John Petrucci from Dream Theater recently spoke with Guitarist magazine about the band’s deep admiration for Rush and their ability to play all of Rush’s songs.
Dream Theater’s members, including Mike Portnoy and John Myung, are big Rush fans, and Rush’s music has greatly influenced their own. When Dream Theater was formed in 1985, they began by covering songs from Rush and Iron Maiden. In fact, the band originally chose the name Majesty after being inspired by the impressive ending of Rush’s song “Bastille Day.”
John Petrucci, who started playing guitar at 12, grew up honing his skills while listening to bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Rush. After forming Dream Theater, Petrucci often included covers of songs by these bands in their performances.
In the interview with Guitarist magazine, Petrucci fondly recalled buying his first guitar with his own money as a teenager. He mentioned that he and John Myung, who would later become his bandmate in Dream Theater, met around the same age. During that time, Petrucci played with different friends who had diverse musical tastes. Some were into metal bands like The Scorpions and Black Sabbath, while others preferred artists like Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead.
Petrucci also reminisced about a band called Centurion, where he and Myung would learn and play songs from Iron Maiden and Rush. He shared, “Around 14, I was playing with John Myung, my bandmate in Dream Theater. We actually met each other at 12. I used to jam with different people. One friend liked metal and classic bands like The Scorpions and Black Sabbath, so we played those songs. I also had friends who were into Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead, so we jammed to their music.”
