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QUEENSRYCHE by Kieran Dargon My earliest memory of Queensryche was the 'Queen of the Reich' EP released on EMI America in the early 80's. Back then, their sound was more akin to the power metal of Judas Priest, a style that has changed significantly over the ensuing years. I began by asking Geoff what he attributed this change to.... "Growing up I guess. We were all very young when we made that first EP and like any band starting out our influences of the time show. Then after you've been a band for a while you start to discover yourselves a bit and you progress from there." It's been a while since you have had any serious press in the UK. Do you think it's hard for a band like yourselves to get press and what are your thoughts on the subject in general? "Gosh, I don't really think about things that much. I'm always thinking about what I'm doing next, but it's always tough to get good exposure." Do you have as many demands on your time today as you had, say around the time of '...Mindcrime' when your sales were stratospheric and everybody wanted a piece of you, or are things easier now? "Honestly I can't really see any difference. About the same amount of people contact us for interviews. We don't do a lot of interviews really. Usually around the time of release we do a round of interviews, generally we don't go out looking but we're lucky enough we are a reasonably established act...so I guess it helps." By the time 'Promised Land' came out, there was a noticeable change in the Queensryche sound, a move away from the power metal sound to a rawer, more stripped down sound. Was this an intentional move on the band's behalf or was it just the way the writing process developed? "I don't know. I don't really see it from that point of view. We've always gone into the studio with the mindset of doing something new and different, something challenging based on our experiences. It's a form of self expression. You go in and basically you don't shut up. That's kind of the way I look at it, rather than going in with a definite plan so to speak." How did you view the progression from Promised Land to Hear in the Now Frontier? "There was definitely a different approach when it came to mixing the record. There was a real sparse use of reverbs and effects. It wasn't as much as an atmospheric record as 'Promised Land' was and it was really a bunch of just songs, it didn't have a theme to it. Each song could have been on the radio or whatever, but in it's own right. It wasn't something you had to spend all night listening to, where as 'Hear...' is kind of like an evening with...you know… ha ha ha!" At that time you headed out on a support tour, when all of a sudden the record company went broke and you had to pull the tour. How did that effect the band, or moreover how did it affect record sales, or indeed are record sales something that bothers you at all these days? "I'm more interested in expressing myself and experimenting with good music. That's pretty much my game plan, trying to keep experimenting with different combinations of instruments, different sounds , different people...just exploring really." You mentioned working with different people, and obviously Chris de Garmo leaving the band gave you the chance to work with Kelly (Gray). How did you choose Kelly as Chris' replacement? "I don't look at it as replacement, more of augmentation. Kelly is a great collaborator. We sat in the studio writing songs and it felt right. If it feels right it's pretty much always what we do. It just sort of flowed into place. Then we needed somebody to go out on the tour with us and play, and he said I haven't toured that much before, I'd like to give it a shot... so we did it." Did it feel any different on that tour, especially as Chris had been part of the band from it's inception, to turn around and not see him there? "Yeah, at first it was strange. The rest of us have always been playing together pretty much all our career, so it takes you a little while to open up and go with the flow, but it felt good. I've been doing that quite a lot over the last few years, playing with different people and moving in different directions that interest me instead of staying in a safe zone." I would imagine that seeing as Geoff Tate has such a distinctive vocal style it would be hard for many of your fans to imagine you doing anything other that classic 'Ryche material. Is there anything in particular that you have collaborated on that you would consider a total u turn from what you do with Queensryche? "It's hard to generalise. It's different for me. Different musical influences coming out, working hard putting songs together and working is a different way that normal. I guess it's like jazz musicians sometimes describe things as a mental synthesis. I haven't released anything yet that I have done with other people, but I would like to." So is there anything ready, you know fully completed and raring to go? "There is quite a bit of stuff in different stages, some fully completed, some sketchwork, other pieces needing a lot of work...I guess it will find it's way out there sometime." What's you view on record companies 'pigeon holing' their artists just so they can work out which bracket your advertising and recording budget comes out of? "I call it 'the box'. When we first started out 20 years ago there were still a lot of people in record companies that