Portnoy recalls decision
Drummer Mike Portnoy was asked in an interview what made him decide to leave Dream Theater in the middle of their tour with Avenged Sevenfold in 2010. Here's his answer:
“I needed to do what I did because I couldn’t live with myself thinking ‘What if…?’ I didn’t want to keep thinking about what would have happened because I was too afraid to change course. So I had to do it. And believe me, everyone was shocked and hurt, but no one was sadder than me. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it was 25 years of blood, sweat, and tears, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”.
I lived and breathed every moment of those 25 years for that band and the fans. So it's not like I abandoned ship after five weeks. It was 25 years. Three times longer than the Beatles or Led Zeppelin. So it was a long time, and there's a huge legacy of what I created with Dream Theater for the fans to enjoy. But I needed to explore more things in my life to be happier and more fulfilled.
I always follow my heart. For me, I don't follow my wallet or my mind. My mind probably would have said, 'Well, the rational thing to do is to stick with this for the rest of my life, have financial stability, and my audience.' And you can play the same venues for the rest of your life, it's safer. But I needed to follow my heart.”