Thanks for the videos, audio, and recaps from Moscow!!
I've watched the full concert from Kiev five times so far--trying to pace myself! Each time I watch, it just seems more and more incredible. It's two whole hours and yet when it ends I still want more! Adam is the very definition of rising to the occasion. It's like everything in him expanded and unfurled to fill that space.
I can't get over how fortunate we are to have a professional broadcast of the concert, and that this beautiful, professionally filmed footage of the pairing is what the world first saw. Now I can't even bear to contemplate having missed out on this historic first-time-ever show. And I'm really glad to be able to see, at least once, the full flow of the show rather than clips. Still hoping for an official DVD from the tour with behind-the-scenes footage and lots of extras, too!
Standouts for me were "Under Pressure," "I Want It All" (talk about rocking it the fuck out!), "Who Wants to Live Forever" (gorgeous), "I Want to Break Free," "Another One Bites the Dust" (so sexy and fun and badass; I adore the moves and the scatting), and "Somebody to Love." But I loved it all. It was live and raw and breathtaking, and I thought Adam sounded fantastic.
I really like the break in the middle that features Brian and Roger (and their other solo moments), not just for the rest it gives Adam's voice and because I'm glad that longtime Queen fans have that special, private time built in that creates a respectful balance in the show and gives Roger and Brian a chance to showcase their amazing skills, but also because when I was watching the concert live, I sensed the crowd (not just us!) wanting Adam back on stage, too. They were really enthusiastic for his return. I think that it gives the audience a chance to miss him and appreciate what he's bringing to the stage in a way that they might not if he dominated the show.
I only have a surface knowledge of Queen from their well-known tracks, so obviously the moment wasn't as meaningful to me as for diehard Queen fans, but I got teary during the drum battle with Roger and his son, thinking what it must mean for them to be playing together in the band in front of that crowd. And Brian blows me away on guitar. The Queen sound is so crisp and clean and distinctive. They're really excellent musicians.
The fact that I'm not overly familiar with the songs probably helps me enjoy the concerts all the more. It's all new and wonderfully fresh for me. I bought one Queen greatest hits CD about twenty years ago, and the first Queen song I ever really knew and loved was "Another One Bites the Dust." It still might be my favorite. And, before looking up their past performances because of Adam, the only live Queen performance I'd seen was at Live Aid. Unlike Elton's songs in the set before them, Queen songs have not been a soundtrack to my everyday life (one factor is radio play). But now that I think about that, it might also partly be because so many of them are larger-than-life songs, not everyday songs. Grand songs.
The shows have definitely revived my interest in listening to original Queen recordings, and deeper cuts. I love Freddie's voice on the songs, but I'm also so glad that I have Adam's imprint, instead of Freddie's, in my ears on some of them. For example, "The Show Must Go On" will always be Adam's song for me. I prefer Adam's "I Want It All" and "Who Wants to Live Forever." And I now love "Seven Seas of Rhye" (I think Adam sings it with so much more flair vocally and otherwise), "Keep Yourself Alive," and "Dragon Attack" (well, I would have loved this one anyway because the music is so funky!) because of Adam.
I'm interested to see how the songs evolve in the upcoming concerts and wonder if they'll change anything up about the set list over the London run since they're doing three shows before an audience where many in the crowd will be seeing the show more than once. I'll also put in a wish for new non-saggy-bottom leather pants before the London shows! Since he's wearing clothes from his closet, for another costume change, I think those gray-and-black striped pants, with the different design on each leg, would look fun and stylish on stage and be comfortable, and from what I remember, they fit.
The other day, I was looking up the lyrics for "Keep Yourself Alive" and I came across this comment from someone who said they'd e-mailed Brian May about
the meaning of the song and this was his response:
"Keep yourself Alive ? well, I don't think we thought success would be easy. When the record struggled to be heard, we just thought ... it'll take a bit more work until people understand what we have to offer. We were not offering normal "Pop" music of the time, so it was not going to be easy to turn the attention of Radio around. We believed!!! Also the whole hit record thing was not perceived by us as the only important thing , or indeed a thing of much importance at all. Our heroes were Led Zeppelin, after all, who NEVER had a hit single!! I think we wondered if having a hit would disqualify us from being taken seriously!
By some stroke of good fortune, we were able to have hits later, but still develop ourselves as an Album-Oriented touring band ..... we carved out our own destiny, by great persistence and much work, and some good tunes, I think! But I feel we were very fortunate too."
Sounds a bit like Adam's experience, too.
Times have changed, and I think radio is vital for Adam for this album, until he's established, but the main message of persistence and belief, being true to yourself, and creating a good body of work is immutable. And also the idea of making inroads despite radio, or as Adam says, to keep moving forward. Brian talks of carving out their own destiny, and I think it's going to be up to Adam (with some trusted help) to engineer his success and figure out ways to drive this crazy train around the obstacles because he doesn't seem to be able to count much on his label. And even if RCA starts to step it up, it would be foolhardy to rely on them. Luckily Adam's smart and has a crafty mind. And we know the Universe smiles on him.
It's been wonderful to watch the loving, joyful dynamics between Brian and Roger and Adam. I'd love to be a fly on the wall as they share the stories behind their songs and their experiences in life and the music business. So glad Adam's getting this opportunity to take it all in. It does seem like Brian and Roger are being recharged by this outing and I hope Adam is as well, and their insights give him a little extra fuel to keep pressing forward with renewed strength when this tour ends.
:2tears: 
As new to Queen, I'm curious why you think the Queen & Adam shows are not a "home run"? It's interesting to hear the other perspective. I'm enjoying hearing Adam sing some of their songs I have never heard before.
...But his voice can be a bit thin at times especially when singing in front of the massive sound of Queen. It's hard to explain to be honest. Mostly it's during the rockingest numbers. His ballads are superb. 
