The Paris show of Dream Theater will be filmed and recorded for a live album and Blu-Ray

Mike Portnoy, the founding drummer of Dream Theater, who returned to the progressive metal mainstays in October 2023 after a 14-year hiatus, was asked on October 24 on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” if he and his bandmates are recording and filming any of the performances on the current 40th-anniversary European tour for a future release. 

Yeah, we filmed and recorded the big O2, first night [of the tour in London], just mainly for posterity and for the archives. But we do have plans to film our show in Paris [on November 23] for a live Blu-ray and a live album. The thing is we’re gonna be on the road till the end of next year, and the new album doesn’t even come out till February, so this world tour is gonna kinda go through two phases. The whole first phase, which would be the first six to eight months will be the 40th-anniversary reunion celebration, but at some point mid-next year, we’re gonna transition into a full tour cycle supporting the upcoming album. So even with the live album we’re gonna record in Paris [in November], that’s probably one of two releases that we’ll probably do because we’re gonna wanna do a proper live release once we start playing the new album as well.

He also talked about the show in London, and how it was to reunite once again with the band.

It was surreal. I’ve said this a lot of times already since the reunion was announced, but I have dreamt of that moment, being on stage with the guys for the first time in all these years, I dreamt about it hundreds of times through the last decade or so to, so to actually have gone through those emotions and to be up there and to have the Kabuki drop and there’s 10,000 of the biggest Dream Theater fans all gathered in one place to celebrate not only the band’s 40th anniversary, but to celebrate the reunion of this lineup, it was so emotional. I mean, people crying — everywhere I looked, there was people crying, people singing and celebrating. It was just surreal, it was emotional, it was glorious. And I was scared shitless, to be honest. I never get scared before shows, but it was nerve-racking, to be honest… I mean, because there was such focus on this first show. And we knew there were people coming from all over the world to be a part of the opening night and to have that first experience. And there’s nothing better than seeing the first show on the tour, too, and you don’t know the setlist. So there’s been no spoilers, and from song to song, you’re just wondering what’s gonna be next. But it was really incredible. Like I said, the most hardcore fans from all around the world wanted to be part of this first one to experience it. And the O2 is massive. I mean, that’s where Zeppelin did their reunion show, and that’s where Genesis did their last show. It’s London’s Madison Square Garden, for all intents and purposes. And it was really one of the greatest nights of my life. I think it was not only a career highlight for Dream Theater, but it was a life highlight for all of us as well.