Sorry to interrupt the Manchester show with my recap of Sheffield!
One week after my first-ever QAL show in Newcastle it was time to hit the road (or rather rail) again. Back in April when the tickets went on sale I was over the moon to discover they’d be playing in Sheffield on my birthday. As I believed then (and still do) that this will be their last-ever world tour, I decided I was going to go all-out and get myself the VIP on-stage package.
So, after opening my cards and getting my lovely birthday cake from Betty on Atop, I left home and took a brisk walk to the railway station. It was a gorgeous sunny day but bitterly cold, around freezing point. My thoughts were already with those planning to get there early and queue.
After checking into my hotel in Sheffield I went for a meal and then back to the hotel where I sat and wrote down some questions I wanted to ask during the VIP tour. I knew I’d never think of a thing if I didn’t go in prepared!
I’d had an email telling me that the backstage tour would start at 6.15 so I arrived at the arena at 5.30 to check in at the VIP desk and get my goody bag. Despite the freezing weather there were a few hundred people waiting already, quite a lot more than the week before at Newcastle. Needless to say I was beyond grateful not to be one of them.
There were just 6 of us with the VIP on-stage package which surprised me, as after I’d bought mine I’d checked several times on Ticketmaster and there were never any on-stage packages available so I’d assumed they were sold out and there would be 10 of us. But needless to say, 6 is better than 10.
I didn’t know it at the time, I’ve only discovered now that I’m back home, that I was in the company of Scuba Dan and his partner Sarah - I just met him as Dan, and didn’t make the connection. He told me the fascinating story of how he and Sarah had been at many of the same Brian and Roger (with and without Queen) gigs since 1998 but without knowing one another. There’s even a photo of them both at the barrier at a show in 2005 but they’d still never spoken. It was only 4 years ago that they finally met and another 2 years until they got together. Now they’re engaged and have a 7 week old baby who they were leaving for the first time to come to the show. They were so happy and in love it was heartwarming to see.
They’d been to both of Adam’s UK shows last year and as Sarah is a fan of Roger solo more than Roger with Queen, she totally understood my preference for Adam’s solo work as she feels just the same about Roger.
It was quite nice because other than Sarah and Dan, the remaining 4 of us were all there solo so I didn’t feel like the odd one out.
Another lady in our party was a Queen fan (well, primarily Paul Rodgers actually) from America who was over doing the first 8 English shows, from Liverpool through to Manchester, so this was her penultimate show. She’d had a standing ticket and had only decided to buy the on-stage package the day before. She was grateful to Adam for giving her the chance to see Queen but said she had no further interest in him (or his solo work) than that. But she thought he did a great job and had really “upped his game” with them over the years. She’d been there at the iHeart in Vegas where it all started.
Another guy was a Queen fan who I didn’t get to talk to much other than to learn that he’d had VIP on-stage just last week at Birmingham. So I think one can safely say he’s a huge fan.
The remaining lady apart from me was an out and out obsessed Glambert. I thought we might need a defibrillator as from the moment the tour started in the stiill-empty arena she began shrieking with excitement. If she hadn’t been so sweet it would’ve been totally over the top. She wasn’t a teenager either, she was a middle aged married mum of two who I’m sure is eminently sensible in her normal life!
The VIP package manager Jo, took us into the empty arena for a look round and then someone whose role I didn’t catch came over and gave us some instructions and then handed us over to Stage Manager Andy. Me “You’re the chaise longue guy aren’t you?”.
This prompted a short discussion about the success of the behind the scenes video from the last tour and Andy told a story about being in Vegas (not with Queen) and being stopped by a guy who had recognised him as the chaise longue wrangler. Needless to say he was gobsmacked.
I said I hoped another such film was in the works for this tour and he said they’d originally planned to do one but then things had got so busy they’d never got round to it. Shame.
I asked him if he worked for Queen or was freelance and like most of them, he’s freelance and also works for Muse (I immediately thought of Matt Bellamy and Soaked) and Mumford and Sons.
Andy also gave us some interesting titbits, namely that there are around 80 full-time crew on the tour and 80 hired locally at each venue. The full-timers (including him) live on 5 tour buses, each sleeping 16 people.
