The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[cramx3]

If I sing the lyrics (while reading them) once I am far more likely to remember them vs just hearing the song many times.  Everyone's different and I'm sure the consistent thing for memorization is repetition.  I'm sure going through the writing and recording process, the repetition is intense so it gets hammered into your head I would imagine.

[Stadler]

As long as they aren't rotating in the vocally challenging songs, I'd think he has it easiest in terms of adjusting to rotating setlists.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I would think pulling out crazy solos you don't normally play would be harder than to remember the words and melody to the same song.

Yeah, it definitively takes less work to re-learn the lyrics to Octavarium than how to play the whole damn song.

With a teleprompter, sure. 

  since that was brought up and I just brought up how it's probably easier for Billy Corgan to do 65 different songs.... he uses an ipad with all the lyrics.  You can clearly see the lyrics in my videos.  I wonder how much he actually reads them though.  Also, Aerosmith had a teleprompter at the Vegas residency show I went too.  I thought that was kind of ridiculous considering how many times has Aerosmith played the same songs.  I captured a shot of the teleprompter in my video as well.

There is a great shot of Ozzy standing on stage behind the teleprompter in the "Reunion" live CD.  That's the first time I ever saw that.

I get it though; when I was singing in my bands back in high school/college, I used to write the first word of the verse (or the first word of the lines in the verse) on my hand or on a paper on the floor to keep them straight.  I remember singing "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" in my band in high school, and in front of the whole school I forgot the fourth verse and just resang various lines from the first three.  I was really pissed but everyone I mentioned it to had zero clue that anything was going on.     

I think that's different for some of the songs we're talking about here though.   I can't imagine getting away with that in a song like Finally Free or something like that.

[Evermind]

I found that, while generally I'm quite good at remembering many lyrics, my problem is mainly with specific songs. There are songs that, no matter what, I could never get into my head, while other songs I learn the lyrics basically on the fly.

I can relate to this so much. I believe this forum still remembers my experience with Haken's Cockroach King.

[cramx3]

I remember singing "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" in my band in high school, and in front of the whole school I forgot the fourth verse and just resang various lines from the first three.  I was really pissed but everyone I mentioned it to had zero clue that anything was going on.     

I've definitely seen JLB do this before, and other singers, but usually in those cases everyone notices what just happened 

And to go back to Billy again, he sang the chorus too early in Silvery Sometimes and stopped the song to joke about it and then started over.  Also blamed the crowd for the fuck up, so funny.  THIS is why I love live music that's not to a click or to a static set.  Going to go down somewhere in my top 10 concert moments this year.

Sorry for bringing him back up into this discussion, just very much in my head today.

[Evermind]

I remember singing "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" in my band in high school, and in front of the whole school I forgot the fourth verse and just resang various lines from the first three.  I was really pissed but everyone I mentioned it to had zero clue that anything was going on.     

I've definitely seen JLB do this before, and other singers, but usually in those cases everyone notices what just happened 

And to go back to Billy again, he sang the chorus too early in Silvery Sometimes and stopped the song to joke about it and then started over.  Also blamed the crowd for the fuck up, so funny.  THIS is why I love live music that's not to a click or to a static set.  Going to go down somewhere in my top 10 concert moments this year.

Sorry for bringing him back up into this discussion, just very much in my head today.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

[cramx3]

I've never seen that, that's fantastic 

[Architeuthis]

Nice sounding audience recording too.

[Zook]

I never liked the changing setlists because they could take a song out that I wanted to hear, and replace it with something like Prophets of War, and then next city put the song I wanted to hear back in, or my city's setlist is overall mediocre, and then next stop has all five star songs.

[Stadler]

I remember singing "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" in my band in high school, and in front of the whole school I forgot the fourth verse and just resang various lines from the first three.  I was really pissed but everyone I mentioned it to had zero clue that anything was going on.     

I've definitely seen JLB do this before, and other singers, but usually in those cases everyone notices what just happened 

And to go back to Billy again, he sang the chorus too early in Silvery Sometimes and stopped the song to joke about it and then started over.  Also blamed the crowd for the fuck up, so funny.  THIS is why I love live music that's not to a click or to a static set.  Going to go down somewhere in my top 10 concert moments this year.

Sorry for bringing him back up into this discussion, just very much in my head today.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

John Lennon did that on the famous rooftop concert during "Don't Let Me Down" (and he even had an Apple assistant kneeling down with cue cards during the set!).   David Lee was always good for that as well ("I take a mooba lada lookin for a moobie" instead of "Yeah, I've seen the people that are lookin' for a moonbeam" in "Everybody Wants Some").

