Interview with Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater): “You can put me songs by Beyoncé or Kanye West and I won’t recognize any”
The insurmountable progressive metal teachers left us speechless with ‘Parasomnia’, First album after the return of his famous battery and founding member Mike Portnoy. With a very intense summer ahead in which the North American geniuses will throw the anchor again in our country to act the Tuesday, June 10 at the Marenostrum in Fuengirola (Málaga) and the June 12 as poster heads of the splendid tenth edition of the Z! Live Rock Fest from Zamora (Tickets here). Jason Cenador He maintained an interesting talk with the wizard of the drumsticks before his full show was announced in Fuengirola and with his concert at the Zamorano festival as a backdrop.
We are looking forward to you back in Spain, and, in fact, you will act this year in the Z! Live Rock Fest, which reaches its tenth edition. What does it mean for you to lead an event of this relevance?
“It is an honor to have that position. We thank the promoters who have invited us and we are looking forward to it. I personally love to play at festivals, my favorite atmosphere is the one that occurs in outdoor concerts, at summer festivals. I love that, so I really want.”
Zamora is a very pretty and walkable city, so you may take advantage of time and go for a walk. Surely you have not been there before.
“Personally, I never go out or go for a walk, but there are certain members that yes. Jordan (Rudiss) likes to go for a walk and see the different cities, so I’m sure he will go out to take a look.”
So are you more to get hidden at the hotel?
“Yes I am. We have been doing this for a long time, the band has been turning together for about thirty years. At this point in our lives and our careers, I enjoy having time for me as soon as I have the possibility.”
What can we expect from your concert in Zamora in relation to the setlist and its duration?
“In summer we will be making the setlist. In the first batch of concerts through Europe within the tour of the 40th anniversary we play a repertoire that we wanted everyone to experience at least once, but in summer we will take a turn. We repeat some countries and markets, and it will be then when I will start configuring the setlist. It will be a mixture. The setlists for the festivals will be more oriented to a general audience necessarily the most staunch fans.
You are again, as before leaving the band, the head of the choice of songs that are going to be played in each concert.
“Yes. It is beautiful to have that responsibility back. Upon my return to Dream Theater, there were many areas in which we had to elucidate how I have been put in my hands again, which makes me happy. ”
Compared to your last concert in Madrid, will you focus more on themes of ‘Parasomnia’, your last album, or will you throw more of classics?
“It will be more a mixture of classics, but with different songs than we play on the previous visit.
Photo: Mark Maryanovich
It looks like a somewhat risky movement to completely play a new album at this stage of the band in which many fans also expect to hear many classics and old material, don’t you think?
“Yes. Obviously, we have to make a mix. songs ”.
Mike, what would you say is Dream Theater’s main strength when you play live?
“It is the audience, the fans! They are very passionate about the band and that is what inspires me. When I am on stage, I am always looking at the public and looking for me to inspire me, to lift me up. During the hardest and most energetic parts, I want to see them getting fully in them, jumping, applauding and driving, and during the most moving parts, emotional and dynamic Illuminate with your mobile phones.
Photo: Wolfe Elliot
In the Z! Live are going to share a festival day with groups such as Meshuggah, Exodus, Rotting Christ or Nile. What do you think of a day with such good groups in Liza?
“For me, that is one of the fun things of the summer festivals, sharing the stage with such great bands. Many times I am a friend of some of them. You have mentioned Exodus, and Gary Holt is a very, very good friend. I have played in metal Allegance with him. In addition, they have announced the return of Rob Dukes, who is an old friend, just like Jack Gibson, the bassist. You can make a list of each band Festival in which we play, and usually there are people who are a friend.
Regarding that video that went viral, is it true that you had never heard Taylor Swift before?
“Yes, it’s true! (Laughs) Before making that video for Drumeo I didn’t know that song. You can put me songs from Beyoncé or Kanye West and I don’t know any. I don’t listen to pop music or radio, so it’s the pure truth.”
On the deck of Leganés. Photo: Vega Halen
I have to say that I really enjoyed the video and batteries that you introduced into the song were phenomenal, they fit very well in the song. How about a future collaboration with Taylor Swift?
“Of course! (Laughs) it would be fun and I would love to do it!”
“Our music is reflected more in concerts than on lists”
There are great differences between the musical lists of today and those that came out, say, thirty or forty years. What does that say about the evolution of mainstream culture and music that is heard more massively today?
“It is quite sad. If you look at Billboard’s rankings, in the top 20 there are almost never bands. Forget about metal bands, there are not even rock groups, bands like Aerosmith or whatever, rock classics. Not even they are already in the lists. Everything are pop and rap artists. What can I say? It means that the metal is less large.
Do you have hope that in the future the most elaborate, pure and significant music can occupy a more protagonist plane again, regardless of style?
“It’s out there! Obviously, there is no lack of creative bands or original music. You get on YouTube and you can find videos of some of the most crazy and most dark bands in the world. So there are no shortcomings of creative music, it simply is not in the mainstream. But that’s fine, it doesn’t bother me. As I told you, Iron Maiden can continue playing before fifty thousand people. mainstream It evolves and, fortunately, a band like Dream Theater or any of those that I have been part of us do not base our careers to try to adapt to the mainstream.
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