Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater might be friends again, but don’t expect to see the founding member behind the drums any time soon.
That’s the official line out of the bands camp, following Portnoy’s addition to Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci’s live band for his solo tour – the first time the pair have performed live together since Portnoy unceremoniously left DT in 2010.
Petrucci and Portnoy founded the band with bassist John Myung in 1985, when the trio were studying at Berkeley College.
Initially things seemed fractured between Portnoy and his former band mates following drummers shock departure, but recent developments – including band make-up’s, Petrucci’s Portnoy-featuring solo work and a new Liquid Tension Experiment album, featuring Portnoy and Petrucci alongside Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Ruddess – have stoked speculation a return to the DT fold may be on the cards.
“I’ve been very vocal about this and outspoken and very careful about this to be clear with my intentions and Mike and I and our reuniting,” Petrucci said, speaking to Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk.
“The stuff that we are doing together with my solo stuff, with (prog supergroup) Liquid Tension Experiment, with Mike touring with me, this is its own thing, and Dream Theatre is its own thing, and the history that we now have with (Dream Theatre drummer) Mike Mangini in the band for 12 years, it’s important for me to make sure that people don’t misunderstand this.
“Because it’s not good for anybody; that kind of weirdness or controversy, as we all know, it’s just toxic.”
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Petrucci continued: “Maybe I’m selfish but I feel so lucky that I get to do this with Mike and play live with him, play this instrumental music, record, and being in Dream Theater with (current drummer) Mike Mangini, it’s like I’ve kind of been spoiled.
“I get two of the greatest drummers in the world to be able to play with. And I think it’s important for people to know that and to have that clarity — I really do.”
The pair are currently touring the US together, in support of Petrucci’s latest solo work Terminal Velocity.