came from the 70's, and of course you didn't have such huge corporate entities controlling everything, so it was aimed at people who knew music. Today most of them come from marketing or finance. The stuff they teach you in marketing works... You need to package and present your product to sell it, and if you don't comfortably sit into a certain niche that they can put a box around, package it and sell it, then it's tougher for the artist to get distribution, get interviews and sell tickets. You have to ask yourself at one point in time, how in the box do I want to be… Some people are very comfortable in there while others are not but realise they need to be in there to make a living at it and others simply don't give a f**k about it... It's all very relevant." Where do Queensryche sit? "I think we're in the box, but we don't like it very much so we try and make it bigger and punch a lot of holes in it, windows we can see out... ha-ha-ha!!" Do you think your non conformance to record company politics can harm the band in as much as they then don't, won't or can't market you and get your record out to the fans? "Oh absolutely. If you are in a box that people like you or class as 'good' then great, but there's certain things you will like and certain things you won't like. Very few people are open minded to all kinds of music in my opinion. Some like Queensryche, some don't. Some like one album, some like three albums, some like none, but as a musician you can't really concern yourself with that too much, you have to stay true to what your belief system is I think... Write for yourself and the people in the band - get the art out there." Is fan expectation something the band think about, and by that I mean are you constantly trying to create something new even though some fans may want to hear elements of 'Mindcrime' in each new record you do take this into account or are you happy enough that your fans will see what direction the band are going in and not have to re-tread old ground? "Maybe this is very simple but it works for me and it makes me feel good. Music is always changing, people change through the years; you can't remain the same, it's impossible. We already did '...Mindcrime', we don't need to do it again; we can't repeat it. I can't even think that way. The only time I think that way musically is live when we get together and rehearse, and then I go...uuuum what did I do for this part...or even why did I do it. I think a lot of people who aren't musicians forget about growth. They expect musicians to stay in the same frame of mind and make their favourite record over and over because it affected them so much. It's great that it affected them, but an artist can't do the same thing day in day out, year in year out because you'll lose your love for it, you're not stretching out and growing. I suppose to answer the question, I never approach writing in a way that I say 'Oh how did I do this on such and such a song on this album or that album'. I guess I'm always in the moment, trying to get out what's in my head by whatever means I can. Maybe a year later when I listen to something I'll go, 'Oh this bit does sound a little like this or that' but it's never intentional." 'Y2K' was received indifferently by the European press in general. How did things fare out in America and are you happy with the sales? "Ohhhh gosh, I don't really think about sales, it's not my thing." That may be, but like any artist making a living from recording surely sales are important, in as much as a successful album will in most cases lead to another while a poor selling one could lead to a record company saying, 'Well Geoff, the last one didn't do too well. Thanks but bye bye.' Is this something that bothers you, or will a band like Queensryche always have an offer on the table from somebody? "All sorts of things are possible; start your own record company, sell it over the internet. There's always somebody who wants to give you money to sell your records, at least that's my experience of it. Somebody will always find money for something they find valuable. I really try not place too much importance on sales or success, I try approach life with an open mind, go with the flow. I've been doing okay...ha-ha-ha!" Looking back the years, is there a particular Queensryche song or album that you feel, 'Well I got it right with this one or that one'? "I think 'Promised Land'is my favorite as a total record. There are a lot of songs I like, I'm very proud of them all - they're all part of my life. From the 'Promised Land' record there's a song called 'Someone Else', a very simple piano song and I think it's the best lyric I've ever written. It's true to the time, it hit the nail on the head...I couldn't have done it better. I couldn't sing it live in the beginning, it was too honest, but I struggled with it and then one night bang....I saw the look on the audience's face and I knew they got it...that was great, very emotional. There's another song called 'Damaged', a very hard rocking up tempo aggressive song. It's great to play live." I was trying to think of my favorite song and I think it has to be Silent Lucidity, and even better live. I have a great bootleg of it live in Amsterdam 1990... oops sorry… "It's okay, I have that one too. People send them to me - a guilt thing I think...ha-ha!!!" So you collect your own bootlegs then? "Yeah, I have about sixty I think but it's great. That's as a result