He then took us backstage and along a corridor with a kitchen where food preparation was in full swing. We passed Adam’s dressing room where the security guy (cue me “You’re Adam’s bodyguard aren’t you? I’ve seen you in the background on so many photos”) was standing outside and personal assistant Simon was sitting on a chair playing on his laptop. The Glambert then told him she wanted his job!
Needless to say there was no sign of Adam but further down the corridor lo and behold, Brian was standing waiting for us outside his dressing room. We were later told that this is only the 5th time he’s come out the entire European tour.
We were all standing there somewhat dumbstruck and I was closest to him so I stuck my hand out to shake his and instead he gave me a hug. I was struck by how much younger he looks close up and how unlined his skin is. He has the glow of a holy man - that inner light you see in people like the Dalai Lama. I asked him how he was bearing up at the end of such a long tour and he said surprisingly well and that he’d begun exercising and it was really helping him and giving him so much more energy. Brian then spotted Dan and Sarah and it was then I realised what superfans they were when he greeted them like old friends and asked her about the baby and suchlike. Sarah told him she’d now heard his Lost Horizon solo 92 times and was hoping to make it to 100 (they are strongly considering the Australian tour, taking the baby with them, so she may make it quite soon).
The other Glambert told him how much she loved Adam and she was so hyped up that Brian gave her a hug and laughed kindly at her excitement. He hugged her about 3 times and wasn’t in the least perturbed that she clearly had no interest in him other than as Adam’s bandmate!
Everyone except me had their picture taken with him because everyone but me had an iPhone.
Today I’ve seen Brian’s Instagram posts from Sheffield and it’s clear he was feeling very “up” after his mini spa break so had decided to come out and meet us. For someone with the level of success he’s enjoyed he comes across as so unstarry and down to earth. I really liked him.
We then took the same walk the band take when they go on stage. Near the bottom of the steps they’ve constructed a curtained area like a little tent which is where they do their costume changes. We had a look in and it was mainly filled with towels and bottles of water apart from a bottle of whisky and some cologne belonging to Roger. I couldn’t figure why you’d want to apply cologne mid show but hey….
We were then taken to see Steve Price, the video director (me, “You’re the pre-show banana guy, aren’t you?” - my 3rd time of telling people things they already knew about themselves!) and he proudly showed us the bottle of banana liquor that someone posted on Atop which Scuba Dan had given him - saying that he’d be having something a bit stronger tonight.
He showed us the 6 video screens belonging to the 6 camera operators he directs (5 men and 1 women - amazingly 3 of them have the same name!! 2 x male Robin and 1 female Robyn).
He explained how he watches the video footage of every show back to see where he can improve things. I asked him how much of what we see on the video screen is the same at every show and how much is spontaneous. He said about 60% is the same each time and the remainder unique to that particular show. He said he likes to capture the personal moments where the band interact with one another because that’s what makes it so special for people.
He’s never actually seen a show live because he’s always behind the desk but comes out each night to watch WWTLF because that’s a single static camera shot so he can afford to take a mini break.
He was a really nice man, very thoughtful and still keen to improve which I’m sure is the mark of success - not being willing to rest on your laurels. He asked us questions about ourselves too (as did Brian) which is always a good sign.
There was then a bit more chat with Andy, most memorably about toilet breaks and how Roger had told Brian to make sure his solo was long enough that they could all go and relieve themselves. At the side of the stage I spotted a bucket marked PROSTATE LOUNGE which I was told was a joke about toilet breaks but that it never actually got used for that purpose!
So the tour lasted just over 45 minutes and we were then taken to our on-stage area and told we could leave and return whenever we wanted to due to our onstage wristbands. I opted to stay where I was, having stocked up on water bottles at the bar with my free drinks tokens.
There were 6 folding chairs in our enclosure and I was surprised how big it was. We had a discussion and decided that when the show started we would fold up the chairs and put them at the back, leaving us free to move around. We also agreed that no one would hog one particular area which I was pleased about, remembering some of the sad tales about selfish people who only cared about their own gratification and everyone else could go to hell. We were a nice group of people, I like to think!
Not having a camera, I took this opportunity to ask the American lady to take a picture and email it to me, so here it is. The teeshirt features a still from the Welcome to the Show video. I wanted to visibly demonstrate who I was there for.
