QUEENSRYCHE singer Geoff Tate on the state of the ryche, Mindcrime tour, former bandmates & more
Geoff Tate is always one of the best interviews you could hope for as a writer, an intelligent, engaging guy who understands the whole process of publicity but always comes off honest and opinionated rather than guarded or hawkish. I was genuinely bummed to hear about the Queensryche split this past summer but pleased to see the fans seriously excited and actively debating the pros and cons of the whole scenario as it plays out before a watching metal world. Reaction is good and there has been plenty of reaction in regards to the latest goings on with Geoff Tate, his new bandmates and his former bandmates. Geoff is undeniably the voice of Queensryche, along with Chris DeGarmo he was the driving creative force for much of the band’s signature catalog and the positive reviews of his most recent solo tour have been pretty encouraging as far as his energy and voice. Now, Geoff (along with an all star collection of new and familiar faces in Kelly Gray, Rudy and Robert Sarzo, Randy Gane and Simon Wright) prepares to officially start the new Queensryche tour this April. It’s a landmark 25th Anniversary Operation Mindcrime Tour celebration and the band will be performing the album in its entirety along with numerous other classics. The band is then releasing their new album “Frequency Unknown” on Cleopatra Records April 26th (image below)… I recently spoke with Geoff about all this and more, read on….
LRI: Hi Geoff, thanks for talking with us. This whole situation and court battle over Queensryche is something most of us could never have forseen back in the 90s but yet here we are talking about it sadly enough. Is there ever a day where the whole drama just doesn’t even enter your head?
Geoff Tate: Oh yeah, quite often (laughs). Yeah, yeah….You know, initially, the first few months that this all started happening was a very difficult time but I’ve kind of gotten past that now and am in a much better place now where things seem a lot more brighter. I had my new solo album, Kings And Thieves and the tour supporting that and that helped, just playing shows and supporting that. I never even think about the former lineup at this point, of course they launched a lawsuit against me that I won basically and from then on, I really haven’t thought about it too much. Our court date isn’t until November, 2013 so I basically have until then until all of that is officially decided, which is quite a ways from now. A lot of water is going to go under the bridge before then, definitely.
LRI: You surprised more than a few fans in recent months with your statements that you wouldn’t be opposed to sitting down in a room and just trying to talk rationally with those guys. On an obviously much less important note I have noticed that those guys are often not that accessible from a publicity end. We have reached out numerous times to both Michael Wilton and were actually scheduled to talk to Scott Rockenfield but both times have come up empty-handed. Have you also found a series of unending emails or found them pretty difficult to reach directly? (laughs)
Geoff: (laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty much been my experience over the years. That doesn’t surprise me. You know John, you’ve probably recognized the fact that I have probably done 99 percent of the interviews over the course of Queensryche’s career. There’s a reason for that, there was a reason for that when I talked to you for the last album and there’s been a reason for that our entire career; I’ve been incredibly careful and diligent about presenting our image in a certain way. I’m recognized, pretty universally, as the spokesperson for the band and there’s a reason for that (laughs). I can reliably do my interviews and put a sentence together and I think I have a very good handle on what it is that I am trying to do within the band as the band leader. I have always thought that we were collectively on the same page about this over the years so when they fired me it came as a complete shock. It was like a kick upside the head that I wasn’t expecting at all, especially at this point in our career where we’ve been a successful band for 30 plus years and have a very respected name around the world. Why in the world would any SANE people launch this whole shakeup and fire everybody who is your support system and everyone who’s involved with you, cancel all your income for the year and cut your head off by firing the face and voice of your band. They have basically sliced their own throat and rubbed the name of the band in the dirt in this quest of theirs and have no sane reason why such madness was necessary. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what their whole plan is, what is their plan after the court date, it just doesn’t make any sense.
Queensryche 2013, Simon Wright-drums, Randy Gane- keyboards, Kelly Gray-guitar, Geoff Tate, Robert Sarzo- guitar, Rudy Sarzo- bass
LRI: One of the things that has been repeated over and over was the fact that you insulted the audience which I don’t want to make light of but upon going back and watching it, it just doesn’t seem that bad. I’ve seen almost every singer at one point or another go up onstage and give the whole “Comon, you guys that was weak, I wanna hear you scream louder than that” stage rap. The audience DID appear to be really passive or tired and needed some shaking up, how is it that your challenging them was that much different than all those other guys who have done it?
Geoff: Well, when someone does what my former bandmates have done, you have to come up with some justifications for your actions. What it looks like to most rational people is that they are just really grasping at straws and trying to create a situation that just really doesn’t exist in order to justify their actions. I’ve been a frontman for a rock band for over 30 years, I know how to handle an audience and I’ve learned that through trial by fire and that’s something you learn as you go along, you have to engage the crowd, you have to get them up and challenge them and get them focused on what they’re there for.
