A Nightmare To Remember
I've mentioned in previous blogs that 2010 seems to be a bit of annus horribilis for prog bands - quite a few have had a really rough ride this year. Mostly Autumn lost their vocalist, and poached a new one, leaving Breathing Space casting about for a new recruit (which they happily found in the shape of early Mostly Autumn vocalist Heidi Widdop - funny how things turn out); Karnataka imploded once again, losing their vocalist, keyboard player and drummer; Panic Room lost their bassist and recruited another; Also Eden's newly recruited vocalist (our friend Rich Harding) was involved in a horrific road accident (thankfully he is now well on the road to recovery); Touchstone lost their drummer and recruited a new one; Mr. So & So swapped keyboard players... And these are just the bands that I'm most familiar with!
Today the prog blight struck again, in a way I couldn't have imagined. Drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy announced that he has left Dream Theater.
It's impossible for those unfamiliar with the workings of the band to comprehend just how unthinkable this seemed. Mike's father named the band. Mike was never simply "the drummer": he was the most vocal member of the band, the one who got a Dream Theater logo tattooed on his arm, the one who laid plans, looked after the band's archives, made time for the fans, and single-mindedly ensured that the band's name spread far and wide - the man whose commitment to his craft ensured that he topped 'Best Drummer' polls with almost tedious predictability throughout the past 20 years. The idea that he might someday leave behind this band which he had helped create and then nurture through what is now a 25 year career to ever-increasing critical and popular acclaim simply never occurred to anyone.
In retrospect, perhaps it wasn't hard to see it coming. Always busy with a myriad of other projects, Mike was always busy, and his expressed reasons for leaving essentially boil down to worrying about burning himself out as he "busted his ass" (his words) for the fans, and lived, slept and breathed Dream Theater "24/7, 365 days a year". On top of quite literally dozens of other projects, it's no surprise that he was feeling under some pressure. Occasionally it seemed to get on top of him: he got tired of some fans questioning the quality of various Dream Theater releases and retaliated on the band's Octavarium album by penning the lyrics to Never Enough, a song aimed at fans who he felt were never satisfied, no matter the blood sweat and tears he expended on their behalf. For a self-confessed control freak like Mike, that sort of feedback probably felt incredibly ungrateful.
However, it has to be said that in this Mike probably only ever had himself to blame. His tendency towards control freakery ensured that as time passed he became more and more embroiled in a myriad projects that he didn't necessarily have the time and/or energy for - in this respect he became his own worst enemy. It's also a matter of record that this part of his personality often led to conflict within the band - always resolved ultimately, but nevertheless worth noting. His relationship with band vocalist James LaBrie, discussed in more detail in Rich Wilson's excellent DT biography, definitely falls into the love/hate category, as does his relationship with ex-DT keyboard player Kevin Moore. There is possibly some truth in the idea that Mike's addictive personality - as a recovering alcoholic, Mike has admitted that this is in his nature - resulted in his control freakery becoming an outlet for this tendency, ensuring that the minutiae of dealing with the band's legacy became a black hole that sucked at his energy and his will to continue. I'm no psychologist, but this theory seems to have some merit, especially when you add to it the observation that in recent months Mike has expressed misgivings about how much he would contribute to DT's writing, especially from a lyrical perspective, in the future. In interviews, he sounded like someone who had said all that he had to say, having detailed events from his turbulent family life and his struggle with alcoholism in highly emotional detail. Perhaps after such an intense relationship with the band he had spent 25 years with, the external side-projects and guest appearances were a way to simply relax and enjoy himself. Fair enough, really - he had clearly earned the right.
However, following the tragic death of Avenged Sevenfold's drummer, and Mike's subsequent announcement that he would be both recording and touring with that band, I had some misgivings about what this meant for Dream Theater long before today's news filtered through. Mike's inability to sit still and his already expressed doubts about how much he would be contributing to the band in the future made me feel as if his heart wasn;t in it any more. "Never mind", I thought. "He's just burnt out - it finally happened. Some time away, and I'm sure he'll be OK."
