13thfloor.co.nz/reviews/concert-reviews/queen-adam-lambert-vector-arena-august-3-2014/Queen & Adam Lambert – Vector Arena September 3, 2014
Who wants to live forever? It seems Freddie Mercury’s legacy will. 12,000 fans helped Brian May, Roger Taylor and Adam Lambert pay tribute to that legacy as they treated the crowd to all the Queen hits and then some.
A decade or so ago I probably would have been quite cynical about the idea of replacing a departed singer of a classic rock band with a young up-and-comer and presenting it as “the real thing”, but times have changed. As Mi Sex recently proved, it is possible to continue to present this music in concert without seeming desperate or money-grabbing.
And let’s face it, with more and more acts unable or unwilling to tour, the demand to hear this music performed live will be met one way or another…tribute acts for Led Zeppelin, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Elvis Presley regularly make the rounds.
On top of that, it’s quite clear that guitarist Brian May and Roger Taylor still love to play in front of a cheering crowd…and those crowds want to see them play.
So, when Queen and Adam Lambert took the stage last night amid much fanfare, that mutual desire was satisfied.
The show began just after 8:15. There was no opening act…it was all Queen for over two hours straight.
Adam Lambert was decked out in a black studded outfit…Freddie would have approved…as he gyrated from behind the huge “Queen” curtain and sang the first lines to Now I’m Here.
The stage was impressive with ramps spreading out to both sides and straight out into the middle of the arena. A huge red-lighted “Q” was built behind the stage where the video screen was projected. Later, that “Q” would lower itself down and become part of the stage. Additionally, there were plenty of flashing lights, smoke machines, smoke cannons and, at the end, gold confetti. Let’s face it, Queen was never known for their subtlety.
Though Lambert moved well, looked good and sang impressively, it became clear early on that the real star of the evening was going to be Brian May.
He took every opportunity to take centre stage and solo. At 67 years old, he still has an impressive mane of fluffy hair…the only difference from the old days is that it is silver now.
May got his first chance to shred during Fat Bottomed Girls and the audience loved it. The guitarist has a truly unique sound and it was a privilege to see and hear him play in person.
Despite the rather eye-gouging visual effects during Stone Cold Crazy, the show took a little time to get to full speed.
But after Lambert sang Killer Queen, draped over a Victorian couch, the band launched into a truly stunning version of Somebody To Love, and off we went.
May played a solo acoustic spot, including a lovely Love Of My Life, that featured a moving video clip of Freddie Mercury singing along…and the audience singing as well. Then, after encouraging the crowd to form a Mexican wave, Brian played and sang a rousing ’39.
The band was augmented by keyboard player Spike Edney, bassist Neil Fairclough and Roger Taylor’s son, Rufus Tiger Taylor on percussion and drums.
The father-son team played out a drum solo battle after bassist Fairclough performed a beautifully melodic solo of his own.
The elder Taylor showed off his vocal chops on A Kind Of Magic and Under Pressure. Under Pressure was a particular highlight with Taylor singing the Bowie parts and Fairclough pumping out that famous bass riff.
The show seemed to drag just a little during Brian May’s instrumental solo spot that followed and we could have probably done without Lambert’s vocal vamping after Tie Your Mother Down, but otherwise the show was near perfect.
The closing string of hits, beginning with Radio Gaga and finishing with Bohemian Rhapsody, was truly impressive.
And what better two songs to encore with than We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. The energy coming off the stage and from the crowd was still palpable as the audience streamed out into the street.
Yes, Freddie’s dead and bass player John Deacon is long-retired, but Brian May and Roger Taylor have done well in choosing Adam Lambert to help them continue to present their music live. Lambert had to walk a fine line to avoid becoming a Freddie Mercury impersonator and still capturing the late singer’s spirit. That he did. And so, the music of Freddie Mercury and Queen lives on.