LRI: The video is pretty funny actually because they shine a light on the audience and there’s a great deal of them sitting there and eating pretzels and playing on their cellphones. Even someone like Nikki Sixx or Paul Stanley would say something!
Geoff: I know (laughs), I know. It’s like they’re at a Saturday Matinee and waiting for the movie to start and they did suck. They needed to be riled up and engaged at that gig and that’s something that I’ve always done, something that, like you said, many, many singers or bands have done over the years, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s just something that the other guys and their team of people are trying to twist into a “Geoff doesn’t respect the fans” type of thing.
Geoff Tate live on his solo tour this past fall photo by Patrick Dunn
LRI: I have heard you say that you think the whole lawsuit really has a lot to do with money and they have mentioned it was also creative differences. Your wife and daughter worked for the organization and were also fired, did they just get the feeling there were too many Tates in the kitchen?
Geoff: You know, when you have a group of people, you need a leadership in place and set up efficiently, somebody has to do it
LRI: So they were comfortable with it for a number of years and then at some point it just started messing with them?
Geoff: Yeah, yeah, I think so. Again, some of that verbiage from them is just down to “created perceptions” or the picture they want to present. The fact is that they wanted to fire me and then split up my shares of the corporation and typically true to form for them they went about it totally half-cocked, unprepared and shortsighted. You can’t just do that so easily, you can’t just fire a corporate member of your company, it’s illegal to do that but of course, true to fashion they didn’t research any of that or look into it or talk about it with us they just did it. The fallout of all of that is that we have a lawsuit. It’s not like a bunch of guys got together and formed a band and play a bit on the weekends. It’s a business, it’s a very successful business and it involves corporate and legal procedures. There’s a way you have to conduct yourself business wise and you have to follow the rules and the law is very explicit in that. That’s why we have a court date and a lawsuit, they can’t just fire me, it doesn’t work that way in corporations or in the business world.
LRI: I’m a KISS fan and I have heard many people try and slag them and call them a tribute band or whatever but the fact remains that Gene and Paul are still up there singing the songs, the two guys who, for the most part, were the creative members of that band. It seems to me that their firing of you is being spun as you not following the Queensryche “metal” prototype and they want a metal singer, regardless of whether he wrote the songs or not. Do you make anything of their purported “creative differences”? Were they clamoring at you with fistfulls of heavier songs than what the last few Queensryche albums have contained?
Geoff: In my experience, over all these years, the three of them have been very, very unproductive in the creative area. They’ve all been waiting for me to do everything and I’ve done it, I’m a creative guy, that’s what I do and what I live for. I’m very productive and very creative and I make music that moves me, that’s what I do every day. Those three saying there were creative differences is again, just a fallback to justify their kneejerk reactions. If they had tons and tons of material that they wanted to do all of us have been able to do and have done side projects. If you look at Scott Rockenfield’s output over the years, he’s released a few things and none of them have been metal or even what I would consider rock, they’ve been some weird fusion thing. Michael Wilton has been a part of a project that he put together with a bunch of guys of of Seattle and Canada and they released one record of music and it wasn’t exactly what I would call “metal” either so if those three are so concerned about doing metal, why haven’t they done it? No one was ever stopping them (laughs).
Classic pic of the original creative nexus of Queensryche, Mr. Chris Degarmo and Mr. Geoff Tate
LRI: When we talked the last time you spoke about how you can’t make records for the fans, you have to make them artistically for yourself, first and foremost or you’re not being honest. Do you feel that the other guys are moving forward by hiring a singer who sings in your style and writing the metal music that fans are demanding?
Geoff: I have no idea John, it’s a crapshoot to be honest with you (laughs). Who knows what they’re going to do?
LRI: Had you heard internet rumors that they were using your tapes while Todd La Torre was performing at some of the earlier shows? That sounds insane.
Geoff: Oh yeah, but to be honest, that’s pretty evident. Queensryche has always used click tracks and backing vocals on the live presentations because Eddie can’t really sing and we haven’t had a decent singer in the band doing backgrounds since Chris left. In order to pull off the music you have to layer my voice in there so they used that and when they fired me and started doing shows they used the backing tracks that have guitar parts and keyboard parts and backing vocals. Honestly, I’m a lot happier doing what I’m doing now and my new bandmates and I hope that they’re happier doing what they’re doing. We are going to be performing all fifteen tracks of Operation Mindcrime as well as a great deal of additional material and based on the rehearsals I don’t think you or anyone else is going to want to miss it. I just wish that the three of them could have handled it all in a much more civilized way and just sat down like men in a room and said “Look, the three of us want to go in a different direction. We’ve had a good run, 30 years, how can we make this split happen in a way that we all look good and take care of the employees who have been with us all these years, how can we make it right?” There was no conversation like that, there was none of that. How can you treat people who have worked their asses off for you at below industry standard pay for all these years and just fire them via a letter? That is so cold, corporate and heartless. It is just unbelievable to me that they are now these kinds of people, the three of them are bad people, really, to do that kind of thing. What is so difficult about sitting in a room and talking about our situation unless you’re just so vindictive and mean that your only goal is to screw everybody. People are judged by their actions and I think their actions are very telling as to what kind of people they are.
