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The Real Wizard
[QUOTE] [b]YourValentine wrote:[/b]
there are loads of excellent Queen tribute or cover bands who have a lot of love for the music and are really good.[/QUOTE]
While many of them are quite good, none remotely compare to this.
[QUOTE]There is definitely a weird feeling seeing musicians who devote their whole musical carreer to the music of another band[/QUOTE]
Tell that to Yo Yo Ma - he has spent 99% of his career replicating the music of others.
[QUOTE]I am sure the musicians are all great and have a genuine love for Queen music but to me the whole project looks like a very cheap marketing event: Bring Queen back to the USA with the least possible money and effort and a lot of publicity.[/QUOTE]
If you're this cynical now, I can only imagine what you'll be saying after the shows with Adam Lambert :-)
[QUOTE]There was a time when Roger thought that cover bands are very bizzarre but times change.[/QUOTE]
Thank goodness one is allowed to have their views evolve over time !
there are loads of excellent Queen tribute or cover bands who have a lot of love for the music and are really good.[/QUOTE]
While many of them are quite good, none remotely compare to this.
[QUOTE]There is definitely a weird feeling seeing musicians who devote their whole musical carreer to the music of another band[/QUOTE]
Tell that to Yo Yo Ma - he has spent 99% of his career replicating the music of others.
[QUOTE]I am sure the musicians are all great and have a genuine love for Queen music but to me the whole project looks like a very cheap marketing event: Bring Queen back to the USA with the least possible money and effort and a lot of publicity.[/QUOTE]
If you're this cynical now, I can only imagine what you'll be saying after the shows with Adam Lambert :-)
[QUOTE]There was a time when Roger thought that cover bands are very bizzarre but times change.[/QUOTE]
Thank goodness one is allowed to have their views evolve over time !
The Real Wizard
My review of the Toronto show:
After seeing the audition videos, I was generally unimpressed. But after seeing the show last night, all I can say is - I'm glad Roger Taylor was the judging panel instead of me, as he clearly saw the potential in front of him.
The 1250 capacity theatre was sold out. Expectations were high, and rightfully so. Roger Taylor said he picked the best. In any situation that is a tall order. They did not disappoint.
Four lead singers and a five-piece band (most of whom also sang) did justice to the Queen back catalog. While the big hits were performed as is the custom at any Queen-related event, they also delved into the earlier albums more than any tribute act or even Queen themselves had in decades. The March Of The Black Queen, In The Lap Of The Gods (both versions), You Take My Breath Away and Dragon Attack were ear candy for the hardcores, while classics like Somebody To Love, Radio Ga Ga and You're My Best Friend were enjoyed by everyone on hand. Fat Bottomed Girls brought the house down. It has been moved to be near the end the show, being such a crowd pleaser.
One may see the absence of songs like Keep Yourself Alive and The Show Must Go On as glaring omissions. But with a running length of over two hours, it was just not possible to cover every piece of ground Queen covered on fifteen records, so there is not a chance I will call this a criticism.
Vocal harmonies were tight and clearly well-rehearsed. The singers were all strong. Perhaps Jennifer Espinoza had some opening night jitters in Monreal, or maybe her voice wasn't coming out clearly in her monitor - but she was absolutely flawless in Toronto.
Bohemian Rhapsody was introduced by Marc Martel as a song that Queen had never performed in its entirety. This band performed the song perfectly from beginning to end. While all four lead singers were fantastic and each represented various colours of Freddie Mercury's multi-faceted voice, Martel was clearly the strongest of the four. And that is not meant to sound like a disservice to the others. He is just that good. There are too many great Martel moments to mention, but his interpretation of Under Pressure, particularly the "Why can't we give love" section, was delivered powerfully with conviction, where he sounded scarily close to Mercury. Jeff Scott Soto handled the Bowie parts perfectly.
You Take My Breath Away was Yvan Pednault's best song of the night, and despite being a little known ballad, it was greatly appreciated by the audience. The lead singing duties are split almost evenly. Sometimes the singers switch it up from verse to verse.
Overall - there is no cheese factor here. Some showmanship, but rarely was it over the top. Just pure dedication to the music. The lighting show was excellent, and there were some visuals on the screen. Never once did it hamper the music. It simply augmented the experience, just the right amount, just when necessary.
