In a recent chat with Spain’s Mariskal Rock, Mike Portnoy talked about readapting his role in Dream Theater.
When asked whether there was anything difficult with his return to the band, the drummer replied by saying:
“I wouldn’t say difficult. It hasn’t been difficult; it’s been very smooth, and the guys have made me feel immediately back at home. I would just say that the thing that I needed to get used to was being the ‘new guy,’ being the new guy in a band that I helped form when I was a teenager.”
Portnoy respects the new ways the band has developed to manage the band over the years:
“So it’s a bit of a transition for me to go from being a bit of the leader, as I was back when I left the band, now I have to kind of find my way back into the chemistry and I need to respect the fact that they’ve been doing this for 13 years without me and they have maybe new ways of doing things, new ways of making decisions. So I wouldn’t say it’s been difficult, but I have had to be very respectful for my role as the new guy and finding my way back into the chemistry of the band.”
Portnoy Prepares Dream Theater’s Setlist
The musician rejoined Dream Theater in October 2023. As soon as he returned to the band, Dream Theater gave him his leadership role back. In a June interview with Igor Miranda, James LaBrie said Portnoy handles the setlist for their 40th Anniversary Tour:
“Well, absolutely. And just so you know, we let Mike Portnoy take over the setlist again. So he’s back to creating the setlist and he’s doing, like we were almost positive he would, he’s done a terrific job. I mean, the setlist he put together… And the thing is with Mike, he was saying, ‘Hey, guys, if there’s a song you don’t wanna do, let me know. If there’s songs that you really wanna do, let me know.’ And so there’s some very strong and cool communication going on. But yeah, he’s glad to be putting the setlist together.”
Last month, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess also spoke about Portnoy’s return to the band after 13 years. Rudess said Portnoy’s comeback positively changed the band’s dynamics. According to him, the drummer made the process for their upcoming album more exciting and creative.
You can watch the rest of Mike’s conversation below.