Originally published in My Global Mind.com · January 2020
Mike Portnoy interview (excerpts)
InterviewMike Portnoy2 min read
Robert Cavuoto: When you were doing solos with Dream Theater, did you ever shorten or lengthen a solo due to the fan’s reaction?
Mike Portnoy: Oh yeah. I had a couple of tours where my solos were completely based on audience participation. On the Train of Thought Tour, I would look out to the audience to see who was playing air drums, so when it came time to do my solo, I would go into the audience with a floor tom and a pair of sticks to jam with them. I would take whoever played the best duet with me on stage to my kit to sit side-by-side to complete the solo. It got to a point where my solo each night was completely based off audience participation. It would also be completely different night-to-night.
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Robert Cavuoto: I saw your recent Twitter post of you and John Petrucci. Are there any plans to ever work with him again as you are both a tremendous team?
Mike Portnoy: We would both love it. Like you said, we are a great team of 25 years as we were co-captains of Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. I would also go out with him on the G3 Tours. I look back at the relationship we had, and it was very special from a drummer/guitarist relationship. You can see that with Lars & James of Metallica, Dimebag & Vinnie of Pantera, and Eddie & Alex Van Halen. I think John and I had that type of partnership. We are both at our best and strongest when we work together, and I miss that relationship. He and I have a great personal relationship now and get together with our families. It would be a shame not to make music in some capacity in the future. I hope we can.
Robert Cavuoto: Do you think it would sound like Dream Theater or would you take a different musical approach?
Mike Portnoy: If you listen to the first 10 Dream Theater albums, that’s what it would sound like. I think the Dream Theater and Liquid Tension was a nice combination of our styles as well as the other members of those bands. I think John and I both have very distinctive styles. We have written 100s of songs, so I think it would be pretty obvious what it would sound like.