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Labrie hurt Portnoy's feelings.

9K views 70 replies 35 participants last post by  Randy 
#1 ·
Former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy has accused the group's lead singer, James LaBrie, of being "insensitive" and "disrespectful" for proclaiming in a recent interview (PODCAST) that the remaining members of DREAM THEATER were "not sad at all" about Mike's departure from the group.

During an appearance on the September 28, 2010 edition of the USED BIN RADIO show on PURE ROCK RADIO, LaBrie was asked if he was "sad" over Portnoy's decision to leave DREAM THEATER, the band Mike formed and led for 25 years.

"You know what?! I'm not sad at all," LaBrie replied. "I've gotta be honest with you. I think that everyone out there needs to know that there's four guys in the band that are... We're excited, we're really looking forward to the next chapter. And I think one of the other things that everyone really has to remember is that there's four more-than-capable guys there. We're all extremely... I know everyone is out there going, 'Holy shit! Is this guy full of himself or what?' But I wanna say it like it is. There's four very capable people in the band, and we're all talented and we all know what we're doing, and we're all capable of doing everything and keeping DREAM THEATER exactly what it's been and bringing it to another level and bringing it to uncharted waters, but I think very exciting and fulfilling waters. So, no, we're not down. I can guarantee you none of us are down. We're actially pretty excited... and very positive."

Earlier today, a registered user of Portnoy's official forum asked the site's moderators if threads about LaBrie's upcoming solo tour were being deleted from the MikePortnoy.com site. Portnoy himself then chose to respond, writing, "I'm afraid your eyes are not playing tricks on you."

He continued, "I was willing to ignore that the [DREAM THEATER] guys insisted all [Mike Portnoy]-related stuff be removed from DreamTheater.net [DREAM THEATER's official web site].... but then on Monday reading the Blabbermouth headlines with James [LaBrie] insensitively proclaming they are 'not sad at all' about my departure from DREAM THEATER, I cannot in 'happy' standing promote his solo tour....

"I am so sad it comes to this, but I am even more shocked and hurt by James' completely disrespectful quote."

[Note: The thread containing Mike's comments has since been deleted from Portnoy's forum.]
Labrie's response:

A short time after Mike's quote appeared on the MikePortnoy.com site, LaBrie released the following statement in an attempt to clarify the comments that were attributed to the singer in the "Used Bin Radio" interview:

"It seems there is a misunderstanding.

"When I said I was not sad with Mike's departure, it, unfortunately, leaves plenty of room to misconstrue such words.

"No one can tell you or me how to think and feel.

"Initially with Mike's departure I was extremely upset, down and shocked. But one needs to deal and work through these emotions in order to arrive at a more positive and optimistic place. That is where I am now and was when the interview took place.

"Let me put it more plain and simple. Life does not afford us the luxury to wallow in our sorrow. You have to deal with the situation at hand and make it a productive and positive endeavor In other words, onward and upward.

"Mike made it perfectly clear why he chose the current path. I would much rather his words be the definitive answer.

"In the end, does it really matter what our views are? Other than human curiosity, it doesn't change a thing.

"I have said my peace and believe there is no room for misinterpretation.

"I will give no further weight to this subject; all has been said."
Sounds to me like Mike expected DT to wallow along without him and his ego, and is asshurt that they're pushing on as a band instead of being The Band That Used To Have Portnoy As A Drummer.
 
#11 ·
I dunno, back in the day DT put out a killer album or two. I didn't think Labrie's newest was quite THAT good :lol:
 
#12 ·
Fucking Jersey Shore dirty laundry bullshit. It is more pathetic considering it is coming from current/former members of a washed up band.
 
#13 ·
I didn't think what Labrie commented on left any room for misinterpretation...for anybody to misconstrue that and get butt hurt about it would mean said person would have to be delusional and out of touch with reality...kinda matches the description of Portnoy!
 
