden tour and it could sell better.

But if it's a crap album - the tour will suffer. IMO they have to knock it out of the park on this one, they need another I & W or SFAM otherwise people will say 'see , without Mike they suck', lol...

[Samsara]

Do you think when DT puts out there next album, it will sell as many copies?  I kind of think it will but I'm not sure.
I was also wondering if the loss of Mike will change the size venues they will play on the next tour? Do you think they will have to play smaller venues or will they remain status quo? Some might think this is stupid, but Mike brings many fans to the table so his departure will no doubt take some of them out of the picture. How many is the question. Will it impact the size rooms they play? I just asked the same question twice but you only have to answer once.
I think they will stay the same in the same sized venues initially based on the curiosity factor but who knows?  The next tour and album could certainly make or break the band, imo. What do you all think?

I know MP is the be-all, end-all for a lot of the hardcores, but let me put this simply. He's a drummer. No one is going to care much if MP is there or not as long as whoever behind the stool plays well and the band has a great rapport on stage.

The next album will do just as well as BC&SL, maybe a little lower due to CD sales as a whole continually dropping.

Venue size will stay the same, perhaps get a tad bigger, given the exposure from the Maiden tour.

Again, Mike Portnoy did a ton of fan relations things and was a big time mouthpiece for the band, but at the end of the day, he's the drummer, and promoters aren't going to care that he isn't in the band, and people will still buy Dream Theater records. The two guys DT can least afford to lose are Petrucci and Labrie. The songwriter and the visual face and voice of the band.

[Zantera]

No offense to anyone here, but why the hell would MP leaving DT lead to smaller venues and lower placement on the charts?

Some of these threads are just...   

[Tick]

No offense to anyone here, but why the hell would MP leaving DT lead to smaller venues and lower placement on the charts?

Some of these threads are just...   

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all and you think it won't effect anything? Ok...silly talk.

If they don't hit a homerun on the next album DT will definitely be playing smaller venues in the future. The curiosity factor will initially carry them for a bit. After that it will take more than that.
That is just reality.

[Zantera]

I would be surprised because even though Portnoy has been the one handling most of the fanbase and doing the bootlegs, interviews and such, he's still one member in a band.
Seeing especially as Dream Theater is a progressive band, and looking at the albums they've made, i don't consider them to be a one-mans band.
The songwriting is spread out, sure Portnoy wrote songs, but so did Petrucci, and the others (but in a lesser extent).

If it would've been an extreme case of the leader-figure leaving i would understand, but it isn't like Steven Wilson left Porcupine Tree, or Mikael Åkerfeldt left Opeth, or Daniel Gildenlöw left Pain of Salvation (just to name a few examples), DT will still sound DT because they still have 80% of the band left.
Even though they will probably try a few new things with a new drummer.

I find it hard to believe that there's fans saying like this: "i won't listen to DT anymore, because Mike Portnoy left", because it doesn't make much sense.
Sure he was more then 'just' a member, but i can survive without "DAY AFTER DAY"-parts in DT-songs.

[EPICVIEW]

when they hit the stage...it will be a good day for the fans and the band..

[ariich]

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all

wut

[Tick]

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all

wut

Is their something inaccurate about that statement? I don't think their is?

[Ben_Jamin]

After reading some of these comments it does seem like DT was becoming more a MP project. The influences being obvious to what he is into at the time.

[darkshade]

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all

wut

Is their something inaccurate about that statement? I don't think their is

yo, you gotta relax

anyway, ive said it before. the album will do just as good as BC&SL, if not better. One, because of the curiosity factor. Two, because theyve been steadily getting bigger with each new album release. Did Genesis become some obscure band after Peter Gabriel left? (not that im insinuating DT go pop  )

[reneranucci]

Anyone who thinks Dream Theaters album sales and ticket sales are not going to fall with the departure of Mike is fooling themselves.  I think venues will be much less filled on there upcoming tour. They may even have to play smaller venues. That is my opinion.

