Sometimes things don’t quite work out… for example, our esteemed editor managing to stumble into the O2 15 minutes late after watching his New England Patriots side take a tonking from Jacksonville’s finest at Wembley… but other times... things just align and work themselves out.

Full disclosure… kinda fallen slightly out of love with Dream Theater over the past decade or so. Not for the obvious reason you might think (well, at least not directly). There’s been some highlights along the way - most notably the full album rendition to celebrate the anniversary of ‘Scenes From a Memory’ in February 2020 - but with a sky-high bar to continually reach, for me, they have been… falling a bit short.

Original drummer Mike Portnoy’s departure was shocking and disappointing but didn’t phase me as much as some DT observers… he’s one guy in a band of total virtuosos, right? John Petrucci (guitar), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), John Myung (bass) and James LaBrie (vocals) are regularly at or very near the top of their respective categories in polls consistently… get a decent drummer, take on MP’s other band responsibilities and we’re all good. Yes, MP is certainly one of the notable contenders for Neil Peart’s sadly available crown, but he was replaced by another… the equally astounding Mike Mangini (who himself edged out Marco Minneman and Thomas Lang, amongst others, during the audition process).

But you’ve got to bear in mind that Portnoy’s last album before leaving was 2009’s fantastic ‘Black Clouds & Silver Linings’, bookended by the two stunning epics of ‘A Nightmare to Remember’ and ‘The Count of Tuscany’, each containing more complexity, emotion and beauty than most bands can muster for an entire album (if not career). That was the minimum benchmark.

The five albums released since then… I don’t know; if you compiled a “what do I want from a DT album” checklist, they each probably tick all of the boxes… even 2016’s somewhat polarising ‘The Astonishing’ had a couple of standout highlights (and to be fair, that played a lot better in the whole live than it had done on a dozen or so prior listens). Yet…for me, something was not quite clicking. Not a Mangini thing… as I say, big fan. DT albums always take a number of listens to even begin to appreciate… there is so much going on, it’s impossible to take it all in on one or two listens. But whereas previous albums I was hooked in straight away, intrigued and gratified and wanting repeat listens immediately, these last five felt like… well, hard work. I tried, I really tried, but found it difficult to get invested and, if I fancied some DT, would end up reaching for the easier gratification of ‘Black Clouds’ or ‘Octavarium’ (or something earlier).

This growing feeling was somewhat capped by the last time we saw them at the Hammersmith Apollo in February last year… a show I was so disappointed in I couldn’t even bring myself to review it. Patchy attendance, abysmal sound, far too loud (even tracks I know inside out were hard to follow), James sounding… the kindest I can say is strained. Not good. Think I recall listing to ‘Hemispheres’ when I got home by way of reset and aural cleansing.

Then, a year ago pretty much to the day, it was announced that Portnoy was returning. There had perhaps already been an indication that there was a final thawing and burying of any remaining hatchets with him being heavily involved in JP’s side hustle, but still a surprise in some ways. The right words were said and there was rejoicing, but I still wondered if things would revert.

Question somewhat answered a couple of weeks ago with the release of ‘Night Terror’, a track from the forthcoming ‘Parasomnia’ album and the first new DT music with MP for fifteen years. And what a track. Quintessential, classic DT. Happy days.

So a rather lengthy preamble to our attendance at the O2 Arena on Sunday to explain why my mood had changed from one of hope-tinged resignation to excited expectation.

And I have to say, they didn’t let us down. With the possible exception of the ‘Scenes’ anniversary, which was a special night, this two set, three hour (or so) joyfest was probably my best DT show since the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ gig.

The setlist focussed very much on vintage favourites with a couple of tracks getting their first outing in many a year… only two tracks from the albums released in MP’s absence. Starting with what must be at least a top five track for any DT fan, the superb ‘Metropolis’ from 1992’s breakthrough ‘Images and Words’ led straight into two big hitters from ‘Scenes’, namely ‘Overture 1928’ and ‘Strange Déjà vu’.

