While speaking on the March 17 broadcast of SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk“, former Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate provided a surprising update regarding his relationship with his old bandmates.
When questioned about his current contact with the group, the legendary frontman revealed that he recently attended one of their concerts. The singer noted he caught their show in Copenhagen last year—likely referencing early February 2025 when both acts played Gothenburg, Sweden, just a day apart. (This anecdote glosses over the fact that he previously watched the band from the side of the stage at Rock Fest Barcelona in June 2017, where he was performing as a special guest for Avantasia).
Detailing his experience at the Scandinavian gig, Geoff Tate explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“No, I haven’t had any contact, no. I went and saw Queensrÿche play in Copenhagen last year. That was interesting to see, ’cause I’d never seen them live before — without me. It was quite interesting. I actually went front row at their show and was hanging out on the barricade. And it was quite an interesting experience.”
The iconic vocalist then shifted his focus to the man currently holding the microphone, expressing deep admiration for how Todd La Torre has handled the immense pressure of the role, as well as recalling a touching interaction between the two at the show.
“I know there’s a lot of weird press about myself and [current Queensrÿche singer] Todd La Torre, but I have to say mass respect for the guy for stepping into my shoes, for one. And when I went to Copenhagen, I’m standing on the barricade there. And the first thing he did when he came out was straddle the barricade and fistbump me, acknowledging that I was there. And he said, ‘Hey, good to see you, man. Stick around. I’m gonna blow you away.’ And he did. He was great. He was wonderful being on the stage that night. It was just really a treat seeing him play.”
When questioned about whether the group had any prior knowledge of his attendance, he clarified that it was a completely spontaneous decision.
“No, we just showed up. We happened to be in the same city. And we had the night off, and so a bunch of us in the band went to see ’em play and check ’em out.”
Addressing whether the audience recognized him standing in the front row, the veteran musician confirmed his presence definitely did not go unnoticed.
“Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. I spent the entire time getting photos and signing autographs.”
Speaking about watching another performer sing his classic material, he praised the current frontman’s immense vocal talent and stage presence.
“It’s so weird. Yeah. It’s so weird. For one, it’s my music, and so [Todd is] singing me. So, yeah, it’s strange. And he’s a really wonderful singer, he’s really good, very technically adept, so he does a really good job of being me. But he’s also, over the years, he’s kind of, I guess, worked in his own personality. And they have music that they’ve written together, and they have their own thing as well. But when the band and he play my music, it’s just — I don’t know. I can’t even describe it. It’s just like an otherworldly experience, ’cause he sounds a lot like me. So I’m hearing me, kind of, through him playing my stuff, and it’s just —I don’t know. It’s weird. I can’t quite put my finger on how to describe it.”
Despite the shared fistbump, the singer noted he didn’t stick around to chat with his former colleagues. “We had to leave before the end of the show,” he admitted.
When host Eddie Trunk jokingly asked if he actually bought a ticket for the concert, the vocalist laughed off the idea.
“Of course not. I don’t pay for tickets. [Laughs]”
The bitter split between Geoff Tate and his former bandmates originally culminated in a messy legal battle over the group’s name following his dismissal in 2012. Guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield, and bassist Eddie Jackson filed a countersuit, and a final settlement was reached in April 2014. The agreement dictated that the remaining instrumentalists would retain the rights to the Queensrÿche moniker, while the ousted singer secured the exclusive rights to perform the classic albums Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime II in their entirety.
Looking back on the legal resolution and the aftermath, the frontman offered a candid perspective on the situation.
“Yeah, I sold them the name Queensrÿche, which they’ve benefited from immensely. And it’s a good thing. I don’t think they could have survived on their own without the name, [in] my personal opinion. [I] could be wrong. But, yeah, and I got the [exclusive right to] Operation: Mindcrime, performing in its entirety. I don’t think anybody enforces the fact that they can’t play a certain number of songs from the album. I think they can only play, like, three songs from the album in a row, something like that. But I mean, Jeez, nobody enforces it. There’s not, like, Queensrÿche police out there monitoring who’s playing what or anything like that. And gosh, it was so long ago.”
Summarizing the unfortunate deterioration of their working relationship, he maintained a surprisingly positive outlook on their shared legacy.
“It’s probably one of the most unfortunate things in my life, is how messy that breakup became. And it didn’t have to be that at all. It was a business thing. It could have just been handled [amicably]. It could have been that, but it didn’t. It got crazy and ugly and weird. And it didn’t have to be that. But it did. And now it’s water under the bridge, and everybody has moved on from it, which is great, ’cause bands aren’t meant to last forever. And we had 30 years of really great music, great albums, amazing tours, amazing experiences, and I’m very proud of what we did together.”
