Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress
16th November 2017
The Studio, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
Once in a blue moon a musical event – note the word event – will occur that will become a pivotal moment in the musical archives of a fan’s memory.
Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress is one such event.
Created by Portnoy as a 50th birthday present to his fans and as a way to finally bring closure for himself by playing the epic 12 Step Suite live and in its entirety, there was never really any doubt that this evenings musical escapade was going to be anything but spectacular. This was to be for many in attendance tonight a prog fan’s dream.
As the fans lined up in front of the barriers a darkened stage lay before them, a large black cloth covering the drum kit where soon Portnoy would take up position. The air was bristling with anticipation as the minutes counted down; suddenly the speakers crackled into action – the infamous and easily recognised notes from the movie Psycho [prelude] teemed forth and the audience let out a roar of approval. The black cloth was whipped away and there stood Portnoy’s kit, glistening under the stage lights. Sure it may not be as impressive as some of the epically proportioned kits that Portnoy has played during his career, but none the less it was still a sight to behold.
And then there he was, Portnoy, the man himself, dressed simply in a basketball singlet, bandana tied around his head and sticks in hand. Standing behind his drum kit he signalled to the audience that it was about to begin, the howls of praise etching up in volume. One by one the members of the London based band Haken appear accompanied by the guitar god that is Eric Gillette, lead vocalist from the Neil Morse Band. Seven outstanding musicians stood before the fans poised to unleash a selection of Dream Theater tracks carefully chosen by Portnoy himself to encompass the pièce de résistance – the 12 Step Suite.
Launching into ‘Overture 1928’ from the album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory it was immediately clear that this assembly of artists meant business; yes these were Dream Theater tracks, and if performed by any other group it would more than likely seem like a passable covers band… However with thee Mike Portnoy himself behind the drums, the man who not only co-founded Dream Theater but who arguably provided it with the drive, heart and emotion that made it what it was – this group were transformed into an other-worldly beast; staying true to the arrangement of each track while individually adding their own personal touches
Vocal duties tonight would be shared amongst Ross Jennings (lead singer of Haken), Eric Gillette and Portnoy himself; this was a clever move as it allowed for all vocal ranges that often feature in Dream Theater tracks to be covered while simultaneously allowing (especially in the case of Jennings and Gillette) each to share their talents with this very appreciative audience. Sadly due to what at times could be a muddy sound mix, the complexities of Jennings vocals were lost on some of the tracks. Moving through ‘Strange Déjà vu’ and into “The Mirror’ from the 1994 album Awake and keyboardist Diego Tejeida turns up the heat with some of the most virtuosic keyboard playing that this venue has ever seen. Dressed in a black velvet top which lent him a slightly gothic tang, Tejeida played as if his life depended on it. All the while Portnoy, perched atop his kit is demonstrating his proficiencies with ease, throwing in the occasional stick toss with a casual grin.
To add to this already wonderfully overwhelming visual feast on stage, projected images on the screen behind Portnoy added to the complexity of each track; images of blue skies and rolling clouds replaced by desperate hands clawing at walls. Upon completion of ‘The Mirror’, Portnoy stepped out from behind his kit and came down to address the audience “How we doing Auckland? Long-time no see, better late than never right?” the crowd vehemently nodding their heads, hanging onto each and every word that Potnoy offered. After quickly explaining why he had chosen to create this event “my 50th birthday present to you guys” he pointed out how much each and every musician on stage enjoyed playing these specifically chosen tracks. Signalling to guitarist Charlie Griffiths – who throughout the evening so far had played with that reserved and measured grace so often seen in the prog realms – Portnoy pointed out his Dream Theater tshirt stating that Griffiths had purchased it during the very first Dream Theater tour. If that didn’t speak volumes nothing would.
Introducing the magnum opus that is the 12 Step Suite – Portnoy returned to his kit as if going into combat. Indeed in many ways that is exactly what he was doing – a deeply personal collection of five songs written during his battle with addiction, the 12 Step Suite clocks in at just over fifty seven minutes. A single green spotlight highlights Gillette as his fingers dance across the fretboard; Portnoy driving out the rhythm with determination and drive. Images of zombiefied men trudging across the landscape bottles in hand flash across the screen before being replaced by shards of glass; a nod to the title of the track ‘The Glass Prison’.
Jennings while taking on the majority of the vocal duties does not remain on stage the entire time, instead coming and going as the tracks require him. This is an interesting yet astute way to approach the performance of the show and ensures that the focus is never just solely on one particular musician. Instead each has the chance to shine and bestow their own endowment upon the audience who by this point were utterly invested in this performance. Moving as one, they swayed with reverence before pounding the air with a single fist in joyous union; at one point during the suite old school lighters were even held up on high in a sign of respect.
Each component of The 12 Step Suite flowed seamlessly into the next; every solo carried out to perfection. From ‘This Dying Soul’ through to ‘Repentance’ – which featured the poignant film roll of fellow respected artists such as Corey Taylor, Daniel Gildenlöw and Steve Vai all speaking of their own personal journeys with addiction – were played with reverence and yet simultaneously with an underlying feeling of exultation. After all this is the tale of a battle that in the end produced a conquering hero.
Arriving full circle at ‘The Shattered Fortress’ and both the band and the fans were engulfed with a sudden rush of elation. This was it – Portnoy realising his dream of playing the suite the way it was meant to be performed, live and in its entirety. “Thank You Auckland – we did it! Thank you very much, goodnight” Portnoy waving to the audience before both he and the band left the stage. Understandably after witnessing such an event and while riding high atop this wave of musical ecstasy the crowd were not quite willing to let the show end like that.
While Portnoy has made no secret of the fact that the set list remains constant for every Shattered Fortress show [see our recent interview with the man himself for more on that] it wouldn’t be any fun if the crowd didn’t get to play the encore game, and tonight they played it with a fierce intensity. One by one each musician once again made their way onto the stage – Portnoy arriving last donning a casual black and white tshirt. And what an encore it was, not one, not two but three larger than life tracks delivered with on point perfection; Gillette and Tejeida running neck and neck throughout for the prize of best solo work, bassist Conner Green tossing his hat into the ring with a bass solo that made many weak at the knees.
Without a doubt – this was indeed an event.
Were you there at the Studio for this magnificent night of prog metal greatness? Or have you seen Mike Portnoy perform live with one of his other bands some other time? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Prelude (Psycho)
- Regression [Pre-Recording]
- Overture 1928
- Strange Déjà Vu
- The Mirror
- The Glass prison
- This Dying Soul
- The Root Of All Evil
- Repentance
- The Shattered Fortress
- Home [encore]
- The Dance Of Eternity [encore]
- Finally Free [encore]
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