| Mercury-Alive 20.04.2005 17:07 |
Please tell me what did they play on the Antwerp show? Any new songs? I hope so! |
| FriedChicken 20.04.2005 17:08 |
Dude, when do you think they have time to REHEARSE new songs. You have to rehearse them. And they play a lot of shows, and in the 1 day break they have to travel. There is no time for rehearsals. Maybe during the 1 month break before the June and July gigs |
| Mercury-Alive 20.04.2005 17:14 |
Dude, If they play new songs is always possible. Did they rehearse for Long Away. The answer is simpley and short: NO Please put a review not this boring information |
| Lennart Heim 20.04.2005 17:23 |
calm down dude.... i think FriedChicken is right... they need to rehearse before they are going to play any new songs. brian played just a small part of long away, it wasnt the entire song with the band. |
| Shane Jazz 20.04.2005 17:39 |
I agree with both sides...It definitely requires some rehearsing in order to introduce a new song properly. But I have the same exact reaction every time a new show is played. I rush to read the setlist, too, just in case a new one is added. So I understand completely where WJansen is coming from. |
| bokkepoot 20.04.2005 18:13 |
just back from the concert....and no new songs As far as I have seen, there is no change in the setlist. It was anyway a very good show with almost no failures. |
| Atheïst 20.04.2005 19:00 |
Hi, just back from Antwerp too, it was indead the same setlist. It was a very good show. Anyone who did not see them live before will certainly listen differently to the music afterwards. I myself did not realize how heavy Queen really are, and the empty stool during loml is a very special thing. Furthermore kick-ass lighting and a kick-ass bass-player. Really good. Also Roger is still very impressive, and an even better drummer than I thought. He was beating the shit out of those drums! Also Paul Rodgers really is a great singer, with a very strong voice. A real recommendation to anyone! |
| Gezelle 20.04.2005 19:06 |
A great show indeed! During TATDOOL, the tears were coming in my eyes, it was on the one hand such a beautiful song (and beautifully performed!), on the other hand it was so sad thinking of "what could have been if..." I almost got a drumstick from Roger, too bad he didn't throw it a meter further into the audience :-) Also too bad that both VRT and VTM (the two major Flemish TV channels) only interviewed people who didn't like it, and did nothing but complaining that "it's not the same anymore"... Well, didn't they know that before they went? Did they expect Freddie to be the singer or what??? I think Paul deserves much more than that, he does a good job, technically he's superb! The only thing I didn't like, is that the songs don't "flow" like they used to, he interrupts them in some way (hope you know what I mean...) After all, I'm very glad I went, and that finally I got to see some of my heroes! Especially Roger singing "I'm in love with my car" was so thrilling!!! Hope to catch them again in Köln in July! |
| justanoldfan 20.04.2005 19:07 |
It was great and Roger came very close to playing a solo on drums :-) |
| Knute 20.04.2005 23:31 |
Someone on QOL said that Feel Like Makin' Love was re-introduced. So I take it that person was high? |
| Mr. Scully 21.04.2005 02:15 |
"AFTER 'God Save The Queen', the first five minutes or so of Track 13 were played, before fading it." That's on every show. So was Feel Like Makin' Love played or not? And I DON'T mean the playback (tape) version before each concert. |
| Fat Lizzy 21.04.2005 02:17 |
Ok, first of all the sound in the Sportspalais was a bit crappy but I managed to record the whole concert tho it has way too much bass. Ill see what I can do about that and mayb Ill upload it. Second they played all regular songs, but: - Track 13 Intro was left out and they played it's a beautiful day instead - They played a track against AIDS and for the fight against it by Nelson Mandela (Say It's Not True, sang by Roger) I can post some more if I get the bootleg, oh and Brian made a small mistake in Love of My Life :( Ps: The seats were crappy too!!! |
| bbb 21.04.2005 02:30 |
The version of Feel Like Makin' Love they play before the concert is by Hayseed Dixee and is frim the album Let There Be Rockgrass. It's a great album..Fat Bottomed Girls is also on it. |
