“It’s a sacred role”: Why Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy was “relieved” Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee didn’t ask him to be Rush’s new drummer
Though now back on home turf atop the throne in Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy has performed with many bands over the years, including Adrenaline Mob and Liquid Tension Experiment – two bands he co-founded – and even Avenged Sevenfold throughout 2010.
And in a new interview with Metal Hammer, Portnoy reflects on the rumours that he was even in the running to join Rush following the death of Neil Peart in 2020.
READ MORE: Demand has been so high for Rush’s reunion tour they’ve added 17 more dates
Last year, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson reflected on being “bombarded” with offers from drummers offering themselves in the wake of Peart’s death. “After Neil passed, it didn’t take more than a few minutes before we started getting emails from all kinds of drummers who wanted to audition for the band, thinking that we were just gonna replace somebody that we played with for 40 years…” he said. “I don’t know what some of these people were thinking.”
Indeed, it didn’t look like a Rush reunion would ever be on the cards given repeated comments made by Lifeson and Geddy Lee. That is until they sent prog fans into a frenzy in October, and announced plans to head out on the road once again in 2026, with drummer Anika Nilles in tow.
Asked by a fan in the new issue of Metal Hammer whether it crossed his mind to try and put himself forward as Rush drummer should the prog powerhouse start the machine up again, Portnoy answers simply: “No.”
“I did send my condolences to Geddy and Alex after Neil passed, but I never tried to throw my hat in the ring for Neil’s gig,” he says. “It’s a sacred role that should only be filled if Geddy and Alex choose for it to be so. Sure enough, here we are with them choosing to finally do so [with Anika Nilles], which has been incredible.”
Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson photographed ahead of their reunion tour announcement in October 2025. Credit: Richard SibbaldBut Portnoy makes the distinction between offering himself up for the role, and how his stance would have changed if he had instead been asked by Lee and Lifeson.
“If they hypothetically ever approached me with it, of course, I would have done it with the utmost respect and honour,” Portnoy goes on. “But frankly, I’m relieved they didn’t. First of all, filling Neil’s shoes is going to be impossible. If anybody ever thought Mike Mangini filling my shoes was tough, try filling Neil Peart’s shoes!
“And I came back home to Dream Theater, which is where I belong. So if, hypothetically, they’d approached me with this reunion that they’re doing, it would have put me in an awkward position because of the timing of it all.”
Things have changed drastically in the Rush camp in recent years; Geddy Lee recently sent pulses racing when he hinted at potential new Rush music in the future, depending on the success of their upcoming tour.
“My intent, before we got into this celebration of Rush’s history, was to put some music together,” he said. “I assumed I would be doing that on my own, not with Alex. When we started jamming, I started seeing the possibility of doing something. But that went on hold, because there’s too much work.”
“If we manage to survive the tour, go back to Canada, and have a rest, who knows what will happen,” he teases. “But I suspect some music will eventually come out.”
Tickets are available for both Rush and Dream Theater’s respective 2026 tours now.
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