QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Parker Lundgren was absent from the band’s concert this past Friday (May 21) at the Chiefs Event Center at Shoshone-Bannock Casino in Fort Hall, Idaho. Filling in for him was Mike Stone, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album “Tribe” and stayed with the band for six years. Mike was eventually replaced by Lundgren, a former member of original QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate‘s solo group who was also briefly married to Geoff‘s stepdaughter Miranda.
In 2017, Lundgren, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2009, opened his own guitar shop called Diablo Guitars in the Seattle area.
After Friday’s concert, QUEENSRŸCHE‘s other guitarist, Michael Wilton, took to his Instagram to write: “Our 1st show in 15 months at the SOLD OUT Fort Hall Casino, Idaho and it ROCKED ? #queensryche #1stshowin15months #soldout #forthallidaho #michaelwilton #whip #rychersrule #greattime #greatfans #wemissedperforming #beenalongtimecoming”.
Lundgren previously sat out some of QUEENSRŸCHE‘s U.S. shows in September 2018 when the band was on tour as the support act for SCORPIONS.
Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson are the sole remaining original members of QUEENSRŸCHE, which split with Tate in 2012 and replaced him with ex-CRIMSON GLORY frontman Todd La Torre.
QUEENSRŸCHE has released three albums thus far with La Torre — 2013’s “Queensrÿche”, 2015’s “Condition Hüman” and 2019’s “The Verdict”.
In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Wilton, Jackson and Scott Rockenfield (drums) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Operation: Mindcrime II” in their entirety live.
Rockenfield hasn’t performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in more than four years. The band has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.
The drum tracks on “The Verdict” were laid down by La Torre.