The keyboardist (and musical director) held the fort. The bassist and drummer were rock solid, and the latter even sang the lead on I'm In Love With My Car - not an easy song to do justice to. After a brief but dazzling drum solo, Death On Two Legs and Liar were referenced before the final fanfare.
Tristan Avakian balanced musicality with theatricality perfectly, and stayed true to Brian May's style and gentlemanly stature. Brian Gresh is an incredibly good player as well, but he often opted for speed picking and blazing runs over May's melodic style. That said, the choice to have two very different styles of guitar playing kept things fresh. Also worth noting is the guitar toss in the air antic was thankfully scrapped, but the back flip remains. Back flips are necessary in shows where one needs to make up for a lack of musical depth. Not here. But this is a single two-second moment in a 2+ hour show. His professionalism and fiery guitar style were an integral part of the show.
So, let's compare it to other Queen-related shows.
Tribute act singer Gary Mullen may have Mercury's persona down pat and has studied the voice for years, but Martel simply comes off as more genuine. And the QE band is far, far better. QE wins.
We Will Rock You, being a theatre show, is a whole different animal. It generally sticks to the hits, but in its defense it was designed for the general public, not for the wider spectrum of Queen fans like QE was. WWRY has lasted for a decade, and something has to be said for that. The bands are equally good. QE wins.
Queen + Paul Rodgers was two Queen members and a legendary blues-based singer offering a refreshing take on the Queen catalog. Rodgers was the first (and likely only) singer to bring May and Taylor back together to tour the world and record a new album, which brought joy to Queen fans worldwide (although not all). But the song selection of QE has a diversity that no single singer can handle. That person is no longer with us. QE wins - but barely.
And finally, Queen themselves. The breadth of their catalog could never be fully replicated on stage by just four people. They sometimes came close, peaking around 1976-77. Being a four piece often forced them to re-arrange their songs for the live environment, usually with great results. But it was a very different band. Not better, not worse - just different. The spectacle of Queen's show was always grand. It was their ideas, their theatrics, their creative control. And a member of Queen is the primary reason why the Queen Extravaganza show is such a success. Queen wins.
And there's nothing wrong with that. Being second place to Queen is still an immense honour. The Queen Extravaganza is very likely the closest thing one will ever see to capturing what Queen were all about in a two hour span. It will be incredibly hard for anyone to top this.
I cannot recommend this show highly enough.
After seeing the audition videos, I was generally unimpressed. But after seeing the show last night, all I can say is - I'm glad Roger Taylor was the judging panel instead of me, as he clearly saw the potential in front of him.
The 1250 capacity theatre was sold out. Expectations were high, and rightfully so. Roger Taylor said he picked the best. In any situation that is a tall order. They did not disappoint.
Four lead singers and a five-piece band (most of whom also sang) did justice to the Queen back catalog. While the big hits were performed as is the custom at any Queen-related event, they also delved into the earlier albums more than any tribute act or even Queen themselves had in decades. The March Of The Black Queen, In The Lap Of The Gods (both versions), You Take My Breath Away and Dragon Attack were ear candy for the hardcores, while classics like Somebody To Love, Radio Ga Ga and You're My Best Friend were enjoyed by everyone on hand. Fat Bottomed Girls brought the house down. It has been moved to be near the end the show, being such a crowd pleaser.
One may see the absence of songs like Keep Yourself Alive and The Show Must Go On as glaring omissions. But with a running length of over two hours, it was just not possible to cover every piece of ground Queen covered on fifteen records, so there is not a chance I will call this a criticism.
Vocal harmonies were tight and clearly well-rehearsed. The singers were all strong. Perhaps Jennifer Espinoza had some opening night jitters in Monreal, or maybe her voice wasn't coming out clearly in her monitor - but she was absolutely flawless in Toronto.
Bohemian Rhapsody was introduced by Marc Martel as a song that Queen had never performed in its entirety. This band performed the song perfectly from beginning to end. While all four lead singers were fantastic and each represented various colours of Freddie Mercury's multi-faceted voice, Martel was clearly the strongest of the four. And that is not meant to sound like a disservice to the others. He is just that good. There are too many great Martel moments to mention, but his interpretation of Under Pressure, particularly the "Why can't we give love" section, was delivered powerfully with conviction, where he sounded scarily close to Mercury. Jeff Scott Soto handled the Bowie parts perfectly.
