Geoff Tate interview (excerpt)

Delicious Agony: Can you talk something about the Art of Live DVD?

Geoff Tate: Ah sure – what do you wanna know?

DA: Maybe give the listeners an idea of what it’s about and what went into the making of it.

GT: Well, it’s a live concert DVD... us playing live and it’s got some songs on it from the new Tribe album and of course some older songs as well, and some unreleased live stuff that we haven’t done before. But there’s a few bonus tracks on it that we recorded last summer I believe, with a band called Dream Theater; we were touring with then. Both bands played together on a couple of tracks, and then we recorded those tracks for the DVD.

DA: Ok, that’s ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’, right?

GT: Uh huh.

DA: Two great versions of those songs. Not to switch topics, but when you were doing it, how was the opportunity to tour with Dream Theater? Because a lot of people into progressive rock really saw you guys as this kind of dream tour that you guys were finally playing together – Dream Theater and Queensrÿche. How was that for you guys?

GT: Well I’ve never heard of Dream Theater before, so it was kind of a new idea for me. And then talking with the guys in the band over the phone before the tour was set in stone, they seemed like nice people and they seemed very eager to tour and had a good attitude, which is always important when you’re on the road. So they sent me some of their music, and I listened to it and I thought, “Well, interesting stuff.” [laughs] So as it turned out, I think the defining time for me was the time we all got to play together which was the end of the show. Both bands playing together live was really a treat – I’d never done anything like that before, so that was really special.

DA: Absolutely and it kinda comes across that way also – that you guys look like you’re really having a good time.

GT: Yeah, we did. We had a really good time with that tour.