Those monitors (right behind me) get surprisingly hot, it’s like standing beside an electric fire.
As you can see, by now the arena was filling up and looking down onto the crowd and seeing them watching us was like when you fly business class and the economy passengers are looking at you as you file into the aircraft first, feeling happy and grateful and making sure not to have a smug look on your face. I made the most of it as I doubt I’ll ever be up there again.
Neil came over to our enclosure pre-show and was chatting to Sarah and Dan. At the time I was sitting talking to the American Queen fan and she was quite disparaging, saying he was interchangeable and only came out to talk to fans to boost his ego. Harsh!
I won’t give a blow-by-blow account of the show as otherwise this will turn into an epic and we all know it inside out, so just a few impressions.
First and most importantly, the sound, whilst not balanced in the same way you’d want/expect in the main arena, was exactly what I wanted, i.e. Adam front and centre. I was in absolute heaven, I can’t even begin to put it into words.
So, in no particular order some observations..
Spike wears diamante slippers on stage. Cutest things I’ve ever seen.
Adam has a mike next to Spike’s keyboard and speaks into it sometimes between songs to give instructions to his sound guy.
Adam is deliberately ignoring the on-stage VIPs until/unless you get his attention in some positive way. He’s not just concentrating on the show as others have said - he can do this with his eyes closed and he talks and points to people in the crowd mid-song so there’s a reason he’s not easily making eye contact with us. I remember the last tour when he was so friendly with the on-stagers, dancing with momtomany and telling another woman he liked her jacket. My feeling is that something may have happened to put him off, probably a Queen fan telling him “he’s no Freddie” or perhaps worse. You’re so close that he can easily hear what you’re shouting. He once said in an interview that he’s more sensitive than people would think and my reason for saying he’s not interacting on purpose is because once he’s sure that you’re friendly, he WILL acknowledge you, like when Iwona was head banging. With our little crowd we probably had the other Glambert to thank for him interacting with us as she was going berserk, screaming his name. Well okay, I was screaming a bit myself, it was quite infectious. And we were rewarded with a smile and a peace sign as he passed us and a few glances our way during the show.
Because he’d met us all earlier, Brian made a point of making eye contact and smiling on the few occasions he came to our side of the stage. Another memory is of Brian at the side of the stage in his cape during the recorded part of Bo Rhap, chatting and laughing away with his guitar tech as he waited for his cue.
I know I’m old school with a 15 year old phone and no Internet access outside my home (by choice) but I was surprised by how the other 5 were taking photos all the time with barely a pause. Even Sarah and Dan, a couple, were both taking photos at the same time.
I can only think that for most people taking photos must enhance their enjoyment (or else why do it) whereas for me it would take me out of the moment and dilute my experience.
Fortunately the on-stage area isn’t as visible as on the last tour and in any case no one would be watching me so I was able to let my hair down as never before at a gig. Normally you’re either in a crowd of people in GA or standing in front of your seat so wherever you are, there’s not much room to move but here was a different story. During the more dancy tracks you might have thought I was doing a Zumba class as I danced like no one was watching from one end of the box to the other. It was magical.
Other times (WWTLF being a prime example) I stood transfixed, barely breathing.
Oh, and another magical moment was during Brian’s LOML when he got the crowd to hold up their phones and it looked like a starry night in the arena.
It was also fun seeing Brian in his harness and Andy freeing him as he came back down to earth again.
The security woman who was detailed to stand in our box said how excited she was to have seen the show so close and how amazing it had been for her so she could only imagine what it must have been like for true fans like us. We assured her it was a once in a lifetime experience.
After the show the VIP manager Jo came back to ask us how we’d enjoyed it and to say goodbye and I floated back to my hotel, at the close of what was perhaps the best birthday ever.
A couple of small downsides - on arriving back at my hotel I discovered I was missing the main item in my goody bag, the custom water bottle. No idea what happened there. And I was so hyped up it was 4 a.m. before I finally got to sleep. This is why I don’t like to do back-to-back shows, I get like an over-excited kid and burn myself out!
Luckily I have until next Friday to settle back down before I do it all again - back in economy class this time!