OT- Dream Theater drummer auditions

Website · by **steveo777** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:38 pm

Don wrote:I just did a 'hit and run' in the Styx forum; film at eleven.
Now, back to my Bev-Mo special of the week - Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Nice drive by!

by **NoMoreTails** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:53 pm

Archetype wrote:I want to see Mike Mangini or Virgil Donati get the job.

Video

Has part 2 been released yet? Mike was impressive and may get the job, but I don't believe he is as amazing as Virgil Donati.

by **Archetype** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:25 pm

NoMoreTails wrote:
Archetype wrote:I want to see Mike Mangini or Virgil Donati get the job.

Video

Has part 2 been released yet? Mike was impressive and may get the job, but I don't believe he is as amazing as Virgil Donati.

It's going to be released in an hour and 35 minutes. 11:00 AM EST today

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:18 am

Part 2 is up. Few minutes in. Derek Roddie sucked. You could tell they were really stretching to find nice things to say about him in the video. I saw the looks on their faces at the start - any one who has ever jammed with people knows that poker face strained look on Petrucci's face. You're saying to yourself "Man this isn't working" and having to struggle to find a way through it even though you're not having fun at all.

by **Saint John** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:43 am

Am I the only one that thinks Portnoy might be back?

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:47 am

Saint John wrote:Am I the only one that thinks Portnoy might be back?

He's not coming back. He asked back in the band in December and they told him no. If it's him, it'll be the greatest coverup in music history since Paul McCartney died :lol:

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:49 am

Saint John wrote:Am I the only one that thinks Portnoy might be back?

He's not coming back. He asked back in the band in December and they told him no. If it's him, it'll be the greatest coverup in music history since Paul McCartney died :lol:

by **NoMoreTails** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:59 am

Ehwmatt wrote:
Saint John wrote:
JourneyHard wrote:Is Dream Theater going to be the guest act when Journey tours in 2012?

Great idea, man!

Journey would go over well at a Dream Theater concert, but DT would not go over well at a Journey concert if you follow me there.

I love this idea, and I'm only a casual DT fan, but it will never happen. I have two (one unopened) original cover Scenes from New York (cd), wonder if they are worth much?

by **Pelata** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:28 am

They'll do one record/tour with a new guy just to prove a point, then Portnoy will be back.

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:22 am

Pelata wrote:They'll do one record/tour with a new guy just to prove a point, then Portnoy will be back.

Well, that will all depend. Portnoy's overture to rejoin in December was rebuffed not by the band themselves, but by their legal counsel. That suggests to me that there was already some kind of contract in place for the not-yet-announced new drummer. Probably depends what the terms of that contract are. I'd imagine somewhere in the 2-3 year range if there is indeed some kind of fixed contract, so your theory is plausible. It's definitely going to take some time for Portnoy to come back though.

BTW, love the Waking Jonah stuff Stephen has shown me. Looking forward to hearing more from you guys.

by **Pelata** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:31 am

Ehwmatt wrote:
Pelata wrote:They'll do one record/tour with a new guy just to prove a point, then Portnoy will be back.

Well, that will all depend. Portnoy's overture to rejoin in December was rebuffed not by the band themselves, but by their legal counsel. That suggests to me that there was already some kind of contract in place for the not-yet-announced new drummer. Probably depends what the terms of that contract are. I'd imagine somewhere in the 2-3 year range if there is indeed some kind of fixed contract, so your theory is plausible. It's definitely going to take some time for Portnoy to come back though.

BTW, love the Waking Jonah stuff Stephen has shown me. Looking forward to hearing more from you guys.

Thanks!!! Glad you dig it...

I can see the legal thing...that could very well be a case of having a guy signed for a single album/touring cycle...Portnoy will keep himself busy til then and the reunion album/tour will be huge.

by **WalrusOct9** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:43 am

Portnoy will be back within 5 years, probably earlier.

Mangini is a spectacular drummer, but Portnoy was the soul (and workaholic) of that band, and that can't be replaced.

by **NoMoreTails** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:53 am

Could it be that in hindsight they are glad SP departed? Perhaps he was a bit of a control freak. It seems he had his hands in management, artwork,
Tried to dictate when and if the band would work.

