GEOFF TATE On Illinois Phone-Tossing Incident: 'It's Rock And Roll'

William Clark of Music Enthusiast Magazine recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Geoff Tate. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Music Enthusiast Magazine: There are some questions that fans would like to hear the answer to. For reasons right, wrong or indifferent, you were officially fired from the original version of QUEENSRŸCHE. Now, normally when a lead singer is fired, he focuses on his solo career, joins a new band, or forms a new one entirely. What prompted you to form a second QUEENSRŸCHE?

Geoff: Well, I wanted to keep making records, and keep bringing, doing what it is I do. So I needed a band to do that, and I thought, "What a wonderful opportunity to play with a lot of great players that I've met over the years, play with some of my very good friends that I met over the years." So, I did. Pretty simple, really.

Music Enthusiast Magazine: What's your rebuttal to the recent statements by Todd La Torre, the new lead vocalist for the other QUEENSRŸCHE, calling the album cover for "Frequency Unknown" [the new album from Geoff Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE] a "cheap shot"?

Geoff: I don't really have a comment.

Music Enthusiast Magazine: What exactly was the inspiration behind the "Best Video Rant Contest"?

Geoff: What's the inspiration?

Music Enthusiast Magazine: Well, it generally wouldn't be the first idea from a band to encourage fans to embrace the negative points of an album.

Geoff: I thought it was kind of fun. Kind of a fun little contest, and it seemed to go over well.

Music Enthusiast Magazine: So tell me, what is with the incident from [May 17 in St. Charles, Illinois], where you took a cell phone from one of the audience members and pitched it out to the crowd [see video below]?

Geoff: Well, I think, William, what you're referring to is thirty years of being a performer. And because I happen to be in a lawsuit right now, some actions that I have become very normal with as a performer are getting scrutinized and manipulated to paint a picture of me. And so I that's what I think we are seeing now. Simple as that.

Music Enthusiast Magazine: So you think that footage is just people trying to make you look like the bad guy?

Geoff: I think that's the objective. I don't think it shows me being a bad guy, it's rock and roll. It's what I do, you know? [laughs]

Music Enthusiast Magazine: If that is the case, taking cell phones from audience members and pitching them out to the crowd wouldn't help matters.

Geoff: Well, thanks for that advice, William. You know, I actually have another interview that's happening right now. I've gotta go, but I really appreciate the interview today and it was really good talking to you.

Read the entire interview from Music Enthusiast Magazine.