| willem-jan 8923 21.04.2005 03:11 |
Scully: Feel like making love WAS played. |
| mr bad guy 5656 21.04.2005 04:00 |
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhh!!! This was awesome. Absolutely fabulous!!! Brian was genius, Roger very much 'in shape' while Paul was giving it all. The band enjoyed it very much I think. The crowd was absolutely going out of his mind. Nearly every word of every song was sung along. How wonderful, Queen is still alive. The tribute to Freddie was very much ok, very beautiful but not kitschy or whatever. The roofjoke was hilarious. Hihi! I love this band ps: love of my life was probably the show's highlight... |
| guest 21.04.2005 04:57 |
I disagree about the crowd. During the show it was as if they were attending a classical concert. Only cheering and clapping when the band showed them how to do it ! Crowd in Barcelona MUCH better, now wait till you see Rotterdam !! |
| Rien 21.04.2005 05:04 |
Having seen Brixton and Paris, the latest shows seems to be near perfection right now. I already heard that Frankfurt was fantastic. So, a great show, lots of use of the catwalk, a lot of pretty lights and real improvement of the performance in all. Brian sang '39 but in this song he stopped after the first verse and then explained the song. He shouldn't have done that I think, but just perform the song. I've uploaded some pics on my site from this Antwerp concert. |
| DOOL 21.04.2005 05:26 |
I loved every second of the concert. I was lucky enough to stand about 3 meters from the stage :-) I don't know about the rest of the crowd, since I didn't notice anything around me going on... although at the end of the concert I noticed that the people who where sitting in the rings looked as if they didn't move at all.... And anybody who is complaining it is not the same as when Freddie was still amongst us: No of course not.. but Paul did a great job in his performance. |
| Hank H. 21.04.2005 06:13 |
What is this about Brian and the mistake in LOML. He obviously makes this mistake in every show. Is it that difficult to play for a guitarist? Don't think so. Strange. |
| Sunshine 21.04.2005 07:02 |
He did made a mistake. During the the end of the classical solo he made a small mistake. I also noticed a mistake in the fast solo of I Want It All. It shows his humanity and makes the rest more impressive. Paul Rodgers was indeed singing not the right melodies and that was annoying me. He was showing off his vocal capabilities and that's not the issue in this show. He should have sung the songs decently and cut out the crap with that bluesy shit. I was impressed, but the version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love was soooooo lame!!! Come on, the played like it was the 1000000th time. No enthousiasm at all. And to be honest....I still don't like the Paul Rodgers persona with his Botox face, highly tanned skin, sportschool body and fake hair. What a laughter, but he can sing! And that's what counts. |
| Future Manager 21.04.2005 07:25 |
Great concert, I loved every bit of it. Great sound and lighting, Roger's floortom and basedrum made me fear the roof would come down, it's really that heavy. Not too many mistakes, Paul didn't forget any lyrics I think (he's a great singer and performer, perfect to front Queen IMHO), Brian made some slight errors (I don't think These Are The Days will be released as mp3 for instance) and is it me or did Roger sing a verse instead of the chorus or the other way around at one point during I'm In Love With My Car? Something felt wrong there. He was funny though, casually saying "Hi..." as he walked on for Say It's Not True, throwing sticks in the air and failing to catch them, and pointing around as if counting the crowd at the end. And as Rien said Brian explaining what '39 was about between verses is not a good idea, but it was nice anyway. Feel Like Making Love was played live, if it hasn't been confirmed enough. All in all: Great! Can't wait for Arnhem.... Here's a link to the best picture I took, makes a nice wallpaper: link |
| Mr. Scully 21.04.2005 07:41 |
So FLML returned back to the setlist before All Right Now (first encore) or is it at a different spot? |
| Haystacks Calhoun 21.04.2005 08:38 |
