In a recent Facebook post, Mike Portnoy shared his thoughts on Dream Theater’s rehearsals for the upcoming shows.
“My view at the office… Rehearsals have been sounding and feeling GREAT!!!!!” the drummer said. “Incredible how quick and seamless we have jumped right back into these songs together again after all these years…(in some song’s cases, it been DECADES since playing them together!).”
He continued, “I don’t want to be overconfident, but I have to say it’s already sounding and feeling so comfortable and natural… like no time has passed…a little over 3 weeks away from kickoff!!! Can’t wait…”
Portnoy co-founded Dream Theater in 1985 with John Petrucci and John Myung. He played on 10 of their albums before leaving the band in 2010. In a new interview with Mariskal Rock, Portnoy mentioned that he has no regrets about leaving the band at that time.
The musician revealed, “As far as any regrets, I don’t have any regrets. I think even leaving Dream Theater back in 2010, I don’t regret that because I think if I had unhappily stayed at the time, I might’ve spent the rest of my life regretting not taking a chance.”
“So it’s always better to regret the things you have done than the things you haven’t done,” he added. “That was always my philosophy. I even wrote that in the lyrics for [the Dream Theater song] ‘Repentance.'”
He also stated, “But that being said, I don’t have any regrets because they’re all part of the story and they’re all part of what got me to where I am today. And luckily for Dream Theater fans, it’s come full circle and it has a very happy ending in the end anyway.”
In April, Dream Theater announced their 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025 in Europe. The tour, titled ‘An Evening With Dream Theater,’ marks their first since Portnoy rejoined. It will cover 23 cities and runs from October 20 to November 24, with the first concert scheduled in London.
