John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess: interviewed

What are your concerns about the fans? I'd say that most people are behind you guys all the way. But, as you know, there are Mike Portnoy supporters who are still quite upset.

Petrucci: "Sure. I understand that. As a fan, I can relate. There will be those people who go, 'No! You can't do this.' But I've been a fan of bands where members have left, and I've still been a fan of both incarnations. I grew up listening to Yes, and they had different lineups. Change can be good.

"And we've been very fortunate to get so much positive support from our fans. I know this is a big thing to them, as well. But we're still here, we're more dedicated than ever, and we're not going to let anybody down. We've been doing this too long to stop. I feel as though our best work is still ahead of us."

Rudess: "I think that balance of fan support might have shifted recently, and I would say the videos had a lot to do with it. People got a chance to look inside our world and see what this has meant to us. They saw the amazing drummers we auditioned and how good we all feel with Mike Mangini. You know, Mike Portnoy was great, and Mike Mangini is great. We're fired up, and we're a very happy band once again. I think the fans, even those who might still be doubting us, will see that we're moving forward with nothing but the best of intentions. Like John said, we're not going to let people down." more

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