Anyone who, at this point, whines that "It's just not the same without Freddie" needs to be taken to the center of town, hung up by their thumbs, and shot dead at once. If you haven't figured that part out by now, and go to the show thinking that Freddie is somehow going to appear, like "Suprise, Fooled you all", you are an idiot. By now, you should know what to expect. But, I guess in everything, you will always have that contingent that cannot be satisfied, that will find the worst in everything. These are the same fuckers who, after inheriting say $100,000, would bitch that the bills were wrinkled..... Enough already. |
| willem-jan 8923 21.04.2005 09:16 |
<b><font color = "crimson">ThomasQuinn wrote: I don't recall exactly where it was, but it was quite early on in the show.I think just before CLTCL. For the rest it's the same order as Frankfurt |
| Mr. Scully 21.04.2005 09:21 |
Before CLTCL? Somebody on QOL says it was before Let There Be Drums. That's quite a difference :) Does anybody know for sure? |
| Future Manager 21.04.2005 09:48 |
I'm not sure about when Feel Like Making Love was played, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't after FBG. I think the QOL guy is right and it's after Hammer To Fall. BTW Mr. Scully, I noticed on your site that in Antwerp Brian & Roger sang Hammer To Fall, but Paul sang the fast bit, I'm sure of that. |
| Knute 21.04.2005 10:04 |
Paul was doing bluesy shit? I thought he was a country and western singer!?! |
| Gezelle 21.04.2005 10:12 |
Haystacks Calhoun wrote: Anyone who, at this point, whines that "It's just not the same without Freddie" needs to be taken to the center of town, hung up by their thumbs, and shot dead at once. If you haven't figured that part out by now, and go to the show thinking that Freddie is somehow going to appear, like "Suprise, Fooled you all", you are an idiot. By now, you should know what to expect. But, I guess in everything, you will always have that contingent that cannot be satisfied, that will find the worst in everything. These are the same fuckers who, after inheriting say $100,000, would bitch that the bills were wrinkled..... Enough already.I couldn't agree more. Although I'm the first one to admit that it's in one way painful to realise it'll never be the same anymore, I also think Paul is singing great, and (dare I say it?) technically better than Freddie! My father (who was lucky enough to see the boys with Freddie 5 times) told me the same on our way home: he said that Freddie missed some notes here and there much more frequently than Paul did yesterday... |
| Gezelle 21.04.2005 10:15 |
By the way, right before Love of my Life, there was some roadcrew member that went to "Freddie's chair" which made the crowd applaud. But what exactly did he do then? I couldn't see it because I was at the other side of the mini-stage, just at the height where I couldn't see the chair next to Brian ;-) |
| Mr. Scully 21.04.2005 10:21 |
So Paul returned back for the fast version of Hammer To Fall... |
| willem-jan 8923 21.04.2005 10:34 |
Mr. Scully wrote: So Paul returned back for the fast version of Hammer To Fall...Yes, he took over on Hammer. That I am sure of ;) |
| ziggy811 21.04.2005 10:37 |
The show in Antwerp was great. They have proven that even with a different line-up they're still one of the biggest live bands on the planet. U2 eat your heart out. It took a while for the crowd to warm up but at the end of the show most people were on their feet singing their asses of. I was quite impressed with Paul's vocals. His stage presence may not be too impressive, but the man can sing. Brian, Roger and the rest of the band were awesome. Brian singing Love Of My Life was pure magic, and seeing Freddie on the screen doing Bohemian Rhapsody sent shivers down my spine. The only downside in my opinion was the setlist. I had the impression that somewhere around the middle of the show the fire in the audience was slowly fading away . Things picked up later but maybe a change in the setlist wouldn't be bad to keep things fresh. I wouldn't have missed this for the world, and I hope this won't be the last tour they'll do. |
| Rien 21.04.2005 11:26 |
Great picture, Future Management. |
| onevsion 21.04.2005 12:15 |
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| onevsion 21.04.2005 12:16 |
