QUEEN MAGIC!
Created | Updated Nov 7, 2005
REVIEW: QUEEN – It’s a Kinda Magic!
Ch-Ch Town Hall 11/05/05
It was with great anticipation that I rolled up to the town hall for this much-heralded concert.
I have been a Queen fan for many years (even longer than I’ve been a Beatles fan!), and had promised myself to go to a Queen concert. Alas in 1991 Freddie Mercury died so it seemed I would not fulfill my dream.
But thanks to the phenomenon of the Covers Band at least I could experience what a Queen concert would be like, even though it wasn’t the real McCoy...
I joined the crowds pouring into the Town Hall; I had chosen a seat down stairs in the middle, as I knew this would be very much an audience participation concert! The stage was set up in true Queen style, with 4 large banners of the faces of the four members of the real Queen (as seen on the cover of their ‘Hot spaces’ LP) and a large circular AV screen displaying computer graphic images of the band. An array of laser lights and smoke machine completed the scene.
Soon the unmistakable opening cords of ‘One Vision’ filled the room and the band launched themselves onto the stage – a rather chubby (compared to the real thing) ‘John Deacon’ played bass, a rather young chap in a fright wig was ‘Roger Taylor’ on drums, and ‘Brian May,’ with trade mark long curly wig, was on Lead Guitar. Finally Craig Pesco strutted onto the stage as ‘Freddie Mercury’ complete with trademark moustache and long handled microphone.
The crowd sat in shock to start with, but with encouragement from ‘Freddie’ were soon clapping and dancing in the aisles! Before we knew we were all swept up into the music clapping and stomping in the fast songs like "Radio gaga", "Another One Bites the Dust", "We Will Rock You" and "Tie Your Mother Down", then swaying in time to the slower ones like "I Want to Break Free", "Play the Game" and "We Are the Champions".
‘Freddie’ had several costume changes from tight trousers and braces to PVC pants and cap to drag for "I Want to Break Free". The most moving moment was when he sang "Love of My Life" with images of the real Freddie through the years showing on the big screen.
The 2 hour show flew by and before we knew it we were singing along to the "Bohemian Rhapsody" finale.
It was plain to see these guys loved the music as much as the audience, getting every song note perfect, playing and singing with great passion.
So was my dream fulfilled? I may not have seen the real ‘Queen’ in concert but I can truly say I have experienced what it would have felt like to have been at a Queen Concert..
God Save the ‘Queen’...R.I.P. Freddie...
Ch-Ch Town Hall 11/05/05
It was with great anticipation that I rolled up to the town hall for this much-heralded concert.
I have been a Queen fan for many years (even longer than I’ve been a Beatles fan!), and had promised myself to go to a Queen concert. Alas in 1991 Freddie Mercury died so it seemed I would not fulfill my dream.
But thanks to the phenomenon of the Covers Band at least I could experience what a Queen concert would be like, even though it wasn’t the real McCoy...
I joined the crowds pouring into the Town Hall; I had chosen a seat down stairs in the middle, as I knew this would be very much an audience participation concert! The stage was set up in true Queen style, with 4 large banners of the faces of the four members of the real Queen (as seen on the cover of their ‘Hot spaces’ LP) and a large circular AV screen displaying computer graphic images of the band. An array of laser lights and smoke machine completed the scene.
Soon the unmistakable opening cords of ‘One Vision’ filled the room and the band launched themselves onto the stage – a rather chubby (compared to the real thing) ‘John Deacon’ played bass, a rather young chap in a fright wig was ‘Roger Taylor’ on drums, and ‘Brian May,’ with trade mark long curly wig, was on Lead Guitar. Finally Craig Pesco strutted onto the stage as ‘Freddie Mercury’ complete with trademark moustache and long handled microphone.
The crowd sat in shock to start with, but with encouragement from ‘Freddie’ were soon clapping and dancing in the aisles! Before we knew we were all swept up into the music clapping and stomping in the fast songs like "Radio gaga", "Another One Bites the Dust", "We Will Rock You" and "Tie Your Mother Down", then swaying in time to the slower ones like "I Want to Break Free", "Play the Game" and "We Are the Champions".
‘Freddie’ had several costume changes from tight trousers and braces to PVC pants and cap to drag for "I Want to Break Free". The most moving moment was when he sang "Love of My Life" with images of the real Freddie through the years showing on the big screen.
The 2 hour show flew by and before we knew it we were singing along to the "Bohemian Rhapsody" finale.
It was plain to see these guys loved the music as much as the audience, getting every song note perfect, playing and singing with great passion.
So was my dream fulfilled? I may not have seen the real ‘Queen’ in concert but I can truly say I have experienced what it would have felt like to have been at a Queen Concert..
God Save the ‘Queen’...R.I.P. Freddie...