When I saw Kiss at Madison Square Garden on their reunion tour - the homecoming gig - Gene forgot a line or two from "Let Me Go Rock 'n' Roll", and it was actually pretty cool.  It was raw, and it was real. 

[Adami]

There was some release of Metallica with live songs in the past 10 years (I think) where during Ride The Lightning, just sings "I forgot the f****king words"

And that one made it on an official release.

[cramx3]

There was some release of Metallica with live songs in the past 10 years (I think) where during Ride The Lightning, just sings "I forgot the f****king words"

And that one made it on an official release.

There's something similar on a Devin Townsend live album too, can't recall off my head which song or which live album but he messes up the lyrics and acknowledges it in the song and it made the official release. 

[eric42434224]

I saw Queensryche on the Hear and Now Frontier tour in West Palm Beach FL, and at 1:33 in Sign of The Times, Chris DeGarmo is supposed to come in with that guitar by himself, but does not.  The whole band is just sitting there waiting and looking at him.  They laugh a bit, and Chris starts the riff and the song goes on.  It was pretty funny.

[Adami]

There was some release of Metallica with live songs in the past 10 years (I think) where during Ride The Lightning, just sings "I forgot the f****king words"

And that one made it on an official release.

There's something similar on a Devin Townsend live album too, can't recall off my head which song or which live album but he messes up the lyrics and acknowledges it in the song and it made the official release.

Dev also did that during Deep Peace where he tells the audience to sing for a bit so he can find the right guitar patch haha.

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

[bosk1]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics Lilium Cruentus.

I'm not sure I even understand what that sentence means, so I'm not surprised that it isn't talked about much. 

[MoraWintersoul]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

I think it doesn't get talked about much because at that time the lyrics for the whole album weren't finished so I (and probably other people) figured Daniel was just ad-libbing the unfinished part, rather than messing up the finished part.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

Lol I died  Does anyone know of that video late in the MP years, where they are playing PMU and everyone starts fucking up and JLB says "we only did this song about 3000 fucking times"?

[Adami]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

I think it doesn't get talked about much because at that time the lyrics for the whole album weren't finished so I (and probably other people) figured Daniel was just ad-libbing the unfinished part, rather than messing up the finished part.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

Lol I died  Does anyone know of that video late in the MP years, where they are playing PMU and everyone starts fucking up and JLB says "we only did this song about 3000 fucking times"?

Oh I think it was actual Johann who messed it up and Daniel started off with the right lyrics but switched to the wrong ones quickly when he realize Johann was doing it wrong.

[gmillerdrake]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics Lilium Cruentus.

I'm not sure I even understand what that sentence means, so I'm not surprised that it isn't talked about much. 

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause of the leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.

[Adami]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics Lilium Cruentus.

I'm not sure I even understand what that sentence means, so I'm not surprised that it isn't talked about much. 

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause of the leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.

OIC

[Ben_Jamin]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

I think it doesn't get talked about much because at that time the lyrics for the whole album weren't finished so I (and probably other people) figured Daniel was just ad-libbing the unfinished part, rather than messing up the finished part.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

Lol I died  Does anyone know of that video late in the MP years, where they are playing PMU and everyone starts fucking up and JLB says "we only did this song about 3000 fucking times"?

Oh I think it was actual Johann who messed it up and Daniel started off with the right lyrics but switched to the wrong ones quickly when he realize Johann was doing it wrong.

I'm gonna listen to it now. Never noticed really.

[Evermind]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

I'm not a big fan of Be, but I think I'll rewatch this just to see this. Never noticed that. Although I probably only watched it once or twice and I don't know the lyrics anyway.

Lol I died  Does anyone know of that video late in the MP years, where they are playing PMU and everyone starts fucking up and JLB says "we only did this song about 3000 fucking times"?

Can't find one during MP years, but here's something similar from ADTOE tour

[Adami]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

I think it doesn't get talked about much because at that time the lyrics for the whole album weren't finished so I (and probably other people) figured Daniel was just ad-libbing the unfinished part, rather than messing up the finished part.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

Lol I died  Does anyone know of that video late in the MP years, where they are playing PMU and everyone starts fucking up and JLB says "we only did this song about 3000 fucking times"?

Oh I think it was actual Johann who messed it up and Daniel started off with the right lyrics but switched to the wrong ones quickly when he realize Johann was doing it wrong.