Ducksoup wrote: I wouldn't have missed this for the world, and I hope this won't be the last tour they'll do.me too... I really hope that they will record an album together and go back on tour after that. I KNOW it probably won't happen.. but it's just wishfull thinking i guess. Paul Rodgers is a very good singer and a very friendly person. In Frankfurt he drove his car towards us (after the show), stepped out talked with us (4 fans) for about 4 minutes and signed our stuff. I asked him if it was a problem to videotape all that and he said: oh no not at all. What a great person! |
| IvoDutch 21.04.2005 12:45 |
Well...It was my first Queen show ever - and I loved every minute of it. The guys still Rock like they are in their twenty's! Paul Rodgers' voice was great - he did a fantastic job singing all those Queen songs. he did not miss one word along the way. He used the catwalk a lot, which was fun. I think his voice is recovering, he did sing "I want it All", "Hammer to Fall - fast" and "Feels like making love". Brian seemed to really amuse himself, he still is one of the best guitar players out there. He made a few mistakes on a couple of songs, but his solo was very impressive, and so was "Love of my Life". He made a bit of fun during '39, stopping the song, explaining what is was about, and then continued to finish it. Roger was the man of the evening for me, he kicked ass! He played all songs with so much power. He sang very well on "The days of our lives", which was maybe the highligh of the evening for me. He also sang "I'm in love with my car" behind his drumkit. Awesome! I saw him leave the stage with a big smile on his face and a fist in the sky, really amusing himself. A funny moment: Paul Rodgers threw his standard in the air a couple of times (and catched it every time), Then Roger threw a drumstick in the air very high, and fumbled it. Roger introduced the band after "Say it's not true", and said "and on guitar, a guy I've never heard about - Brian May!) very funny! The "Rhytm section" played a tight show, the overall sound was awesome. My highlights: - Opening with Tie your mother down, it was really rocking my socks off. - Love of my Life with Brian next to an empty stool, which was meant for Freddie of course. - Roger singing "Days of our Lives" with video of old Queen footage in the background. Very emotional stuff. - All Right now was really cool, the crowd really took over. - All those hands in the air during Radio Gaga... - Bo Rhapsody sung by Freddie, the band played along with him, Paul Rodgers took over the last (fast) bit. - So many nice moments during the show... - The light show was AWESOME! What I did not like: - I did not know the Paul Rodgers songs very well, but they played them really well. - A Kind of Magic - It just didn't feel well - like the song was played in the wrong speed or something. All in all a night to remember!!!! |
| CAB 21.04.2005 13:11 |
.....in Frankfurt A kind of magic sounded a bit too slow as well........maybe the live version 1986 was quite faster.... But anyway in my eyes Paul´s voice is far away from Freddies ...but he tries to interpret Queen songs differently and not copy Freddies style, what is quite interesting. What i like is that in every second you can feel a kind of tribute to Freddie. For me a very emotional and great tour. 1/2 of Queen is better than nothing. If they intent to do a new album, they should consider inviting different singers not only Paul Rodgers.He may be a good singer, but not perfectly fitting Queen. Just the opinion of a long-time, old-fashioned and conservative Queen fan. :D:D |
| Llisos 21.04.2005 13:27 |
Hola! About the low points... - A Kind of Magic - It just didn't feel well - like the song was played in the wrong speed or something. I have the same feeling in Barcelona. |
| Fat Lizzy 21.04.2005 13:31 |