You Take My Breath Away was Yvan Pednault's best song of the night, and despite being a little known ballad, it was greatly appreciated by the audience. The lead singing duties are split almost evenly. Sometimes the singers switch it up from verse to verse.
Overall - there is no cheese factor here. Some showmanship, but rarely was it over the top. Just pure dedication to the music. The lighting show was excellent, and there were some visuals on the screen. Never once did it hamper the music. It simply augmented the experience, just the right amount, just when necessary.
The keyboardist (and musical director) held the fort. The bassist and drummer were rock solid, and the latter even sang the lead on I'm In Love With My Car - not an easy song to do justice to. After a brief but dazzling drum solo, Death On Two Legs and Liar were referenced before the final fanfare.
Tristan Avakian balanced musicality with theatricality perfectly, and stayed true to Brian May's style and gentlemanly stature. Brian Gresh is an incredibly good player as well, but he often opted for speed picking and blazing runs over May's melodic style. That said, the choice to have two very different styles of guitar playing kept things fresh. Also worth noting is the guitar toss in the air antic was thankfully scrapped, but the back flip remains. Back flips are necessary in shows where one needs to make up for a lack of musical depth. Not here. But this is a single two-second moment in a 2+ hour show. His professionalism and fiery guitar style were an integral part of the show.
So, let's compare it to other Queen-related shows.
Tribute act singer Gary Mullen may have Mercury's persona down pat and has studied the voice for years, but Martel simply comes off as more genuine. And the QE band is far, far better. QE wins.
We Will Rock You, being a theatre show, is a whole different animal. It generally sticks to the hits, but in its defense it was designed for the general public, not for the wider spectrum of Queen fans like QE was. WWRY has lasted for a decade, and something has to be said for that. The bands are equally good. QE wins.
Queen + Paul Rodgers was two Queen members and a legendary blues-based singer offering a refreshing take on the Queen catalog. Rodgers was the first (and likely only) singer to bring May and Taylor back together to tour the world and record a new album, which brought joy to Queen fans worldwide (although not all). But the song selection of QE has a diversity that no single singer can handle. That person is no longer with us. QE wins - but barely.
And finally, Queen themselves. The breadth of their catalog could never be fully replicated on stage by just four people. They sometimes came close, peaking around 1976-77. Being a four piece often forced them to re-arrange their songs for the live environment, usually with great results. But it was a very different band. Not better, not worse - just different. The spectacle of Queen's show was always grand. It was their ideas, their theatrics, their creative control. And a member of Queen is the primary reason why the Queen Extravaganza show is such a success. Queen wins.
And there's nothing wrong with that. Being second place to Queen is still an immense honour. The Queen Extravaganza is very likely the closest thing one will ever see to capturing what Queen were all about in a two hour span. It will be incredibly hard for anyone to top this.
I cannot recommend this show highly enough.
Rubbersuit
Thanks for the detailed review. Not sure if you'll agree with yourself about QE being better than Queen+PR in a few days after the post-show "high" wears off. :)
I'm happy it's a good show. Queen needs some wins to counter-balance Queen+ AL.
I'm happy it's a good show. Queen needs some wins to counter-balance Queen+ AL.
The Real Wizard
Perhaps you're right, but let's look at it this way. I've separated the songs into two lists - those that QPR did and didn't play.
Tie Your Mother Down
Love Of My Life
I Want It All
Dragon Attack
I Want To Break Free
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
I'm In Love With My Car
Bohemian Rhapsody
One Vision
A Kind Of Magic
Under Pressure
Another One Bites The Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls
Radio Ga Ga
We Will Rock You
We Are The Champions
Now I'm Here
Killer Queen
The March Of The Black Queen (excerpt)
Bicycle Race
You Take My Breath Away
Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
Save Me
You're My Best Friend
Seven Seas Of Rhye
In The Lap Of The Gods
In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited
Somebody To Love
Don't Stop Me Now
Who Wants To Live Forever
Stone Cold Crazy
Death On Two Legs (fragment)
Liar (fragment)
The diversity really is staggering. Note that most of the second list are Mercury compositions. But with the shoe on the other foot, one can only commend Brian and Roger for having a setlist between 2005-08 full of hits with so few Mercury songs. Yet the complainers said the band was little without Mercury. Irony is just lost on some people.
