How Geoff Tate Bid Farewell to Queensryche
Long-time Queensryche singer Geoff Tate performed under the band's name for the final time on Aug. 30, 2014. It marked the end of an era for longtime fans, after many years and a lot of legal drama.
The occasion was marked with appropriate solemnity (to say nothing of lucidity) at Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill. Fans in Bolingbrook, Ill., watched as Tate bid farewell to his Queensryche years by removing a charm fashioned in the shape of the band's logo (known as the Tri-Ryche) from his belt. As you can see in footage below, the audience was suitably impressed.
It was a long time coming: Tate's former bandmates fired him in 2012, beginning a confusing period in which Tate formed his own version of Queensryche, while the official group replaced him with new singer Todd La Torre. Both bands released new albums and toured under the Queensryche banner, but it seemed fairly obvious that they'd need to reach a settlement at some point.
Earlier in 2014, Tate announced a farewell tour for his Queensryche. Shortly thereafter, the Tate-less lineup issued a statement informing fans that they'd reached an agreement with their erstwhile frontman.
From there on out, Tate intended to call his band Operation: Mindcrime, after the title of Queensryche's hit 1988 album. Over the years, Operation: Mindcrime has gone on to feature Rudy Sarzo, Simon Wright and Brian Tichy, among others.
Their debut LP The Key arrived in 2015 as the first in a trio of concept albums with an interlocking story, followed by 2016's Resurrection and 2017's The New Reality. The Tri-Ryche could not be reached for comment.
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso