Blistering: When you've got to go out onstage and roll out new material, and it's that long, how do you remember all those notes to play?
Petrucci: That's a very pertinent question because I'm about to head off to rehearsals [on the day of the interview] for the tour that we're gonna start, and yeah, it's almost overwhelming, because when we write music, we write in the studio and then we record right away. It's not like we've been playing for all this time and then we record it. Sometimes we never really even play it, like we'll do a loose scratch version before we record it. So we actually have to get used to playing the material for the first time, pretty much. That's what we're about to start today, and it's hard. You just gotta put the hours in and work on cues and special memory tricks that help you get it to the forefront. Then of course there's the physical stuff where you've played the stuff before and it's difficult, and you have to sit there and practice these new licks. Sometimes I'll do a solo in the studio and improvise and construct it and whatever, and then I leave it, and I haven't played these solos for three months. I have to go back and actually learn what I did and then learn how to play it and play it live consistently.
Blistering: How long will you rehearse before the tour?
Petrucci: As funny as it sounds, we're only rehearsing five days . . . If you go in there and everybody knows how to play the stuff, then you just gotta play it through a few times, make sure it all works. It's not that big of a deal, I don't think. More of a rehearsal; we're starting [with] festivals, so we're not even going to have our production and everything. More when we go back out in the summer we actually rehearse for production purposes to get the show together . . . if you're prepared you know it. You're professional and everybody plays together, it should be fine.
Blistering: Have you forgotten anything while you're playing?
Petrucci: Not, not really. I haven't forgotten; no. No. That's never happened, thankfully. [laughs]
Blistering: What is it about Dream Theater that you think has made it the prog band in America, if not internationally?
Petrucci: I think it's a couple things. When we first started, when we came out when we did, it was during a time where the music scene was changing very much and there was really, if there were people doing similar kind of music, they weren't really known, so we sort of stood out . . . I think we're the kind of band that we carve our own path, we're very independent as far as what our thoughts are about music and where we wanna go with it and there's a lot of sincerity in what we do, and . . . we go out and we work really hard, we make our presence known and because of that, because of that build to success, although there may be a progressive scene, which there certainly is, not only domestically but internationally, there really aren't a lot of those bands that people know about, and because of when we sort of got in when we did, I think we were put in a very good [position].
Blistering: What do you think it was about "Images And Words" that brought you to the mainstream, but subsequently you guys didn't remain there?
Petrucci: I'm not sure what happened with that. They started playing "Pull Me Under," and people started calling in. "What is that? What band is that?" It kind of snowballed, and it brought our name to the forefront.
And I think what we had done is, prior to releasing that record we had about a year-and-a-half that we were writing that material, because we were looking for a new record deal, we were looking for a singer and all we did was work on our music, and so, I think because the album's really deep, I think it has a lot of substance. So when people got really turned on to that one song and heard everything else, I don't think they were disappointed. I think there was a lot to dive into. It's really a springboard for us. And who knows how that happens. It's timing and luck and everything else, you know? But we were very fortunate for that, we really were.
And also fortunately, it didn't get too big, because I think sometimes you gotta watch for that early in your career because you can kind of fade away very quickly, and fortunately for us that didn't happen and we were able to build. And now 20 years later—not 20 years since that release but since we started—we have a type of career that bands can only dream about, with lifelong dedicated fans, and that's not an overnight thing.
Blistering: What would you say to a guy in a progressive band who came to you and he's starting out in the business; what mistakes would you tell him to avoid that you guys have made?
Petrucci: Well, don't sign an eight-album record deal. [small laugh] Eight albums is too much to commit to. I'm not sure about our mistakes; I know that we've, like any band in any career, we've made a few along the way. But some mistakes that I see or hear young bands doing, and it's probably the most common one, is that although in a lot of bands there's a high level of musicianship and technical ability and certainly the elements that makes something progressive rock, but the songwriting is lacking . . . [There are] tons of bands with insanely sick music but no one will ever know of 'em.
You have to have the songs there. And that's why so many people loved and so love Yes and Genesis and Rush and Pink Floyd, Marillion, cuz the songs are so strong . . . the songs might be long and instrumental sections, there's a lot of drama and stories being told, but the songs are great. It's not just a bunch of musicians showing off and going crazy.
Blistering: What would you say other developing bands could learn from you guys besides that?
Petrucci: It might sound like a cliche, but just stick to what you believe in. Stick to what you're passionate about as a musical style. Because I've seen so many bands trying to fit in with the times, so to speak, and if it doesn't contribute to your identity or enhance your identity, if it actually pulls from it and sounds unnatural, that's the worst thing, that people don't believe in you. And then you lose fans, and you lost the listeners. That's something that I think is very important. Our latest album is in as much of the style now as the first record is that we ever created together. So I think that's important. Obviously you have to do things that are new and different, you don't want to repeat yourself, but you need to protect your identity.
Blistering: You did the show at Radio City Music Hall last year to celebrate Dream Theater's 20th anniversary. How do you see yourselves equalling or topping that?
Petrucci: I don't think it's something that we really try to really top. It was obviously a culmination of several special events. It was an anniversary for the group, the DVD shooting, and we were playing with an orchestra, so not so much that we try to top it, you know? I think it's a matter of taking it from that point and trying to continue to do things that are creative and inspiring. Because that's what that type of thing stems from. It's like Mike Portnoy came to me one day and said, "I have this great idea. I know how to do our next DVD." He had this great idea of playing Radio City and doing this whole thing with the orchestra, so you've just gotta continue to have ideas like that, continue to be excited about what you do.
