Q&A: Geoff Tate on Queensryche's Ugly Split, Backstage Brawl in Brazil
Queensryche fans were stunned earlier this month when the news surfaced that the group had fired lead singer Geoff Tate. In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Tate reveals that he was equally stunned to learn that he was being forced out of the group he began playing with three decades ago. "We’ve all known each other for 30 years," he says. "Our kids have all grown up together. We’ve been to barbecues together, and weddings, and divorces, and births of our children. For it to end in such a hostile way, it’s just mind-boggling. I just don’t understand it."
We spoke with Tate about his difficult final days in Queensryche, the business disagreements that drove them apart, their backstage fight in Brazil, the upcoming lawsuit over the name rights and his future plans as a solo artist.
When exactly did the tensions within Queensryche first surface?
Well, with every band there's tensions that arise over time. You've got different personalities all mixed together and there's always that kind of thing going on. We'd never been a band that had lots of tensions. We've had challenges with making records and with personnel changes. When Chris DeGarmo left the band in 1998, it was a pretty big hit for us. But really, this new thing is kind of out of the blue. I wasn't expecting anything like this at all.
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ValTapia - As a LONGTIME fan of Queensryche since seeing them live for the first time on 2-6-85 opening for Kiss, and 'The Warning' being the first Queensryche album I bought, along with every subsequent release thereafter, followed by seeing EVERY Phoenix stop on EVERY tour they've played,for a grand total of 22 ***** in concert, I must say the news is more bittersweet than "shocking". To be honest, I've seen this coming for a long time with a string of MEDIOCRE records and live shows over the past few years. Rightly or wrongly, I have a LOT to judge them against with 27 CONSECUTIVE years of unwavering fandom, including their best and worst moments. In my opinion, the real beginning of the end was the 2010 Cabaret tour, which was, to be kind, an EMBARASSMENT to the Queensryche name! By far the BIGGEST mistake of their 30 year career! That said, if the guys have indeed gone their separate ways, I must say this: Geoff, Michael, Scott, and Eddie: LEAVE QUEENSRYCHE ALONE OUT OF RESPECT TO YOURSELVES, THE FANS, AND THE LEGACY! START FROM SCRATCH AGAIN AND REALIZE THAT WITH ALL OF YOU APART, NONE OF YOU DESERVE TO CALL YOURSELVES "QUEENSRYCHE", at least with any real integrity! Good luck guys, courtesy of a TRUE fan!