of cultural difference. In the states bootlegging is for money and some people are appalled at the idea of losing money to bootleggers, however in Europe fans go to great lengths to get their hands on bootleg material because first and foremost they are fans. I don't mind I used to do it as a kid too!" So do you listen to them all? "Nah... some are still in the shrink wrap. I have this big warehouse that I rent and keep all the memorabilia there... lots and lots of stuff." So are all the leather outfits from the 80's in there then? "Some of what's left of them... ha-ha-ha. The ones that haven't been sweated through. Some are in the Hard Rock , some in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and that kind of thing. They call you up and they want it pretty bad, so we give it to them." I know a lot of bands complain about radio in the USA not playing rock music, either because they don't want to or because they can't. How do you find it? Is it hard for Queensryche to get airplay? "They can't and they never will... It's marketing, business American style, constantly something new and improved. Every year there's a new and improved washing powder - it's a product just like music. It's hard to get airplay; here and there on certain stations we get some. What's popular in the USA is rave and acid house which is crap. When we were kids it was Purple, Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest that was cutting edge then...these days Smash Mouth is considered cutting edge." You played the UK just before Xmas. How did you find the reaction especially as you had been away for so long? "It was great. That's one thing I wish we could have done is more dates in Europe. We made a classic blunder by not touring in Europe.... We couldn't come back." Yes, you and so many more. I have always wondered if it was management that was responsible for that one or was it the bands weren't really interested in coming back? "It's mostly management's fault, but it is expensive to tour Europe but we have been lucky that we have kept coming back and we have a hardcore following. We toured 'Y2K' for eleven months. That's a hard tour...we're not in out twenties anymore." We've heard here in Europe that Sanctuary are putting together a project featuring yourself, Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford. Any news on that? "Well we started working on a few things, ideas and such, but schedules kind of got in the way a little so we have postponed it for a while, but when the time is right it will come together, we just have to get in the room to get it together." So how do you describe Queensryche's music? Are you plain and simply a rock band or are you heavy metal? "Yeah, rock I guess. Look under 'Q' in a record store. Heavy metal? Well that's not our thing, it's somebody else's perception of us, there's nothing we can do about that,. We just do what we do, somebody else catagorises your life for you. I'm an R&B singer really...!!" What's the story on a new Queensryche album?? "Well nothing at the moment really. We decided to take a step back and take some time to put ideas together. I'm actually a little anxious to get started really. I don't know what we're going to do at the minute, perhaps a small summer tour, a few dates around the states maybe. We'll have to see with schedules etc." You've had a successful career so far - what do you think the future holds for Queensryche? "I don't know, we get together, do a record when everybody feels like it, when we have something to say or when the time feels right. Sometimes it's a phone call, other than that we'll bump into each other but we'll hopefully continue to make great records." You've mentioned in recent interviews that you would foresee yourself working with Chris DeGarmo again in the future. Why did Chris actually leave in the first place? "Well, we've talked about it and we will do something when the time is right, I'm sure of it. The reason he left Queensryche was he basically didn't want to do it anymore, he didn't need to do it. Financially he was comfortable and he wanted to stretch out and work with others. He was in the box and he didn't like it at all." A lot of disgruntled Queensryche fans blamed Chris for the move towards a more alternative sound on 'Promised Land' and 'Hear in the Now Frontier'. Was any of this criticism warranted or were they just having a pop at him because he was leaving the band anyway? "People...and the things they say. What could I say to make them change? Nothing. We just wrote music together and worked on an idea until it was done. Some things were great, some not, it's all a matter of opinion. Chris just felt he got to a point where he was feeling stuck in the box. He's made his new record and he's about to do release it so great." Would you care to describe how it sounds? "I don't want to really. I don't want to say anything except I like it and I think it's a great record. Chris is a great guitarist and he's very talented. I think if people listen they will like it, not because I say so." Anything you would like to add? "Thanks to everybody who has supported us so far. We hope to keep making great music for you in the future and we hope to see you all again soon." This interview was reprinted with permission from Fireworks Magazine. "All those dreams and broken glass went down the sewer with the rest of the trash..."

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