When I think back to QPR, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the two of them at the front of the stage playing A Kind Of Magic, old chums smiling nearing their fifth decade of playing together. What joyful times those were.
Tie Your Mother Down
Love Of My Life
I Want It All
Dragon Attack
I Want To Break Free
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
I'm In Love With My Car
Bohemian Rhapsody
One Vision
A Kind Of Magic
Under Pressure
Another One Bites The Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls
Radio Ga Ga
We Will Rock You
We Are The Champions
Now I'm Here
Killer Queen
The March Of The Black Queen (excerpt)
Bicycle Race
You Take My Breath Away
Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
Save Me
You're My Best Friend
Seven Seas Of Rhye
In The Lap Of The Gods
In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited
Somebody To Love
Don't Stop Me Now
Who Wants To Live Forever
Stone Cold Crazy
Death On Two Legs (fragment)
Liar (fragment)
The diversity really is staggering. Note that most of the second list are Mercury compositions. But with the shoe on the other foot, one can only commend Brian and Roger for having a setlist between 2005-08 full of hits with so few Mercury songs. Yet the complainers said the band was little without Mercury. Irony is just lost on some people.
When I think back to QPR, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the two of them at the front of the stage playing A Kind Of Magic, old chums smiling nearing their fifth decade of playing together. What joyful times those were.
cmsdrums
Great review The Real Wizard - thank you. And I totally agree- Brian and Roger as two old friends revelling in each other's skills and 'jamming' parts of AKOM really were was a high point of the last tour.
MadTheSwine73
I guess I won't be doing a review of the Montreal show now...
Bob pretty much summed it all up.
Bob pretty much summed it all up.
Another Roger (re)
Radio GaGa with bad sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEQUb9liVDY
This is so similiar to Freddie Mercury.
This is so similiar to Freddie Mercury.
waunakonor
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]YourValentine wrote:[/b]
There was a time when Roger thought that cover bands are very bizzarre but times change.[/QUOTE]
Thank goodness one is allowed to have their views evolve over time ![/QUOTE]
Don't you know? If you say one thing and then say a different thing years later, you're being a hypocrite! The only way to go about life is to be an arrogant asshole who will never change his view about anything no matter how many good arguments he hears against it, because changing your mind makes you a pussy.
[QUOTE] [b]YourValentine wrote:[/b]
There was a time when Roger thought that cover bands are very bizzarre but times change.[/QUOTE]
Thank goodness one is allowed to have their views evolve over time ![/QUOTE]
Don't you know? If you say one thing and then say a different thing years later, you're being a hypocrite! The only way to go about life is to be an arrogant asshole who will never change his view about anything no matter how many good arguments he hears against it, because changing your mind makes you a pussy.
notimeforlosers
Martel on Killer Queen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpqHd8MP_w
And a weak YMBF by Espinoza:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfKWccGdyiw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpqHd8MP_w
And a weak YMBF by Espinoza:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfKWccGdyiw
YAFF
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
I cannot recommend this show highly enough.[/QUOTE]
Nicely written review....but I'll pass. Honestly, I wouldn't go even if it were free. To each their own though. I don't like tribute bands and especially a hand-picked one by a member of "Queen +"
Martel's undeniable similarity to Freddie is actually the most repulsive part.
With Queen + PR, the WWRY musical, Queen + Adam Lambert and now this I can honestly say that I have zero respect left for Brian & Roger. But, hey, I only listened to Queen because of Freddie anyway.
I cannot recommend this show highly enough.[/QUOTE]
Nicely written review....but I'll pass. Honestly, I wouldn't go even if it were free. To each their own though. I don't like tribute bands and especially a hand-picked one by a member of "Queen +"
Martel's undeniable similarity to Freddie is actually the most repulsive part.
With Queen + PR, the WWRY musical, Queen + Adam Lambert and now this I can honestly say that I have zero respect left for Brian & Roger. But, hey, I only listened to Queen because of Freddie anyway.
