Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy explained how he returned to the band at a recent live event.
Portnoy, 56, co-founded Dream Theater at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung before leaving the group in 2010.
At a recent Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp event in Los Angeles, California, Portnoy explained why he returned to the Dream Theater after a 13-year absence.
As heard in the video available below, the drummer says: “During the pandemic, I reconnected with John Petrucci. When we were in lockdown, my bands couldn’t tour, and neither could Dream Theater. John Petrucci made a solo album [Terminal Velocity, 2020], and he asked me to play on it. Then we decided to make another LTE album [Liquid Tension Experiment]with Jordan Rudess [claviériste de Dream Theater]. Shortly after, John asked me to go on tour with him. So it seems like we’ve found each other in the last few years.”
Portnoy then adds: “We have 40 years of shared history, our families grew up together, our wives played in a band together [le groupe de Thrash Metal Meanstreak], and our children also grew up together. Honestly, I felt like it was the right thing at the right time…”
Drummer Mike Mangini, who replaced Portnoy at Dream Theater from 2010 to 2023, commented on his dismissal from the group following the founding member’s return, stating that he “understood” the situation.
Singer James LaBrie also commented on Portnoy’s return, noting that he was “overwhelmed” by the audience’s emotions and positive reactions.