Album art for Queensryche’s new album “Frequency Unknown” on Cleopatra
LRI: There was even some response in fan circles that your solo record was some sort of premeditated response to the whole lawsuit situation but you had planned “Kings and Thieves” well before the split hadn’t you?
Geoff: I started my solo record back in January of 2012, actually January 2nd, it was part of my New Year’s resolution to get an album out within the year and I finished it in July, which is great. I got to work at my pace and make the kind of record I wanted to make without having to compromise and wait two years for people to show up or decide that they could make it to the recording sessions. There probably was some influence about what was going on with my former bandmates because some of what was happening was going on at the same time as the recording. It was mostly completely written before all of the legal stuff came up but there are probably references on “Kings and Thieves” to certain people and certain situations. I can tell you, it was a bit difficult making a Queensryche record with them and it always has been, especially since Chris left the band. Getting those guys on the same page, getting them to show up, was always difficult. Just getting them to contribute would entail having to chew off your own arm basically (laughs) so working on a new Queensryche album is truly a joy. When that collaborative element is working things tend to move along much faster.
Queensryche 2013 l-r Simon Wright, Randy Gane, Kelly Gray, Geoff Tate, Robert Sarzo, Rudy Sarzo
LRI: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. You’d said that as much as “Kings and Thieves” was a solo album it was also really refreshing to get in a room with other musicians and have some collaboration, that was something you’ve missed in the last few years in Queensryche. Hopefully the next record reflects that as well.
Geoff: I can tell you I really enjoy that process, that exchange that happens between musicians. I am a firm believer that most ideas that you have creatively are better served when you get a collaborative effort going, people start riffing off of your idea and you end up with something that is much cooler than what you initially started with. That’s something that has definitely been fulfilling since the split. I found that I like working that way. It was a very immediate, in the moment record, not very polished or overproduced. So much of the creative process was ongoing while we were working. That was a very new process for me since Queensryche albums have traditionally been rehearsed to death but it was a very enjoyable one.
LRI: You are getting set to introduce this new lineup of Queensryche with the Operation Mindcrime 25th Anniversary Tour and you have this great group of seasoned rock musicians with you as well as a new record deal with Cleopatra. What do you say to the internet critics or those people who maintain that you sold out heavy music or you sold out rock or rock fans?
Geoff: I’ve always made rock music, that’s what I do, I’m a rock musician. How other people perceive it is beyond me. I only make music that I like, that interests me and challenges me in some way or explores my passion. I’m a rock singer and that hasn’t changed but within the context of that things have changed for me, people change and I believe in trying different things and experimenting with music. I love music and I don’t ever wanna repeat myself and do the same thing and I don’t know if I could. I’m always wanting to move forward and that’s what Queensryche has always meant to me.
LRI: I keep pushing for the page to start a wine and hot sauce review section, how are things with your Insania brand?
Geoff: The wine is flowing! As I have been touring I have also been doing wine events at a lot of the stops so you will have to come out. It is actually a lot of fun, I will show up and sign a bunch of bottles and drink with people and have a good time. If people want to find out more about it they can visit my website and follow the links that take them to the winery and they can call or email them and they will answer any questions you might have.
LRI: There are so many guys that are into these ventures but you are more than just a public face you are way into the wine scene aren’t you?
Geoff: I am yeah. You know I started making wine when I was fourteen. That’s right. Fourteen!! Unbelievable, but I was a boy scout and you could get a merit badge if you created a beverage or a food product and I made Dandelion wine which wasn’t very good but definitely sparked my interest and got me started on that passion.
LRI: I love the lineup and want to hear new music as well. Before I let you go, I want to ask you a question completely out of left field only because I know we have talked about all kinds of different subjects and it’s always fun. What do you make of this recent weird weather exploding all over including the hurricanes and devastating storms on the east coast ? Is it just business as usual on planet earth or is there something we can better do to avoid or anticipate this stuff?