IvoDutch wrote: Well...It was my first Queen show ever - and I loved every minute of it. The guys still Rock like they are in their twenty's! Paul Rodgers' voice was great - he did a fantastic job singing all those Queen songs. he did not miss one word along the way. He used the catwalk a lot, which was fun. I think his voice is recovering, he did sing "I want it All", "Hammer to Fall - fast" and "Feels like making love". Brian seemed to really amuse himself, he still is one of the best guitar players out there. He made a few mistakes on a couple of songs, but his solo was very impressive, and so was "Love of my Life". He made a bit of fun during '39, stopping the song, explaining what is was about, and then continued to finish it. Roger was the man of the evening for me, he kicked ass! He played all songs with so much power. He sang very well on "The days of our lives", which was maybe the highligh of the evening for me. He also sang "I'm in love with my car" behind his drumkit. Awesome! I saw him leave the stage with a big smile on his face and a fist in the sky, really amusing himself. A funny moment: Paul Rodgers threw his standard in the air a couple of times (and catched it every time), Then Roger threw a drumstick in the air very high, and fumbled it. Roger introduced the band after "Say it's not true", and said "and on guitar, a guy I've never heard about - Brian May!) very funny! The "Rhytm section" played a tight show, the overall sound was awesome. My highlights: - Opening with Tie your mother down, it was really rocking my socks off. - Love of my Life with Brian next to an empty stool, which was meant for Freddie of course. - Roger singing "Days of our Lives" with video of old Queen footage in the background. Very emotional stuff. - All Right now was really cool, the crowd really took over. - All those hands in the air during Radio Gaga... - Bo Rhapsody sung by Freddie, the band played along with him, Paul Rodgers took over the last (fast) bit. - So many nice moments during the show... - The light show was AWESOME! What I did not like: - I did not know the Paul Rodgers songs very well, but they played them really well. - A Kind of Magic - It just didn't feel well - like the song was played in the wrong speed or something. All in all a night to remember!!!!Don't forget "Say It's Not True" sang by Roger, I think that was a really great song... It's not really the Queen style but it was really great :) |
| mr bad guy 5656 21.04.2005 13:31 |
You're right. The only thing when I thought 'mmm' was during a kind of magic. I said to my girlfriend 'I think they're playing it too slow...' anyway, more pictures? Come on! |
| Cool Cat 21.04.2005 13:49 |
After reading this: I can't wait for Rotterdam! 5 more days to go!!:D |
| IvoDutch 21.04.2005 16:16 |
Say it's not true - a great song, never thought Roger could hit these high notes! Maybe they should move the acoustic set a bit more to the back of the show, because it takes the speed out of the show a bit while it has just started. |
| Fat Lizzy 21.04.2005 16:16 |
Cool Cat wrote: After reading this: I can't wait for Rotterdam! 5 more days to go!!:DIndeed :D Cu there! PS: I've finally got the bootleg, but it's a bit crappy quality because there is too much bass... But I'll do my best and try to edit it as good as possible. ________________________________________________ Setlist 20-04-2005 Sportspalais, Antwerp 01 - It's A Beautiful Day (I assume, because it doesn't seem to be Track13) 02 - Lose Yourself (Eminem) 03 - Reaching Out 04 - Tie Your Mother Down 05 - I Want To Break Free 06 - Fat Botomed Girls 07 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love 08 - Say It's Not True (Roger) 09 - 39 (Brian stops playing after the first section to explain the song and then continues) 10 - Love Of My Life (One of the best songs of the concert and when Brian finishes the crowd goes wild) 11 - Hammer To Fall (First the slow version by Brian and then Paul comes to sing the fast part) 12 - Feel Like Making Love 13 - Let There Be Drums (Roger going wild) 14 - I'm In Love With My Car 15 - Guitar Solo 16 - Last Horizon (Brian on the stage in front of the big screen showing clouds) 17 - These Are The Days Of Our Lives (Roger on the mike, showing footage of Queen eating sushi) 18 - Radio GaGa (Crowd goes wild again, also one of the best songs of the night sang by Roger) 19 - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love 20 - It's A Kind Of Magic (Loved Spike Edney's voice) 21 - I Want It All 22 - Bohemian Rhapsody (Freddie on the big screen, Paul goes on after the opera section) 23 - The Show Must Go On 24 - All Right Now (I think the best song of the evening, the crowd really went crazy!) 25 - We Will Rock You (I think Paul started off too soon) 26 - We Are The Champions 27 - God Save The Queen (Everyone on the stage, thanking the crowd and saying goodbye) All together it was really great! :P Rotterdam here we come. |
