QueenZeppelin 24.10.2005 15:33 |
Same drill as last time: how was it? Which songs did they sing along to? Did they know Love of my Life? Did they do the Radio Ga-Ga handclap (I have seen that mentioned a few times)? How was their reaction to each song? I am especially interested in what you guys have to report for this show, as I have seen some conflicting revies-some saying it was more sedate than one would expect, others saying they were more into it then NJ. Any and all info would be much appreciated. :) |
ElleInnuendo 24.10.2005 16:33 |
I was at both NJ and LA. I don't know if it was the misty drizzle or just the fact that us West Coast people tend to be more laid back (myself excluded- I was PUMPED for both shows), but the LA show was SO dead compared to NJ!!! The people were trendier looking, dressed nicer, less Queen shirts, and less madness overall. For 39 and LOML, the singing was quiet, and Brian didn't let us sing too long, I wonder if it was because he couldn't hear us or what. Radio Ga Ga was an interesting phenomenon, by the 1st clap chorus, 1/3 of the people did it, by the 2nd chorus it looked like 1/2 did it and by the 3rd chorus, about 3/4 did it after catching on. haha! Less swaying for WATC than I would have liked, but I didn't want to be a Queen snob and throw a fit, but it was a bit of a let down-- at least from where MY seats were. Maybe I just couldn't see everything from where I was. It's also possible that I couldn't hear the audience participation from my seat halfway up the place. :( The place perked up for Slash coming out to play, for sure! And for WWRY of course. |
The Stealer 24.10.2005 17:17 |
The Bowl is not the best place for a Rock show that relies on audience participation. Which is why I decide to max my visa card for pool seats- for me it was like being at a private show.. I was at both shows-I thought the audience was better in NJ BUT the performance by Paul, Brian and Roger, far superior sound quality, lighting--They were really tight- Paul and Brian seemed much more confident-despite the drizzle. I was expecting guitar disaster-with cool misty night...great job by the techs- There were a few mino mishaps (broken strings)- Last horizon was amazing. A couple times I looked up into the crowd and it was more subdued-everyone bringing in food/ wine, etc to enjoy the show..that's just how CA people are--I heard MANY positive comments that the show was good. When you haven't been here in 23 years it takes a little time for the mainstream to warm up the idea of a queen + PR show..Towards the end they win most over and a good time is had by all :-) |
Sherwood Forest 24.10.2005 17:47 |
huh, well the steriotype seems to live on then? West coast is a bit stuck up? well i wouldnt know, i never been over there. When fans arent maxing out their credit cards or the first in line to buy the best nice tickets, for a bit more money you can usually find the real, extreme fans up in the rafters.... |
ElleInnuendo 24.10.2005 17:52 |
They did warm up at the end. There were soooo many kids there, though, which may have toned things down. I know I didn't want to drink too much and trip over a kid on the way in or out! hah... Also, I bet alot of people had tickets from their jobs-- companies often buy lots of tickets to games and shows and give them via lottery to their employees who may or may not give a rat's behind what they're seeing. I'm a native Californian, but from the SF Bay Area, and I'd be interested to see how people from my area would/will react to Q+PR if/when they come back. I know I will pay alot more to get closer to the stage, that's for sure!! |
Atomic Dog 24.10.2005 19:32 |
You are all right on when it comes to LA being a bit laid back, but the bigest problem is the Hollywood Bowl. When they first anounced the Bowl I cringed. This is the WORST venue for rock in all of So Cal. You just can not get close to the band, and you are forced to be spread apart by the box seats. Nine Inch Nails played there a few weeks ago, and it sucked because of this. Someplace like the Greek Theatre or dare I say it, even Staples Center can get very small when the band is good. Every show I have seen at the greek in the last three years, almost 15 show, every person in the place stands from beginning to end. I even emailed Jacky at the Fan Club to say we are all in trouble with the Bowl. Maybe we can all do Rock a big favor and burn the dump down! Brian, Roger, and Paul, next time ask the fans. |
goinback 24.10.2005 20:45 |
It was kind of strange...it was sort of like the We Will Rock You concert video. Everyone was kind of subdued until Bohemian Rhapsody, then they all came alive. So during the first part of the show I was sometimes worried no one liked it, but then I'd hear the same people whispering and nodding about how good it was. I didn't hear much singing during '39, but heard a lot during Love Of My Life. (Maybe because it's on the concert DVDs?) Maybe it was where I was sitting, but I think Brian could have gone ahead and let us sing the chorus and I think it would have sounded almost like Live Killers...that part surprised me. |
Whatinthewhatthe? 24.10.2005 21:31 |
I guess seeing Freddie brought it all back home! I can imagine the wild cheering at the start of Bo Rhap. (Give the people what they want!!) |
The Stealer 24.10.2005 22:36 |
JamieSureWould wrote: huh, well the steriotype seems to live on then? West coast is a bit stuck up? well i wouldnt know, i never been over there. When fans arent maxing out their credit cards or the first in line to buy the best nice tickets, for a bit more money you can usually find the real, extreme fans up in the rafters....Excuse me young man/lady--I have been a fan for over 30 years-I have a decent job and choose to spend my time doing Queen related events- I have done several briand and roger solo shows and 9 QPR shows- travelled all over.I think that makes me an extreme fan as well..unfortuneatly my parents would not take me to see Queen in the rafters in the 70's..consider yourself fortunate to be there at all. |
Jeff Silveira 25.10.2005 05:09 |
from where i was at, 2nd row on Brians side, the crowd was really into at times..and other times a little dead....but for the most part I thought it was a great show...of course i never sat down, and My girlfriend and I kept making eye contact with Brian which was awesome..they looked really pleased....great show |
kansas666 25.10.2005 09:08 |