Geoff: (laughs) I don’t think we’ll ever control the weather. I think it is what it is and the earth has different patterns and a sophisticated way of doing things that we just can’t comprehend or understand. You know, cities that are on the edge were originally settled there geographically because of shipping and immigration and people just settled close to where they landed when they got there and they are really big cities. Unfortunately, those cities are just vulnerable and when we have bad weather they just inevitably get hit, there’s just no way around it. In Washington we have our own weather issues and have earthquakes and active volcanoes within 15 miles of us. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from any sort of weather issues, maybe in the desert but then you have heat and water issues. It all goes back to what being human is all about and that is the ability to adapt and change. Look at the Mayans, they were a thriving civilization for an estimated 10,000 years and then they just disappeared. Why? Well, they ran out of water. It’s all so random and as humans we just cannot accept that, as humans we just want to compartmentalize every little thing so it fits neatly into our brains but that’s just not how things work. We can’t understand why some things in life like the weather can be so random and it just bugs the hell out of us (laughs).
www.facebook.com/Queensryche?ref=ts&fref=ts
25th Anniversary Operation:Mindcrime Tour 2013
- 04/06/13 Wendover, NV at Peppermill Casino
- 04/09/13 Aspen, CO at Belly Up
- 04/10/13 Grand Junction, CO at Mesa Theater
- 04/11/13 Denver, CO at Paramount Theatre
- 04/12/13 Albuquerque, NM at Hard Rock Casino & Resort
- 04/13/13 Las Vegas, NV at Santa Fe Station / Chrome Showroom
- 04/14/13 Tempe, AZ at Marquee Theatre
- 04/16/13 Tucson, AZ at Rialto Theatre
- 04/17/13 San Juan Capistrano, CA at The Coach House
- 04/18/13 Agoura, CA at The Canyon Club
- 04/19/13 Solana Beach, CA at Belly Up Tavern
- 04/20/13 Los Angeles, CA at Club Nokia
- 04/21/13 San Francisco, CA at The Fillmore
- 04/22/13 Sacramento, CA at Ace Of Spades
- 04/24/13 Austin, TX at Emo’s Buy tickets
- 04/25/13 Houston, TX at The Concert Pub North
- 05/16/13 Milwaukee, WI at Potawatomi Casino
- 05/17/13 St Charles, IL at Arcada Theatre
- 05/18/13 Turtle Lake, WI at St. Croix Casino
- 06/14/13 Greensburg, PA at The Palace Theatre
Category: Interviews
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Sites That Link to this Post
- GEOFF TATE On Former Bandmates In QUEENSRŸCHE: ‘They Can’t Just Fire Me’ « Rss « | March 4, 2013
- GEOFF TATE On Former Bandmates In QUEENSRŸCHE: 'They Can't Just Fire Me' | March 5, 2013
- Geoff Tate Accuses Former Queensryche Bandmates of ‘Madness’ | March 5, 2013
- Geoff Tate Accuses Former Queensryche Bandmates of ‘Madness’ | 92.9 Jack FM -- Playing What We Want | March 10, 2013
- QUEENSRYCHE singer Geoff Tate on the state of the ryche (http://www.legendaryrockinterviews.com) | Vinyl Vintage Vvictims | March 12, 2013
Jesus Christ! This guy John Parks is pathetic! What was that last question? Unbelievable! Does he know what journalism is all about? If I aim Geoff Tate’s balls, I’d shoot his hands! Awful article!
I agree, this interview totally lobbed softballs at Tate. I have yet to hear one interview where anybody has the strength of character to hit him with the tough questions.
Could you be anymore of a Geoff Tate kiss ass? This line-up of his is pathetic as is his solo material. Queensryche hasn’t made a good album since Empire and I think it’s pretty obvious why. I”m sure that both parties are partially to blame for the split but as a journalist arent you supposed to be unbiased and present the article without obvioulsy favoring one side or the other? I think most QR fans want to hear them go in a heavier “old-school” direction, as opposed to the crap Tate has put out. I’d rather go see QR with Todd La Torre than this collection of has-beens collected from 80’s metal bands. Rudy Sarzo? Really?…
My favorite part of this interview……………”LRI: I keep pushing for the page to start a wine and hot sauce review section, how are things with your Insania brand?”
Gee John, are you looking for a job in Geoff Tate’s new organization or something? Talk about ass kissing interviews!!!!!
Funny how Geoff rewrites history in every interview he does. This time he even got the lawsuit wrong, HE sued the others and he didn’t WIN, it’s still ongoing! Not to mention all the other things he lied about.
And the interviewer is so far up Geoff’s butt that he must’ve suffocated.
He did not file a lawsuit. He filed an injunction to keep BOTH parties from using the name until the division of the assets was decided. The judge ruled against that injunction, but also decided to allow both parties to use the name.
Yes, I’m a big Queensryche and Tate fan….Can’t cover both sides if they don’t respond to the interview requests. Thanks for reading guys, sorry if you don’t like this interview, there are hundreds of others!
That is why a band has management, John. They are recording an album, in fact they’ve been in studio for the past several weeks, trying to finish. Management is there to coordinate things like interviews with the band’s schedule. You think the band members field all of those requests? You’re nuts, if so.
Management doesnt generally coordinate interviews with press that is a publicists job sir. Anyway…we will have an interview with Scott up very, very soon….thanks for reading
that’s funny. “Wilton and Rockenfield have done several interviews lately. Ten minutes to promote your new music? I’m not saying their not busy, but writing it off that way as if it’s a fact and insulting the interviewer based on such a supposition is just odd.