| Kickforce 21.04.2005 16:24 |
One Word: FANTASTIC! |
| JDL2nd 21.04.2005 16:43 |
It was a fantastic show. Not many mistakes, only some small. The crowd was OK. Paul has an amazing voice. I like that bluesy way of singing. Roger and Brian are also singing very well. Roger is a good drummer and in good shape. Brian is really amazing. What a guitar player gheghe!! I was impressed by the heavy sound of Roger's drums. The highlights for me were fatbottemed girls (I love this song), Love of my live, the guitar solo, I want it all, the show must go on, All right now but especially Radio gaga. Although I don't like the song on record, this live version is great. There is a very good interaction with the public and it's the best song Roger sings during the concert. I really loved it. Conclusion : It was great and they still rock. In the beginning they played a nice remix of It's a beautifull day which I think is better than track 13. I can't wait for Arnhem :D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| The Mir@cle 22.04.2005 02:40 |
Everything is said here... It was fantastic!!! |
| Fenderek 22.04.2005 05:08 |
Still no SEAGULL... |
| Cool Cat 22.04.2005 13:12 |
Fenderek wrote: Still no SEAGULL...That doens't bother me a bit. |
| zaiga 22.04.2005 13:44 |
The gig was fucking brilliant. Without a doubt the best concert I've been to in my whole life. Brian played like there's no tomorrow, Roger playing like there was no yesterday and Paul is a miracle sent from heaven. The setlist was great and the opening (Beautiful Day remix, Eminem, Reaching Out, Tie Your Mother Down) worked very well. I had a good spot very near the catwalk and I noticed a few interesting things: During the Eminem part, I saw Paul standing near the catwalk, covered by a black blanket and surrounded by roadies, getting himself ready for the concert. I never saw someone so intensely concentrated and focused on something. It was great to see, but also a bit frightening. The first time Brian strolled the catwalk, a girl opposite of me almost fainted. Later during the concert, when Brian again walked to the front of the catwalk he threw his towel to exactly this girl, I'm sure on purpose. I thought she would die on the spot. I never saw someone so happy. Great moment. Brian boldly dedicated Love of my Life to Freddie this time, and said that it was a special night for them in some way. After the first verse of '39 Brian stopped to explain what the song what actually about, and then continued the song. I thought that was very funny and laughed my ass off. Lots of symbolism in the show reminding of the spirit of Freddie: the empty stool next to Brian during Love of my Life, the BoRap clip, and the clip during These are the Days. I was glad Feel Like Making Love was played. This time it appeared in the setlist after Hammer To Fall. That song rocks. Roger had a lot of fun during his drum solo. I think he went on a few verses longer than the crew expected, as they were already preparing for the next song, and Brain was waiting to get om stage again :) I've heard very few mistakes, perhaps because I was too busy enjoying myself. Brian hesitated on a word during Love of my Life, but that's about it. And Danny Miranda is a wonderful bass player! |
| willem-jan 8923 22.04.2005 18:37 |
Indeed, I also noticed brian's vocal slip during LOML. People almost hang Paul Rogers for missing the lyrics on WWRY, but apparantly they don't notice Brian missing the words. Ah, well, don't care too much about that myself. What I also liked pretty much was the movie during Brians solo, which gave us the tour through London, and ending up picturing Brian May perfectly on Buckinham Palace. Nice refference ;) All in all, great show. Not the best I've ever seen (Iron Maiden and Dream Theater were way better from show element (Maiden) and technical ability (DT)), but still, very impressive to see my heroes on that stage. Danny Miranda indeed rocks! He really freaked out during I want it all! Also a nice "solo" during AKOM. |
| Gezelle 22.04.2005 20:22 |
