Last Monday, March 10, 2025, Lisbon had the privilege of hosting Geoff Tate, the legendary voice of Queensrÿche, in a memorable concert at RCA Club, closing “The Big Rock Show Tour 2025,” with support from Ivory Lake.
With his unique and powerful voice, Tate transported the audience through various heavy metal and progressive classics, in an unforgettable night organized by Metals Alliance.
Despite the heavy rain, the enthusiastic audience showed up and sang every song with devotion. The vocalist’s charisma and the contagious energy of his talented backing band served to unite artist and audience as one.
But first things first. At 8:00 PM, we had Josh Watts, former drummer for Geoff Tate, opening the night, performing solo with his acoustic guitar. Josh took the stage without the other members of Ivory Lake. His powerful voice turned what could have been a limitation into an intimate and captivating performance that quickly won over the audience. Josh impressed with his deep and engaging voice, as well as a very genuine stage presence. During his approximately 30 minutes on stage, he performed songs like “My Little Flowers,” “Don’t Talk,” “Pillows,” “Cigarettes,” and showcased his vocal power with the closing “Teddy Had a Temper.”
With his performance, Josh captured the attention of the audience, who were still scattered around the room, and they applauded him after each song, paving the way for the great performance that would follow.
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GEOFF TATE – Timeless Classics
Around 9:15 PM, after a few minutes of waiting, the moment that everyone who had already filled the RCA was waiting for… Geoff Tate’s entrance on stage. Accompanied by his talented and charismatic backing band, consisting of three guitarists, a bassist, and a very effusive drummer, applause began to erupt from the audience. Despite his 66 years, Tate continues to show great charisma and a strong stage presence, and his voice remains as powerful as ever throughout his long career. The opening chords of “Empire,” the title track from Queensrÿche’s iconic 1990 album, were the starting point for what the night would be, causing the audience to erupt from that moment on. In the song “The Thin Line,” Tate accompanied the band with his saxophone at the beginning of the song, creating a fun moment that drew much applause from those present.
Tate continued to run through a setlist where, among other songs, featured classics like “Operation: Mindcrime,” “Breaking The Silence,” “I Don’t Believe In Love,” “Walk in the Shadows,” “Another Rainy Night (Without You),” and “Jet City Woman.”
The end was marked by “Silent Lucidity,” which made everyone sing this classic in unison. Then, Geoff and his band left the stage, but no one moved, as everyone was convinced that there had to be an encore. A few minutes later, the wait was over, and applause began for another entrance on stage. Tate introduced the band and started the version of “Welcome to the Machine” by Pink Floyd, with the guitarists having their moment during the solos, as well as the drummer who at one point played standing up.
To close with a flourish, two more unmissable songs, “Take Hold of the Flame” and “Queen Of The Reich.”
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At 10:50 PM, what was an apotheotic night came to an end.”
Thank you to Metals Alliance.
Photo & text by Hugo Andrade
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