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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 4:25:52 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 4:28:50 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 4:31:25 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 4:42:20 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 4:52:02 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 4:55:46 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 5:00:07 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 5:03:50 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 5:07:50 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jun 3, 2022 6:05:51 GMT -5
UBER ROCK QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT â BELFAST, SSE ARENA â 27 MAY 2022It is very rarely that I am stuck for words, but I have struggled for two days contemplating where to even begin introducing the spectacle that was the opening night of Queenâs return to Belfast on the opening night of this, their celebratory âRhapsody 2022â tour. And then it hit me: there is only one word to describe what we witnessed this past Friday night⊠and that is âspectacleâ. Because, quite simply, that is what it was.  As we entered the arena, me into the posh seats and DQ into the photo pit, the sense of anticipation was palpable, with Mexican waves and chants of âwe want Queenâ and âwe will rock rockâ rising in volume. However, 15 minutes of droning background music does somewhat dampen the excitement, and the sound of restlessness among the almost capacity crowd is audible. But, in what feels like a heartbeat, everything changes as the sound of an orchestra tuning up fills the now darkened arena and there is no âInnuendoâ as the LED screen raises to the roof⊠which is exactly what is about to happen as one of the most deafening roars I have heard at a rock concert in a long time greets the entrance of⊠well, the queen⊠ And what an entrance. Rich red curtains open to reveal Lambertâs emphatic persona. Dressed in a sparkly three-piece suit and Lincoln-esque oversized top hat as he declares âHere I Amâ. And here he and the band most definitely are, with Roger Taylor sitting majestically behind his kit and Brian May bestriding and commanding the stage as imperiously as their frontman. Yes, they are definitely, and defiantly, here to âTear It Upâ⊠and, boy, do they do so⊠and then some. A medley of âSeven Seas Of Rhyeâ and âKeep Yourself Aliveâ segues into a literally thumping version of âHammer Will Fallâ as the band power through every era of their back catalogue, mashing and mixing with snippets here and full songs there. âSomebody To Loveâ slows the pace down, but does nothing to turn down the heat in the arena, which threatens to melt the ice underneath the temporary flooring, as the audience are not only singing along to every word back to Lambert but virtually taking them out his mouth.  Even though Lambert is every inch the classic showman and ringmaster, he is quick to acknowledge the legacy which he has inherited, his tribute to âthe two rock and roll legends on this stageâ earning the first of many deserved standing ovations of the evening. He comes across as genuinely humbled to be a part of what he describes as âthis opportunity to celebrate the one, the only, the irreplaceable Freddie Mercuryâ, a role he has played for an incredible ten years now. Lambert is not Mercury. Nor does he pretend to be. But neither is he a copycat or a tribute act. He stamps his own identity on what he does and helps reshape the modern version of Queen into a vibrant and relevant live act who lay everything on the stage and in the palms of their audiences, while simultaneously helping to bring that legacy which he celebrates to new audiences, as evidenced by the young boy, no more than ten years of age, two rows in front of us, who sings and alternately air drums and air guitars his way through every second of this magnificent two-and-a-half hour performance. More.. uber-rock.co.uk/queen-adam-lambert-belfast-sse-arena-27-may-2022/
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