Uh, make that MP...lol

by **NoMoreTails** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:56 am

Portnoy was involved in song writing to a great extent. Do any of these candidates have a history of writing? Virgil seems to be the most all around musician, judging from the first two episodes, and evidently a multi-instrumentalist.

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:58 am

WalrusOct9 wrote:Portnoy will be back within 5 years, probably earlier.

Mangini is a spectacular drummer, but Portnoy was the soul (and workaholic) of that band, and that can't be replaced.

If Portnoy was the one who was taking the band in their overly metal direction of the last two albums, I'm glad he's gone at least for a bit.

Portnoy was great with the fans, but he always rubbed me the wrong way a bit for some reason. I'm eager to see what direction the band goes in with him out of the picture.

Portnoy did do a lot for the band, especially in terms of interfacing and communicating with fans, but you cannot call the other guys anything short of avid devotees of their craft. Those guys play, play, and play more. They have been on a consistent cycle of touring, writing, recording, and practicing just as much as Portnoy has. The band will not go stagnant without Portnoy there.

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:00 am

NoMoreTails wrote:Could it be that in hindsight they are glad SP departed? Perhaps he was a bit of a control freak. It seems he had his hands in management, artwork,
Tried to dictate when and if the band would work.

Uh, make that MP...lol

I'm sure Portnoy's controlling style played a part in creating the "friction" he himself has cited as part of the reason for his departure. We are talking about 5 virtuoso musicians playing progressive music here. There's really no room for a diva singer-type role in the band. They all had a heavy hand in writing and playing the music. There is no star in this band. I think Portnoy's domineering ways might have finally been a little too much. I'm not saying he was a traditional rock diva by any means (and I don't think he was), but I can see how things just deteriorated a bit.

by **Archetype** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:15 am

Episode Two

by **NoMoreTails** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:18 am

What did you guys think of Donati's audition? I think overall they showed better footage of Mangini (purposely??), though I don't think he's better than Donati. I couldn't tell whether they thought his bringing some of his own thing was what they wanted, though they seemed to be genuinely enthused as his performance, or whether they prefer everything to be duplicated as they're used to as they said Mangini did.
Roddy sucked as someone posted, clearly in over his head and the German guy in the goofy t-shirt, while pretty good, acted too goofy to fit in this band.

by **Ehwmatt** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:35 am

NoMoreTails wrote:What did you guys think of Donati's audition? I think overall they showed better footage of Mangini (purposely??), though I don't think he's better than Donati. I couldn't tell whether they thought his bringing some of his own thing was what they wanted, though they seemed to be genuinely enthused as his performance, or whether they prefer everything to be duplicated as they're used to as they said Mangini did.
Roddy sucked as someone posted, clearly in over his head and the German guy in the goofy t-shirt, while pretty good, acted too goofy to fit in this band.

I thought Donati was incredible, though I am still partial to Mangini. Mangini just has that nervous, fanboy energy that DT fans eat up and he obviously has the chops. In order I'd probably go Mangini-Donati-Minnemann so far, but I'd take any of the three.

I was a little bit surprised that they seemed taken aback by those who "interpreted" a bit more, like Donati and Minnemann (who I also thought was excellent). The German guy was really good, but you could tell personality wise it wasn't gonna work. Too much of a culture bridge to cross there I think.

All in all, I'm glad I'm not the one that had to make this decision. Talk about a tough choice...

by **STORY_TELLER** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:55 am

So far, according to the video footage, Mangini is flawless and every other drummer had hickups? Me thinks there's been some video editing at play. Taking nothing away from Mangini, he's amazing, and personality-wise, seems the best fit for the band. But this doc feels manipulated to put him in the best light while the others show flaws and that's just foul play.

by **Lerxst101** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:26 am

Ehwmatt wrote:
NoMoreTails wrote:What did you guys think of Donati's audition? I think overall they showed better footage of Mangini (purposely??), though I don't think he's better than Donati. I couldn't tell whether they thought his bringing some of his own thing was what they wanted, though they seemed to be genuinely enthused as his performance, or whether they prefer everything to be duplicated as they're used to as they said Mangini did.
Roddy sucked as someone posted, clearly in over his head and the German guy in the goofy t-shirt, while pretty good, acted too goofy to fit in this band.