For the Flemish and Dutch fans: Ik heb mij eens achter mijn tekstverwerker gezet, en deze review is het resultaat. (Ja, hij is een beetje lang uitgevallen, ik weet het :-) ) Eind 2004 werd eindelijk aangekondigd waar ik al zo’n kleine 10 jaar op zat te wachten: een nieuwe Queen-tournee, de eerste in 19 jaar, en uiteraard de eerste sinds de vroegtijdige dood van frontman Freddie Mercury in november ’91. 20 april 2005 was het dan zover: rond 19.15 gingen onze pa en ik het Sportpaleis van Antwerpen binnen, en aangezien er nog niet heel veel volk was, konden we nog een plekje bemachtigen relatief dicht bij het podium. Voor de volledigheid: de complete line-up bestond uit Paul Rodgers (zang), Brian May (gitaar), Roger Taylor (drums), Jamie Moses (2e gitaar), Danny Miranda (basgitaar) en Spike Edney (keyboards). Iedereen zong trouwens backing-vocals! Zenuwachtig was ik eigenlijk helemaal niet, in tegenstelling tot wat ik verwacht had. Pas toen de lichten in de zaal gedoofd werden, en een nieuwe remix van “It’s a beautiful day” werd gespeeld (een heel opzwepend ritme!) begon mijn hart te bonken in mijn keel! Na enkele minuten ging de remix over in een nummer van Eminem, “Lose yourself”, en toen dit gedaan was, kreeg het Sportpaleis een eerste gitaarakkoord van Brian te horen. Vervolgens een korte vocale intro van Paul Rodgers, “Reaching out”, rustig maar prachtig. Meteen was duidelijk dat we hier met een klassezanger te maken hebben. Terwijl iedereen naar het podium aan het kijken was, gingen plots de spots aan om duidelijk te maken dat hij op een catwalk in het publiek stond, verrassing alom. Na deze korte intro hoorden we het begin van “Tie your mother down”, een echte rocker om de show mee te starten. Het gordijn viel naar beneden en daar stond de volledige band die meteen hartelijk verwelkomd werd door het publiek. Paul zwierde de microstaander in het rond als een volleerde circusartiest en won direct de toeschouwers voor zich. De rest van de band speelde ook schitterend en zette de toon voor een fantastische avond. Na het nummer begroette Brian het publiek in het Nederlands en het Frans (al had hij dan hulp van een spiekbriefje), het publiek groette massaal terug. Het volgende nummer was het al direct tijd voor een mega-hit, “I want to break free” kreeg een nieuw jasje dat duidelijk gesmaakt werd. Vervolgens werd duidelijk gemaakt wat één van dé kenmerken van Queen was en is, namelijk de vocale harmonieën: met alle 6 muzikanten werd “Fat bottomed girls” ingezet. Toen was het tijd om Paul eventjes gitaar te laten spelen voor de intro van “Crazy little thing called love”, en wat voor een gitaar: net als Brian kwam hij met een doorzichtig model het podium op! Na de intro nam Brian opnieuw zijn standaardgitaar en Paul zijn micro om het nummer af te maken. Zoals het hoort in een Queen-show, was er ook tijd voor een akoestisch intermezzo. Paul verliet tijdelijk het podium, en Roger kwam de catwalk op, het publiek begroetend met een grappig “hi”. Samen met Danny Miranda en Jamie Moses bracht hij het intieme “Say it’s not true”, nadat hij iedereen had duidelijk gemaakt dat dit een nummer is geschreven voor Nelson Mandela en dat Queen nog steeds de strijd tegen AIDS/HIV steunt. In het refrein haalde Roger trouwens zeer hoge noten, zonder één keer te missen. Indrukwekkend! Ook Brian kreeg uiteraard zijn moment, en nam met een akoestische gitaar plaats op een stoel, midden op de catwalk. “This first one is to experiment a bit, let’s see if you know this…” Uiteraard kenden we het, het nummer was “ ’39 “ en werd massaal meegezongen. Heel leuk trouwens dat Brian na de eerste strofe plots stopte, en de betekenis van het nummer uitlegde aan de aanwezigen, om vervolgens de rest van het nummer te spelen. “Let’s sing a song for Freddie now!” was het volgende dat hij zei, waarop uiteraard een enorm gejoel volgde in de zaal. Hij vertelde verder dat de ziel van Freddie nog altijd bij hen was, en |
| Gezelle 22.04.2005 20:22 |
