An Exclusive Look into The Band’s Search for a New Drummer

[bosk1]

Whether or not they messed up a little during playing 2 reallllly har dsongs for the first time with a band, or whether or not they messed up jamming to a weird timed riff they'd never heard before, all of these drummers came across as really cool people and my respect for them has increased 10 fold.

Agreed. I've also gained more respect for MP seeing world class-drummers doing what he did everyday, and finding it a little hard. I mean, matching with the DT's other 3 great musicians is not piece of cake.

Absolutely.  As I just posted in another thread on that very subject:

After watching this documentary and seeing incredible drummers struggle with either replicating songs or jamming or coming up with ideas under a riff, has your appreciation for Portnoy as a player grown?

I know mine sure has!

Yes, I had that same exact thought.  It's easy to become a bit numb and/or indifferent to how complex DT's music is and how smooth the members of DT sound playing it.  Seeing these world-class drummers struggle in places really underscores what incredible musicians all the members of DT are and how complex and difficult the music is.  The fact that it is so difficult but doesn't sound all that difficult is also a testiment to how well-written it is as well.

Adami is correct that Mike was in a different position.  Given time to jam the stuff out more with the band, a number of these guys could probably surpass Mike's playing on a lot of songs.  Mike has said himself that he doesn't consider himself on the same level as a couple of these guys.  Sure, part of that is him being humble and showing due respect.  But the point is, Mike is indeed in a small, elite group of musicians.  Without getting into a squabble about who might be the "better" drummer, this does indeed underscore that Mike is an incredible player.  Good thread, TOX.

[Aniland]

That's what I mean. I don't see why they'd be ageist in this matter, especially when they already approached him.

[chknptpie]

Can someone screen grab the ceiling jordan? I'm at work now.

Anyone else get goosebumps at the end of episode 2? eeeeeeeeek

[zxlkho]

I reeeeeaaaalllllyyy hope its Minnemann. Seriously, he looked so good in that video.

[Perpetual Change]

Can someone screen grab the ceiling jordan? I'm at work now.

Anyone else get goosebumps at the end of episode 2? eeeeeeeeek

I was without a doubt smiling from ear to ear.

[ReaPsTA]

That's what I mean. I don't see why they'd be ageist in this matter, especially when they already approached him.

Are you serious?  These guys have to all hang out on a tour bus for weeks at a time.  How much fun do you have hanging out with people whose age puts them in a fundamentally different place than you?

As for the drummers:

Roddy - Didn't work really.

Lang - I kinda liked his take on the band's sound, but something wasn't there.  Like, the little changes I heard just weren't completely right.

Donati - Honestly, I just don't think he fit in.  There was clearly a lot of respect both ways, but the mesh wasn't there.

Minneman - I can see why he's kept playing with Jordan.  I actually didn't like how he handled the Dream Theater stuff, it just didn't feel right to me, but he jammed with them really well and bought out a different feel.  He just seems like a fun person too.

After seeing this, it's really really obvious why they went with Mangini.  I know you can make a lot happen with editing, but personal chemistry doesn't lie.  All four guys in this vid felt like guys auditioning for a band.  Mangini felt like a member of the band almost right away.

[kaelvin]

Screencap as requested

[Perpetual Change]

That's what I mean. I don't see why they'd be ageist in this matter, especially when they already approached him.

Are you serious?  These guys have to all hang out on a tour bus for weeks at a time.  How much fun do you have hanging out with people whose age puts them in a fundamentally different place than you?

Yeah. Remember when they wanted to get that Jordan Rudess child prodigy guy after Derek left, but he was a decade older than them so they said forget it?

[Mebert78]

Mangini's showmanship really comes across after seeing his these other guys handled the material.  Mangini was using facial expressions to show extra intensity and spinning his drumstick at the start of TDOE.  He was more fun to watch, in addition to being technically sound like these guys today.

[DreamerTV]

8:33-8:51.  

WANT.

That part was played by petrucci in the TC Electronics pedals video... i've always liked them...

[IdoSC]

After seeing this, it's really really obvious why they went with Mangini.  I know you can make a lot happen with editing, but personal chemistry doesn't lie.  All four guys in this vid felt like guys auditioning for a band.  Mangini felt like a member of the band almost right away.

How comes you're so confident it's Mangini?

[Jamesman42]

Yeah Minnemann was just amazing, but maybe they felt that he brought out an element of JR, JM, and JP that would better suited to something else (hence, the Mind Meld happening after) and not DT.

Which is actually really cool, because if it is Mangini, the doc is showing us he is fitting like a glove. And Minnemann can still create music with JR and JP on the side. Pretty cool conclusion, if true.

[nikatapi]

Oof, Donati's timing at the beginning of TDOE was way off.  I don't think he'd be a good fit at all.

And I chuckled at Rudess being hesitant about Lang because of the way he added too much of his own personality to their already-written tunes, considering how much liberty he has taken with keyboard solos in particular since joining the band.