#14 ·
The guys are getting a lot of press out of this. Let's not forget that. Heck even Portnoy mentioning that he's not going to promote LaBrie's solo tour... I mean he's on freaking blabbermouth which is read by everyone and he mentioned the tour right there. I didn't know LaBrie was touring solo, now I'm going to find tickets.

Never underestimate how cleverly choreographed public shenanigans can be :yesway:

Thanks Mike! :agreed:
 
#27 ·
i think portnoy has every right to have an ego. He is mike portnoy of course lol. But on a serious note, id want my previous band to be at least a little said that they cant play music with a friend for 25 years tbh. If you arent sad, you're happy. If you're inbetween you're really just sad but wish you were sadder. Id be a little hurt too.
 
#38 ·
If you want your friends to be sad because you quit the band, you are a selfish asshole. Who wants their friends to suffer for a decision they made, when it is pretty easy to get over it with positive attitude? The answer to that is someone that doesn't want to see the band they just left succeed. I think Portnoy wants to prove that DT is nothing without him, which leads to...

This. I got really tired of this band after the whole "It's me (Mike), John and Jordan doing the writing. Myung can only submit material if he complies to our songwriting methods." Or the "It's me (Mike, again) and John who are going to produce everything from here on out. Because I didn't get my way with Falling Into Infinity." attitude.

Portnoy just had to spearhead everything to do with the band, whereas the guy who I thought wrote some of their better tracks (Myung) got shoved aside and eventually turned into the Michael Anthony of prog metal.
Exactly. I would love to see DT be revived without Portnoy. I think his self-proclaimed "creative genius" was probably hindering the creative talent of the band as a whole. I can't wait to see more from DT!
 
#28 ·
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EngineerTrav said:
i think portnoy has every right to have an ego. He is mike portnoy of course lol. But on a serious note, id want my previous band to be at least a little said that they cant play music with a friend for 25 years tbh. If you arent sad, you're happy. If you're inbetween you're really just sad but wish you were sadder. Id be a little hurt too.
That is just a fundamentally naive outlook on personal growth.
Being sad that x is not in your life/band/whatever anymore when you can spend that energy being happy for the time that they were is just dumb.
Not likeportnoy is fuckin dead or legally prevented from ever seeing them again, and not like this is out of the blue.

Think of it less as DT without portnoy and more as DT with someone new
 
#37 ·
This. I got really tired of this band after the whole "It's me (Mike), John and Jordan doing the writing. Myung can only submit material if he complies to our songwriting methods." Or the "It's me (Mike, again) and John who are going to produce everything from here on out. Because I didn't get my way with Falling Into Infinity." attitude.

Portnoy just had to spearhead everything to do with the band, whereas the guy who I thought wrote some of their better tracks (Myung) got shoved aside and eventually turned into the Michael Anthony of prog metal.
 
#39 ·
Band drama!

At the Progressive Nation show in Maryland last year, it was interesting to see Portnoy fall flat on his face while trying to keep up with Dweezil Zappa's guitar improvisation during the ZPZ set, when Portnoy sat in for a couple songs. Portnoy's got chops but isn't much of a "listening" drummer. Rather than trying to be the Phil Collins of metal with his singing, he ought to try doing the fusion thing for awhile (and I mean REAL fusion, not LTE). Shut himself in a room for a few months with Elvin Jones and Tony Williams records.

DT ought to do just about anything but what they've been churning out over the last decade or so. Inertia is death.
 
#41 ·
:agreed:

And I have to think somewhere Kevin is smiling about all this shit with Portnoy.
 
#46 ·
You know, I'm not taking sides with any of these fuckin' downstaters* but here's a little list. The awesome stuff is on the top, the mediocre stuff in the middle, and the shit at the bottom:

1. James LaBrie's last album

2. The last two Dream Theater Albums

3. Anything Avenenged Sevenfold has done.

So yeah... Portnoy coulda completely canceled that out by being on 'Blood' but that was... um... Gavin Harrison. :fawk: Have fun with your emo band, dude. No matter how awesome your drumming, I don't care. :noplease:

*Variant might have been born in Cooperstown. :lol:
 
#50 ·
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