YAFF
[QUOTE] [b]notimeforlosers wrote:[/b]
Martel on Killer Queen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpqHd8MP_w[/QUOTE]
Fail.
Martel on Killer Queen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpqHd8MP_w[/QUOTE]
Fail.
notimeforlosers
[QUOTE] [b]YetAnotherFreddieFan wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
I cannot recommend this show highly enough.[/QUOTE]
Nicely written review....but I'll pass. Honestly, I wouldn't go even if it were free. To each their own though. I don't like tribute bands and especially a hand-picked one by a member of "Queen +"
Martel's undeniable similarity to Freddie is actually the most repulsive part.
With Queen + PR, the WWRY musical, Queen + Adam Lambert and now this I can honestly say that I have zero respect left for Brian & Roger. But, hey, I only listened to Queen because of Freddie anyway.[/QUOTE]
Go to a Freddie Mercury forum instead. Here is a Queen forum, where people admire the work of Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon AND Freddie Mercury, not only his.
Freddie's widows piss me off so badly...
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
I cannot recommend this show highly enough.[/QUOTE]
Nicely written review....but I'll pass. Honestly, I wouldn't go even if it were free. To each their own though. I don't like tribute bands and especially a hand-picked one by a member of "Queen +"
Martel's undeniable similarity to Freddie is actually the most repulsive part.
With Queen + PR, the WWRY musical, Queen + Adam Lambert and now this I can honestly say that I have zero respect left for Brian & Roger. But, hey, I only listened to Queen because of Freddie anyway.[/QUOTE]
Go to a Freddie Mercury forum instead. Here is a Queen forum, where people admire the work of Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon AND Freddie Mercury, not only his.
Freddie's widows piss me off so badly...
waunakonor
[QUOTE] [b]YetAnotherFreddieFan wrote:[/b]
Martel's undeniable similarity to Freddie is actually the most repulsive part.
With Queen + PR, the WWRY musical, Queen + Adam Lambert and now this I can honestly say that I have zero respect left for Brian & Roger. But, hey, I only listened to Queen because of Freddie anyway.[/QUOTE]
I don't understand the point you're trying to make here. How does QE make you respect R&B (heh, has anybody else ever noticed that pun?) any less when you've never seen it and almost everything you've heard of it is positive? That doesn't make any sense.
Second, how is Martel being similar to Freddie repulsive? It means he can do some justice to the songs, which is a good thing! You say you only like Freddie anyway (something I disagree strongly with) so having someone who's like Freddie should be a plus.
Third, what notimeforlosers said.
Martel's undeniable similarity to Freddie is actually the most repulsive part.
With Queen + PR, the WWRY musical, Queen + Adam Lambert and now this I can honestly say that I have zero respect left for Brian & Roger. But, hey, I only listened to Queen because of Freddie anyway.[/QUOTE]
I don't understand the point you're trying to make here. How does QE make you respect R&B (heh, has anybody else ever noticed that pun?) any less when you've never seen it and almost everything you've heard of it is positive? That doesn't make any sense.
Second, how is Martel being similar to Freddie repulsive? It means he can do some justice to the songs, which is a good thing! You say you only like Freddie anyway (something I disagree strongly with) so having someone who's like Freddie should be a plus.
Third, what notimeforlosers said.
The Real Wizard
[QUOTE] [b]waunakonor wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]YourValentine wrote:[/b]
There was a time when Roger thought that cover bands are very bizzarre but times change.[/QUOTE]
Thank goodness one is allowed to have their views evolve over time ![/QUOTE]
Don't you know? If you say one thing and then say a different thing years later, you're being a hypocrite! The only way to go about life is to be an arrogant asshole who will never change his view about anything no matter how many good arguments he hears against it, because changing your mind makes you a pussy.[/QUOTE]
Ah, but of course! What was I thinking ?!?
[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]YourValentine wrote:[/b]
There was a time when Roger thought that cover bands are very bizzarre but times change.[/QUOTE]
Thank goodness one is allowed to have their views evolve over time ![/QUOTE]
Don't you know? If you say one thing and then say a different thing years later, you're being a hypocrite! The only way to go about life is to be an arrogant asshole who will never change his view about anything no matter how many good arguments he hears against it, because changing your mind makes you a pussy.[/QUOTE]
Ah, but of course! What was I thinking ?!?