The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[DTwwbwMP]

MY groupings outside of DT.....

SF D

REALLY? WHY?

[TAC]

I can't say Shattered Fortress even registered on my radar. I can't really care about a band MP throws together to play the overrated 12 SS. Maybe if it was musicians I knew, but even then, what are they even playing?

[Jamesman42]

MP made a band...just to play the 12SS?

Incredible.

[HOF]

I wouldn't really consider the Shattered Fortress to be a band/project any more than Yellow Matter Custard or Hammer of the Gods or whatever other tribute concerts he did. Those were just one-off/limited runs for live purposes.

[TAC]

I wouldn't really consider the Shattered Fortress to be a band/project any more than Yellow Matter Custard or Hammer of the Gods or whatever other tribute concerts he did. Those were just one-off/limited runs for live purposes.

I can agree with that.

[gzarruk]

I wouldn't really consider the Shattered Fortress to be a band/project any more than Yellow Matter Custard or Hammer of the Gods or whatever other tribute concerts he did. Those were just one-off/limited runs for live purposes.

Same thing with PSMS to some degree (just for a tour, no original music).

[HOF]

I wouldn't really consider the Shattered Fortress to be a band/project any more than Yellow Matter Custard or Hammer of the Gods or whatever other tribute concerts he did. Those were just one-off/limited runs for live purposes.

Same thing with PSMS to some degree (just for a tour, no original music).

Yeah not really a band per se (though I do wish that lineup had made some original music together).

[gzarruk]

I wouldn't really consider the Shattered Fortress to be a band/project any more than Yellow Matter Custard or Hammer of the Gods or whatever other tribute concerts he did. Those were just one-off/limited runs for live purposes.

Same thing with PSMS to some degree (just for a tour, no original music).

Yeah not really a band per se (though I do wish that lineup had made some original music together).

I was hoping too! But then we got SOA...

[HOF]

I don't know if there were ever plans to form a band doing original material, but I guess maybe Tony's cancer might have prevented that from happening.

[SwedishGoose]

MY groupings outside of DT.....

SF D

REALLY? WHY?

My thoughts exactly......
That was a fricking awesome tour.

As for band, it was MP with Haken but without their drummer plus Eric Gilette from The Neal Morse Band.

Great memories from that tour. MP came down and handed me a stick after the 3rd song....

Setlist was awesome too.... getting to see 12SS was something I thought would never happen when MP left DT but there it was his 50th birthday present to the fans.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mike-portnoys-shattered-fortress/2017/slagthuset-malmo-sweden-63e43a4b.html

Speaking of which..... the efforts that MP and the others put into playig in Malmö....

Local promotor Progressive Circus noticed that there was a day of in the schedule between Paris and somewhere else. MP quickly agreed to come.
This meant travelling 14 hours on bus from Paris to Malmö... setting up, playing, tearing down and then 14 hours on bus to the next town.
Will always be grateful and amazed for the effort they put up to get to play in Malmö.

[Stadler]

And yet... that Shattered Fortress show was one of the best I've ever seen. The energy was through the roof (and it was the first sort of... thawing.  If I remember correctly, Rena came to the show in NY).   

[cramx3]

And yet... that Shattered Fortress show was one of the best I've ever seen. The energy was through the roof (and it was the first sort of... thawing.  If I remember correctly, Rena came to the show in NY).

Yeah, that NYC show was really good.  And I'm not even a big fan of the 12SS as a whole, but like you said, there was an energy in that room that DT would be incredibly jealous to have since MP left.  Also, there's a uniqueness to those shows.  We'll likely never get that group of guys playing like that together again.  Also to add, I thought they did a great job doing those songs too including Ross' vocals. 

[ProfessorPeart]

I recall he had one of those shows recorded/filmed but was sitting on it due to his issues with DT. I wonder if we might see that released now.

[Kocak]

I recall he had one of those shows recorded/filmed but was sitting on it due to his issues with DT. I wonder if we might see that released now.

He has one pro shot video on his channel. I wonder if it was the Tilburg show?

