I was watching some Much Music special (candian mtv) and they were talking about how stars have to keep in really good shape to tour, because a lot of the new pop stars have very interesting shows. Which led me to my question, was Queen the band that really started the showmanship era of concerts?
No. Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Alice Cooper to name a few were great showmen. Queen were amazing live, but the Stones used to have huge stadium shows in the early 70s with props and lights that set the standard. Queen became the best at stadium or arena rock, IMHO.
deleted user 09.06.2005 03:30
Well I really think they did influence it.
Look at people like Robbie Williams and George Michael.
I agree with you guys!!! They were definitely part of it but not solely responsible. In terms of lighting they set new ground. Let's not forget acts like KISS, Bowie, New York Dolls and a multitude of others that put on a show and not just a concert. They were all visually entertaining as well as musically. I saw Queen in 78 on the JAZZ tour and the impression I got still stays with me to this day.
I think Queen raised the level of spectacle in shows which carries through to current performers. They could at least hold their own as musicians and did not have to use a lipsync vocal ala Ashley Simpson. If Freddie's voice was a bit rough he was still out there for real.
BHM 0271 wrote: "Forget Elvis, he couldn't even write a song by himself."
And this affects his showmanship in what way, Fruit Side?
Frank Sinatra didn't write his songs...but he was STILL the Chairman of the Board.
Judy Garland & Liza Minelli didn't write their songs.
It's NICE if an artist writes their own music, but MORE important is HOW WELL and effectively and entertaining they PRESENT that song material and convey it to the live audience.
Queen...just happened to be masters at BOTH. They wrote their own material..and were spectacular live showmen/performers.
Yes, Queen were influenced by The Who, Hendrix, The Stones, even (yuck) predecessors like Elvis..but they then REINVENTED and put their OWN signature stamp on things...with their crown lighting rig, excellent lights, smoke bombs. over the top theatrical costumes, great sets, and well...Freddie commanding the stage with the bravura, flambouyant, outstanding, charismatic, ad-lib, confident theatrics of the legend that he IS, with Roger, Brian, & even John...supporting with equal luster.
Pink Floyd were also showmen. They may have stood there and played(David Gilmour's guitar, Roger Waters' bass, Nick Mason's drums and Rick Wright's keyboards) but they had enough visuals to keep your eyes glued. They used pyro with exploding flash pots and the exploding gong first in 1972. They added a crashing plane which blew up in 1973 on the Dark Side tour as well as fireworks at show's end. They added a screen to show films in 1974 and 1975 for the prototype Wish You Were Here Tour. The 1977 Animals/In the Flesh tours saw the debut of the inflatable family and the infamous flying pig plus the pyro, films, screen and lights. The Wall shows had everything plus a wall which erected and crashed down plus a hotel room built into the stage. The Momentary Lapse tour had the pyro, pig and a flying bed. The Division Bell tours had references to all the old tours and two inflatable warthogs which hovered over two towers on the stage and a mirror ball that came out of the stadium floor.
Yes, Pink Floyd really set standards - their live performance started as avantgarde happenings and became a bombastic mesmerizing audiovisual trip - in that field they are masters.
Queen sort of combined influences, stage antics, mannerisms and stage designs of their predecessors and made it their own - a mixture as diverse as their music.
Cetainly they did not invent performance - but they took it to another level.