I'm gonna listen to it now. Never noticed really.

Yea, it's supposed to be "Life seems too small, when death takes it's toll, I need something to blame for this pain" which I think they got right the 2nd time around, but the first time (2nd half) it's "Life seems too small, when death takes this pain"

[Ben_Jamin]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics in Lilium Cruentus.

I think it doesn't get talked about much because at that time the lyrics for the whole album weren't finished so I (and probably other people) figured Daniel was just ad-libbing the unfinished part, rather than messing up the finished part.

Alternatively, you can do this which still makes me laugh five years after the fact

Lol I died  Does anyone know of that video late in the MP years, where they are playing PMU and everyone starts fucking up and JLB says "we only did this song about 3000 fucking times"?

Oh I think it was actual Johann who messed it up and Daniel started off with the right lyrics but switched to the wrong ones quickly when he realize Johann was doing it wrong.

I'm gonna listen to it now. Never noticed really.

Yea, it's supposed to be "Life seems too small, when death takes it's toll, I need something to blame for this pain" which I think they got right the 2nd time around, but the first time (2nd half) it's "Life seems too small, when death takes this pain"

Just heard it while looking at lyrics from the studio album. I haven't listened to that version much, but forgot how much that song changed.

[ytserush]

I feel like one important thing is missing from the rotating set list discussion - Dream Theater did the rotating set lists not only to play different songs in different cities but also to also make sure that the same city on multiple tours didn't get repeats. Didn't catch Root Of All Evil on the Octavarium tour? Then there might be a high chance it would be played on the tour after that.

That, to me, was always super cool and encouraged going to see them on every single tour.

Another reason I say Dream Theater fans were spoiled with the set lists.

I will always say it. You east coast guys are fortunate to get 2 legs at not-so-distant venues, and choose which one to attend.

I enjoyed that Portnoy decided to do this with the sets. But currently, I'm enjoying the sets DT are churning out.

Always the first one to say I'm spoiled by Dream Theater. Never denied that. Being in the New York/Philly has never been lost on me just how fortunate that is.

[noxon]

The "make sure same city don't get repeats" is a problem that appears -because- of rotating setlists. If each tour has one, or maybe two, defined setlists, the rotation of songs to play becomes much easier....

[El Barto]

Does Portnoy still maintain a master schedule of all of his projects somewhere? A search only shows stuff back to '18?

[vtgrad]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics Lilium Cruentus.

I'm not sure I even understand what that sentence means, so I'm not surprised that it isn't talked about much. 

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause of the leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.

... I would like to leave the room now.

Yesss Sir.

And if you dooooo... and if you dooooo.   

[MinistroRaven]

Does Portnoy still maintain a master schedule of all of his projects somewhere? A search only shows stuff back to '18?

His FB:

https://www.facebook.com/mikeportnoyofficial/posts/2639127959438163?__tn__=K-R

[ReaperKK]

Damn he is a busy dude.

[El Barto]

Does Portnoy still maintain a master schedule of all of his projects somewhere? A search only shows stuff back to '18?

His FB:

https://www.facebook.com/mikeportnoyofficial/posts/2639127959438163?__tn__=K-R

Thanks.

I was hoping for 2020. You'd think he'd just continue updating as he plans stuff. Sneak preview? WTF?

[ytserush]

Does Portnoy still maintain a master schedule of all of his projects somewhere? A search only shows stuff back to '18?

His FB:

https://www.facebook.com/mikeportnoyofficial/posts/2639127959438163?__tn__=K-R

Thanks.

I was hoping for 2020. You'd think he'd just continue updating as he plans stuff. Sneak preview? WTF?

Have to figure that's on his to-do list before the year is out. (Unless things are really that unsettled.)

[RodrigoAltaf]

I just did an interview with MP covering a lot of the new SOA album and a recap of all his other endeavours. It'll likely be published early next week, and I'll post it here!

[ReaperKK]

Sweet, I really enjoyed your DS interview so I look forward to reading this one.

[RodrigoAltaf]

I asked him about his relationship with Derek, TWD, Transatlantic, NMB, Metal Allegiance, his album with Bobby Blitz, his choices of best albums, movies and series of the year etc. A lot to talk about in only half an hour, but we did it!!!

[IDontNotDoThings]

I asked him about his relationship with Derek

Damn, good for them. I'm sure they'll be happy together.

[Lonk]

Did not see this posted anywhere.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOnH1bVx0E

Portnoy struggling to keep up naming Beatles songs with his daughter.