Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy | Talkin' Rock with Meltdown скачать в хорошем качестве

Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy | Talkin' Rock with Meltdown

When you talk to Mike Portnoy, you’re not just talking to the drummer from Dream Theater—you’re talking to a walking encyclopedia of rock history, prog mastery, and musical passion. And when I caught up with him ahead of Dream Theater’s September 21st show at Detroit’s legendary Fox Theatre, the conversation ran the gamut—Beatles memories, personal emails from Neil Peart, playing with bass legend Billy Sheehan, and why getting back with Dream Theater was the best move he's ever made. Beatles From Day One Portnoy’s Beatles obsession isn’t some “I got into them later” story—this man was literally born into it. “I was born April 20th, 1967—the day they finished Sgt. Pepper,” he told me. “Six weeks later, it came out, and I was listening to it in real time. My dad was a rock DJ, so I grew up surrounded by music.” He still remembers the first Beatle he saw live—George Harrison in '74—followed by Paul McCartney on the Wings Over America tour. “They’re still my GOATs of all time,” Portnoy said. “I’ve met both Paul and Ringo—two incredible experiences.” One of those Ringo meetings came with a laugh. “I’d just won Modern Drummer’s ‘Drummer of the Year’ and Ringo goes, ‘I thought I was Drummer of the Year.’ I told him, ‘You’re Drummer of the Century.’” Neil Peart: The Emails Worth Framing The Rush legend wasn’t just an influence—he was a friend. “His emails were pages long, so eloquently written, every word meticulously chosen. I saved them all,” Portnoy said. And yes, he gets why Peart guarded his privacy. “He was humble. Everyone told him he was the best drummer ever—which he probably was—but he always wanted to get better. As I get older, I understand protecting your private time.” Back to the Fox with Dream Theater Detroit didn’t make the first leg of Dream Theater’s 40th anniversary tour, so September’s Fox Theatre date is a big one. “This lineup hasn’t played together in over 15 years,” Portnoy said. “For some fans, it’s their first time seeing it. The energy has been incredible—biggest tour we’ve ever done.” Coming back after 13 years away also meant finding a new working balance. “I was a control freak before. Now it’s more of a true balance,” he explained. “John Petrucci handles some things, I handle others—like the setlist and show presentation. It’s the best of both worlds.” Playing With Billy Sheehan, Covering Talas, and Metal Allegiance Portnoy lit up talking about long-time collaborator Billy Sheehan. “He’s my favorite bass player ever. We’ve done Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo, and more. As a rhythm section, we’re locked and loaded.” He even went back to early Dream Theater days—covering Talas songs in their first gigs. On the thrash side, Portnoy’s Metal Allegiance project has been a playground with members of Anthrax, Testament, Slayer, and more. “It started on the Motorhead Cruise and turned into albums and annual shows. I’m the prog guy hanging with all my thrash friends,” he laughed. Ozzy’s Final Show & Only Meeting Him Once When Ozzy’s farewell show happened, Portnoy was touring, so he streamed it in chunks. “It was beautiful—like the Taylor Hawkins tribute, except Ozzy was there to feel the love. Two weeks later, he was gone. Surreal.” He only met Ozzy once—on a bullet train in Japan while touring with Avenged Sevenfold. “Best place ever for a photo with Ozzy—on a crazy train.” Film Buff at Heart We ended with movies. Portnoy’s a hardcore film nerd, praising Ari Aster’s Eddington and shouting out A24 films for their quality stamp. “I love when obscure rock songs make it into films—it’s like a secret handshake for music fans.” --- 🎙 Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown 🌐 Full Episodes & Info: https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock... 🎧 Listen On: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/37cGC4j... • Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/817... 📘 Facebook:   / wrifrocks   📸 Instagram:   / 101wrif