In a recent interview with Samus Paulicelli from the 66Samus YouTube channel, Dream Theater‘s legendary drummer Mike Portnoy, opened up about the physical toll that decades of high-energy performances have taken on his body. As he nears 58, his reflections provide a rare, unfiltered look at the challenges that come with an intense touring schedule and the demands of playing for hours on end.
When asked about how he has dealt with the physical pain of drumming for decades, Portnoy explained his ongoing struggle with bodily wear and tear in no uncertain terms. He began by noting the cumulative effect of years on stage: “That’s a good question. For me, it’s been accumulating through the years. I mean, I’m gonna be 58, and it definitely takes its toll playing a three-hour show of such demanding music — Dream Theater plays three hours. So it’s a lot for the body to take.”
He continued by recounting how his issues started early on, recalling the onset of tendonitis in his thirties and the practical measures he had to adopt: “I started developing some physical pains kind of in my thirties. If you look at the Dream Theater ‘Live At Budokan’ DVD, I had a brace on my right elbow at that time. I was really starting to get tendonitis problems then, and that was 20 years ago, 20-plus years ago. So I was in my thirties when I started to develop that. And I had to start getting massaged regularly. I would get masseuses at the venue before each show, whenever possible, or when I go home, I have a regular masseuse that I see, a therapist.”
“So that’s really helped, and also chiropractic work as well helps. ‘Cause I’ve had times where it fucked with me on stage. I had one show back in ’94 or ’95 on the ‘Awake’ tour. We were playing Toronto, and all of a sudden my back just cramped up, and that was it. I couldn’t move. So in between songs, we had to ask if there was a chiropractor in the house and literally stopped the show for 15 minutes for a chiropractor to come snap me back into place,” he remembered.
Even as he candidly discussed these struggles, Portnoy underscored the importance of a proper warm-up routine before performances: “And as I said, I’m gonna be 58, and I try to warm up as best I can before a show. Usually, about a half hour before showtime, I have a practice pad kit in the dressing room. And I don’t have any specific routines — I’m not like a rudiment type of player — but I’ll just get singles and doubles going, just to get the blood flowing and get the muscles kind of warmed up a little bit and try to not go on stage cold, if possible.”
Dream Theater – reignited with the release of the acclaimed Parasomnia album — has been touring since last October, celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary. The North American tour, titled “An Evening With Dream Theater,” commenced on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is set to conclude on March 22 in New York City. This trek marks the first North American tour since Mike Portnoy rejoined the ranks alongside John Petrucci, James LaBrie, John Myung, and Jordan Rudess.
