In a recent Instagram post, Mike Portnoy shared his reflections on performing with Dream Theater in London for the first time in 14 years.
“So many thoughts, so many emotions, I don’t even know where to begin…I’m seeing so many posts from fans who were in attendance last night, so I’ll just let their images and words do the talking…,” he wrote alongside a photo from the event.
He added, “I’ll just sum it up by saying it was one of the most incredible evenings in my life! Thank you London and all of the amazing fans that travelled from all over the world to join us for this reunion & celebration and to kick off our 40th Anniversary Tour!! So excited to do this again night after night for all of you around the world!”
The concert at the O2 Arena in London marked Dream Theater’s first performance with Portnoy in 14 years. Portnoy co-founded the band in 1985 with John Petrucci and John Myung. He played on 10 albums over two decades before leaving in 2010 and rejoining last year.
The London show launched Dream Theater’s 40th-anniversary tour, which will run through 2024 and 2025. Titled ‘An Evening With Dream Theater,’ the tour will continue across Europe until November 24.
New tour dates for 2025 are set to be announced in February, alongside a new album titled ‘Parasomnia.’ The first single, ‘Night Terror,’ was released earlier this month, accompanied by a music video directed by Mike Leonard.
The song received mostly positive feedback in its first week, and Portnoy expressed his excitement on Instagram, stating, “Incredible! Almost 2 million views on YouTube in under a week. Thank you all for the overwhelming response to ‘Night Terror…’ it’s been great reading the comments, watching the reaction videos and covers, etc. The excitement is palpable! Cannot wait to share the rest of the album with you all in February.”
The new album ‘Parasomnia’ is scheduled for release on February 7 through Inside Out Music. This will be Portnoy’s first album with the band since 2009’s ‘Black Clouds & Silver Linings,’ and it is produced by Petrucci.