Paul kwam nu terug het podium op om stilaan over te gaan naar het einde van de show. “Can’t get enough of your love” was eveneens een oud Bad Company-nummer, dat door velen herkend en geapprecieerd werd. “It’s a kind of magic” was vervolgens aan de beurt, het nummer waaraan de laatste Queen-tournee zijn naam ontleende (de Magic Tour). Velen vonden dit een zwakke versie van het nummer, ik ga hier echter niet mee akkoord. Vervolgens vraagt Brian: “Do you want it?” Uiteraard brult het publiek “Yes!!!” “Do you want it all?” was de volgende vraag, en meteen kregen we opnieuw de vocale kracht van de band te horen: “I want it all” werd door alle 6 muzikanten ingezet, bijgestaan door de hele zaal. Het (zeer snelle) einde van het nummer werd indrukwekkend en zonder het minste foutje gespeeld, waarschijnlijk het meest elektrische moment van de avond… En dan plots een piano-motiefje dat door iedereen met een uitzinnig lawaai werd onthaald, de eerste noten van “Bohemian Rhapsody” weerklonken. Op het grote scherm werden beelden van Freddie getoond vanop het legendarische concert in Wembley Stadium tijdens de Magic Tour, begeleid door de bijhorende stem en piano van het concert. De bandleden speelden samen met deze geluidsfragmenten, een technisch hoogstandje. Tijdens het beroemde opera-gedeelte verlaat iedereen het podium (net als vroeger), om vervolgens terug te keren om (met Paul opnieuw aan de micro) het rock-gedeelte van het nummer te spelen. Het melancholische einde wordt door iedereen luidkeels meegezongen, en na de woorden “anyway the wind blows”, door Paul, volgt een staande ovatie en bedanken de bandleden het publiek om vervolgens de coulissen in te duiken. Uiteraard brult de massa om meer, en na enkele minuten is iedereen terug om een pakkende versie van “The show must go on” te spelen. Een duidelijke hint naar de critici die deze tournee de grond in boren, Freddie gaf immers een duidelijk signaal door deze tekst, geschreven door Brian, luttele maanden voor zijn dood te willen inzingen. (“Of course I’ll sing it, I’ll sing anything you want, darling” was volgens Brian zijn antwoord toen hij hem de tekst toonde van het nummer.) “All right now” bracht vervolgens iedereen op de been. De grote hit van Free, de andere ex-groep van Paul, was het moment waarop iedereen volledig uit de bol ging en de longen uit zijn lijf zong. Zeker ook één van de hoogtepunten. Zo goed als 2 uur was de show inmiddels bezig, tijd dus om er een einde aan te breien. Dit gebeurde uiteraard op dezelfde manier als het altijd gebeurde (sinds ’77 dan toch): “We will rock you” bracht opnieuw alle handen in de lucht, en “We are the champions” vormde het orgelpunt van een grandioze avond. En dat Queen nog altijd “the champions” zijn, is vanavond duidelijk bewezen! Traditioneel werd dan nog een bandje gespeeld met Queen’s versie van “God save the queen”, terwijl de muzikanten op de catwalk kwamen om het publiek nog eens te bedanken. Al bij al dus een geweldige show. Op een bepaald moment had ik de hoop zowat opgegeven om Brian en Roger nog live aan het werk te zien, toch zeker beiden samen, maar na jaren van geduld is het er dus toch van gekomen. Beiden hebben me trouwens aangenaam verrast, ze speelden zoals in hun jonge jaren! Paul Rodgers verdient wat mij betreft alle lof: hij probeert helemaal niet de nieuwe Freddie te zijn, hij zingt de nummers in zijn eigen stijl, en hij doet dat met verve. Een zeer getalenteerd zanger, die een waardige tour-genoot is voor Queen! |
| Gozadero Primero 23.04.2005 04:21 |
Ummmm, dunno if we have seen the same show, I attended something like 10 shows at this venue over the last 5 years and the crowd was just so apathic... Clap when you're told to and that was about it. Antwerpen was my 48th Queen (should they really still be called Q?) and by far the worst, Never felt anything during the show : 39 was fine, I'm in love with my car too and nothing more. How do fans react to the fact only 4 Freddie's songs were played??? |
| Knute 23.04.2005 04:56 |
Gozadero Primero wrote: Ummmm, dunno if we have seen the same show, I attended something like 10 shows at this venue over the last 5 years and the crowd was just so apathic... Clap when you're told to and that was about it. Antwerpen was my 48th Queen (should they really still be called Q?) and by far the worst, Never felt anything during the show : 39 was fine, I'm in love with my car too and nothing more. How do fans react to the fact only 4 Freddie's songs were played???Guess what. If they did say 12 Freddie songs, then there would be a hundred posts full of whining about why must they slaughter Freddie's songs and why can't they play more Brian and Roger tunes, leave Freddie's alone yada yada yada. You know that's what would happen. |
| Rien 23.04.2005 19:01 |
Great review Gezelle. It's how you experienced it. Quite recognisable. |
