Who could have guessed that Dream Theater would be able to turn the loss of a mainstay like drummer Mike Portnoy into something that could actually draw new fans in?
Because that is exactly what the epic metal band has done. It has engaged people on Facebook with a video page that prompts them to “Like” it in order to know how the search for Portnoy’s replacement has been going (the band has tested seven drummers so far).
And in an even cleverer move, fans who want to know the identity of the new drummer can submit their email addresses, and be notified the minute the decision has been taken by the band.
All in all, this is unarguably one of the cleverest uses of the “Like gate” method on Facebook yet seen. The band has been getting fans (and presumably email addresses) by the bucketload. Of course, this move has been so effective because Dream Theater is nothing short of a standard-bearer of excellence. People were bound to be interested in what they were offering. But the way in which the band is playing with intrigue is nothing short of ingenious.