Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album

[Mebert78]

We need to have a survivor of Tate's most cringe-worthy moments over the past few years -- the EPK, the brazil incident, the cell-phone incident, the cabaret, this wig, etc.  The list goes on and on.

[abydos]

No thanks. If we do that, news media all over the world will have to report on a few cases  of spontaneous self-implosion and they will never know what caused it. Cringe in such cosmic proportions is a very dangerous thing.

[ZKX-2099]

We need to have a survivor of Tate's most cringe-worthy moments over the past few years -- the EPK, the brazil incident, the cell-phone incident, the cabaret, this wig, etc.  The list goes on and on.

The winner will always be "Wot We Do."

[Cool Chris]

Just checked the Triple Door's website for these shows in May, looks like about 80% of the seats are still available by my rough estimation. And this is not a huge theater.

[PowerSlave]

Has anyone heard any news or rumors about the legal stuff between the band and Tate, lately? I've tried to search around a little, but I'm not finding anything new.

[The Dark Master]

We need to have a survivor of Tate's most cringe-worthy moments over the past few years -- the EPK, the brazil incident, the cell-phone incident, the cabaret, this wig, etc.  The list goes on and on.

The winner will always be "Wot We Do."

I dunno.... I remember when he was doing promos for Kings & Thieves and he said he was part black, especially below the waist.....

https://www.classicrockmagazine.com/music_and_videos/geoff-tate-kings-and-thieves-track-by-track/

Kinky sex? Well, yeah, of course I’m into it! It depends what your definition of “kinky” is. We all have our lines in the sand. But at my age, I don’t know what it is, I’m more interested in sex now than I was in my 20s. In my 20s and 30s I was more interested in pushing my career, more concentrated on accomplishment. Now, all I wanna do is fuck! Luckily my wife is up for it – she’s at a wonderful age too. We’re having a great time now the kids are grown. I have African-American heritage and I joke to her: “I’m African-American from the waist down!”

Not sure it gets anymore cringe-worthy then that.

[wolfking]

Has anyone heard any news or rumors about the legal stuff between the band and Tate, lately? I've tried to search around a little, but I'm not finding anything new.

It's still getting sorted.

[bosk1]

Has anyone heard any news or rumors about the legal stuff between the band and Tate, lately? I've tried to search around a little, but I'm not finding anything new.

It's still getting sorted.

^That.  There have been trial continuances while the parties discuss settlement.  Since settlement is typically a private, confidential process, there is no news.  Can't remember what the current trial date is.  If the case settles (which it probably will), there probably will not be any news other than the case being dismissed.

[TAC]

Has anyone heard any news or rumors about the legal stuff between the band and Tate, lately? I've tried to search around a little, but I'm not finding anything new.

It's still getting sorted.

^That.  There have been trial continuances while the parties discuss settlement.  Since settlement is typically a private, confidential process, there is no news.  Can't remember what the current trial date is.  If the case settles (which it probably will), there probably will not be any news other than the case being dismissed.

I wouldn't be surprised if it worked out like the Saxon split, where the band continued to use the name, and there was also Oliver/Dawson Saxon.

Something like the band keeping the name and Geoff Tate being able to go with Geoff Tate's Queensryche.

[Mebert78]

I know many of you visit The Breakdown Room.  Just got the e-mail about its closing.  Sad day, but that forum sure accomplished a lot.

Link: https://www.anybodylistening.net/breakdownroom/index.php?topic=5366.msg124993#new

[bosk1]

I know many of you visit The Breakdown Room.  Just got the e-mail about its closing.  Sad day, but that forum sure accomplished a lot.

Link: https://www.anybodylistening.net/breakdownroom/index.php?topic=5366.msg124993#new

This is nothing but pure speculation on my part, but I can't help but wonder:  Was this perhaps part of the settlement?  The owner of the Brakedown Room was not a party to the lawsuit, so of course, he would not have to agree to anything.  But I could perhaps envision a scenario along the lines of the Tates asking the the band request that Samsara shut the site down as part of the settlement, and if both the band and Samsara ultimately thought that that was in the band's best interest...who knows?  Certainly within the realm of possibility.  But, again, I am only speculating.

[ozzy554]

the latest setlist from queensryche w/ todd la torre

Nightrider
Breaking the Silence
Walk in the Shadows
The Whisper
En Force
Warning
I Will Remember
Vindication
Midnight Lullaby
A World Without
Guitar Solo
(Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren)
The Needle Lies
NM 156
The Lady Wore Black
My Empty Room
Eyes of a Stranger
Empire
Encore:
Queen of the Reich
Jet City Woman
Take Hold of the Flame

I hope they play near me soon, I would love to see nightrider live.

[Samsara]

I know many of you visit The Breakdown Room.  Just got the e-mail about its closing.  Sad day, but that forum sure accomplished a lot.

