As a music journalist and TV producer, I am often asked which album is my all-time favourite and, hand on heart, it is Operation: Mindcrime by Queensrÿche. I first witnessed this album performed live with my MTV Headbangers Ball bestie and Metal legend, Vanessa Warwick, nearly 40 years ago. Now we are all reunited to hear it for the last time at Islington Assembly Hall in London.
Geoff Tate – Operation: Mindcrime – The Final Chapter
Islington Assembly Hall, London – 5 September 2026
Words: Sara Harding
Photography: Nick Tadd
Rewind to the ’90s when Vanessa and I were having a lovely lunch with Geoff Tate in some very posh hotel, and Robbie Williams came running over in full fan mode, saying that Tate was his favourite vocalist and had inspired him and so many other singers.
In fact, a lot of singing teachers I know hail Tate as their biggest influence too. So it was of course an honour to hear his delicious vocals once again here in London.
The Islington Assembly Hall is packed with fans old and new to witness Tate with his current line-up performing what most rock fans hail as the best ‘concept’ album ever.
If you live in a box and have never heard Operation: Mindcrime, it is a masterpiece in concept albums, regaling a whole story set to music with actors, sound effects and everything you need to tell a whole musical saga.
Then there is Geoff Tate’s spine-tingling vocals. We are front row with our air microphones ready to sing along. Sorry to the fans next to me.
As the lights go down, the crowd roar in anticipation as Geoff’s line-up of musicians appear on stage, two guitarists, a bass player, a keyboardist and vox, and drummer to wild applause.
We cheer like crazy at the first sound effects of Anarchy-X, the opening track on Operation: Mindcrime, set in a hospital with a nurse paging a certain Doctor Blair who promptly turns up with a big needle, stating “sweet dreams, you bastard” to their patient.
The band build the scene musically, and then the magical moment arrives. Geoff Tate steams on stage with seriously sexy sunglasses, a cut-off waistcoat and muscles galore. The maestro is back in business and singing pitch-perfect.
His latest six-piece band are super skilled, matched sublimely with the mighty pipes of Geoff. The crowd literally scream, cheers, raises devil horns and bursts into song. We all know every word to every track.
And just like that, Tate takes us through Operation: Mindcrime. The sound is phenomenal. Huge kudos to the engineer and the venue itself, as you could really hear all the stereo effects, and Tate’s voice is simply sensational.
Revolution Calling is up next and is another trailblazing song, packed with anthemic riffs and lyrics telling us more about the journey of Dr X. In an exclusive chat with Metaltalk about this legendary album, Tate says, “I lived in Montreal where I frequented a certain bar. There was a lot of talk about political unrest there.
“I often listened to the locals chatting about this sinister leader who inspired the idea for Doctor X. I sat down, ordered some drinks and made up the whole story.”
And what a story it is.
Revolution Calling, and the whole audience is chanting with fists in the air as Geoff masterfully leads us to completely get involved, which we all do.
We head into the title track, Operation: Mindcrime, where there is a hitman working overtime. The word ‘epic’ is often overused but is well deserved for the man who has written some of the most iconic rock songs over the years.
At this point, the band take it up a notch, and Tate is clearly enjoying the musicianship of the band he has put together for this tour. The aural journey continues with Speak, Spreading The Disease and The Mission.
Geoff is clearly in character, and there is no chit-chat between each song. It is track after track, and these songs do not need any introduction.
Soon we are into one of the greatest and most dramatic songs ever written, Suite Sister Mary. Geoff introduces vocalist/keys Michele Panepinto onto the stage, and she sings and plays her role as the fallen nun perfectly. The male fans in the crowd sing Tate’s powerhouse parts, and us gals sing Sister Mary’s vocals. This was a true goosebumps moment.
As I looked around at this totally sold-out crowd, it is just amazing to see fans old and new enjoying this incredible concept setlist. Nearly 40 years is a long time in an album’s shelf life, but these songs are clearly as poignant to the gorgeous young student crowd as to the older T-shirt-wearing gents.
Straight into The Needle Lies, followed by Electric Requiem. With a band as tight as Tate’s gorgeous waistcoat, it is into the crowd-pleasers, Breaking The Silence into I Don’t Believe In Love.
Waiting For 22 and Empty Room keep us pumping our fists, and then it is time for the big crescendo and the ending of the story of Doctor X with Eyes Of A Stranger.
If we were not all standing already, we would be giving this band of Rÿche a standing ovation.
Then we are into four deep cuts of Queensrÿche classics and a foray into the third Operation: Mindcrime opus, as the set continues with the truly anthemic The Answer.
As we all scream for an encore, Geoff teases us. “Well, that was nice. Let’s do it all night. How about a song from 1990?” He introduces Silent Lucidity, which is hailed as the anthem most rock babies were made to.
A stunning set celebrating one of the best albums ever produced, and I feel so proud to have been there with all my friends, fellow rock journalists and fans and of course Vanessa Warwick.
Right, I am sweating, and I am knackered, so it is time for a pint of wine, very likely Geoff’s own vintage vino entitled Insania, and to relive this epic gig.
