Translated from Dutch - Review for Belgium Show
QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT - QUEEN IS IN THE HOUSE!Queen + Adam Lambert - Queen is in the house!
Véronique Govaert
The all-conquering 'Bohemian Rhapsody Tour' rages through Europe and we must have known that, coming from Mediterranean places and en route to Scandinavia, three times Hooray a pit stop in Antwerp is on the program. This week could not go wrong for music lovers pur sang, Monday evening the Rolling Stones in top form, Wednesday Sting at its best at Gent Jazz and then tonight this party ... And we will not sit on our hunger here either, that feels and you notice everything that vibrates through the hall, a gigantic crown shows off on the stage, the flag is flying at the top of the (Sports) Palace ... it cannot be otherwise than 'Queen is in the house' ... .
The Show Must Go On ... without his royal highness Freddie (RIP 1991) ... with another diva as a worthy successor ... Adam Lambert , they are big shoes to fill, but Queen Adam does it with gusto. He is a flamboyant, colorful personality who has earned his spurs in the past decade, he does not replace, that is impossible, but gives his own interpretation and interpretation. Maybe a bit over the top sometimes, but who cares... His openness is appreciated as often as it is criticized, but experience one concert and you will be enchanted by his enthusiasm, charisma, performance and the singing pleasure he radiates, not to mention his voice & especially the vocal range. He strings the endless jukebox of Queen hits together as if they were children's songs and that's what it's about, isn't it, everything else is secondary.
Just now in line on the way to the entrance and once inside looking for our spot you could already notice that a medley of fans showed up here too. All feathers, age, man, woman, X, families, hipsters, not so hip anymore, ... everyone in the loom for another chunk of history. Brian May & Roger Taylor, now well into their seventies, did not choose to rest on their laurels, on the contrary, they take the spectacle to all corners of the globe. Although flanked by old faithful of the band being Spike Edney on keyboard, Neil Fairclough on bass and Tyler Warren on percussion ... After all: The Show Must Go On
On the tones of “ Innuendo”the gigantic crown disappears in height to make way for a phenomenally decorated stage, you suddenly imagine yourself in the opera with red velvet curtains, gold baroque frame, overwhelming, you don't know where to look first. A ridge-filled sports palace goes completely crazy and then we see that well-known now 'silver' curly ball circled by the spotlights. Brian May blasts his guitar through the speakers and with “ Now I'm here” the rollercoaster is set in motion ... for what two and a half hours later will turn out to be a dazzling show that is unparalleled.
Roger Taylor has the drums under control and then it's up to Adam Lambert, who takes the stage in style, with lots of glitter & glamour, in a jacket embroidered with gold and glitter stones and with a high black wizard hat, luckily he doesn't make a rabbit out of that ... Antwerp, Now I'm here ... I think I stay. And that's a good thing, that's what we came for. We are spoiled with a series of hits, some are completely drawn out, others serve as an intro or medley, except for 30 songs this evening.
Who is imitating them? The greatest hits machine is running at full speed and when Adam asks for a round of applause for the two rock legends present, the answer is deafening and Brian & Roger are visibly emotional. Whether we are also a fan of the irreplaceable just like himFreddie Mercury, well that hurts, me too, let's find out about Adam, then let's sing his songs together and we'll do it willingly.
Lambert flirts with musical styles, sometimes it looks like opera, then Bryan & Roger lift the whole thing back to what Queen is, a rock band, indeed. The overall picture is overwhelming and is euphorically welcomed by the fans, and of course, in addition to the music, that includes the show and the spectacle to a large extent. Ric Lipson & Rob Sinclair respectively responsible for the decor & the light show really deserve an honorable mention, what those two have achieved, words are not enough to describe it, you hardly dare to blink for fear of missing something. In addition to the decor itself, we are overwhelmed with moving video screens, hologram-like projections, laser shows, all kinds of animations, images from the old box to the tones of “ These are the days of our lives” and on “ A Kind of Magi”c there are fireworks from May's guitar ... and also one from Adam's microphone ;-)
Besides all the fairytale there is also room for a more subdued moment when Brian May on the middle stage a acoustically brings “Love Of My Life” . The effigy of Freddie Mercury first appears on screen, singing the last verse from eternity with Brian. Goosebumps moment that counts ... After which it's up to Roger Taylor to start “ These Are The Days Of Our Lives” , accompanied by old images of the entire band (including former bassist John Deacon, where would he be by the way . ..)
The show is already well over halfway through, with “Radio Gaga” and then the masterpiece “ Bohemian Rhapsody ” we say goodbye for the first time, but we want more and that is also loudly chanted. And we are rewarded, there you have Freddie in the picture again, he whips up the room some more with his ' Ay-Oh ... Ay-Oh ' and then disappears with a laughing 'fuck you' ..
This will be continued with how could it be otherwise “ We Will Rock You ” and “ We Are The Champions ”... they are indeed champions. What a treat for ear, eye and other senses that was to me. To the tones of “Heroes”, by yet another hero, we leave the room ... anyway the wind blows.
Feel free to take a look at the pics
www.musiczine.net/nl/photos/category/2805-queen-15-07-2022.html