Well, obviously I was wrong. The time away has not really helped Mike to remember what he loved about DT all this time - at least to a degree where he felt like working for or on the band's behalf again. He asked for an extended hiatus - something that the rest of the band weren't keen on.
At face value, it seemed like an unreasonable decision on the band's behalf. However, reading the statements from both parties back after my initial, rather shocked, scan through them this morning, things have taken on a rather different colour. For one thing, it's quite clear that there are personal differences that run a lot deeper than I had imagined. Mike's message talks about having better "personal relationships" outside the band than he did inside it. That's hardly the sort of thing you put in a public statement unless you're happy for everyone to know there were deeper problems, which in turn inevitably casts the other members in a poor light. There's also a matter of ego here: Mike is not ill. Just because he wants a break, doesn't mean the rest of the band do - and by Dream Theater standards, they've already had a fairly lengthy break. Mike cites the relentless pace of the Dream Theater writing/touring cycle as a major component in his decision to leave, but ultimately he was the chief architect of the band's relentless work ethic. Perhaps it's small wonder that the re-energised band weren't willing to put their professional lives on hold whilst their musical partner spent months on the road playing with other bands, especially since recently their commercial and critical appeal is at its peak, solidified by this year's short but high-profile support slots with Iron Maiden as the metal legends toured the US.
With Mike's heart seemingly no longer in it, and the rest of the band by all accounts hungry to get out there and capitalise on the recent exposure and massively positive press, perhaps this departure is, after all, the best outcome for everyone. No-one wants to be in a band they no longer have a genuine passion for, and no band should have to deal with carrying a member who self-confessedly is no longer sure he has anything to add. Candidly, although Mike was and remains hugely popular with DT fans, his presence looms large over the band's work to what is possibly an unfortunate degree. Single-minded and goal-oriented, there's no doubt in my mind that his creative and professional influence was massive, and whilst he wasn't one of the chief songwriters in the band, musically speaking, his domineering personality ensured that some of the more reticent voices in the band were to some degree sidelined. Mike was the charismatic smart-mouthed kid who you couldn't help loving, even as you saw his talented friends shunted onto the sidelines.
In some ways, I think his departure may end up being a really positive thing for Dream Theater. Without Mike to channel the band's fearsome creativity into his carefully-planned schemes, they may be able, for the first time in many years, to make the record they've always wanted to make, to try things that perhaps Mike, the band's co-founder and co-producer, wasn't keen on trying. I'm anticipating a melodic and possibly quite experimental next offering from the band as they move forward with a new drummer and probably a quite different idea about what constitutes "Dream Theater". John Petrucci (guitars) has always been the band's driving force, musically, and allied to some very strong writers in the shape of keyboardist Jordan Rudess and vocalist James LaBrie (look back at James' writing credits on DTs albums, and you'll see that the name may not crop up often, but is usually tied to some real crackers when it appears), not to mention the inscrutable but clearly hugely talented John Myung (bass), and I certainly wouldn't bet against them. For all of Mike's influence over the years, musically I think the band have nothing to fear from his departure (apart from perhaps finding a drummer fearless enough to reproduce Mike's formidable playing on the band's back catalogue of classic songs). My chief worry in the wake of Mike's departure is that all the behind-the-scenes work that Mike poured his heart and soul into may suffer. Hopefully the band are savvy enough to realise that that behind-the-scenes work is one of the reasons why they have become so beloved, and ensure that it doesn't falter without Mike's "24/7, 365 days a year" attention.
And so it seems the band I've loved for the past 15 years or so has come to a crossroads. Sadly, Mike's decision means that my musical path is likely to seldom cross his again, as his various side projects and guest appearances hold little or no attraction for me. For Dream Theater, I can only be reassured by the remaining members' bullish assurances that they'll be back in the studio in January recording their 11th album and will be back out on tour next year as planned. Whilst the upheaval undeniably has me concerned, it also has me excited. I know the other guys have it in them to continue to make incredible, passionate music of the kind I've identified them with over the past couple of decades, and whilst there is uncertainty, I sense in them a desire to prove themselves as more than "Mike Portnoy's previous band" and a welcome confidence that can stir me to thinking that perhaps this latest drama is not so much a "Nightmare To Remember" but simply another "Change Of Seasons". Watch this space.
