MIKE PORTNOY Jokes That He Is 'Scared' For His 'Life And Career' After Spate Of Recent High-Profile Drummer Firings

During an appearance on the latest episode of the Office Hours Live With Tim Heidecker, DREAM THEATER's Mike Portnoy discussed the recent spate of high-profile drummer firings, including those of Josh Freese (FOO FIGHTERS),Zak Starkey (THE WHO),Jason Bonham (Sammy Hagar's band) and Frank Ferrer (GUNS N' ROSES). Mike, who rejoined DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after a 13-year absence, said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's the SPINAL TAP conspiracy. I think nobody is safe. Ringo's [Starr] son was fired from THE WHO. John Bonham's son was fired from Sammy Hagar's band. I mean, if the spawn of Ringo and Bonzo are not safe, nobody is safe… Jason Bonham got let go by Sammy months ago, last year, I think, when he was out on the summer tour. It's just crazy. It's craziness."

Speaking specifically about Freese being dismissed by the FOO FIGHTERS after a two-year run with the band, Portnoy said: "Frankly, it's shocking. I thought Josh was perfect… So, yeah, it's scary. It's scary times for drummers."

When one of the podcast hosts noted that some fans have speculated that late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins's son Shane will step in to play drums for the band, Mike countered with: "But even famous drummers' sons are not safe, like I just pointed out. It doesn't matter."

As for the circumstances that led to Starkey's departure from THE WHO, Portnoy said: "Well, I don't know if you saw the clips. The whole thing with Zak Starkey started — [THE WHO] did a show last month at the Royal Albert Hall. They were doing 'The Song Is Over', and Roger [Daltrey, THE WHO singer] came into the second verse early and stopped the band, turned around and blamed it on his mix, that the drums were powering out his mix. Now, mind you, Zak Starkey is on an electronic kit; they already downgraded it off of an acoustic kit. They have him playing an electronic kit, which is fully controllable in terms of volume through the sound guy. So, if anything, he should have fired the monitor guy, not Zak."

Mike joked that he is concerned about his status with the various projects he has played with in recent years. "I'm scared for my life and career at this point," he said. "And I'm in, like, 15 bands, so I have 15 times the chance of getting fired right now. The odds are very much stacked against me right now."

DREAM THEATER's sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", came out on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marked DREAM THEATER's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with Petrucci and Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

DREAM THEATER kicked off the North American leg of its 40th-anniversary tour on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The trek was "An Evening With Dream Theater" and was the first tour of North America since Portnoy's return to the lineup. The tour concluded on March 22 in New York City.

"Parasomnia" was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

DREAM THEATER's upcoming summer/fall U.S. tour will be "An Evening With Dream Theater" that will celebrate "Parasomnia". The trek is scheduled for 30 cities, kicking off September 5 in Reading, Pennsylvania and running through October 25, when it wraps in Long Island, New York. The tour will make stops in Orlando, Floria; Detroit, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri and Providence, Rhode Island, among others. DREAM THEATER will perform its latest album in its entirety as well as classics and fan favorites from the band's catalog.