Link: https://www.anybodylistening.net/breakdownroom/index.php?topic=5366.msg124993#new

This is nothing but pure speculation on my part, but I can't help but wonder:  Was this perhaps part of the settlement?  The owner of the Brakedown Room was not a party to the lawsuit, so of course, he would not have to agree to anything.  But I could perhaps envision a scenario along the lines of the Tates asking the the band request that Samsara shut the site down as part of the settlement, and if both the band and Samsara ultimately thought that that was in the band's best interest...who knows?  Certainly within the realm of possibility.  But, again, I am only speculating.

Given how you make your living, bosk1, I would have thought you'd be a bit more responsible than throwing out ridiculous speculation, particularly when you have the ability to straight-up ask me what the deal was. But since you didn't bother to do that, I'll go ahead and put it out there for you:

Emphatically -- NO, closing The Breakdown Room was never a part of a settlement. First, I'm not a party to the lawsuit. Second, had that been something requested by the Tates, and the band (Michael, Eddie and Scott) asked me to do it, I would NOT have agreed to it.  I would never concede anything to Geoff Tate. Ever.  Had that request even been made of me, I would have posted it publicly for everyone to see. The Breakdown Room is a symbol of integrity, and I wouldn't break that for anyone.

The reasons for me shutting down The Breakdown Room are as I stated before -- https://www.anybodylistening.net/breakdownroom/index.php?topic=5366.msg124961#msg124961

And there's also this -- https://www.anybodylistening.net/breakdownroom/index.php?topic=5372.0

That really sums it up entirely. A personal decision after 10 years beating the drum...and winning. I accomplished what I set out to do with the forum. It goes out at the top of its game. Just the way I wanted it, on my own terms. For those of you that are football fans, think Jim Brown or Barry Sanders.

There is so much more great music to enjoy and frankly, I'm glad to be moving on from leading a forum. I can be just a fan again and so some other things I have wanted to do.

So to reiterate, your speculation is completely off the mark and inaccurate and could have been avoided had you simply just asked.

B

[bosk1]

Okay, good to know. 

Just to clarify one thing, nothing in my post is meant to imply conceding anything to the Tates.  My speculation was about whether the decision was somehow arrived at as something that was perhaps seen as "for the greater good" for reasons that we in the general public may not be aware of.  As such, I did not think it was appropriate to ask you, which is why I did not. 

Not the first time a bit of speculation proved to be wrong, and I'm sure it won't be the last. 

[Mebert78]

Interesting insight regarding The Breakdown Room's role in QR's upheaval: https://www.vindication156.net/index.php?topic=136.msg2152#msg2152

[emtee]

Interesting read.

So what is the settlement? It says he didn't want to post until a settlement was reached.

[Zook]

They all agreed that Geoff Tate gets slapped every day for the rest of his life. He's probably into that anyway.

[emtee]

I see a couple things on the net saying an amicable settlement was reached and there will be a press release soon.

[Zook]

Presented by Mike Portnoy?

[jjrock88]

interesting read

[Cool Chris]

Thanks fort the link Samsara, an interesting read. I don't know enough about the personalities involved. QR is just one of those bands where I listen to the music but have no conenction or knowledge with the band otherwise.

an amicable settlement

Pretty sure whenever it says that, it just means both parties are glad they can stop writing checks to their lawyers.

[Mebert78]

Link: https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/going-forward-geoff-tate-will-be-known-as-the-voice-of-queensryche/

GEOFF TATE Is 'The Voice Of QUEENSRŸCHE'

In what appears to be a preview of the upcoming settlement announcement over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name, singer Geoff Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE webpage has changed. It no longer says "QUEENSRŸCHE" at the top and now features a banner with the words "Geoff Tate: The Voice Of QUEENSRŸCHE." In addition, there is a link to "QUEENSRŸCHE Without Geoff Tate" which points to QueensrycheOfficial.com, the official webpage of the Todd La Torre-fronted version of the band.

QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton recently confirmed that Tate — who was fired from the Seattle progressive rock band in 2012 after fronting it for three decades — and his former bandmates have reached a settlement in their legal battle over the rights to the group's name.

Speaking to the Allentown Music Examiner, Wilton was asked when fans can expect a resolution of the legal case involving the two versions of QUEENSRŸCHE. "That's coming up," Wilton said. "What I can say is that both sides have reached an amicable settlement and it's now just a matter of time. There will be an official press release, but for now, you'll have to wait."

Wilton also revealed that the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE is continuing work on material for the follow-up to last year's self-titled effort. "We've already begun the process for the next album," he said. "We have probably six songs demoed so far. We're taking it in a direction suited to what we do as QUEENSRŸCHE but maybe a little more progressive and heavier. The thing is, you never know what you really have until it's complete. It's like carving a piece of clay and seeing how it turns out. You peel off the layers until you get to something really cool."

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 (guitar) 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.

