A sad day for Dream Theater

[That Guy]

About 20 minutes ago, I saw this update from Mike Portnoy on Facebook. I'm not even sure what to say.

-Wednesday September 8th, 2010



I am about to write something I never imagined I'd ever write:





After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater....the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.



To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision...it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so....



After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater...



Please don't misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them...it's just that I think we are in serious need of a little break...



Dream Theater was always my baby...and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985...24/7, 365...never taking time off from DT's never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was "off" between cycles)...working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band...



But I've come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out...and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired.



We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a "hiatus" to recharge our batteries and "save me from ourselves"...





Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather...I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be...





While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way...so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes....



Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about "always following your heart and being true to yourself"...sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater...and I would simply be "going through the motions", and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.



I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come...I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played....



I'm sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world...I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work...I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)...but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within....



You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me....(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!)



Sadly...

Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,

MP


"Move on be brave, don't weep at my grave, because I am no longer here...
But please never let your memory of me disappear...."

-The Spirit Carries On

 

[jamminjim]

Guy sounds pretty sincere. One could look at this two different ways, but the way I see it, Mr. Portnoy is doing what's best for him. It's not tragic really.

 

[Nazgul666]

Holy Crap. There are definitely some tinges of harsh feelings there. This will be interesting. You mean to tell me he wanted to take a break and they said see ya? Geez, you would think they all could use the time off or do some solo stuff or produce or do clinics or something. That is hardcore.

 

[Slowlicks]

I think he wanted to play Bass and the band members said no.

 

[Roubster]

Wow! Just typed in Dream Theater in Google, and under the "current news" section of the search you can see every second someone was posting all kinds of crap on twitter. Indeed this is quite a sad day since I am a big fan of Dream Theater, and Mike certainly made that band into what it is today. Again, wow! I completely understand his statement though and wish him luck in his journey outside of DT. Now as for DT, this should be interesting and weird.

 

[DaPatrooch]

This is so sad. MP was such a huge part of Dream Theater. However, this makes things a bit more exciting. All the stuff in DT that MP oversaw, won't be overseen by MP anymore, if that makes sense. Which means lots of change. For the better? Only time will tell, but ultimately this will push them in new directions. I just hope that this gives the other members, especially JP, to do some solo stuff and side projects. I'd love it if JP did a mini tour.

 

[Roubster]

I think JP got really sick of cleaning off his gear from Mike's camel spitting habits. Just kidding of course and it's meant to be light hearted. I honestly dont think there are any bad feelings between them...sometimes even the closest friends, buddies, family...whatever do not agree on certain things. That's just the way things are.

 

[Norrin Radd]

DT is really at their peak popularity wise. And they're not getting any younger. NOW is the time for them to bank as much as they can over the next decade to really set themselves up for life. I understand completely them not wanting to " take a break". The timing for that is really poor in this stage of their careers.

I've always loved DT and especially MPs drumming - he is superb!!! But I agree the band should really now be working harder than ever to make a living for them and their families. Rock stardom is usually a very fleeting thing - you HAVE to strike when the iron is hot. Who knows? Maybe a new drummer will help DT grow in a different musical direction - wouldn't be a bad thing, IMO.

Good luck Mike! And all of DT for that matter.

 

[ScoobySteve]

You gotta do what you love and makes you happy. Cheers to MP. I really love DT, but man, lets all be really honest here.

After 25 years, something's gotta give. I mean, the core members, Myung, MP and JP, stood together for that long. and LaBrie nearly as long. It's great that they were together for so long, but all humans need change.

Good luck MP!

 

[biggestmuff]

I don't get it. This is unbelievable.

I'm shocked. Nothing on the internet has ever made me write these words.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T575Pbo4eWM"]YouTube- I got nowhere else to go[/ame]

 

[browndog]

Its too bad since he was the founding member but as a drummer, he can be easily replaced.

He’ll be missed & I wish him well.

 

[leftyguitarblue]

At least it didnt end badly with fighting and drama. I'm sad, but they will all be fine and I wish them the best.

 

[Roubster]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with a break. Sometimes you need to get away from what you are good at and reflect and take your time to realize whats going on around you at the moment, what was, is and will be. Sometimes not playing guitar for a few days makes you come back and play stuff you've never played before. I think they have literally been way too systematic in their musical approach, and you can hear it in the music. Please dont take this the wrong way...because I am not saying their more recent projects are not good. As a matter of fact I like pretty much all their albums..but I can see some room for more creativity and exploration. I dont know, this is just me typing as I think about this.

 

[ShorterOnVenus]

I understand where Mike is coming from,we've all had to burn the candle at both ends at one time or another. After making his decision, being resolute (he was willing to compromise a little) will be painful; it's his baby. I hope he feels relief, and I hope it lasts.

 

[JasonT]

I never thought I'd read those words from MP.


Wow.


Just wow.

 

[walleye]

hummmm this is huge
portnoy's easily my favourite member of dream theater.

 

[kdj771]

im speechless, this is like losing a family member

 

[kissmyaxe]

I do have to say he is a good fit with Avengened Sevenfold, I am just very happy that I got to see DT live twice, they wont be the same that's for sure

 

[Slingy]

Gotta respect their desicions but as a fan I always hate it when long time bands get new members late in their careers. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[73h Nils]

Honestly, I am at a loss for words. I can't believe it and am very curious/skeptical to see what happens next. This might give the band a new direction, in many respects, but I was still happy with everything they put out, so.... I don't know.... $$%# this is staggering.