[RodrigoAltaf]

I recall he had one of those shows recorded/filmed but was sitting on it due to his issues with DT. I wonder if we might see that released now.

He has one pro shot video on his channel. I wonder if it was the Tilburg show?

He does have material from The Shattered Fortress recorded, and I think it was Tillburg...they do LOTS of recording there. Funny enough, I asked him about that and about Tillburg when I interviewed him and everyone else from the NEal Morse Band, backstage at their concert in Toronto in 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0PvzjRTvp8

[Lonk]

And yet... that Shattered Fortress show was one of the best I've ever seen. The energy was through the roof (and it was the first sort of... thawing.  If I remember correctly, Rena came to the show in NY).

Yeah, that NYC show was really good.  And I'm not even a big fan of the 12SS as a whole, but like you said, there was an energy in that room that DT would be incredibly jealous to have since MP left.  Also, there's a uniqueness to those shows.  We'll likely never get that group of guys playing like that together again.  Also to add, I thought they did a great job doing those songs too including Ross' vocals.

Yeah, I was at the NYC show as well and it was incredible. Definitely agree that the energy from that show is something DT has not achieve in a while (At least at the shows I've gone to).

The ending to This Dying Soul is probably one of my favorite concert moments I've have experienced, with all 3 guitar players taking turns during the solo 

https://youtu.be/vJtocduQqLw?feature=shared&t=1361

[Kwyjibo]

I recall he had one of those shows recorded/filmed but was sitting on it due to his issues with DT. I wonder if we might see that released now.

While I would like to listen to a good recording of it, I would find it strange if the first release he does when back in DT is a recording of DT songs being played by non-DT musicians.

Maybe there's an opportunity somewhere along the line.

[gzarruk]

My only real issue with the Shattered Fortress thing is that he went to unnecessary lenghts with 3 guitar players. Eric alone would've been just fine. I guess since he was already taking half of Haken with him, he thought he would take the other half anyway (even Ray played with them on Repentance for a few shows).

[cramx3]

And yet... that Shattered Fortress show was one of the best I've ever seen. The energy was through the roof (and it was the first sort of... thawing.  If I remember correctly, Rena came to the show in NY).

Yeah, that NYC show was really good.  And I'm not even a big fan of the 12SS as a whole, but like you said, there was an energy in that room that DT would be incredibly jealous to have since MP left.  Also, there's a uniqueness to those shows.  We'll likely never get that group of guys playing like that together again.  Also to add, I thought they did a great job doing those songs too including Ross' vocals.

Yeah, I was at the NYC show as well and it was incredible. Definitely agree that the energy from that show is something DT has not achieve in a while (At least at the shows I've gone to).

The ending to This Dying Soul is probably one of my favorite concert moments I've have experienced, with all 3 guitar players taking turns during the solo 

https://youtu.be/vJtocduQqLw?feature=shared&t=1361

Yeah, that part was incredible.

I recall he had one of those shows recorded/filmed but was sitting on it due to his issues with DT. I wonder if we might see that released now.

While I would like to listen to a good recording of it, I would find it strange if the first release he does when back in DT is a recording of DT songs being played by non-DT musicians.

Maybe there's an opportunity somewhere along the line.

I feel like if it gets released, it's after the band is retired.  I see no reason for this to come out when DT is reuniting.  Makes little sense to focus on the time apart.  BUT if there exists a proper recording, I'd love for it to see the light.  My videos from the NYC show aren't the greatest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bwd95zKRm4 but I also remember a pretty solid DTF meet up before that show.  There's a picture somewhere.

[nobloodyname]

The ending to This Dying Soul is probably one of my favorite concert moments I've have experienced, with all 3 guitar players taking turns during the solo 

https://youtu.be/vJtocduQqLw?feature=shared&t=1361

Wow! How much fun were they having?! Brilliant.