As for 2010, surely the catalogue of music-related dramas is over now? One can only hope. Drama can be enjoyable, but this is getting silly...
Today the prog blight struck again, in a way I couldn't have imagined. Drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy announced that he has left Dream Theater.
It's impossible for those unfamiliar with the workings of the band to comprehend just how unthinkable this seemed. Mike's father named the band. Mike was never simply "the drummer": he was the most vocal member of the band, the one who got a Dream Theater logo tattooed on his arm, the one who laid plans, looked after the band's archives, made time for the fans, and single-mindedly ensured that the band's name spread far and wide - the man whose commitment to his craft ensured that he topped 'Best Drummer' polls with almost tedious predictability throughout the past 20 years. The idea that he might someday leave behind this band which he had helped create and then nurture through what is now a 25 year career to ever-increasing critical and popular acclaim simply never occurred to anyone.
In retrospect, perhaps it wasn't hard to see it coming. Always busy with a myriad of other projects, Mike was always busy, and his expressed reasons for leaving essentially boil down to worrying about burning himself out as he "busted his ass" (his words) for the fans, and lived, slept and breathed Dream Theater "24/7, 365 days a year". On top of quite literally dozens of other projects, it's no surprise that he was feeling under some pressure. Occasionally it seemed to get on top of him: he got tired of some fans questioning the quality of various Dream Theater releases and retaliated on the band's Octavarium album by penning the lyrics to Never Enough, a song aimed at fans who he felt were never satisfied, no matter the blood sweat and tears he expended on their behalf. For a self-confessed control freak like Mike, that sort of feedback probably felt incredibly ungrateful.
However, it has to be said that in this Mike probably only ever had himself to blame. His tendency towards control freakery ensured that as time passed he became more and more embroiled in a myriad projects that he didn't necessarily have the time and/or energy for - in this respect he became his own worst enemy. It's also a matter of record that this part of his personality often led to conflict within the band - always resolved ultimately, but nevertheless worth noting. His relationship with band vocalist James LaBrie, discussed in more detail in Rich Wilson's excellent DT biography, definitely falls into the love/hate category, as does his relationship with ex-DT keyboard player Kevin Moore. There is possibly some truth in the idea that Mike's addictive personality - as a recovering alcoholic, Mike has admitted that this is in his nature - resulted in his control freakery becoming an outlet for this tendency, ensuring that the minutiae of dealing with the band's legacy became a black hole that sucked at his energy and his will to continue. I'm no psychologist, but this theory seems to have some merit, especially when you add to it the observation that in recent months Mike has expressed misgivings about how much he would contribute to DT's writing, especially from a lyrical perspective, in the future. In interviews, he sounded like someone who had said all that he had to say, having detailed events from his turbulent family life and his struggle with alcoholism in highly emotional detail. Perhaps after such an intense relationship with the band he had spent 25 years with, the external side-projects and guest appearances were a way to simply relax and enjoy himself. Fair enough, really - he had clearly earned the right.
However, following the tragic death of Avenged Sevenfold's drummer, and Mike's subsequent announcement that he would be both recording and touring with that band, I had some misgivings about what this meant for Dream Theater long before today's news filtered through. Mike's inability to sit still and his already expressed doubts about how much he would be contributing to the band in the future made me feel as if his heart wasn;t in it any more. "Never mind", I thought. "He's just burnt out - it finally happened. Some time away, and I'm sure he'll be OK."
Well, obviously I was wrong. The time away has not really helped Mike to remember what he loved about DT all this time - at least to a degree where he felt like working for or on the band's behalf again. He asked for an extended hiatus - something that the rest of the band weren't keen on.
