Mike Portnoy meltsdown in Manila

Have to say from working in the biz close to 30 yrs now That this is the reason you bring your own kit, amps, etc Especially to 3rd world type countries.

I mean c'mon, did they really expect top notch gear or exactly what they're used to playing on / thru in those countries ???
That's what the advance is for by a competent Production Manager.
That's what the sound check is for.

This makes them look very very non professional.

I think he handled it better than most rockers would have handled it......but with grace and dignity? IDK about that. He did curse out the stage hands and threw some of the gear around.

Yeah, the more I see of it and read about it, it hardly seems like a big deal.....except to people who want to paint him as some no-talent primadonna.  Heck, despite my defending him here, I'm not really that big of a fan and agree that he tends to be pretty heavy handed in his approach.  However, it's also easy for anyone to see that he is a professional, and that this sort of thing is not the norm for him.......even as tame as it was.  He explained himself to the audience and the show went on.  He's human, which is a good thing to see every now and again.

Edited by infandous - November 26 2012 at 13:10

progbethyname wrote: infandous wrote: Uh, yeah, Moshkito.........it had nothing at all to do with his playing ability and everything to do with the snare drum being inaudible.  Show me a drummer that doesn't consider the snare drum critical to ANY performance......that person is not a skilled drummer.Perhaps you also missed the part where he said that they were dealing with substandard equipment for the whole tour without too may problems.  This was just the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak.  It shows he's human, and says nothing about his talent at all. very true.

The most mild-mannered meltdown I've seen since The Room.

I can understand Portnoy's frustration, but at the same time I agree with much of what Moshkito said.  A concert is about the audience, the fans, not the band.  At least Portnoy had the presence of mind to explain himself.  To his credit, he continued the show.  The upshot of it was that technical difficulties simply needed to be fixed.  Annoying and frustrating?  Hell, yes.  The biggest issue is that the band was not getting the support and equipment they were promised.  I will venture somebody somewhere outright lied to them,, and there were certainly lapses in communication.  But if he is so picky about his equipment, why did he not require greater guarantees or bring his own along?  The money?  Certainly a factor.  Success brings its perks, but it can also spoil. After all the years of experience he has touring, I am sure he has dealt with similiar problems before.  He should have known better.  What about the other band members? How have they been dealing with the difficulties?  I am sorry to see that any of this has happened.  I hope the show was killer, and I hope the tour runs more smoothly after this.

I'd hate to be bandmates with him.

Uh, yeah, Moshkito.........it had nothing at all to do with his playing ability and everything to do with the snare drum being inaudible.  Show me a drummer that doesn't consider the snare drum critical to ANY performance......that person is not a skilled drummer.

Perhaps you also missed the part where he said that they were dealing with substandard equipment for the whole tour without too may problems.  This was just the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak.  It shows he's human, and says nothing about his talent at all.

rushfan4 wrote: He appears to regain control of himself and encourages his bandmates to keep playing while he explains himself to the crowd in rhyme. He says: “Oh Manila, how I love you – but I hate these motherf**kers who keep f**king with my drums! When will they get it right? We made you wait all night. We want to play for you, but they make it so hard to do!”

yeah, i'm surprised this does not happen more often with touring musicians.  what a grind.  not to mention portnoy is probably still grieve his departure from DT.  i feel for him.  transition can be a nightmare.  i'd like to see him chill and start doing mini tours with neal morse and building a following around the USA.  that way, maybe neal would play near me:)