I thought Donati was incredible, though I am still partial to Mangini. Mangini just has that nervous, fanboy energy that DT fans eat up and he obviously has the chops. In order I'd probably go Mangini-Donati-Minnemann so far, but I'd take any of the three.

I was a little bit surprised that they seemed taken aback by those who "interpreted" a bit more, like Donati and Minnemann (who I also thought was excellent). The German guy was really good, but you could tell personality wise it wasn't gonna work. Too much of a culture bridge to cross there I think.

All in all, I'm glad I'm not the one that had to make this decision. Talk about a tough choice...

I agree 100% with your take, especially with the band being taken aback by the drummers who offered some of their own interpretation. If DT didn't want that, they should have let the drummers know before the auditions; otherwise, let each drummer add his own take. Portnoy is Portnoy; Donati is Donati. Don't try to clone exactly. Really disappointed by that. The fact that Virgil was coming up with a new part in the one song was fantastic to me, though the way they edited the video, it looked like John wasn't happy with it.

I loved Donati and Minnemann but don't think either's personality was necessarily what they want. Virgil is a quiet guy. I talked to him when I saw him play with Neal [Journey reference] and Soul Sirkus in NYC, and he was quite reserved. That showed in the video, too. Talent wise, however, he literally blew me away (and everyone in the audience) with his drumming.

But overall, I'm thankful that we're getting a glimpse into the process. I hope we get a chance to see full versions of each's performance at some point.

by **Ehwmatt** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:13 am

Lerxst101 wrote:
Ehwmatt wrote:
NoMoreTails wrote:What did you guys think of Donati's audition? I think overall they showed better footage of Mangini (purposely??), though I don't think he's better than Donati. I couldn't tell whether they thought his bringing some of his own thing was what they wanted, though they seemed to be genuinely enthused as his performance, or whether they prefer everything to be duplicated as they're used to as they said Mangini did.
Roddy sucked as someone posted, clearly in over his head and the German guy in the goofy t-shirt, while pretty good, acted too goofy to fit in this band.

I thought Donati was incredible, though I am still partial to Mangini. Mangini just has that nervous, fanboy energy that DT fans eat up and he obviously has the chops. In order I'd probably go Mangini-Donati-Minnemann so far, but I'd take any of the three.

I was a little bit surprised that they seemed taken aback by those who "interpreted" a bit more, like Donati and Minnemann (who I also thought was excellent). The German guy was really good, but you could tell personality wise it wasn't gonna work. Too much of a culture bridge to cross there I think.

All in all, I'm glad I'm not the one that had to make this decision. Talk about a tough choice...

I agree 100% with your take, especially with the band being taken aback by the drummers who offered some of their own interpretation. If DT didn't want that, they should have let the drummers know before the auditions; otherwise, let each drummer add his own take. Portnoy is Portnoy; Donati is Donati. Don't try to clone exactly. Really disappointed by that. The fact that Virgil was coming up with a new part in the one song was fantastic to me, though the way they edited the video, it looked like John wasn't happy with it.

I loved Donati and Minnemann but don't think either's personality was necessarily what they want. Virgil is a quiet guy. I talked to him when I saw him play with Neal [Journey reference] and Soul Sirkus in NYC, and he was quite reserved. That showed in the video, too. Talent wise, however, he literally blew me away (and everyone in the audience) with his drumming.

But overall, I'm thankful that we're getting a glimpse into the process. I hope we get a chance to see full versions of each's performance at some point.

Great points - I'm sure that there was some strategic editing involved there. At any rate, this is a brilliant idea on DT and Roadrunner's part.

It's funny to compare how masterfully DT plies their craft and music marketing-wise, especially on the Internet, with how poorly Journey does the same. The recent Eclipse video preview was a step in the right direction for Journey (which you can cancel out with their allowing Amazon to offer those computer-selected samples of Eclipse that misrepresent the material), but all in all, this just shows what shit marketing and promotion they've had over the years.

by **Lerxst101** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:57 am

Ehwmatt wrote:
Great points - I'm sure that there was some strategic editing involved there. At any rate, this is a brilliant idea on DT and Roadrunner's part.

