I FINALLY discovered Dream Theater recently, thanks to Napster. I know -- they've been around since late 80's. It's a prerequisite for a band to exist at least 15 years before I get to like them. ;-)

Anyway, since discovering them I've been reading and studying various techniques they employ in their business. Well, "technique" may be inappropriate here -- I'm sure they're doing it b/c they just want to, not b/c they want to manipulate more fans into liking them. Anyway, some that I learned so far are:

• Set list: they have an elaborate system that ensure that every single set they play is unique and that is not repetitious compared to recent set lists or even the set list they played when they were in that particular town/area on past tours.
• Cotinuity: they had a series of albums where the last note from one album is then used to open the next one. There are also multiple-album spanning musical suites.
• Challenging and engaging themselves: they play cover songs, quote other people's material in their music, incorporate spontaneous and/or silly moments in otherwise serious and rigidly-structured songs of theirs.
• Fan service: they make official bootlegs available, permits taping of their shows.

These are all stuff that should be written into the "how to build a successful (if only cult-level) career" book. None of these they invented, but I can't recall another group that employs them all with such vigor. They know exactly who they are, and who their fans are -- and know where to push the buttons so that both the fans and they themselves are engaged.

Now, I do get the impression that the band is not exactly a democracy -- the drummer Mike Portnoy seems to be the de facto leader of the group. This I am speculating, mainly b/c I read that he seems to be the only member of the band who embraces the whole bootlegging thing whole-heartedly, but yet his policy is the entire band's policy on that issue. That said, the band has lasted for like 20 years, with VERY stable line up cosidering the length of the career -- just a few vocalists they went through before they settled on the right one in early phase, and a couple of keyboardists. Both of those spots are hard to fill in instrumental-heavy prog metal band. In fact, I'm amazed that their singer, James LaBrie, has been so stable. This is band that launches into instrumental dirges that can last 20 minutes between verses. Not exactly the most comfy place for singers (LaBrie doesn't play an instrument, at least not with this band).

Anyway, while I'm enjoying their music -- the good thing about discovering an already-established band is that by the time I discover them they already have a wealth of material -- I'm reading, learning, analyzing. All this will be useful to me, soon.