Mike Portnoy kertoo oman mielipiteensä musiikin tämän hetkisestä taloudellisesta tilanteesta

Yhdysvaltalaista rumpalia Mike Portnoyta pidetään yleisesti ottaen yhtenä maailman parhaista rumpaleista. Mies on uransa aikana soittanut rumpuja mm. Avenged Sevenfoldin sekä Dream Theaterin kanssa ja tällä hetkellä mies soittaa The Winery Dogs -nimisen yhtyeen kanssa. Mike Portnoy on antanut hiljattain haastattelun Music Business Facts -nimiselle sivustolle, jossa mieheltä on udeltu mielipidettä musiikin taloudellisesta tilanteesta tällä hetkellä maailmassa. Mike kertoi aiheesta seuraavaa:

”Well, as you know, it’s at its, probably, toughest point in the history of music. Record sales are at an all-time low, and record companies and labels are folding left and right, and it’s just a tough time all around. That being said, though, I think it’s created many opportunities that have actually benefitted the artist. I think for so many years… When I was starting out in the ’80 and early ’90s, the only way a band could get any kind of exposure, you had to sign away your life to a shitty record deal and the record companies kind of screwed you and kept everything to themselves while the artists weren’t making anything. So everything was always loaded in the corporate side’s favor and against the artist. Now, these days, it’s sad because all the labels are closing, everything’s folding, but at least the artists are in a position where now they can control their music. So I think that much is a good thing. I like the fact that, at this point, I don’t have to be at the mercy of a record company to have a video seen or have a song heard. You have the Internet and you have YouTube and Twitter and Facebook that you could all utilize to yourself. So as much as it’s a tough time, I think in a lot of ways, the artist is kind of getting the music back, which is nice in that respect.”

Kysyttäessä Portnoylta onko musiikkibisnes tehnyt hänet rikkaaksi kertoi hän seuraavaa:

”Well, everything is… Everything is… subjective… I don’t know. I think I’ve been able to live a very comfortable lifestyle — thank God — but it didn’t happen overnight. I’ve been doing this for thirty years now, so it was an accumulative thing that took many, many, many years of incredibly hard work. I mean, I’m one of the hardest-working drummers in the world. So I work my ass off for what I have. And I do have a wife and two children. My daughter’s in college. So I work really hard, and luckily I’ve been able to provide for them comfortably. But it’s all… you know, it’s all… I don’t know the word I’m looking for. But it’s all in proportion. Yeah, I may do well compared to a lot of younger bands, especially compared to other bands that are in the metal or the prog world, but sure enough, if you compare me to a pop star or a rap star or an athlete, the way I live is extremely modest. So, you know, it’s all… It’s all relative; that’s the word I’m looking for. It’s all relative.”