Ι couldn't agree more. I was quite annoyed with this, since Jordan has ruined imo some solos live (take the time for example).
I think Marco did an amazing audition, and he seems to be more creative than Mike Mangini.

[bosk1]

Lang - I kinda liked his take on the band's sound, but something wasn't there.  Like, the little changes I heard just weren't completely right.

I kinda felt like some of that might also be cultural.  I mean, he's Austrian, and to some, German and Austrian culture/personality can sometimes come across as a bit cold and flat.  I've seen videos of Lang where he is very outgoing and extroverted, but the audition clips did not convey that side of him.

[IdoSC]

Honestly I actually hope it's Mangini now, not because of personal preference, just because I don't want this thing to act like a reality show. I mean if it's not Mangini, then all the hints they gave us in the first 2 episodes about him (him having the best reaction from the band, what Myung said in the end of the 2nd episode etc) would be quite annoying.

[FsF]

Mangini's showmanship really comes across after seeing his these other guys handled the material.  Mangini was using facial expressions to show extra intensity and spinning his drumstick at the start of TDOE.  He was more fun to watch, in addition to being technically sound like these guys today.

Don't forget Marco was spinning both of his drumsticks WHILE still playing some crazy fills to end ANTR!  Of the guys we've seen so far I really really want Marco to get the job, but would still be totally happy with Mangini instead. Also share the love for the riffage at 8:30 or so, kinda sounded more like a completed song than the other riffs too! Here's hoping...

[RoeDent]

I really loved how Marco Minnemann came across. He really looked like he was having a ball behind the kit. And he seemed to gel well with the others, particularly during the jamming phase.

Mangini vs Minnemann at the moment, with 2 more to hear in Episode 3. I'd like Minnemann to win. But obviously it's not up to me.

[chknptpie]

Screencap as requested
snip

AHAHAHAHAHAHA love it

[Bone_Daddy]

Oof, Donati's timing at the beginning of TDOE was way off.  I don't think he'd be a good fit at all.

And I chuckled at Rudess being hesitant about Lang because of the way he added too much of his own personality to their already-written tunes, considering how much liberty he has taken with keyboard solos in particular since joining the band.

I agree. I said to myself, who the f is Jordan to make a pompous statement regarding adding too much of his own? He should have embraced it. That statement sounded like they wanted a MP clone player.

[Perpetual Change]

Mangini so far is the best personality wise. Not the best technical wise, but still up there and higher than MP. He's also the closest, so far, to reaching Mike's energy level behind the kit I think.

[zerogravityfat]

minemann also wins points for metal by numbers reference.

[Mladen]

Thus far, I definitely see why Mike and Marco are top 2 at this point. The other guys didn't seem to have as much chemistry with the band on all the levels those two had. Mike and Marco have that "it" factor that the band seem to really be looking for.

This exactly. Marco blew me away as much as Mike did two days ago, I love how the guy looks like he really enjoys playing the stuff. And he absolutely nailed everything. I'd really be happy with any of these two drummers in Dream Theater.

Lang was pretty impressive as well, but something's kinda missing about him, maybe some sort of charisma while playing. Derek and Virgil didn't really do it for me.

I'm really looking forward to part three, and I'd be pleasantly surprised if for some reason Peter turned out to be the new guy - he was the one I wanted in the first place anyway. Same with Priester. I hope Petrucci's comment about being blown away by one of the guys from the third episode was more than just ''Oooh, it's not over yet, maybe Marco and Mike ain't the guys''.

[Mebert78]

I don't understand why JP and JR seemed slightly bothered by the drummers not playing the music exactly as it is on the albums.  Did JR do that with Kevin Moore's parts?  No, he totally added his own flavor to Kevin's parts.

[russellmania]

So, I think I see how this is gonna go.  It will be a tough choice, but in the end, they'll choose Mangini based largely on the overall chemistry they have with him, and the final scene of the last episode will give us Mike's full audition performance of The Spirit Carries On (note that they didn't show this at all for his audition yet).

[IdoSC]

I don't understand why JP and JR seemed slightly bothered by the drummers not playing the music exactly as it is on the albums.  Did JR do that with Kevin Moore's parts?  No, he totally added his own flavor to Kevin's parts.

I'll quote bosk1 here because I agree with him on that:

Yeah, there's a difference between adding some personality and different accents to a song vs. playing the song differently.  IMO, the former is desireable while the latter is not. 

[ReaPsTA]

That's what I mean. I don't see why they'd be ageist in this matter, especially when they already approached him.

Are you serious?  These guys have to all hang out on a tour bus for weeks at a time.  How much fun do you have hanging out with people whose age puts them in a fundamentally different place than you?

Yeah. Remember when they wanted to get that Jordan Rudess child prodigy guy after Derek left, but he was a decade older than them so they said forget it?

I'm not saying age is the be-all-end-all of who you hang out with.  But to say that it only matters because of prejudice is just not true.

After seeing this, it's really really obvious why they went with Mangini.  I know you can make a lot happen with editing, but personal chemistry doesn't lie.  All four guys in this vid felt like guys auditioning for a band.  Mangini felt like a member of the band almost right away.