Great interview, I’m a huge Queensryche/Geoff Tate fan. I had no idea Geoff started making wine when he was 14! I love these little tidbits that come out in interviews. As to Geoff moving on with his career, good for him! I can’t wait for the new Queensryche album he’s putting out!
I don’t know why the just don’t rename the band “Myth” seeing as how half the members were in that band. It would also be perfect for them because they are perpetuating the “myth” that this is in any way Queensryche. And I can see why the real Queensryche stiffed this biased interviewer on his interview with them. It’s obvious who’s camp he’s in from the beginning.
I think John is a fan of both versions???? While i think the real Queensryche (None-Tate lineup) has more credibility with this whole mess, they are prolly just doing what the lawyers are telling them.. which is to not say shit… i havent seen many interviews out there from the other QR.. But they are welcomed do one with LRI 🙂
There have been numerous interviews…with Todd LaTorre, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton, at several sites online and also on Eddie Trunk’s radio show. You haven’t been paying attention.
1) Tate files lawsuit against QR moving forward without him.
2) Preliminary hearing injunction fails to find in his favor, full court hearing date set for 2013.
3) Claims QR launched the lawsuit against him and he won.
I think in Geoff’s cocaine addled brain the counterclaim file by QR in response to the lawsuit he filed counts as a lawsuit in itself. LOL.
You’re kidding, right? This is the most pathetic excuse for an interview I’ve read in ages. You might as well just ask Geoff Tate for a press release next time and save everyone else the time and trouble. Compare this waste of time with the hour long interview that Eddie Trunk did with Scott Rockenfield:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klzVns6X1uc
BTW, a real journalist would have done their research. The vast majority of the QR road crew left with Scott, Eddie and Michael. They were disgusted by Tate’s assault and refused to ever work with him again. Read the court declarations. The only people who got fired were Geoff Tate and his support system. The rest of the QR crew are still intact.
Dharma, if you have time to do better journalism, have at it. By the way, LRI did research who was fired and mentioned that it was Tate’s wife and daughter. It was TATE who said “employees” and even he didn’t mention the road crew. I have zero problem with the other Queensryche and am looking forward to hearing their new album and talking to them this Friday… If you keep practicing your insults on message boards you will one day be a far better writer than little old me. Long Live Both Ryches!! lol
“declarations” and depositions are not fact. they are simply one side of the story and in a recent interview Rockenfield clearly states that the problem was NOT “just one guy” which is a pretty hefty contradiction to the picture painted by Wilton in his “declaration”
So because you haven’t been able to line up an interview with the members of the original lineup by contacting the members directly, you’re going to comment to Geoff Tate about how unavailable they are? These guys have done a ton of press and interviews. How about you do what you’re SUPPOSED to do, and contact the band’s management to set up an interview with them? They’re in the middle of finishing the recording of their new album and have been working feverishly to finish the recording of it, before they head back out on the road. If you’d done even a MODICUM of research, you’d have known that this would affect their availability for your interview.
But instead, your obvious pro-Tate bias spins the difficulty getting an interview right now into, “Gosh Geoff, aren’t those guys hard to deal with and what a great guy you are, to be talking to me!” Tate is going to talk to anybody who will listen, right now.
we HAD contacted management and the band directly and until recently had no luck but have a chat with Scott on its way…thanks for reading!
It well and truly makes me sick to my stomach to read all these lies from Geoff Tate. Here’s a few key points you might not know.
4/5 of the original band members refuse to work with Geoff Tate
With the exception of Kelly Gray, the band’s road crew refuses to work with Geoff Tate
Pamela Moore has performed ONLY with Queensryche since the split
Legendary producer Jimbo Barton is working with Queensryche
The Empires (Geographically regional fan groups) are on the side of Queensryche
Century Media signed Queensryche to a record deal
The fan-made “The Truth About Geoff Tate EPK” is collectively more well liked than Geoff Tate’s own EPK
Queensryche plays sold out or near sold out shows while Tate pulls in 50-500 tops
Frequency Unknown was thrown together by outside writers, Queensryche has written their own album
The number of “likes” on Geoff Tate’s QR Facebook page was generated by a bot program
Geoff Tate censors, filters and bans people on the hijacked QR Facebook page for stating opinions
Geoff Tate is a bad influence on his fans, as many have admitted they themselves would assault and spit on other people
Geoff Tate tried to sell the rights to an Operation: Mindcrime movie and cut his band mates out of the deal
Susan Tate was fired for allegedly embezzling and misappropriating funds from the band account to finance another band, The Voodoos.
Geoff Tate was fired for violence in the workplace after he assaulted his band members in Brazil
The Rocklahoma incident was the first time Tate uncharacteristically treated an audience that way
Since his firing, Tate has filled his time perpetuating his lies in interviews such as this one
These are all facts. Hit me with an email if you want sources to back them up.
