I love playing drums and helping out.
— Mike Portnoy
I'm a music fan first and foremost. I can find the beauty in Jellyfish and U2 just as much as Opeth and Lamb of God, just as much as I can with Rush and Yes.
I really do care what people think, and I revolved my whole career and all the twenty five years with Dream Theater... I ran that band and made decisions based on caring what the fans thought and wanted.
I am looking forward to working with the great staff of Loud & Proud Records, some of whom I worked very closely with during their time at Roadrunner and my time with Dream Theater. I look forward to continuing that relationship with The Winery Dogs!
I don't even like doing drum solos live; to me, it's like, 'Ehhh.' It doesn't really interest me.
My time and my legacy with Dream Theater will always be a part of me. It's something I'll always be proud of.
Every band goes through breakups or splits.
Any time I say anything about Dream Theater... Honestly, I'd rather not talk about it. Because no matter what I say, it will be twisted and... So I kind of have made myself promise that I won't talk about Dream Theater anymore.
It's all about the music, and I work as hard as I do strictly because of the music. It's not a money thing; it's not a career thing. It's simply to do with me being a music fan with a broad taste, wanting to do different styles and wanting to work with lots of different people.
In all of my years in this business, I've always been part of either a progressive band or a metal band.
I don't care about technique. I have kind of been pigeonholed as a technical drummer since I was in Dream Theater for all those years, but it's actually very far from the truth.
A lot of bands, they'll try to jump on the bandwagon or the fad or the fashion, and they'll skyrocket, have this quick overnight fame. But as soon as that fad or fashion changes, they'll go out with it.
After I wrote 'The Best Of Times' for my dad and after I completed the '12 Steps Suite' with Dream Theater, I very much felt like I had said everything I wanted to say lyrically.
I spent a good solid two years giving my all to Adrenaline Mob.
In Adrenaline Mob there are five guys that are all absolutely insanely energetic performers each of their own right. It's like a five-ring circus on stage!
If you're not gonna be happy, then it's not worth doing anything.
First and foremost, play what you love to play. Don't try to jump on a bandwagon or a trend or a popular musical craze.
There are no prog elements to Adrenaline Mob; it's very song-oriented, with shredding and grooves.
I understand that Adrenaline Mob is not going to be every Dream Theater fan's cup of tea. I totally get that; I understand that. It's different world.
One of the biggest misconceptions was, after I left Dream Theater, I went off and did, like, five different bands and side projects. Everyone was like, 'We thought you wanted a break.' And it was like, well, I didn't want a break from making music; I just needed a break from the Dream Theater camp.
Richie Kotzen is such an unbelievable talent as a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter.
I don't want people to think that I think I'm this great drummer because, to me, I'm just a kid playing drums, and I love music.
People always say to me, 'Well, how can a marriage last when you're away as much as you are?' And I always say, 'Well, absence makes the heart grow fonder.' That time apart from each other has actually strengthened our relationship.
I don't think I was ever meant to be tied down to one band for the rest of my life, playing one style of music.
I think it's important for a young musician to stick with a band for a while and really work with a band and stay focused.
It's been an incredible experience, playing with Twisted Sister, Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold, jamming with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and the list goes on and on and on.
I have no interest in playing 'perfect.' To me, it's more about being an entertainer. Having a connection with the audience.
I'm very outgoing, an extrovert, a control freak.
If you do anything long enough, people can't ignore you anymore.
I have no desire to write lyrics with Adrenaline Mob.
I'm very proud of the album I made with Adrenaline Mob, and I think that there was really a great chemistry there; it was a great band.
I absolutely am not the 'de facto front man' in The Mob - that title surely goes to Russell Allen, who is one of the best front men in the business. I am just happy to be part of the band and not necessarily leading it.
I always follow my heart.
The most bizarre occurrence has to be when I dislocated my wrist during a show in Germany in 1997.
Flying Colors is more alternative pop with a prog edge. Think the Beatles meets U2 meets Muse and Foo Fighters. It is the opposite of Adrenaline Mob, which has more classic metal influences like Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Pantera, or Disturbed. They are completely different ends of spectrum.
I find myself a much happier person when I turn off my computer and live my life.
I'm a very sentimental guy; I'm a very nostalgic guy.
A Dream Theater without me was never in the plan; I never expected that.
I don't consider myself a great drummer. I consider myself just a music fan that's a very, very passionate artist, and the drums just happen to be my instrument.
I live a very open life. I value my relationship with the fans, and I utilize Twitter and Facebook and my web site, so my day-to-day activities are an open book for me to share with the fans, for better or for worse.
Dream Theater was my baby. I formed it from the beginning, out of college, and I lived a lifetime with them.
As far as I know, you only live once. So, I want to make the most of it while I can and work with as many different people as I can.
It's so refreshing to just play straight-ahead music with lots of twists.
I am not a technical drummer at all. I'm more from the Keith Moon/Lars Ulrich school of, 'Hey, look at me!' I just get up there and bash.
I remember waking up Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, to my wife telling me to put on the TV because I wasn't going to be going into N.Y.C. as planned. Dream Theater was working in N.Y.C. at the time mixing our album 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence,' and I would've been driving in that afternoon for our session.
I am - you know, I'm getting to do everything I've ever wanted to do, anything my imagination can think up. I'm getting to play with some of my favorite musicians in the world, ranging from Russell Allen to Billy Sheehan to Paul Gilbert to Steve Morse.
I love the Dream Theater 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.
I've always had lots of side projects in my life, but what's exciting for me is knowing that Adrenaline Mob is bigger than that.
With Dream Theater live, I may have been a bit of a focal point because I absolutely live for the energy on stage, and having interaction with the audience is absolutely crucial to me - regardless of how some others have described it!
Trite as it sounds, follow your heart. Persevere. And if you follow your heart and persevere, it will pay off.
