Geoff Tate Gets to Perform as “Queensryche” One Last Time
At the end of yesterday’s post outlining the details of the settlement for the Queensryche band name lawsuit I proclaimed that there’d surely be more drama to come, despite the fact that this felt like the end. Drama queens gonna be drama queens, ya know? Just look at Stephen Pearcy. I just didn’t think it’d happen this fast.
The lynchpin of the settlement is that Geoff Tate will heretofore be unable to perform as “Queensryche,” but rather as “Geoff Tate: The Voice of Queensryche.” Except no, not quite yet! Apparently the settlement grants Tate one last go-round under the proper Queensryche flag, and he’ll be doing that this summer, billing it as “Queensrÿche Starring Geoff Tate – The Farewell Tour” to clear up any confusion as to which Queensryche it is.
What a clusterfuck! Also, “starring?” I mean, yeah, technically that’s the truth — no one would go to see that band just to watch Rudy Sarzo play bass — but what hubris!
This “farewell” tour essentially amounts to a money grab: Tate knows he’ll make more money touring this way, with “Queensryche” as the first word of the billing, than he will in the future with “Queensryche” as the sixth word. Not that I can blame him. He knows he’s fucked and his value as a performer is about to plummet. It’s also a hearty “fuck you” to his ex-bandmates, as if proclaiming “farewell” invalidates any future performances under the name, by anyone.
If it means a lot to you to catch Tate performing under one name as opposed to another, here are the dates:
July 30 – Hermosa Beach, CA – Saint Rocke
July 31 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – The Coach House
Aug. 01 – El Cajon, CA – Sycuan Casino
Aug. 02 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
Aug. 03 – Agoura, CA – The Canyon Club
Aug. 07 – Fresno, CA – Strummer’s
Aug. 08 – Vacaville, CA – Theatre Deville
Aug. 09 – Morgan Hill, CA – Downtown Amphitheater
Aug. 12 – Nashville, TN – Music Marathon Works
Aug. 13 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
Aug. 14 – Charlotte, NC – The Chop Shop
Aug. 15 – Wilmington, NC – Ziggy’s By The Sea
Aug. 16 – Winston-Salem, NC – Ziggy’s
Aug. 17 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
Aug. 19 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Aug. 20 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre
Aug. 22 – Tucson, AX – Rialto Theatre
Aug. 23 – Scottsdale, AZ – Talking Stick Resort
Aug. 24 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Aug. 26 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Aug. 28 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
Aug. 30 – Bolingbrook, IL – Tailgaters
[via Blabbermouth]
