9.2.14 Great reviews from OZ, iHeartRadio Icons Interview
Sept 2, 2014 2:03:43 GMT -5
Post by maya on Sept 2, 2014 2:03:43 GMT -5
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GREAT REVIEW Concert Review: Queen + Adam Lambert Brisbane Entertainment Centre, www.scott-russell.net/?p=1093
Concert Review: Queen + Adam Lambert
Scott Russell@scottrussell_1
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, September 1, 2014
Before last night’s Queen + Adam Lambert concert, I was hardly enthused by the idea of an American Idol alumnus fronting Queen. Standing in for Freddie Mercury is challenging enough, but it’s exacerbated by question marks over the authenticity of even calling it ‘Queen’ without the presence of Mercury or retired bassist John Deacon.
Since he passed away in November 1991, many have tried to fill Mercury’s shoes. Some (George Michael at the Wembley Tribute Concert) have made a much better go if than other (Jesse J at the Olympics). But even the best have struggled to truly capture Freddie’s campness, charisma and vocals without straying into imitation territory. Until now.
The questions I had over Lambert’s suitability were answered by the first couple of songs (‘Now I’m Here’ and ‘Stone Cold Crazy’) . The man can sing. And I mean really sing. He brought to Brisbane the arena-filling falsettos, the outrageous outfits and the flamboyance that fronting Queen demands, together with his own brand of glamour and brash stage presence. When Brian May asked the crowd what they thought of the “new guy”, the answer was a resounding roar of approval.
The hard rock numbers (‘I Want it All’, ‘Tie Your Mother Down’), the pop-songs (‘I Want to Break Free’), the ballads (‘Who Wants to Live Forever’) – Lambert nailed them all, but he was at his best on the more theatrical songs like ‘Somebody to Love’ and ‘Killer Queen’. The latter saw him lay on a velvet chaise-lounge, fanning himself and sipping Moët, somehow managing to out-camp Freddie Mercury while delivering a note-perfect version of the song.
As good as Lambert is though, he is still of course a hired gun to front what is ostensibly now the ‘Brian May and Roger Taylor show’. They are the only active original members of the band, and for much of the evening the spotlight is firmly on them.Brian takes lead vocals on ‘Love of My Life’ and on the folksy ”39′, while Roger takes the microphone for ‘A Kind of Magic’ and duets with Lambert on the Queen & Bowie Track ‘Under Pressure’.
Both showed off their musical chops too, with Roger engaging in a drum battle with his son Rufus (who together with Spike Edney on keyboards and Neil Fairclough on bass form the rest of the touring band), and Brian delivering a blistering guitar solo. Both are insanely talented, but these interludes possibly sapped the concert’s momentum a notch, as does an impressive but mostly unnecessary bass solo.
But of course, more than Brian, more than Roger, Queen WAS Freddie Mercury.The greatest front-man of all time is never far away, appearing on the massive big screen (which sits in the middle of a circle and runway which together form a giant ‘Q’) twice to rapturous applause – first to sing along with Brian on his stirringly fragile take on ‘Love of my Life’, and later during his masterpiece, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
These brief and poignant moments are reminders of the musical genius of Freddie Mercury, and the reaffirmation of Queen’s status as one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. As prodigiously talented as Adam Lambert is and as brilliant as May and Taylor are, Queen without Freddie Mercury can only ever be a re-creation.
But what a magical re-creation it was.
GREAT REVIEW Concert Review: Queen + Adam Lambert Brisbane Entertainment Centre, www.scott-russell.net/?p=1093
Concert Review: Queen + Adam Lambert
Scott Russell@scottrussell_1
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, September 1, 2014
Before last night’s Queen + Adam Lambert concert, I was hardly enthused by the idea of an American Idol alumnus fronting Queen. Standing in for Freddie Mercury is challenging enough, but it’s exacerbated by question marks over the authenticity of even calling it ‘Queen’ without the presence of Mercury or retired bassist John Deacon.
Since he passed away in November 1991, many have tried to fill Mercury’s shoes. Some (George Michael at the Wembley Tribute Concert) have made a much better go if than other (Jesse J at the Olympics). But even the best have struggled to truly capture Freddie’s campness, charisma and vocals without straying into imitation territory. Until now.
The questions I had over Lambert’s suitability were answered by the first couple of songs (‘Now I’m Here’ and ‘Stone Cold Crazy’) . The man can sing. And I mean really sing. He brought to Brisbane the arena-filling falsettos, the outrageous outfits and the flamboyance that fronting Queen demands, together with his own brand of glamour and brash stage presence. When Brian May asked the crowd what they thought of the “new guy”, the answer was a resounding roar of approval.
The hard rock numbers (‘I Want it All’, ‘Tie Your Mother Down’), the pop-songs (‘I Want to Break Free’), the ballads (‘Who Wants to Live Forever’) – Lambert nailed them all, but he was at his best on the more theatrical songs like ‘Somebody to Love’ and ‘Killer Queen’. The latter saw him lay on a velvet chaise-lounge, fanning himself and sipping Moët, somehow managing to out-camp Freddie Mercury while delivering a note-perfect version of the song.
As good as Lambert is though, he is still of course a hired gun to front what is ostensibly now the ‘Brian May and Roger Taylor show’. They are the only active original members of the band, and for much of the evening the spotlight is firmly on them.Brian takes lead vocals on ‘Love of My Life’ and on the folksy ”39′, while Roger takes the microphone for ‘A Kind of Magic’ and duets with Lambert on the Queen & Bowie Track ‘Under Pressure’.
Both showed off their musical chops too, with Roger engaging in a drum battle with his son Rufus (who together with Spike Edney on keyboards and Neil Fairclough on bass form the rest of the touring band), and Brian delivering a blistering guitar solo. Both are insanely talented, but these interludes possibly sapped the concert’s momentum a notch, as does an impressive but mostly unnecessary bass solo.
But of course, more than Brian, more than Roger, Queen WAS Freddie Mercury.The greatest front-man of all time is never far away, appearing on the massive big screen (which sits in the middle of a circle and runway which together form a giant ‘Q’) twice to rapturous applause – first to sing along with Brian on his stirringly fragile take on ‘Love of my Life’, and later during his masterpiece, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
These brief and poignant moments are reminders of the musical genius of Freddie Mercury, and the reaffirmation of Queen’s status as one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. As prodigiously talented as Adam Lambert is and as brilliant as May and Taylor are, Queen without Freddie Mercury can only ever be a re-creation.
But what a magical re-creation it was.