4/5 of the original band members refuse to work with Geoff Tate = Lie.. Chris has never mentioned any problem with working with Geoff. That is all spin from the Mike, Ed, and Scott/Breakdown Room.
Kelly Gray through EPK who cares?
“Geoff Tate censors, filters and bans people on the hijacked QR Facebook page for stating opinions”. I doubt it is Geoff that deletes troll posts, but yes so do the Mike, Ed and Scott camp.. so what?
“Susan Tate was fired for allegedly embezzling and misappropriating funds from the band account to finance another band, The Voodoos.” Spin, .. Susan Tate ran the Voodoos money through the QR business as the Voodoos did not have a business in place to take the money in.
i give up.. live in your little hate filled world..
You are an idiot
And you are a blind follower of somebody who taught you to think for yourself,
Apparently, that lesson didn’t take.
You are absolutely correct. Chris has kept his nose out of it, publically.
At Queensrycheofficial.com, they do censor the boards. Just like it is ok for Geoff’s camp to do it, Queensryche does the same. It keeps the boards clean and free from trolls. I have noticed that Geoff’s camp is a little more sensitive than Queensryche’s though.
The big issue is the “co-mingling” of funds. That in it’s self is a huge no-no. Susan Tate deserved to be fired for this. At the best it is bad business practice. At the worst it is illegal (money laundering). Taking money from illegal activities (i.e. a band that does not have a work visa) and “washing” it through a legitimate business (i.e. the Triryche Corp) puts the entire band/corp at risk. I say good-riddance to her and the rest of the Tates.
lol. facts. they are your version of the “facts” we can easily treat them one at a time if you like. You claim 4/5, but NOBODY knows what CDG’s real disposition is. Only speculation. Who is the crew comprised of? Whatever their decision may be, we do not know the root of their bias. Pamela may have only performed with the boys, but she has stated she does not take sides and has certainly not claimed a loyalty. Don’t speak for the “fans”. There is a split and GT has many supporters, at least as many and apparently more. Legendary Jimbo? So he worked with the boys for a couple days. And? The video is nothing but one sided propaganda and professes truth, but again, only shows one side. How many things are simply one sided? ummm. none. QR is playing festivals with MANY other bands. GT is touring solo. Please prove the “bot” theory. I have yet to speak to a Tate fan who in any way seriously entertains the idea of assault. Susan Tate. You yourself use the term allegedly and the call these things facts. how odd. The last two are your perception and your entire list is no closer to facts than the easter bunny imo.
And the knuckle draggers are out! A little bit of information can be such a dangerous thing.. YES Geoff did bring lawsuit against Mike, Ed and Scot to try and stop all parties from using the name, HOWEVER the Mike, Ed and Scott camp also brought suit against Geoff… WHICH HE WON..
“Not to mention all the other things he lied about.” If you can’t give even one example, maybe instead of saying “Not to mention.. blah blah blah” you should not mention it, and leave it in the world of your own fetishistic psychosis..
Geoff hasn’t won anything. It’s not the fault of the band that the Judge who was previously assigned to this case, by her own admission “didn’t have adequate knowledge in these matters” and agreed to let both parties use the name until the final court date comes up November 18, 2013.
As for the other things he’s lied about, well I didn’t go into detail on that because I simply just don’t have enough time to create an itemized list of the lies, half truths, and revisionist history he’s created.
Funny that you so blindly follow a guy who taught you to think for yourself and let the walls become sand beneath your feet.
Hello Miranda! *waves*
amen bc
Finally, a voice of reason.
i’m getting tired of all this geoff badmouthing. yes, he punched michael and spit on scott because he was mad that they fired his wife and stepdaughter, give me anybody who wouldn’t be at the same thing. as far as chris leaving the band because of geoff is just hearsay, chris never gave the real reason why he left. so geoff’s playing clubs and pubs, i was at one of those small venues last year during his solo tour, the place was packed and everyone seemed to be having a good time from what i saw. i’ll check out the new album on april 23rd to see what it’s like.
yup
Shut up you stupid woman. Nobody gives a shit about your opinion.
By the way, Geoffs new SOLO album (thats what it is)
will most likely be the same grungy boring shit written by the talentless hack
kelly gray and jason slater. Anything with these names attached to it should
be avoided at all costs.
Geoff can do any kind of music he likes but he should never get involved
with the Ryche. Hes done more than enough harm to their legacy.
“i’m getting tired of all this geoff badmouthing”
If he hadn’t shown himself to be such a sorry excuse for a man people wouldn’t be saying all those things. It’s really just that simple.
The band didn’t bring a countersuit against Geoff. There is still only one lawsuit in place.