The thing is that fans think of DT and their music as a whole, so the impact of a member leaving is not that big. And if DT´s success in tours depended on one member, it wouldn´t be MP. Besides, the curiosity factor will play a major role, and I´m sure it will attract even older fans who didn´t care for DT anymore.

[Tick]

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all

wut

Is their something inaccurate about that statement? I don't think their is

yo, you gotta relax

anyway, ive said it before. the album will do just as good as BC&SL, if not better. One, because of the curiosity factor. Two, because theyve been steadily getting bigger with each new album release. Did Genesis become some obscure band after Peter Gabriel left? (not that im insinuating DT go pop  )

I need to relax? Why, do I appear uptight? Threads are about dialogue. People bringing forth opinions. That is what I aim to do...in a relaxed fashion. Yo.

[ariich]

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all

wut

Is their something inaccurate about that statement? I don't think their is?

"Most popular" you have a case for, although I don't know if I personally agree. But "only guy with any charisma at all" is entirely wrong. JLB has absolutely TONS of charisma, and JR has a lot as well.

[Tick]

Really??? You lose the most popular member in the band and the only guy with any charisma at all

wut

Is their something inaccurate about that statement? I don't think their is?

"Most popular" you have a case for, although I don't know if I personally agree. But "only guy with any charisma at all" is entirely wrong. JLB has absolutely TONS of charisma, and JR has a lot as well.

James does have it at times. The problem is,James turns in it on and off depending on his mood. I have seen James look very disconnected and disinterested at times at certain shows. He seems to rise to the big occasion like DVD's and such, but I have seen a few nights when he is just not into it.  He is inconsistent in my opinion. I have never seen Mike not into it at a show.
JR is someone who exudes the fun he is having while he is on stage. I wouldn't exactly call him charismatic but, once again, my opinion.
We all have our own opinions. I realize because I feel this way it doesn't make me right, but feel this way I do.
I do think if you polled the fan base as a whole, Mike would win the popularity contest.

[ariich]

I do think if you polled the fan base as a whole, Mike would win the popularity contest.

Well, in a poll of "who is your favourite member" then yes, possibly. But he also seems to be more disliked that the rest as well; he definitely instils strong opinions in people. JP is probably the most universally liked I'd say.

[Tick]

I do think if you polled the fan base as a whole, Mike would win the popularity contest.

Well, in a poll of "who is your favourite member" then yes, possibly. But he also seems to be more disliked that the rest as well; he definitely instils strong opinions in people. JP is probably the most universally liked I'd say.

He is definitely arrogant at times, but his good always reminds you he really isn't a dick after all. I love Mike even if he makes me scratch my head sometimes.

[ariich]

Oh absolutely, me too. But not everyone feels that way.

[purpleplanet10]

this might be my first post here on the board... i love the board and the band  alot... it will be a weird strange time to pick up a DT album without MP... i thought if anyone would leave one day that it would be James or JM that might leave.. i dont want anyone one to leave.. nevre in a million years would i think that the one guy that "loves" the band more than anyone wowld ever leave..sigh...

DT is on a huge upward swing, every album gets closer to number one and each tour just keeps getting better... but now it will be a false sense of accomplishment... kinda.. if that album goes number one, will it be because the music is great (as i'm sure it will be, no doubt there for us true DT fans), or because so many people pick it up to hear what DT is like with out Mike.

On some levels i want the next album to do so good that it makes Mike realize that needs to go back.. or/and DT says well maybe we dont need him... (i hope the latter part of that statement is wrong) i know Mike needs the break... but surely there could have been a better way... Like Mike saying OK i'm not gonna write lyrics for the album, not do any of the normal things he has done for 25 years, kinda go back to just being the drummer, let everyone else handle the DT ship, and Mike just be along the ride for a change.

  I'm hoping for the best.. i'd love to see Mike Mangini behind the kit in DT.. i feel like this will only be a few years (two albums tops) with a different drummer until Mike returnes (i hope)

So i am ready for what ever comes our way.. i know it will be an exciting time but at the same time I'm  still bumed... and will i pick up the next album on release day.... you bet... i always have and i always will... and what ever Mike puts out too... he's a big reason that i play the drums.. he and Eric Singer (KISS)