It's funny to compare how masterful DT plies their craft and music marketing-wise, especially on the Internet, with how poorly Journey does the same. The recent Eclipse video preview was a step in the right direction for Journey (which you can cancel out with their allowing Amazon to offer those computer-selected samples of Eclipse that misrepresent the material), but all in all, this just shows what shit marketing and promotion they've had over the years.

So true! What DT has done is brilliant. They're presence on the Internet is miles ahead of Journey's. Mike was always great posting to the net (and Twitter); whereas, Journey and their marketing team tease us on occasion, but typically disappoint. Let's see them put out more video from the creation of Eclipse, rehearsals, and even go back and release some clips of early days with Arnel (and others).

by **Archetype** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:10 am

So who wants to guess their live setlist for this summer? I'm sure they'll want to show off their new drummer.

A Nightmare To Remember
The Glass Prison
Constant Motion
As I Am
Hell's Kitchen
Metropolis Pt. 1
Home
The Dance Of Eternity
Wither
Panic Attack
Pull Me Under
---------------------------------------
A Change Of Seasons

plus 2-3 new songs

by **Ehwmatt** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:42 am

SPOILER - Highlight below with mouse for my thoughts

Well, it's Mangini, which isn't too surprising given all the clues (such as how the first video was primarily devoted to him and that Mangini quit his Berklee job). It's hard not to love the guy's enthusiasm, especially when they call and tell him he's in. I just think the guy had the best chemistry with them.

Man, the footage of Priester was not too flattering. It made him look like a beginner playing with pros and even his personality seemed meek and timid. Kinda felt bad for the guy. Wildoer was cool though. I felt bad for him when they showed him getting the call telling him he was out. Seems like a class dude. I think at the end of the day, Lang, Wildoer, and even Virgil Donati were DOA because there was a cultural bridge to cross. If Myung had left and they were searching for a bass player, an introvert (like Donati) or foreigner like Lang or Wildoer probably would have had a much better chance. Filling Portnoy's shoes was always going to require someone with charisma and more of a personal connection, even if the DT guys didn't set out to audition realizing that.

This was pretty cool all in all. I hope the next concert DVD has extended footage of at least some of the auditions. It really was fascinating to see how bands actually audition guys. I've always wondered how it's done "in the pros," and obviously a DT audition is about as intense as it gets musically. Very cool glimpse into a facet of the music industry that us fans rarely ever get to see.

by **Archetype** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 2:34 am

Mike went into the audition with a fantastic attitude and had the drumming ability to back it up. He definitely deserves the spot. That said, I'm absolutely certain that any one of those guys could have easily been the Dream Theater drummer- the guys definitely had a very, very tough decision to make. I feel bad for the guy who took all the time off from his band to prepare for this audition, but even getting to audition for Dream Theater and jam with them is the chance of a lifetime for a musician. The six other guys' careers probably just got a pretty big boost. I can't wait to hear the new album.

by **VirgilTheart** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:25 am

STORY_TELLER wrote:Thanks for posting this. Really cool of them filming the audition process and sticking it on YouTube. Wish Neal and Jon had done the same thing back when they auditioned for the Augeri era. Would have liked to have seen how the other auditions went. Especially Geoff Tate's.

Geoff Tate auditioned for Journey?! Was this when they ended up hiring Augeri or when they hired JSS and then Arnel?

by **Ehwmatt** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:27 am

VirgilTheart wrote:
STORY_TELLER wrote:Thanks for posting this. Really cool of them filming the audition process and sticking it on YouTube. Wish Neal and Jon had done the same thing back when they auditioned for the Augeri era. Would have liked to have seen how the other auditions went. Especially Geoff Tate's.

Geoff Tate auditioned for Journey?! Was this when they ended up hiring Augeri or when they hired JSS and then Arnel?

As far as I know, that was before they took Augeri.

by **PowerChords** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:44 am

Mangini got the gig.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um24wnmC ... re=related

by **WalrusOct9** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:49 am

OMG I'M SO SURPRISED. </sarcasm> </oldnewstoanyonewiththeinternet>

MR

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