SINGER GEOFF TATE ON SETTLING HIS LAWSUIT WITH FORMER QUEENSRYCHE BANDMATES: “I’M VERY HAPPY IT’S OVER AND WE CAN ALL MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES”
Christa Titus of Billboard spoke with former Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate about the bandmembers finally settling their lawsuit in regards to who owns the band’s name. Portions of the interview appear below.
Billboard: How are you feeling now that the announcement is out about the settlement?
Tate: I think it’s great. I’m very happy that it’s over and done and we can all move on with our lives. It’s been a long, bitter two years, I’ll tell you. I’m glad it’s over.
Billboard: What was the turning point when everyone started getting on the same page with the settlement? I understand that for a while you guys were trying to work something out.
Tate: We’ve been trying to work something out for months and months and months, and it’s like any kind of lawsuit, it’s just slow going. But finally I think the realization that going to court over the whole thing was going to be a huge nightmare and huge financial mess for everybody that [we] really started to look at it more seriously and realistically.
Billboard: Once you filed the suit, that would say to me you were ready to go to court over it.
Tate: Yeah, that’s typically what it means.
Billboard: Some people are confused by the joint statement both parties released regarding who could do what. One of the points was being able to perform both Operation: Mindcrime albums live. Queensryche is permitted to play selections, but they can’t do a front-to-back version of either one live, correct?
Tate: It’s pretty similar to the Pink Floyd settlement where one group got the name and Roger Waters got The Wall. It’s very similar to that. I retain Operation: Mindcrime and everything revolving around that, and they got the name, so it’s a win-win for everybody.
Billboard: I don’t know what you are limited to discuss in terms of terms of the agreement. Is there anything you can mention in terms of being entitled to, say, future payments from the band? There were the three band corporations and things of that concern.
Tate: Honestly, I’d really don’t feel comfortable commenting on the details of the settlement. I think what’s out there is sufficient. I’m just really happy to be done with it all, and I think the other side is probably happy as well so we can turn the tide in this episode in our lives and move on to nicer things.
Billboard: One thing that does remain in question is, since you still have dates booked under the Queensryche name, on your Queensryche website you have dates into May.
Tate: We’re both allowed to do all of our pre-contracted dates as they were advertised, so once those dates are over then it all changes.
Billboard: I know that this has been a really long two years. Is there anything you think you would have done differently, looking back on it now?
Tate: Oh gosh, you know, the whole experience was such a betrayal and so negative that I’m really ready to get past it, not think about it anymore, and it doesn’t really bear looking back on in my mind right now. [laughs] That’s the last thing I want to do is think about it some more.
Read more at Billboard.
source: billboard.com
Geoff, you are a hasbin, by the way, you spell your name like a girl Jeff
I fail to see why people are so vitriolic towards Tate. What did he ever personally do to you?
I’m glad it’s settled for both parties, but personally, I don’t want to hear a different singer singing classic Queensryche sounds. I wouldn’t want to hear anybody but Bruce Dickinson sing Aces High, etc… You can try, but it will always be a cover version.
But by that logic you’d then wouldn’t want to hear Bruce Dickinson sing classic Maiden songs like Phantom of the Opera, Sanctuary, Wrathchild, Running Free, Iron Maiden and Killers, just to name a few?
“I fail to see why people are so vitriolic towards Tate. What did he ever personally do to you?”
Spitting on band members during a concert was a classless and gutless move by an arrogant ass.
It appears you can’t spell very good yourself, has-been…
I think after all this, Geoff NEEDS to look back over the last two years as well as the few years leading up to the dismissal. He could gain some serious insight and learn a lot from it.
Maybe one day, down the road a little bit, he will look back and realize how he torpedoed the whole thing with his behavior.
For now though, let’s get a new Ryche album going!
I am not disputing that he has a great voice. But I think at some point, when you become hard to work with and you assault other band mates, it is time to go your separate ways. The episode at Rocklahoma was pathetic and embarrassing. Those people had paid good money to attend that festival, the people that were there during the Queensryche set were into it. The only problem was, they were the last set on Sunday night and the majority of people had left.
Tate showed what kind of an ass he was then and there. Then spitting and assaulting other band members, completely uncalled for and totally unprofessional.
To be honest, since DeGarmo left, things hadn’t been the same. I think Todd Latorre has added some needed enthusiasm into the band. He has a great voice as well.