[axeman90210]

Yeah, that NYC Shattered Fortress show was special. Probably in my inner circle for top concerts I've ever been to. The energy was so crazy that night, never experienced anything like it at a DT show, even when MP was still in the band pre-2010. And I remember thinking it was cruel of MP to make all three guitar players not only learn that crazy unison, but coordinate coming in and out of it with each other and Diego

[nobloodyname]

They might have had the idea themselves, who knows? It's relatively rare to see musicians so obviously enjoying themselves like that, whatever the story behind it. I got the feeling they were just living their best lives in that moment, just like every time I see my ex-dog and he's bounding with every possible drop of enthusiasm a golden retriever can muster (And that's a lot of enthusiasm for anyone who's never had a golden!)

[SwedishGoose]

It was such an awesome show would have loved to relive it through a BlueRay release..... alas, not going to happen

[The Curious Orange]

I went to this show:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mike-portnoys-shattered-fortress/2017/koko-london-england-53e4cbed.html

And my memory definitely recalls they played A Change of Seasons as the encore. Is my memory wrong or is Setlist FM wrong?

[Schurftkut]

your memory is wrong. MP stated he wanted to also play ACOS, but didn't do that because DT was also touring ACOS around that time.

[ReaperKK]

I never caught the 12SS shows, was there any official release or anything like that?

[SwedishGoose]

I never caught the 12SS shows, was there any official release or anything like that?

There was a recording made in Tillburg but never released.

[RodrigoAltaf]

your memory is wrong. MP stated he wanted to also play ACOS, but didn't do that because DT was also touring ACOS around that time.

Yes, and that's a total shame...ACOS is more personal to MP than it is for the rest of the band. He respectfully declined to play it with The Shattered Fortress because DT were playing it at the same time and didn't want to raise comparisons and nasty comments online.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

MP's best side project is Dream Theater

[Max Kuehnau]

your memory is wrong. MP stated he wanted to also play ACOS, but didn't do that because DT was also touring ACOS around that time.

Yes, and that's a total shame...ACOS is more personal to MP than it is for the rest of the band. He respectfully declined to play it with The Shattered Fortress because DT were playing it at the same time and didn't want to raise comparisons and nasty comments online.

You do remember why DT played it on the I/W 2.0 tour in 2017, don't you? Because it was supposed to close I/W. That was the only reason. And it would have worked as its closer IMHO, especially in its completed form. I don't think John intended to be mean to MP or to anyone for that matter.

[Nekov]

I went to see TSF when then played un Argentina and it was a blast. I was completely blown away by Eric and how good he was at both the guitar and singing. That was also the first time the Haken guys got to play in South America and there is no doubt in my mind that the experience led them to include SA in their next tours.

[RodrigoAltaf]

your memory is wrong. MP stated he wanted to also play ACOS, but didn't do that because DT was also touring ACOS around that time.

Yes, and that's a total shame...ACOS is more personal to MP than it is for the rest of the band. He respectfully declined to play it with The Shattered Fortress because DT were playing it at the same time and didn't want to raise comparisons and nasty comments online.

You do remember why DT played it on the I/W 2.0 tour in 2017, don't you? Because it was supposed to close I/W. That was the only reason. And it would have worked as its closer IMHO, especially in its completed form. I don't think John intended to be mean to MP or to anyone for that matter.

Yes, I don't think it was included to spite MP.

[ytserush]

I wouldn't really consider the Shattered Fortress to be a band/project any more than Yellow Matter Custard or Hammer of the Gods or whatever other tribute concerts he did. Those were just one-off/limited runs for live purposes.

Same thing with PSMS to some degree (just for a tour, no original music).

Maybe not but there is a CD/DVD to enjoy just like the cover band projects.

[ytserush]

And yet... that Shattered Fortress show was one of the best I've ever seen. The energy was through the roof (and it was the first sort of... thawing.  If I remember correctly, Rena came to the show in NY).

That's the show I would have been at but I just wasn't feelin it.

[MinistroRaven]

Yesterday we received a promo album for the band Sonic Universe, and it mentioned Mike Portnoy as part of Porcupine Tree, did I miss that collaboration or the press release is way off?