Maynard positions himself like that to try to get the sound right. The band doesn't want Danny's monster drumset blowing away Maynard's mic.

I've read several people saying that Maynard has always been a bit of a dick, and I've been around long enough to know that. Regardless of how pretentious he acts, he has always taken the task of delivering a solid performance very seriously. In eight years of seeing Tool play live and collecting various live CDs and DVDs, last night was the first time that Maynard really looked like he did not care about the music. I think that is what has people so upset about the show.