At face value, it seemed like an unreasonable decision on the band's behalf. However, reading the statements from both parties back after my initial, rather shocked, scan through them this morning, things have taken on a rather different colour. For one thing, it's quite clear that there are personal differences that run a lot deeper than I had imagined. Mike's message talks about having better "personal relationships" outside the band than he did inside it. That's hardly the sort of thing you put in a public statement unless you're happy for everyone to know there were deeper problems, which in turn inevitably casts the other members in a poor light. There's also a matter of ego here: Mike is not ill. Just because he wants a break, doesn't mean the rest of the band do - and by Dream Theater standards, they've already had a fairly lengthy break. Mike cites the relentless pace of the Dream Theater writing/touring cycle as a major component in his decision to leave, but ultimately he was the chief architect of the band's relentless work ethic. Perhaps it's small wonder that the re-energised band weren't willing to put their professional lives on hold whilst their musical partner spent months on the road playing with other bands, especially since recently their commercial and critical appeal is at its peak, solidified by this year's short but high-profile support slots with Iron Maiden as the metal legends toured the US.
With Mike's heart seemingly no longer in it, and the rest of the band by all accounts hungry to get out there and capitalise on the recent exposure and massively positive press, perhaps this departure is, after all, the best outcome for everyone. No-one wants to be in a band they no longer have a genuine passion for, and no band should have to deal with carrying a member who self-confessedly is no longer sure he has anything to add. Candidly, although Mike was and remains hugely popular with DT fans, his presence looms large over the band's work to what is possibly an unfortunate degree. Single-minded and goal-oriented, there's no doubt in my mind that his creative and professional influence was massive, and whilst he wasn't one of the chief songwriters in the band, musically speaking, his domineering personality ensured that some of the more reticent voices in the band were to some degree sidelined. Mike was the charismatic smart-mouthed kid who you couldn't help loving, even as you saw his talented friends shunted onto the sidelines.
In some ways, I think his departure may end up being a really positive thing for Dream Theater. Without Mike to channel the band's fearsome creativity into his carefully-planned schemes, they may be able, for the first time in many years, to make the record they've always wanted to make, to try things that perhaps Mike, the band's co-founder and co-producer, wasn't keen on trying. I'm anticipating a melodic and possibly quite experimental next offering from the band as they move forward with a new drummer and probably a quite different idea about what constitutes "Dream Theater". John Petrucci (guitars) has always been the band's driving force, musically, and allied to some very strong writers in the shape of keyboardist Jordan Rudess and vocalist James LaBrie (look back at James' writing credits on DTs albums, and you'll see that the name may not crop up often, but is usually tied to some real crackers when it appears), not to mention the inscrutable but clearly hugely talented John Myung (bass), and I certainly wouldn't bet against them. For all of Mike's influence over the years, musically I think the band have nothing to fear from his departure (apart from perhaps finding a drummer fearless enough to reproduce Mike's formidable playing on the band's back catalogue of classic songs). My chief worry in the wake of Mike's departure is that all the behind-the-scenes work that Mike poured his heart and soul into may suffer. Hopefully the band are savvy enough to realise that that behind-the-scenes work is one of the reasons why they have become so beloved, and ensure that it doesn't falter without Mike's "24/7, 365 days a year" attention.
And so it seems the band I've loved for the past 15 years or so has come to a crossroads. Sadly, Mike's decision means that my musical path is likely to seldom cross his again, as his various side projects and guest appearances hold little or no attraction for me. For Dream Theater, I can only be reassured by the remaining members' bullish assurances that they'll be back in the studio in January recording their 11th album and will be back out on tour next year as planned. Whilst the upheaval undeniably has me concerned, it also has me excited. I know the other guys have it in them to continue to make incredible, passionate music of the kind I've identified them with over the past couple of decades, and whilst there is uncertainty, I sense in them a desire to prove themselves as more than "Mike Portnoy's previous band" and a welcome confidence that can stir me to thinking that perhaps this latest drama is not so much a "Nightmare To Remember" but simply another "Change Of Seasons". Watch this space.
As for 2010, surely the catalogue of music-related dramas is over now? One can only hope. Drama can be enjoyable, but this is getting silly...