Does Mike prefer playing longer shows or shorter shows?
MP: Physically I enjoy the shorter set. It’s less demanding, but artistically it’s far less satisfying for me. I do enjoy the three-hour shows because I know we’re delivering a satisfying set, sometimes to the point of overkill. But sometimes with these 80-minute sets, we get offstage and say, ‘We were just starting to tap into an energy and it’s all done with.’ When we play the three-hour shows, it’s draining. People have asked me, ‘Why do you torture yourself like this?’ The answer is, and I know it sounds really cliché, but it’s for the fans.
