Watch Dream Theater play their first song with Mike Portnoy in 14 years

(Image credit: Boris Georgiev)

Dream Theater have played their first show with drummer Mike Portnoy in 14 years. Portnoy, who last played with the prog-metal legends during the final show of the Black Clouds & Silver Touring tour in August 2010 – at the Makuhari Messe Kokusai Tenjijou Hall in Chiba, Japan – returned to the stage as Dream Theater kicked off their 40th anniversary schedule at the O2 in London.

Portnoy returned to Dream Theater almost exactly a year ago, saying, "I am overwhelmed with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers! There is so much shared history between us all…so many memories, so much music…to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began! The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this line-up before…There’s no place like home!”

The band shared a new single, Night Terror, earlier this month, their first since music since Portnoy's return, and confirmed that their 15th studio album, Parasomnia, would be arriving in February. The one remaining order of business was the return to live action, and that duly took place last night with a three-hour set successfully completed in East London.

The band kicked off their set with Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper from the 1992 album Images and Words, and finished with the classic Pull Me Under. Along the way, Night Terror made its debut after the intermission, and Portnoy – sitting behind a drum kit boasting three bass drums – also played Barstool Warrior and This Is The Life for the first time. Both songs were originally recorded with Portnoy's replacement, Mike Mangini.

"Stunning opening night of Dream Theater’s 40th Anniversary tour," tweeted Prog magazine editor Jerry Ewing. "And of course, the return of Mike Portnoy. Killer setlist, astonishingly crystal clear sound. A wonderful three-hour assault on the senses."

The next show on Dream Theater's 40th anniversary tour is at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin, Germany, on October 22. Full dates below.

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Dream Theater: O2 setlist

Act I
Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper
Act I: Scene Two: I. Overture 1928
Act I: Scene Two: II. Strange Déjà Vu
The Mirror
Panic Attack
Barstool Warrior
Hollow Years
Constant Motion
As I Am

Act II
Night Terror
This Is The Life
Under A Glass Moon
Vacant
Stream Of Consciousness
Octavarium

Encore
Act II: Scene Six: Home
Act II: Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
Pull Me Under

Dream Theater 40th Anniversary Tour

Oct 22: Berlin Uber Eats Music Hall, Germany
Oct 23: Koln Palladium, Germany
Oct 25: Milan Forum, Italy
Oct 26: Rome Palazzo dello Sport, Italy
Oct 28: Munich Zenith, Germany
Oct 29: Zagreb Arena Zagreb, Croatia
Nov 01: Budapest Arena, Hungary
Nov 02: Prague Fortuna Arena, Czech Republic
Nov 03: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
Nov 06: Helsinki Metro Areena, Finland
Nov 08: Stockholm Waterfront, Sweden
Nov 09: Oslo Spektrum, Norway
Nov 10: Copenhagen Poolen, Denmark
Nov 12: Rockhal, Luxembourg
Nov 13: Zurich The Hall, Switzerland
Nov 14: yon Halle Tony Garnier, France
Nov 16: Lisbon MEO Arena, Portugal
Nov 17: Madrid La Cubierta de Leganés, Spain
Nov 20: Stuttgart Beethovensaal, Germany
Nov 21: Frankfurt Jahrhundderthalle, Germany
Nov 23: Paris Adidas Arena, France
Nov 24: Amsterdam AFAS Live, The Netherlands

Feb 07: Philadelphia The Met, PA
Feb 08: Raleigh Martin Marietta Center, NC
Feb 10: Nashville Opry House, TN
Feb 11: Atlanta Coca-Cola Roxy, GA
Feb 12: Biloxi Hard Rock Cafe, MS
Feb 14: Houston 713 Music Hall, TX
Feb 15: Dallas Texas Trust CU, TX
Feb 16: San Antonio Majestic, TX
Feb 18: Phoenix Arizona Financial Center, AZ
Feb 19: Highland Yaamava Theater, CA
Feb 21: Las Vegas Cosmo, NV
Feb 22: Los Angeles Youtube Theater, CA
Feb 24: San Jose San Jose Civic, CA
Feb 25: Sacramento Safe Credit Union Performing, CA
Feb 27: Seattle Moore Theater, WA
Feb 28: Portland Keller Auditorium, OR
Mar 02: Reno Grand Sierra, NV
Mar 04: Salt Lake City Maverik Center, UT
Mar 06: Denver Mission Ballroom, CO
Mar 08: Chicago Theatre, IL
Mar 09: Cleveland MGM Northfield Park, OH
Mar 11: Toronto Coca-Cola Coliseum, ON
Mar 12: Montreal Place Des Arts, QC
Mar 14: Wallingford Oakdale Theater, CT
Mar 15: Boston Boch Center, MA
Mar 17: Rochester Kodak, NY
Mar 18: Wheeling Capitol Theater, WV
Mar 19: Cincinnati Brady Music Center, OH
Mar 21: Washington The Anthem, DC
Mar 22: New York Radio City Music Hall, NY

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Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.