Tate plays Queensryche show solo as daughter denies ‘tyrant’ claims

No show: Rising West, featuring La Torre with Queensryche members

Queensryche singer Geoff Tate played the band’s Scorpions support slot last night as a solo artist.

He said the show must go on after explaining some band members, who last week launched splinter group Rising West, had failed to turn up.

The move came after Tate’s stepdaughter released a furious statement defending her father against accusations of being a “tyrant”.

It’s the latest twist in a drama that serves to increase speculation over the prog metal giants’ future – and casts doubt over whether they’ll perform the five remaining shows in their diary.

Ahead of Monday’s concert in Valley City, Utah, the frontman announced “some of the members” of Queensryche weren’t able to appear “due to personal reasons.” He went on: “Although I would have really loved for all of us to play together, it wasn’t possible for them.

“I couldn’t miss playing for one of the best rock audiences in the world and opening for one of my all-time favourite bands for anything. I plan to rock Salt Lake City today.”

Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren played their first shows as Rising West in Seattle at the weekend with singer Todd La Torre of Crimson Glory. Earlier they said they’d been blocked from making announcements on Queensryche’s website and Facebook page. In a radio interview they added they couldn’t comment on the current situation, but hinted Rising West could take them in a new direction.

Following that broadcast Tate’s stepdaughter Miranda posted a 500-word statement on her Facebook page, saying the singer was “on the defensive” and details of his bandmates’ “hostile” behaviour would soon be revealed.

Miranda Tate claimed:

• Rising West could have promoted their shows on Queensryche’s Facebook page if they’d got in touch with the administrator, as Tate was required to do – but they didn’t

• No one, including the frontman, had direct access to post on the band’s website

• Commenting had been banned because of the amount of “profane” comments

• The singer had worked with outside writers on Queensryche material since the departure of guitarist Chris DeGarmo because the other members failed to contribute

• Manager Susan Tate, her mother, negotiated with those writers, “pissing them off” to divert some of their royalties to band members who hadn’t written

• The frontman wanted their last album Dedicated to Chaos to be heavier, but worked with the songs that were delivered because his bandmates had started writing

• She’d implored the entire band to provide input for their website and app, but only Tate provided anything

• An unnamed member opposed the sending of a thank-you letter to band staff, saying it wasn’t appropriate since they were being paid for their work

• Fan club members were no longer being offered meet-and-greet passes because the Tates had been prevented from running the promotion; and they’d tried to make up for it by offering passes to Tate solo gigs

• All creative decisions, including the controversial cabaret project, had been decided upon by a democratic vote.

She finished: “So before you think the man that worked the hardest by a long way for years and years is a tyrant then think again. You don’t know the facts.”

Rockenfield’s wife Misty replied to the missive by saying “This is all a flat-out lie.”