Queensryche File Response To Tate Lawsuit

The four members of Queensryche have filed a response to Geoff Tate's lawsuit against them, and you can read some of the excerpts below.

Blabbermouth has pulled several sections from the response by Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren. You can read the full thing HERE but below is a particularly interesting section:

"Plaintiff Geoff Tate has systematically, in concert with his wife whom he installed as manager, taken more power unto himself within the band and its companies, shutting out the majority with a policy of ultimatums and brinksmanship, while engaging in naked self dealing. When his bandmates, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton finally said enough is enough and tried to move on to outside management, Mr. Tate reacted with a violent physical assault, leaving them no choice but to obtain a new singer. Mr. Tate has now followed with a combined legal and public relations assault in breach of his duties to the very corporations he claims his bandmates are harming. As such, the only oppressor here is Mr. Tate, and his ultimate claims, along with this motion for preliminary relief, fail.

"During this period of the late 1990s into the early 2000s, Susan Tate, Geoff Tate's wife, began her ascent to the ultimate management of the band. Susan Tate first began running the fan club and merchandising portions of the QUEENSRŸCHE operation. She then was instrumental in the firing of then current manager, Ray Daniels, and having him replaced with Lars Sorenson, to whom she then served as assistant. Then, in 2005, she took over management duties completely and Lars Sorenson was let go. This is quite an accomplishment since Susan Tate's only prior management experience was managing her previous husband's unsigned local band. 

"Once Susan Tate was installed as manager, the Tates proceeded to take full control of the band. Geoff Tate began working with outside writers and regularly rejecting music offered by the band. Geoff and Susan Tate asserted full control over the budgeting and production process, not only cutting Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton out of the creative process, but eliminating songwriting royalties and manipulating all advances so as to coerce their cooperation. This was combined with constant threats from Geoff Tate to leave the band if his bandmates did not go along with his dictates. In an attempt to maintain what was left of the original membership and get what advance and other monies were available, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton went along with Geoff and Susan Tate's creative and business control of QUEENSRŸCHE. This is ironic as Geoff Tate has stated publicly on several occasions about his bandmates' integral role in the sound and overall makeup of QUEENSRŸCHE. 

"The results of the Tates' stewardship of QUEENSRŸCHE have been disastrous. Under Tate leadership, QUEENSRŸCHE has produced three albums to wildly declining sales. 'Operation: Mindcrime II' has sold only 150,000 copies to date, compared to 500,000 for the original 'Operation: Mindcrime' in the first year alone, moving on to over a million a few years later. It also received only mediocre reviews. The next album, 'American Soldier', sold only 60,000 copies, less than half again. And last year's 'Dedicated To Chaos', sold an abysmal 20,000 copies. In addition, Geoff Tate has shown an almost messianic dedication to these ill-received songs and musical direction. He openly loathes the metal sound that made the band famous, even saying so to the press. Geoff Tate even refuses to perform the bulk of the songs from the first five, and most popular, albums, considering them 'stupid,' his refusal coming in the face of overwhelming fan demand."

(Blabbermouth)