While ruling against Tate, the presiding judge determined that there was no legal hurdle in Tate also using the name with an all-new lineup of musicians. "I don't see any reason that Mr. Tate can't have the benefit, if he gets other members, of whatever name he uses of using the brand," Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira said during the July 13, 2012 court hearing. "I think [doing that would be] inherently confusing, although I'm sure the market can get these things sorted out," she added.

Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson last year accused Geoff Tate of "continu[ing] to harm the QUEENSRŸCHE brand" since the Tates' original lawsuit was filed in June 2012. In a court document, they wrote: "The newest self-titled QUEENSRŸCHE CD release by the [Todd La Torre-fronted version of the band] entered the U.S. charts at #23 and continues to get 9-out-of-10-star reviews and is still selling very well on a weekly basis around the globe. In comparison, Geoff Tate released his own QUEENSRŸCHE CD in April of [2013] titled 'Frequency Unknown' and depicted as F.U. on the cover, which entered the charts at #82, received very bad reviews around the world, and has slowed to almost no more weekly sales. [The Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE's] new CD even outperformed the last two CDs of them with Geoff Tate, selling more in a month than the 'Dedicated to Chaos' CD has since its release in 2010, and charting much better than both that album and the previous one, 'American Soldier'. Thus, the return to the classic sound [Tate's former] bandmates have made with the new CD and live shows has been met with overwhelming success."

They added: "Geoff Tate also chose very poorly in hiring live musicians that have shown that they are not capable of representing the correct performances of the QUEENSRŸCHE music legacy, and he was constantly replacing them. He has been offering his low-quality version of QUEENSRŸCHE to the promoters at a much reduced rate, as low as $10,000 per night, when, in fact, [his former] bandmates have done their best to keep the authorized QUEENSRŸCHE at an average of well over $20,000 per show this entire year. However, this becomes harder and harder with Geoff Tate's sub-par band and cut-rate pricing that continues to be damaging to the QUEENSRŸCHE brand and legacy no matter who ultimately wins control after trial."

In an interview with The Oakland Press, Rockenfield said said that "negotiations are ongoing between Tate and the singer's former bandmates and "there's still time for anything to happen between now and [the start of the trial]."

"I think our confidence is pretty high," Scott said. "There's a lot of legal stuff you have to deal with, but we just feel good and look at it as a light at the end of the tunnel and keep playing shows and making music. I think when you do that, the right decision will be made in time."

Read more at https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/going-forward-geoff-tate-will-be-known-as-the-voice-of-queensryche/#rQhIAuHvokwWqS3u.99

[emtee]

I'll wait for the official press release(s) but I was really hoping Tate would not be able to reference the QR name in any way.

[Jaq]

I really find it hard to believe they settled with him and it would allow him to call himself "the voice of Queensryche." That's just a few words away from saying he IS Queensryche.

[Mebert78]

Is it possible GT also is getting to keep the QR.com site? 

[ZKX-2099]

Man, they shoulda stuck with Rising West.

[bosk1]

Wow, more fail on Blabbermouth's part.  That is not news.

Man, they shoulda stuck with Rising West.

[Nick]

I really find it hard to believe they settled with him and it would allow him to call himself "the voice of Queensryche." That's just a few words away from saying he IS Queensryche.

If that concession made the negotiations work out better for the band I really don't care. All I really care about is that there is one "Queensryche" going forward and that Queensryche is the actual Queensryche.

[Nick]

Man, they shoulda stuck with Rising West.

Pitch this idea to the band: Hey guys, I know you've always been Queensryche, your early years or constant touring and struggle are behind you, and you now have families to support, but why don't you just change your name for a quick out of this situation and forego all the financial benefits and opportunities associated with the name Queensryche?

[bl5150]

It's very confusing if Geoff's website is any indication - the touring info refers to his band as Queensryche and he uses the old Mindcrime era logos etc....

[wolfking]

Wow, more fail on Blabbermouth's part.  That is not news.

Man, they shoulda stuck with Rising West.

It's what they initially named the Todd version of Queensryche, which started as a side project while the other guys were still in Queensryche.

[Nick]

Wow, more fail on Blabbermouth's part.  That is not news.

Man, they shoulda stuck with Rising West.

It's what they initially named the Todd version of Queensryche, which started as a side project while the other guys were still in Queensryche.

Bosk knows this, he's wondering why Queensryche would want to call themselves anything other than Queensryche.

[bosk1]

Exactly.  ZKX-2099's comment is so out of left field that I do not understand what he possibly could have meant by it.

[wolfking]

Sorry boss, of course you know who Rising West were, I didn't even pay attention who posted the comment.  I should take more care. 

Yeah, you and Nick are right though, after both parties disbanded and Tate was out, it would be career suicide to stick with the new name.

[ZKX-2099]

Start fresh. Most of the fans would know who they are and a name change would be the best way to distance themselves from the taint of Tate.