I’d chosen the seats we had (central, behind the sound desk) for several reasons, but one was (rightly or wrongly) mix quality… I don’t know what it was like elsewhere, but from here the sound was superb. Every member of the band playing superbly (as you’d expect with this mob) and James sounding great too…not sure if some (traditionally) high notes were tuned down somewhat (no shame if so… Geddy’s been doing it for years) but he seemed to be operating at pretty much full tilt very comfortably throughout.

With tracks from ‘Awake’, ‘Train of Thought’ and ‘Falling into Infinity’, it’s fair to say that fans of early DT were very well served… a couple here I’m pretty sure I’ve not heard live before. Chuck in a couple from the latter part of MP’s first tenure from 2005’s ‘Octavarium’ and 2007’s ‘Systematic Chaos’ (the single outlier in this first set being (the excellent) ‘Barstool Warrior’ from ‘Distance Over Time’), and you could feel the celebratory mood in the arena.

A brief interval before we were treated to the previously mentioned first DT/MP track for fifteen years: “Night Terror”. Even more enjoyable live, alternately pummelling and beguiling with unison solos from JP and Jordan simply mesmerising.

After ‘This is the life’ (the only other ‘Mangini’ track of the evening), it was back into vintage mode with (where my personal DT journey began) the masterful ‘Under a Glass Moon’ before a return to ‘Train of Thought’ for the double-header of ‘Vacant’ and ‘Stream of Consciousness’ paving the way for the epic eponymous track from ‘Octavarium’ to close the gig… slightly trimmed down ‘Continuum’/lap steel intro from Jordan (not necessarily a bad thing), but then a fantastic (and I think verbatim) performance of a personal favourite for me.

Fully won over. I’m back. We have indeed come ‘Full Circle’.

And we stayed in super-vintage mode for the three-track encore of ‘Home’, ‘The Spirit Carries On’, and greatest hit (as you all know, their gag, not mine) ‘Pull Me Under’.

Can’t fault a thing. The expected stellar musicianship, well attended with a responsive crowd, great sound, and a setlist to make a seasoned DT fan salivate.

If I had one small gripe from the evening: the presence of accompanying big screens has grown to the point where it is an expectation in large arenas and stadiums, and the technology has improved to the extent where the quality of these is generally pretty impressive. Two such large, high def screens available tonight to enhance things for those of us some way back in this cavern of a venue, but the video director or whoever has such a role could do with some instruction from the band or some familiarity with the music: whilst I accept that with DT you can direct a camera at any of them at any point and something interesting will be happening, I don’t think I’m alone in that if I’m close enough to the front and there’s a solo going on, that’s where I want to be looking. On the screens we had JP presented during some of Jordan’s solos, and vice versa… unison runs/solos… you’ve got two screens; put Jordan on one and JP on the other for goodness’ sake. And to totally overlook JMX during his tapping section in ‘Metropolis’ is unforgivable for me. But I guess If one guy’s camera selection for the big screen is all I’ve got to moan about…. I’ll take that.

The whole is very often greater than the sum of the parts, even when all of the parts are pretty huge individually. Yet the sum of the DT parts is even greater when Portnoy is in the mix. It’s not just what happens on the kit… he seems to bring out the best in JP, JMX, Jordan and James, and must play a huge part in composition, arrangement and production for that missing ‘thing’ to just start happening again.

It's not impossible that I’m currently basking in a rose-tinted view due to a combination of nostalgia and a largely retro setlist, but the sum of the parts would seem to be greater once again… and I am absolutely sure I’m not alone in awaiting new album ‘Parasomnia’ with breath bated to a greater extreme than I have any DT album for a good number of years.

This particular Fortress is no longer Shattered.

And lest we forget, the stool has been filled by another amazing drummer who played a huge part in keeping this band a going concern for fourteen years or so. I saw this quote from him somewhere:

“I understand Dream Theater’s decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humour. I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there’s the Grammy win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best.”

Not only a great musician, but a total class act. Thanks Mike.


Mark C


Setlist:

Metropolis
Overture 1928
Strange Déjà vu
The Mirror
Panic attack
Barstool Warrior
Hollow Years
Constant Motion
As I am

INTERVAL

Night Terror
This is the Life
Under a Glass Moon
Vacant
Stream of Consciousness
Octavarium

ENCORE

Home
The Spirit Carries On
Pull me Under