Geoff Tate is returning to Tucson. He’ll take the stage at the Rialto Theatre on Tuesday, April 16.
During his 30 years as singer and primary songwriter in Queensryche, Tate never concerned himself with getting his name recognized. In fact, the names of all of the band members were largely unknown to many music fans.
That wasn’t a problem for Tate, who wanted to promote Queensryche as a band — until he had a stormy parting of ways with the group in 2012.
“When the breakup happened and we went our separate ways, people didn’t know my name as much as they knew the word Queensryche,” Tate said. “Of course, I had spent all of those years promoting that name.”
That explains why he has yet to record any albums under his own name. His first three post-Queensryche albums — the thematically connected “The Key” (2015), “Resurrection” (2016) and “The New Reality” (2017) — were released under the band name Operation: Mindcrime.
As Queensryche fans know, “Operation: Mindcrime” is the name of that band’s signature release — a 1988 concept album that traces its main character, a heroin addict named Nikki, on a path to becoming an assassin for a revolutionary group plotting to overthrow a country’s government.
“Operation: Mindcrime” introduced Queensryche to a significant audience of heavy metal/hard rock/progressive rock fans and set the stage for the 1990 album, “Empire,” which became a triple-platinum hit behind its crossover single, the ballad “Silent Lucidity.”
“I kind of had to start with something that people recognized in order to market myself and to sell tickets to my shows,” Tate explained. “They knew the words ‘Operation: Mindcrime,’ and that’s what we used as a way of kind of segueing into me being a complete solo artist now. They had to learn who I was, which sounds so weird, but it’s very true.”
Tate has since gone on to release two more albums, this time under the name Sweet Oblivion featuring Geoff Tate. Those albums, a self-titled 2019 release and 2021’s “Relentless,” will be joined by a third Sweet Oblivion album this year, assuming current plans hold.
As on “Relentless,” Tate partnered with Aldo Lonobile to write and produce the third Sweet Oblivion album. (The main songwriting and production on the self-titled album was handled by Simone Mularoni.)
“We really clicked, and I think we’ve got another really cool album in the works right now,” Tate said, noting the third Sweet Oblivion project is heading into the final production stage. “It’s still pretty early to talk about it. I can’t really talk about it too much. But I definitely see it coming out (this year).”
The Operation: Mindcrime name also ties into the sequence of events that led to Queensryche’s dismissal of Tate. Tensions had been growing within the band, and the situation came to a head in spring 2012 when the band fired Tate’s wife, Susan, who was managing Queensryche, and Tate’s stepdaughter, Miranda, who ran the fan club.
The conflict spilled into the public eye at an April 2012 show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, when a backstage fight broke out between Tate and the other core members of Queensryche. After that messy incident, Tate was given his walking papers.
This led to lawsuits over the dismissal and who would own the rights to the Queensryche name.
In the end, the two sides settled. The band, in a May 2014 statement, said it had bought out Tate’s portion of the Queensryche name and allowed Tate through August 2014 to bill himself as the “original singer of Queensryche” or “formerly of Queensryche.” After that date, Tate could no longer use the Queensryche name in any form, while the other band members would have exclusive rights to it. Tate, in turn, gained sole rights to perform the “Operation: Mindcrime” album in its entirety at “unique performances,” as well as “Operation: Mindcrime II,” the 2006 sequel to the original album.
“What we settled on in the court case was that they bought the (Queensryche) name from me. So that is something I deal with,” Tate said. “It’s probably a good thing because none of them, I don’t think, could have survived if they had to go by their own names rather than the one Queensryche. It worked out for both parties really well.”
Queensryche, with original members Michael Wilton (guitar) and Eddie Jackson (bass) still in the band, remains very much an ongoing entity, having released four albums with new singer Todd La Torre, the most recent of which was 2022’s “Digital Noise Alliance.”
As Tate’s recording output since 2012 suggests, he’s also remained very active as a solo artist. In addition to releasing the Operation: Mindcrime and Sweet Oblivion albums, he’s maintained a packed touring schedule.
Unlike many solo artists that move on from famous bands, though, most of Tate’s touring up to now has not been centered on promoting his post-Queensryche music. Instead, he’s done a series of tours coinciding with the anniversaries of the Queensryche albums “Rage for Order” (1986), “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Empire.”
“I think it was the timing. When you have a 30-year anniversary staring you in the face, it’s hard not to do it,” Tate said. “I’d like to sort of ease back on playing the ‘Operation: Mindcrime’ album in its entirety, but I get so many requests from so many promoters in different places all over the world that want to bring the show there. Again, it’s sort of tough to say no and do something else. But I’ve sort of become interested in compromising with them and say, ‘OK, well we’re doing this show first, but we can be there in 2024 or ’25.’ It’s that kind of thing. I’m just very happy that people want to hear the music, that they’re interested in it. That’s a glorious thing and I’m very humbled by that.”
The only thing that has slowed Tate down over the past decade was open heart surgery in June 2022 that involved installing a valve on his heart.
“It was kind of a surprise to me because I didn’t really have any symptoms, obvious symptoms,” Tate, 65, said. “I just went in for a checkup and they found that I had a pretty serious issue that I needed to get corrected. I just thought I was feeling normal for a guy my age. Since the surgery, and getting the valve replaced, I feel 15 years younger. I feel incredible. I have so much more energy and so much more wind power. I just feel great.”
Tate has tour dates on the books for much of 2024, with a good number of the shows part of his Big Rock Show tour. The shows, he said, will encompass his entire career with Queensryche and his solo work.
“It’s got a set list of songs that comprise all of the different records I’ve released over the years,” Tate said. “These are the singles, the radio singles, the video singles, from the albums. I’m also adding some deep cuts for the hardcore fans, songs I haven’t played before.”
Geoff Tate’s Big Rock Show Hits
WHEN: 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 16
WHERE: Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: $30-$40
INFO: www.rialtotheatre.com