What the band did was file a motion of summary judgement to speed the process along and end this farce. It was denied. Geoff is either an idiot or a liar for calling that a lawsuit that he won.
he didn’t say he won the lawsuit. he filed an injunction and a you correctly point out they filed a summary judgment and were denied. he didn’t say anything about winning.
If you are going to post lies, please at least try for ones not easily disproved. This is from Billboard.com
A Washington state judge ruled Oct. 19 that singer Geoff Tate — who was fired from the band Queensryche after fronting it for 30 years — may perform with his own version of the group until a lawsuit he filed against three former bandmates is settled.
Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira denied a motion for partial summary judgment that guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson requested Sept. 21 to stop Tate from using the Queensryche name and associated imagery as the case proceeds to trial.
woooooooooooo … “Shut up you stupid woman”
Well reasoned!
can you believe it?
They are showing you how classy they are! The fans alone make me want nothing to do with their side.
I’m at a crossroads. The song Queen of the Reich is were the band got their name. Problem is Chris DeGarmo wrote the song and decided to name the band Queensryche, changing the spelling from reich to ryche to avoid confusion about nazi germany. So if I’m correct from a legal standpoint, Chris owns the name so should’t he have a say in this?
I would imagine those things were decided when Chris left the band. In addition on the building Empires video Chris talks to GT and MW about he he offered the name up and I guess they all agreed. Publishing on the songs and the assets regarding the merchandising and any receivables would be the bulk of the issues in contention.
Hey Brainwashed, well that is close. At the time the five of them (yes all five) were going by the name ‘The Mob’. Chris Degarmo, and their (at the time) management company decided on the name Queensryche. When Chris quit, the name became equally owned by Scott, Ed, Mike and Geoff. So Chris really has no stake in the name at all.
I found this interview to be far from legendary. It was more of a pre-scripted promotional tool for Mr. Tate in my opinion. It is is one thing to provide a platform for Mr. Tate to express his opinions and views, unfortunately this interview failed to do that. It was blatantly biased, it sounded more like two old friends having a conversation over a few glasses of Insania than actual journalism. I look forward to reading your upcoming article with Scott Rockenfield.
The questions is, if the conversation with Scott turns out to sound like two old friends having a conversation over a few pints of Whip Ale will it be actual journalism? Again, thanks for reading guys and if you want to start interviewing bands yourself much luck to you! I have never claimed to be a real writer or journalist, just a fan of the people I talk to and no better than any other fan for sure.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading it. I make no bones about it, I’m 100% anti TateRyche. If your interview with Scott appears to be two old friends sharing a couple of Whip Ales then I will humbly and gladly acknowledge that and chalk it up to your writing style. We shall see.
I don’t see where he claimed it was journalism. Where is there “journalism” today in a world where anybody can have a blog. maybe it was supposed to sound like to friends chatting over wind. what’s wrong with that. why hold it to a standard that was never claimed in the first place?
The hate for Geoff goes much deeper then him spiting and punching his bandmates! Cause who wouldnt spit on or punch their bandmates if they went behind your back and fired you and ur family. Scott has never denied saying “We fired your family and your next” so i would have to assume that its true.. and any man with a pair of testicles wouldnt let someone say that to them with out kicking that persons ass. So ppl have a problem with Mr. Tate having balls! Both Queensryches are watered down.. the main song writers of the band were Geoff and Chris.. The La Torre fronted version of QR has no original writers in the band and the Tate version has one original writer in the band.. so I would say that Geoff’s version should sound more like Ryche then the other version.. but both not sounding anything like the original line up. Im being biased to both bands because ihave been a fan of the original members.. i just dont get why ppl are basing so much on the bands personal life? there are 3 sides to every story.. and im sure the truth is a mixture of both sides opinions on what has transpired. Why do fans base their like of the music on who did what with the business end of QR… if you think Geoff sucks as a singer then thats a fair reason not to listen to his music.. but i cant see how ppl think he sucks but yet wake up every morning just dying to post about someone they dont care for as a musician? i personally think Todd LaTorre sounds like a half way decent Queensryche tribute singer and im not a fan of his vocals to be 100%.. and thats why i havent posted one thing about him under any of his interviews. How can i possibly care to look up interviews by Todd La Torre and post bad things about him if Im not into what he does as a musician.. even if he is part of QR now. Everything else these guys do with themselves or to each other outside the music they make i could care less about… so for me let the music do the talking.. who ever puts out the better album wins on all levels.. and i could care less if they porked the opposing member of QR up the bungpipe!
Thanks for reading, you make a lot of really good points. I too am a fan of the original members, not just Geoff, I would think most longtime followers of the band would be.
Yeah, we are pissed off at Geoff Tate. It has nothing to do with his personal life at all though. It has everything to do with the business decisions he made when he was in Queensryche, The Cabaret Tour, the god awful cover album, the melodramatic thea-tah acting on stage, the nepotism involved in allowing his family to have so much control over the band’s financial and creative affairs, and of course the nail in the coffin being Dedicated to Chaos.