How comes you're so confident it's Mangini?

All the evidence points his way.

Mangini so far is the best personality wise. Not the best technical wise, but still up there and higher than MP. He's also the closest, so far, to reaching Mike's energy level behind the kit I think.

Are we sure he isn't the best technically?  At least in the context of the band, he seemed to get it the most naturally.

Oof, Donati's timing at the beginning of TDOE was way off.  I don't think he'd be a good fit at all.

And I chuckled at Rudess being hesitant about Lang because of the way he added too much of his own personality to their already-written tunes, considering how much liberty he has taken with keyboard solos in particular since joining the band.

I agree. I said to myself, who the f is Jordan to make a pompous statement regarding adding too much of his own? He should have embraced it. That statement sounded like they wanted a MP clone player.

Who the f is Jordan?  A member of the band these drummers are auditioning for.

Re: Kev.  I know what you mean, but think of it this way.

When JR played the Foundations show for the band, he made sure he recreated everything, including the solos, as exactly as possible.  Even now, aside from the solos, JR goes out of his way live to recreate the parts from the albums as closely as possible.  Back when he was still a new member of the band, he basically was doing KM's sounds almost exactly.  JR's personality in the band has only asserted itself over time.  I don't think JR's expecting anything out of his guys that he didn't do himself when he first joined DT, which is to assert your personality in the music over time instead of trying to come right out and do so.

[Chino]

I don't understand why JP and JR seemed slightly bothered by the drummers not playing the music exactly as it is on the albums.  Did JR do that with Kevin Moore's parts?  No, he totally added his own flavor to Kevin's parts.

I think a change in the drum parts will change the feel of a song much more than a change to a keyboard parts.

[Ħ]

Roddy - good drummer, WRONG band
Lang - technically creative...but he got lost a couple times
Donati - wow, really impressed...I think I would actually prefer him over Lang
Minnemann - right up there with Mangini.  I could see him as the new drummer.

But right now I'm sold on Mangini.

I don't understand why JP and JR seemed slightly bothered by the drummers not playing the music exactly as it is on the albums.  Did JR do that with Kevin Moore's parts?  No, he totally added his own flavor to Kevin's parts.

People keep saying this.  Keep in mind it's an AUDITION.  I'm sure there is no trouble if they mix it up in a more creative environment, but in any musical audition, you've gotta play it note for note or it just sounds unprepared.

[robwebster]

So, I think I see how this is gonna go.  It will be a tough choice, but in the end, they'll choose Mangini based largely on the overall chemistry they have with him, and the final scene of the last episode will give us Mike's full audition performance of The Spirit Carries On (note that they didn't show this at all for his audition yet).

That makes a hell of a lot of sense. Especially the bit where you reckon they'll show TSCO in full. It'll be the same length as the last two parts, with half the number of drummers. The choosing of the drummer plus TSCO would build the length to match. Very much believe you're right.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

I'm thinking more and more that it's Wildoer. By the end of Day 2, the band's conflicted as to who they want, but in the end, it was supposedly "clear." And we haven't seen James' comment of "that was the best, by far" or whatever, actually surface yet, have we? Which means it's in Part 3.

At this point, I think it's like 40% Mangini, 40% Wildoer, 15% Priester, 5% Minnemann.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

On one hand, I agree that Jordan has taken too much liberty with old keyboard solos, so him criticizing other drummers for it is kind of weird.

On the other hand, there's a huge difference between changing one keyboard solo and changing an entire song's drumming.

[JPX]

Marco has always been and will remain my #1 choice. Not only is he so technically capable, I think he would add to most during songwriting.
His personality reminds me of how DT used to put fun little pieces into live shows like the Simpsons theme etc. He just wants to have fun and play 100%.

[DP_Gumby]

Does anyone here know where I can buy that cookie monster t-shirt Marco had?    

[Bone_Daddy]

Whether or not they messed up a little during playing 2 reallllly har dsongs for the first time with a band, or whether or not they messed up jamming to a weird timed riff they'd never heard before, all of these drummers came across as really cool people and my respect for them has increased 10 fold.

Agreed. I've also gained more respect for MP seeing world class-drummers doing what he did everyday, and finding it a little hard. I mean, matching with the DT's other 3 great musicians is not piece of cake.

Well, regarding part 2, Marco made it look effortless and second nature.

It's also nice not seeing world class drummers spit all over the place either as MP did/does.

[robwebster]

Does anyone here know where I can buy that cookie monster t-shirt Marco had?    

https://www.charliepunk.de/KRUeMELMONSTER-Cookie-Monster-Sesamstrasse-T-Shirt-NOM-NOM-NOM-GRAU-MELIERT

(I only got this up so quickly 'cause I was looking for it myself!)

Marco has always been and will remain my #1 choice. Not only is he so technically capable, I think he would add to most during songwriting.

I think this is very much it. Mike would augment the band and synchronise with them, whereas Marco would add something new to the band.