Dream Theater

Wembley Arena, London

13.10.07

Rating: 5 out of 5 (Classic)

Words: Ryan Bird

A night of sheer brilliance from New York prog-metal kings.

“Are you okay London?” asks Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie, and the roar that comes back from the packed Wembley crowd is so loud you'd think someone had just announced that each pint purchased comes with a free handjob. “That’s good, because we've got a lot to get through tonight.” These are pretty much the only words he or any of his bandmates will utter this evening, but as he’s so rightly pointed out, there’s a lot to get through. Over two hours of music in fact. It’s the type of lengthy set that can often wear thin, no matter how good a band may actually be. Tonight however, no amount of time truly seems like enough, because Dream Theater are about as perfect as you can get without going under the surgeon’s knife.

From the video screen sitting at the rear of the stage, to the crystal clear drum kit before it and on to the wail protruding from LaBrie’s vocal cords, everything is absolutely massive without bordering on pretentious. It’s something the New York quintet have been described as for much of their 20-year career, but tonight you’d have to have a roman candle lodged in your arse to prevent you leaving with a massive grin on your face. Sure, there’s something undeniably geeky about Mike Portnoy’s huge, triple kick-drum kit and keyboardist Jordan Rudess’ umpteen solos, just as bassist John Myung and guitarist John Petrucci show the type of scarily complex fret work that can only come from a youth spent locked away in a bedroom. But there’s also something undeniably simplistic about them, because while the likes of double-figure prog odyssey Lines In The Sand has everyone present gawping in amazement, hypnotised by both the sheer complexity and the accompanying video imagery, the twisted grooves of set-opener Constant Motion and the thrash riffs of The Dark Eternal Night see a wave of horns ripple through the crowd; Portnoy rising to his feet and barking at the front rows without missing a beat.

But what’s most impressive is that even after 125 glorious minutes – culminating with a flawless five-song medley that spans almost their entire career – barely a soul has snuck away early. Perhaps it’s because having waited so long for the band to headline a show this big no one wants to miss a second. Or maybe it’s just that it’s simply impossible to tear yourself away from such brilliance. Timeless, magnificent and utterly mind-blowing, Dream Theater remain a truly amazing force: the experience of a lifetime.

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How was it for you?

Mike Portnoy (Drums/Vocals)

“It was fucking great, man! Besides Download this is the biggest individual show we've ever done here. Our support in England has been growing and growing, so it’s awesome for us to see so many people here tonight. It’s amazing that we can play a place like this without any real mainstream support. You can love us or you can hate us, but you can’t ignore us.”