The queen is dead - long live the Queen (Queen in general)

Name: david_1967

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Product:	Queen in general
Date:	22.03.08 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The greatest live band to grace any stage with the perfect showman

Disadvantages: It had to end!

I never really liked Queen. Oh yes, I knew all the hits and even loved some of them - 'Bohemian Rhapsody' reminding me of christmas parties 'round at the local Labour club and 'Killer Queen' bringing back those heady days when video recorders first hit the market (my father had gotten hold of a 'pirated' tape with ELO's 1978 concert at Wembley, Motorhead's 'No Sleep 'til Hammersmith' gig and Queen's greatest hits). Me and my brother sat and watched the tape until not even the tracking control had any effect on the picture and then, as the sound started to act up, we would skip over the wire on the remote(?) control to pass the time until the old man sorted out some more 'illicit' goods.

It was my brother who was the big fan, he absolutely loved them, which I think was probably the main reason why I in turn chose to ignore them.

However, fast forward (slightly) to the spring of 1984 and Queen released 'The Works', a collection of songs that harked back to their old form which, after the quite bland 'Hot Space' (okay, it did contain 'Under Pressure') and the soundtrack to 'Flash Gordon' (oops!), was a very welcome change/return.

Now, cometh the album cometh the tour, and my brother, being only 16 asked me if I would accompany him to the capitol in order that he see his heroes perform in the flesh. Well, I had nothing on (not in the allotment/bassoon sense 'hillcrestsan' if you're reading!) so agreed that I would fork out the £25 (ticket AND travel) in order to hold his hand and watch a band I didn't really care about.

So, 7th September 1984, and the pair of us are filing into Wembley's indoor arena and there, through an open door facing a merchandising stand, I saw the stage set - huge cogs and visuals a la 'Metropolis' last seen on the 'Radio Ga Ga' video and I was gobsmacked. The lighting rig above the stage was the biggest I had ever seen and suddenly I was rather excited.

The excitement was short-lived however as not long after we are seated Rankin' Roger and his band (NOT 'The Beat' sadly) bounced on stage and give what can only be described as a crap performance. Fair enough they had none of Queens lighting rig to play with and very little stage space but they were still abyssmal!

Then, break over, the lights dimmed, brief musical interlude playing over the sound system and suddenly Brian May cranks up his home-made guitar and 'Tie Your Mother Down' erupts, the rig fires into life and four men begin to create the BEST concert I have ever seen. Forget AC/DC and Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Rainbow, all those pailed into insignificance when compared to this.

Roger Taylor and John deacon, a rythmn section so tight they almost squeaked, and May with his unique sound (thanks to the sixpence he plays with) backing a man of such talent and showmanship it must be like the disciples felt when Jesus did the fish and bread routine. From the moment the band hit the stage Freddie Mercury was in control. With his powerful voice and utter charisma there was nothing he could do wrong.

A medley of older material was greeted with tremendous noise as 'Liar', 'Keep Yourself Alive' and 'Seven Seas of Rhye' tore into the ether.

May showed exactly how proficient he was during the 'Now I'm Here' showpiece as he took centre-stage and, with the aid of his trusted echo machine, played his way into guitar heaven.

Even when the pace slowed and we were treated to 'Is this the World we Created?' and 'Love of My Life' it was hard not to stare in amazement as Mercury held the crowd in the palm of his hand and conducted the crowd to join in (although let's face it the crowd always sing during this section - it is a unwritten law or something).

All the classics were there - 'We Will Rock You', 'Another One Bites the Dust', even 'I want to Break Free' complete with Mercury in tight-fitting pink jumper with fake breasts and black wig as seen on their video of the song. They even performed the Elton John classic 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' which was just amazing.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' was just sublime from the emotional beginning, through the operatic middle section where the band left the stage leaving it awash in strobe lighting and the final piece that just burst the stage in light and sound. The lighting rig was just amazing - the whole unit could life and lower, either trapping the light or opening it up to the entire stage. The rig could even close around the band if the engineer chose.

My lasting memories of the concert have to be the entire arena doing the movements (urgh!) displayed in 'Radio Ga Ga' in sync with the track and Freddie walking onstage at the close of the gig dressed in ermine gown and wearing a crown. He, and the rest of the band, really ruled that night.

It does not feel like nearly 17 years since Freddie Mercury died on 24th November 1991 of AIDS and the World is a poorer place without him. He was a truly marvelluos man and one with two personalities much like Vincent Furnier becomes Alice Cooper when onstage so Farrokh Bulsara became Freddie Mercury.

I saw them once more on August 9th 1986 when they played their last ever concert in this country before Mercury died at Knebworth in Stevenage. I'm sorry to say that this was nothing compared with the Wembley gig partly due to the size of the concert (125,000+) and the material just wasn't as 'rocking' as before as they incorporated the 'Kind of Magic' LP.

I started by saying that I never really liked Queen - however, after that one night of brilliance, I now LOVE them. As a point in passing my brother eventually moved onto to falling in love with U2 and so sold me all his Queen records for a pittance. Result!

The queen is dead - long live the Queen.

Summary: The best band I have ever seen or will see!