Report and photography by Jeanny Petrocchi, Metalphoto
Geoff Tate is regularly ranked as one of hard rock and heavy metal’s outright finest, one of the best high-pitched metal singers ever!
This American singer and songwriter is currently celebrating his 30th Anniversary of Empire Tour with his band Operation Mindcrime.
More than three decades have passed since Queensrÿche left their massive footprint on Rock with their impressive album, EMPIRE and a lot has happened since then…..Which reminds me to the old Dutch saying , we’re not going to get old cows out of the ditch…..meaning we will let the past rest…. When hearing that Geoff Tate was playing the impressive Metropool in Hengelo, it was something that the die-hard fans would not miss.
Fans of Tate’s longstanding career stood at METROPOOL and proudly traded stories about the last time they saw him perform. For many it was decades ago, at Waldrock in 2008! Others have seen him in 2009 at ’’De Boerderij”’ in Zoetermeer and “Hedon’’ in Zwolle.
For many, this was a chance to relive their prime and for others it was a chance to pay tribute to a living legend. He is still the charismatic lead singer with a jaw-dropping vocal range.

Support acts were the Australian band DEMONHEAD and Progressive metal band SONS OF SOUNDS from Germany. After those entertaining performances the audience enjoyed of a 2.5 hour show of GEOFF TATE and his band OPERATION MINDCRIME.
First set they played the whole ‘Rage of order’ album. The hall is filled with cheers and applause as Tate announces he’s going to take a little break before part two; The entire ‘EMPIRE’ album.
Setlist:
1st set Rage of order:
- Walk in the Shadows
- I Dream in Infrared
- So close to you
- Killing Words
- Surgical Strike
- Neue Regel
- Chemical Youth
- London
- Screaming in Digital
- I will Remember
2nd set Empire:
- Best I can
- Thin Line (Tate on Saxophone)
- Jet City Woman
- Della Brown
- Another rainy night
- Empire
- Resistance
- Silent Lucidity
- Hands on Heart
- One and Only
- Anybody Listening?
Addition:
- Last time in Paris
- Take Hold of the Flame
Enjoy our pictures of this concert, they speak for themselves.