Hi !
I'd like to say a few words about my experience from the gig in Kraków, but before that happens, I'd like to go back to the beginning of my passion for Queen....
As silly as it sounds I've been a Queen fan since I remember. As a little kid I listened to Queen on cassettes. And as strange as it may seem, my love for Queen began with Mr Bad Guy tape. All the joy put by Freddie into his solo title track made me smile in my childhood when things weren't going well and still after all those years this track remains really special for me.
"Proper" introduction to Queen catalogue began with Queen I. My favourite track from the album, My Fairy King made me realise how much complexity and distinctive sound has this music made just by four guys. The love for this band carried on and with mixed feelings I've went to their gig. (Why mixed = sadness that it won't be Freddie the one ruling stage tonight / happiness that I will at last see Brian and Roger).
I was in the Golden Circle area and visually it was one of the best places possible to see Adam, Roger and Brian real close. Sound-wise, I had a real misfortune as I was close to the speaker and every moment Adam sang high or any of the instruments had its louder moments not only the distortion occurred but it sounded like Adam was "on helium". I envied people far from me who had seats as for them the sound was perfect.
My thoughts chronologically:
I followed nearly every stream on mixlr which was available since the beginning of the tour so I had a pretty good image of how the show scenario looked, but people who didn't, were annoyed that they were late. They said that when track 13th was drawing to end and it seemed silly to me. (Note: majority of the attendants recognized the track from the first bars and a loud cheer surely reached the band :)
One Vision and majority of the rest up-tempo songs were really energetic and vocally ok. but I didn't feel ok with Adam making obscene gestures during the opener. I didn't feel offended but I thought that those gestures didn't fit with the show. What amazed me was that Adam sang STL close to phrasing of the album version. He really tried to sing it the way Freddie sang it in the studio.
Adam had a real challenge with Kraków audience. It sang well (myself incl.) but it needed to be motivated.
2 examples: after Somebody Toooooooo.... part Adam wanted us to finish it so we did it but majority of the audience sang: "love" on the lowest note from the album version and he showed that he wasn't pleased with it and of course shouted that high Aretha Franklin like ending. Harder situation was after TYMD, during the Gimme all love improv. He stopped his improv. and said, pointing at the other side of the stadium "I bet that this side is going to kick your ass".
Strange thing was happening with The Red Special, in some songs, FBG, Last Hor, IWIA, WWRY Brian seemed to "lose control" over the notes and some musical phrases were ended "out of tune". The most standing out example was BoRhap and his part right before "ooooh yeah, ooooh yeah" (after rock section).
Set List diff.:
Dragon Attack was back and it rocked!! but it seemed like Adam was pressing Roger and Brian into playing it as he said the name of the track 3 times in a row before Brian went from his own improv. - which btw wasn't present at previous gigs - to the track.
TSMGO was played and after the gig someone said that there was a point in it when Adam omitted some high parts but I didn't notice it myself.
I was there myself too, and I think the audience was a bit lame..
Was in the Golden Circle too, and the sound was great!
Dragon Attack was one of the highlights! GREAT!
This gig made me aware of something I didn't notice while listening to the live stream.... I really miss Freddie's piano playing at Queen show. Spike does his job well but his synths doesn't have that magic which was present when Freddie played on a Steinway.