MP: I never gave myself an option. As soon as you have a “back up plan,” you will be likely to fall back on it the minute the times are tough. Succeeding requires 100% dedication and perseverance, which means you have no choice but to keep trying and moving forward. And to be honest, I never “thought” about making music my career...it kinda just happened because it is what I “did.”

MP: Because of my addictive personality, I had to COMPLETELY quit in order to stop. It is always all or nothing with me. I promised my grandmother on her death bed (from a smoking related illness) that I would quit and it was that promise to her that enabled me to stop once and for all.

Mike is a recovering alcoholic, which means he has been clean and sober of all drugs and alcohol for some time now.

MP: I delivered Chinese Food for 7 years!! I also worked in a record shop for a while and didn't collect a paycheck. I just took my pay in store credit! (I'm not joking!)

MP: 1. Majesty symbol on left shoulder (first one I got back in 1988 after finishing When Dream and Day Unite....Charlie Dominici went and got an identical one a few days later.) 2. A bit of a design surrounding the majesty symbol consisting of a twisted musical staff, stars and a peace symbol. 3. Underneath that on my left shoulder is my tribute to John Lennon. It is an exact replica of one of his paintings of a whole bunch of people hanging off a musical staff. (It was used in the artwork for his Anthology Box Set) 4. My left forearm is the most meaningful tattoo I have. It says “Carpe Diem” and has the date of 11-16-84 underneath which is the date I lost my mother in a plane crash. “Carpe Diem” means Seize the Day in Latin and was part of a lesson I was taught earlier that day in high school. A lesson that provided me with a final moment with my mom and a final hug and kiss before she left for her flight. (See A Change of Seasons) 5. Well, let’s go from the most meaningful to the least.....The “Twin Peaks” tattoo on my right calf is a tribute to one of my favorite filmmakers David Lynch. It is the same tattoo that the Log Lady had when she returned from her abduction by space aliens! 6. I have an ankle bracelet on my right ankle which I got together with my brother, so I suppose it is a symbol of our brotherly bond. 7. The Sacred Heart on my right shoulder was gotten shortly after finishing Images and Words and was a souvinear for me to represent that album and turning point in my career. 8. The japanese writing above that is the only one I got outside of America. I did actually get it in Japan and it says “Mikey” (or at least that’s what they tell me!!) 9+10. Also VERY important tats to me, these being on my left back shoulder....these are Melody & Max’s footprints from the hospital records the days they were born. Melody is on the left 5-2-97 and Max has the bigger foot on the right 3-7-99. 11. The Infinity symbol on the inside of my right wrist....got it after completing FII...

MP: Same reason I sometimes have a beard, sometimes a goatee. Sometimes I eat cheeseburgers and sometimes I eat Pizza...sometimes I listen to the Beatles and other times Slayer. Nobody wants to do the same thing over & over forever.

MP: Uh, I've never really been a very spiritual person at all. But, uh, in the past year or so I have learned a lot about spirituality, and a higher power, and belief in a higher power. It's been a big part of my life (for) the past year or so. So it is something that I'm slowly developing. But up until this past year I never really have been. So it's something that's very new for me. My philosophy of life…that’s been pretty well documented. Carpe Diem. It's something that I totally live my life by and dates back to when my mom died in 1984. To a situation that we had the night that she was killed. It's a very long involved story. It was a really, really heartfelt, emotional lesson that I learned and that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

MP: To visit: Paris, Amsterdam, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles To play: Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, London To live: New York City

MP: My wife and kids mainly and when I am not with them, I am usually catching up on movies and TV shows. I also spend a tremendous amount of time on the Internet.

MP: I was arrested for breaking a store glass window...actually my friend broke it and I didn’t run when the cops arrived, so they picked me up....I was eventually let off the charges. The picture was taken 2 days after the arrest on my way to the court hearing (thus the suit and haircut)

MP: I am totally pro-boot - live and rare stuff that is... Selling boots of “official” releases is low though..But I am totally cool with the boot scene as I am an avid collector myself...