Tuesday 12th January 2015. Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
When I first saw that Queen were coming to the UK I knew I had to go, no doubt about it... Until I saw the price of the tickets, please feel sorry for a poor student! It was this same reason my mam decided not to buy my dad tickets for Christmas, but when my dad told me after a long day at work that he went to buy some tickets which had been returned to the box office I just couldn't say no. I grew up with Queen, listened to all my Dad's CDs and watched all the documentaries on them.
This would be the first time I saw Queen live, where my dad has seen them more than 4 times. He said straight away that it wouldn't be the same without Freddie but, my god, they kept his legacy alive! It was Bohemian Rhapsody which really did pull on my heartstrings where that merged a VT of Freddie playing the piano and singing the second verse of the song. But the biggest applause was gained in Love of My Life, Brian May (who could have really used a haircut) really connected with the Geordie audience doing an acoustic cover of local classic Fog On The Tyne before his acoustic cover of Love of My Life where Freddie's vocals were merged with the live performance which was just a magical moment which touched every audience member.
Brian May did a fantastic job of entertaining us, getting his selfie stick out as well as using a GoPro camera on the end of his guitar so the audience were projected onto the screens, very rough and shaky but you could tell he was putting all his energy into the concert, as was Roger Taylor who sang A Kind of Magic and did a 'drum off' with his son Rufus which was very intense but very skilled. These two men deserve a hell of a lot more credit than they get, the skill that have mastered over the years is present in their guitar and drum solos which were phenomenal.
Of course I can't not mention Adam Lambert, the American Idol runner up joined forces with Queen and I have to say this is probably the best career decision he has ever made. He's no Freddie Mercury, Lambert even said that, but he sure fits the part well. His flamboyant performance style is a one which would make himself and Freddie paired together just simply perfect. Lambert put his own spin on the songs, not directly imitating Freddie but adopting some of the same manerism when it comes to performance style and hitting the high notes, if he was still alive today I can tell they would be friends. Killer Queen was the shining performance which showed Lambert personality off to a tee, with a 'cheze lounge' (spelling??), a hand held fan and drinking champagne on stage, it showed his persona very well and you could tell he was enjoying himself which made the audience enjoy themselves to. His 4 outfit changes also stood out, lots of sequins and glitter and there's nothing better than seeing an openly gay man wearing makeup and nail varnish, it just makes me happy to see that he is embracing his personality and is being a role model for others. I also really need to know what hair product he uses to hold up his quiff because that held very well!
My favourite songs performed were the opening song One Vision which really set the tone for the rest of the concert, Under Pressure was just amazing, the skill that all musicians had shone together in this one song. And of course Bohemian Rhapsody, I've already mentioned this but this is the one which will forever stick in my mind as well as it being my all time favourite song.
The staging itself was very basic, flat staging with raised areas for the musicians and raised areas extreme stage left and right for Lambert and May to explore. Two large screens and one in the middle surrounded by what I would interpret as a big Q made from a lighting frame, with many many lights. Basic right? Well it says alot to me; this is a legendary band who don't need elaborate sets to let the audience know how amazing they are because their music speaks volumes, and of course it did in Newcastle.
I'm so glad I had the privilege to see this concert as it was the best concert I have ever attended, hands down. I really can't fault it. There's nothing more for me to say about it really: just utterly fantastic!
Rating: 5*
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