YES, there was an interview back in July where Scott, Eddie and Michael said that Scott never once told Geoff Tate “We just fired your whole family and you’re next.”, the band flat out denies this, it was in the interview and it was in the court documents as well. People can justify Geoff Tate’s unprovoked and unwarranted assault any way they want to, but the bottom line is ASSAULT IS A CRIME, you Tater Tots seem to want to ignore that fact. You say he’s got balls, I say the man is a common criminal in need of anger management for committing violence in the workplace. If you had punched a co-worker on the job, you would be fired too. He got what he deserved.
So Dave, what exactly is the source of all your butthurt? Did Geoff not kiss your ass at a meet and greet? Did he sleep with your wife and daughter and dog?
If you don’t like Geoff Tate why do you follow everything the guy does. Anything on the net good or bad about Geoff and you are right there with your poison. Why do you attack anyone who doesn’t vilify Geoff? Seriously, get some therapy. Lots of therapy.
agreed. entirely.
The new interview with Scott will be up on the page Monday morning and it went amazingly well.
Awesome! Can’t wait to read it.
I think that this interview is just a promotion for Tate but then so are most of the interviews if the reporter wants to have another interview with the same musicians.
I believe that Tate stands no chance as the three founding members stand united. They are the backbone of the band and Tate’s effort to have a new band with the same name is just awkwardly funny.
In QR music was produced by all the members of a band. They all contribute with their instruments, their minds and hearts. All together they produce a unique picture that another band or person can imitate.
After the talented leader CDG left, Tate has unsuccessfully tried to take his position and lead the band.
Was he as talented as CDG? Maybe, maybe not. But he did not have the same humility and perhaps the kindness of CD that the rest of the band appreciated. He failed being a leader in their hearts and mind; instead he tried to impose himself until one day the lid hit the roof with the results we all know. As simple as that.
QR was never a Tate’s band. QR has always been about the musical equality and respect of and for each other. They know each other from an age (17, 18, 19) that friendships are true, -we all know that- they did not meet during their professional careers in order to have mutual professional interests only.
Tate wants only to use the brand name and nothing else. The music he will produce will never be QR as all other members are hired guns.
I believe QR took the right step forward; still I’m sad for Tate as he is a magnificent singer and his performances will always be in our hearts.
Tate, is it you or “Someone else”?
Just saw my 15th Queensryche concert, 1st without Tate singing. Best one I’ve seen since 1995. Tate has lost it, mentally, physically, and vocally. MW, SR, and EJ are all FAR superior MUSICIANS to Jeffery Tate – that is your name after all right?
So..gettrah..done muahahahahah. “Oh and this is the new Queensryche, lets continue shall we..Mr. Glen Dro…no he’s not coming along, is he? And how about Mister Bobby Blo..oh he’s not coming along either? Hmm. Mister Kelly Gray!”
Not having Bobby Blozter is prolly a good thing for tate.. Blotz is a prick!
GT is Gay – Just look at him
His wife was fired after they discovered financial discrepancies (ie; running the the finances for a foreign band without a US work visa) through their corporate account (illegal), and GT attempting to sell movie rights to a movie studio for Operation Mindcrime as his own personal property, cutting out the rest of the band. They even performed two more shows after “SpitGate’ to give him another chance. The band was informed to stay away from Tate via a determined perimeter or risk attack from him. Since these events,he has changed,modified his story countless times. He has had
at least two “All Star” members back out because they were made aware of the the peril their career could suffer from his recent reputation. He announced the release of his new recording within hours of the real queensryche announcing their release, presuming they will score with an earlier release. No matter what side you take, GT had no sane reason to assault band members by spitting on them, and trying to destroy the band set-up for the Brazil concert. They even had to make separate plane reservations to to return to the states, because he was so psycho he couldn’t be trusted on the same plane, but let’s not let the truth get in the way…
Geoff Tate and Chris Degarmo were the rock stars and the real talent back bone of Queensryche the other 3 wilton, rockenfield, jackson are just average professional musicians. This was a cash grab by these cheese balls……….good luck chees balls don’t think karma gonna be good…!………..GT=bmf!
As a huge fan of the Ryche this interview is just slightly one sided. Look all I needed to hear was Tate brought his wife in to manage the band. Uh.. did you not see Spinal Tap Geoff? And now that the lawsuit is over and Tate LOST after claiming in this article he won I guess you have to take what he says with a grain of salt.
Too bad, after DeGarmo left the band lost it’s mojo. I was hoping for a reunion but that’s not gonna happen now.
And if you are interested in taking “sides” just look at Tates QR album. FU. Really? What are you in 3rd grade? Sorry Geoff, love your voice but I won’t be coming to see you live, wouldn’t want to be told I “suck” because some moron is next to me on his phone.