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Geoff Tate

GEOFF TATE Vs. MICHAEL WILTON: Battle Over QUEENSRŸCHE Name

Manos Spanos
Tate and his wife, Susan, QUEENSRŸCHE's former manager, filed a lawsuit in June 2012 asking the judge to award them the rights to the band's name in exchange for Tate paying Eddie Jackson (bass), Michael Wilton and Scott Rockenfield (drums) the fair market value for their interests in the QUEENSRŸCHE companies. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson filed a countersuit against the Tates in which they accused Geoff of creative obstruction and violent behavior, and Susan Tate of questionable business practices. On Tate's belief that the lawsuit comes down to one thing — money: Tate: "This is all about getting rid of somebody so that there would be more money to split between a fewer amount of people. QUEENSRŸCHE is and was an incredibly successful business entity worldwide. And to completely dismantle it is an act of foolishness." On how the court case will play out in January: Tate: "It's a corporate dispute. And the judge will decide on the value of the brand and the corporation. There's a formula to figure that out. It's not about a moral thing or anything like that. It's just a simple case of dollar exchange." On other members of QUEENSRŸCHE's claim that Tate refused to play much of the band's classic material in concert and was responsible for the ill-fated 2010 Queensrÿche Cabarettour and using outside co-writers, producers and musicians to make the "Operation: Mindcrime II", "American Soldier" and "Dedicated To Chaos" albums: Wilton: "As an artist, as a guitar player, it's not too much fun when your parts are being replaced or you don't even know if they're going to make the CD of the band you've been with for 30 years. It's a little disheartening, to say the least." On Tate's claim that bandmates made little to no effort to participate creatively inQUEENSRŸCHE's projects: Tate: "There was me writing and coming up with directions and ideas and concepts, and then the other guys were contributing performances in the studio. So we had to find other people to work with us in order to make a record and make things happen."
05 min read

GEOFF TATE On QUEENSRŸCHE: ‘I Just Can’t Give It Up. It’s Me. It’s Who I Am.’

Manos Spanos
Shawn Perry of VintageRock.com recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. VintageRock.com: Earlier this year, you released an album, "Frequency Unknown", which I believe was the first album of yours under the QUEENSRŸCHE name without the members of the other QUEENSRŸCHE. And I read that there were some issues early on with the mix, which were later resolved. But overall, were you pleased with that record? I've been listening to it and it sounds really good to me. Tate: Yeah, yeah, [I'm] very pleased with it. It was a really fun record to make. I had a lot of help making it, you know, a lot of different people coming in and contributing their performances for the record. That was really, really fun. I loved doing that. I'm a collaborator; I love collaborating with people. I had a lot of great players come in and do their spin to the song, which was really, really fun. VintageRock.com: Are you preparing a follow-up to the album? Tate: Yeah, we're working on a new record now. I'm about … I don't really know where I'm at with it. I'm in bulk writing mode where I write every day and put ideas down in a rough form and typically I'll go back after a few months of doing that and see what I have and then piece together an album out of good ideas that I've got recorded. VintageRock.com: As I'm sure you're aware, the other QUEENSRŸCHE released a record this year. I don't suppose you heard that or listened to it at all, did you? Tate: No, but I heard they released one. VintageRock.com: It gets a little confusing with there being two QUEENSRŸCHEs and I did read in a recent interview with you where you discussed the issue of who gets to keep the name, and that whole issue will be resolved next year. Is that correct? Tate: Yeah. We have a court date that was set for November that recently got pushed back to January. So that's when our actual court date will happen, is at the end of January. VintageRock.com: Why is it important to you to keep that name? Tate: Well for me, it's my life's work. It's…what you hear when you listen to a QUEENSRŸCHErecord is my ideas. My hopes, my dreams, my fears, my fantasies — all the stuff that is me is in those records and those songs. I've worked tirelessly over the years to protect the name, to bring value to the name, and I just can't give it up. It's me. It's who I am. VintageRock.com: Do you have any sentiment for the other guys — do you miss playing with them at all? Or are you just kind of moving forward and you're digging playing with new guys? What's your feeling on that? Tate: Oh, I'm really interested in playing with the guys I'm playing with now. They're all really fantastic musicians and we have a generally good time when were on the road. It's a bunch of personalities that really work well together. And I'm just digging it. It's a happy scene. VintageRock.com: That's the important thing, right? Tate: Yeah, it is. It's no fun to go to work and not get along with the people that you're working with. It's much better if you're hanging out with people for days on end and hours on end to be able to laugh and have a good time and enjoy life. Read the entire interview at VintageRock.com.
03 min read

GEOFF TATE On Possibility Of Reunion With QUEENSRŸCHE: ‘Absolutely Not. What On Earth For?’

Manos Spanos
Tate: Ah, yeah, of course. It's not really a matter of losing from my perspective, it's just being done with it. I definitely just want to be done with it, I'm already emotionally done with it, I've ripped off the rearview mirror and I ain't looking back. I don't want to look back. The court date in November is to settle what we have, which is a corporate dispute and corporate disputes have a set formula that's regulated by the state and the government to how the case is settled and really when it all comes down to it, it's just a matter of compensation and that's what it'll be. EzineArticles.com: I remember in the 1980s the David Lee Roth/VAN HALEN split and the METALLICA/Dave Mustaine feud, both got pretty ugly at times, do you see the same thing happening between yourself and your former band? Tate: Well, I hope not. Yeah I hope not, I hope it's all settled peacefully and civilly and we can go on our merry way, you know.
03 min read

GEOFF TATE: ‘I Would Definitely Advise People To Put The Camera Down And Watch The Show’

Manos Spanos
Craig Terlino of Dig Boston recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Dig Boston: One QUEENSRŸCHE album that stands out more to me than any is "Rage For Order". It was that album that made me recognize that there was something different — something innovative — going on in the music compared to other metal acts. It was cutting edge. Geoff: Yeah, that was the idea behind it. We had done the EP and "The Warning", and looking back on those, I thought they were very derivative of what was happening at the time with a lot of other bands. I was looking to stretch out a bit and push the chemistry of the writing, Chris DeGarmo [then-QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist] and I, really getting something unique. Neil Kernon, who produced that record, was very much of that mind as well. Dave Ogilvie as well, who at the time was working withSKINNY PUPPY and a lot of other underground punk synth.
04 min read