Videos of Queensryche at Halfway Jam

Awhile back I put a call out to all of you to submit reviews of the Halfway Jam if you were heading up that way. A couple readers did answer that call, and hopefully we'll have the reviews and photos soon.

Fan-filmed videos of Queensryche with Todd LaTorre on vocals instead of Geoff Tate are popping up all over YouTube. The clip of the band doing "Take Hold of the Flame" is pretty darn impressive.

Also, the band has a new website, at www.queensrycheofficial.com.

And here's "Warning"

Comments

[Ace Steele]

Geoff WHO?

[Rock-It]

I wasn't thrilled when Queensryche was named for the 2012 M3 festival...

But I sure hope they will be back in 2013 with this line-up..

[Roy]

I am IMPRESSED!!!! I agree with ACE!!

[SparkyDR99]

The guy is fine compared to Geoff Tate now, but that is not the bill of goods they are selling us. This is supposed to be the QR of the first 5 records, and truth be told this guy couldn't hold a 1985 Geoff Tates jock! No Tate/DeGarmo = cover band.

[Metalboy!]

I'm with Sparky.

And that's including the fact that I only REALLY like one song from Queensryche, no matter who they are now... "Queen Of The Reich"!!!

p.s. I was at M3 and totally avoided 'em, instead hitting the VIP Deck to kinda watch 'em out of the corner of my eye on the closed circuit TV Simulcast to see if there was any chance they might screw up and actually play "Queen Of The Reich" while, at the same time, working over some Semi-Retired Strippers who were equally disinterested. If they did play it, I was too distracted to notice anyway. RATT, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

[Gary]

>Semi-Retired Strippers<

MB, Does that mean they only remove half their clothing?? LOL

P.S. I kind of lost interest in QR when Chris DeGarmo bailed out.That being said, those 2 clips sound pretty impressive......

[Metalboy!]

Hahaha!!! Gary! That was good!

[fletch]

MB must've been following me throughout M3, because every time MB posts about that day, it parallels mine, almost to the nanosecond. My buddy and I had pit seating for M3, but before QR came on, we left our seats to saunter up to the 2nd stage and finish out M3 from there, soooo, I took a cue from an anonymous poster a while back and started to scout the lawn for two people in QR T-shirts, once I found a pair, we gave them our tickets for them to get into the pit and see their favorite band up close. I didn't, however, talk up semi retired strippers, but I did see someone who fronts a Joan Jett Tribute band and she had the look, voice and mannerisms down to almost perfection, so I struck up a conversation with her and we discussed our day and it's highlights- every response from her had that throaty, raspy accent. She was THE cutest little thing that I saw that day. As usual, from what I observed from the stage monitors, QR sucked- even more than usual. It wasn't until a few days later that I learned why.

[Him]

I'm just curious, given that this is a topic that pops up quite regularly: what determines the label of 'cover band' to a group that travels with the same name but different players/musicians? Is it _who_ is replaced? Just checking my consistency meter here.

I am also not sure I understand SparkyDR99's other complaint: that this is a false bill of goods given that it isn't QR with Tate but also that the new singer is 'fine' when compared to Tate now. Many bands with most or all of the original members couldn't hold their own earlier jocks if I get the logic (and likely I don't).

I go away for a couple of weeks and return to find the same engaging forays into metal. Consistency on that point indeed.

By the way, Fletch, what is the name of the cover band?

[Metalboy!]

Fletch ! Are you telling me you didn't see RATT?

[fletch]

that is what I am telling you, MB. Don't get me wrong. I love RATT, but if you remember, Cinderella was supposed to be main stage the headliner and therefore, QR probably would have headlined the 2nd stage, so if that happened, I would've stayed till the end. As it happened, Cinderella cancelled, and I wanted to see Skid Row close the second stage. I really didn't want to make my way back down to the pit for RATT and then have to beat the crowd and traffic afterward, so I gave away my pit seating as mentioned above and finished out the festival watching the beginning of RATT on the Jumbotron and hearing their ending in the parking lot. Considering that I woke up @ 4:00, left PA @ 5:00, cracked my first beer @ 10:30am (and my last @ 6:00pm), I think RATT would understand my point-blank absence at their show.

So, yes, I took a cue from the anonymous poster from a while back and gave away my seats to two guys in Queensryche T-shirts and let them see a shitty performance, instead.

[scott whitt]

I find it strange that QR had a shitty performance according to you two, but it sounded great on HDNet. Rocklahoma, was another matter and we know why. I saw them last summer and Geoff, and the band, sounded great and they did "Queen". The note he can't hit anymore is from "Take Hold of the Flame". However, who else can hit notes that high after 25 years. I think why it may be fair to call this a cover band, it there is no new material and doesn't seem to be any in the pipeline. They were formed to play stuff from the 1st 5 QR albums and that has tribute band written allover it. Plus when you hire a singer that sounds just like the other guy, it doesn't help the originality aspect.

[Him]

All great points Scott. I can totally see that perspective on the whole 'cover' band issue. Thanks for the input.

[Metalboy!]

What a waste of time and energy discussing these jokers. Queensryche in any shape or form pretty much SUXX save for a few songs.

It's not the talent and ability to hit high notes that are in question in my mind (and ears) -- it's their songwriting ability. Beyond their classic, "Queen Of The Reich", they pretty much got nothin'. Alright, I'll give 'em "Jet City Woman" but that comes nowhere even close to the excellence of "Queen". One hit wonder.