Atomic Dog wrote: You are all right on when it comes to LA being a bit laid back, but the bigest problem is the Hollywood Bowl. When they first anounced the Bowl I cringed. This is the WORST venue for rock in all of So Cal. You just can not get close to the band,You hit the nail on the head. The Hollywood Bowl is vast. From our seats about 20 rows back, I couldn't even see the top of the bowl. It was that far away! In an arena, even the worst seats in the house are a lot closer. You are practically on top of the band. But the Hollywood Bowl is beautiful! It has to be one of the finest places in the world to see a concert. And admit it, you won't have a waitress bringing a beer to your seat at the Staples Center. |
j_stone2525 25.10.2005 12:24 |
I thought the Hollywood show was good. But what made the whole show for me was Bo Rap. Sometimes this song is played so much, I get the "Stairway to heaven" cringe (less so because I believe Bo rap is a far superior song). But when that song started and from the angle I was looking on, Freddie was doubley projected (people size- I thought near if not hollow graphic- on the upper stage and then looking like a close up on the large screens). I could see his back and his piano in perspective. It looked to me like Freddie was actually on stage playing with Roger and Brian...the only others lite on the stage. It totally freeked me out (in a good way). Paul is great in his own wise (way), but it made me relize I'd almost rather see a hollow graphic Freddie with Roger and Brian than a live Q+PR. I wish the whole song was like that if not the whole concert too. For the first time in a unique way I really got (for me) the enormous precence Freddie had beyond all the buzz words (i.e., camp, flambiont, charismatic,...etc.) they all pale in compaison. As a musician and person I'm in aw at his being and this missing element in bands performances of many today. P.s. I saw the show by "Queen for a Day" (from Houston, TX) after the Q+PR at the LA B.B.king's. They had "IT" even if as a "Tribute" band. The four musicians were all excellenct, but the "Fred" kicked a** and the bassist was amazing (epecially for Dragon Attack-which I heard people before the Q+PR concert-uninternet savoy- asking if Q+PR were going to perform it). If you didn't go you MISSED a great, fresh show. As a last note BB King's promoters bumped them almost 1 1/2 hours late so their set was cut short. I talked to one of the promoters after and he gave me lame excuses. I'm not gay but it came off to me that it was a "gay-thing"/ "white-thing" (i.e., there was a horrible Mexican band on first that just kept playing and the promoter was a "blinged-out" brother cliche). If I had know that "Queen for a day"'s set was getting shorted everytime the "om-pa" band said "ok we're going to do just one more" (which turned out to be a medely of badly performed Miami Sound Machine songs- a.k.a. Gloria Estifan songs) I would have started a chant until they go off the stage. I'll probably never go to BB kings there again and I suggest likewise for anyone else who has affinity for Queen. Ciao. |
rockyracoon 25.10.2005 12:30 |
This was my first time at the Hollywood Bowl, and I knew from the first second I walked in that there would be disappointment because of the configuration. With the exception of the first 10 feet from the stage, the next 250 to 300 feet from the stage is comprised solely of box seats, which believe it or not, are set up as little cubes. These are considerably larger boxes than what you would find at baseball stadiums, as the venue even provides a small folding table in each box so you can have your picnic before/during the concert. And there was no shortage of people who had their dinner brought to them by waiters during the hour before the concert. Of course, this means that the density of the crowd is really very light within 100 yards of the stage, making it very difficult for the crowd to create any kind of roar toward the stage. And remember, this is an open-air venue (meaning no reverberating acoustics). Apparently the Hollywood Bowl was intended for orchestral perfomance, as the seating configuration reflected such. I don't think the crowd should be perceived as stuck-up West Coast folks. The reality is that people in Los Angeles are quite accustomed to seeing and running into celebrities. (A few years ago my brother went by himself to see a movie, and Tom Hanks and spouse came in and sat right next to him.) And virtually every time I have been at LAX I have noticed a high profile personality, e.g., Dan Rather, Bow Wow, Terry Cummings (NBA), Cheryl Crow, etc. So these LA folks don't experience quite the same thrill that the rest of us do when seeing celebrities. Yes, I was disappointed that the crowd didn't create more noise, and that made the whole experience a bit less than it could have been. But I wasn't at all disappointed in the concert itself. Brian, Roger and Paul were absolutely amazing, even though a few things got screwed up (a guitar that went out of tune on Love of My Life, the band getting lost and then recovering in the instrumental section of Hammer to Fall, instruments on different pitches at the end of Bohemian Rhapsody, etc.). By the end of the concert even the most casual and laid back Southern Californian was dazzled with Queen. Brian May became "the God of all guitar Gods", Roger was a "machine" as a drummer and had a surprisingly good singing voice, and Paul Rodgers and his songs from Bad Company were generally deemed to be very complementary to Queen's songs. So the evening was really a success, but it just didn't have quite the level of sound from the audience that I would have liked. |
Whatinthewhatthe? 25.10.2005 12:34 |
j_stone2525 wrote: P.s. I saw the show by "Queen for a Day" (from Houston, TX) after the Q+PR at the LA B.B.king's. They had "IT" even if as a "Tribute" band. The four musicians were all excellenct, but the "Fred" kicked a** and the bassist was amazing (epecially for Dragon Attack-which I heard people before the Q+PR concert-uninternet savoy- asking if Q+PR were going to perform it). If you didn't go you MISSED a great, fresh show. As a last note BB King's promoters bumped them almost 1 1/2 hours late so their set was cut short. I talked to one of the promoters after and he gave me lame excuses. I'm not gay but it came off to me that it was a "gay-thing"/ "white-thing" (i.e., there was a horrible Mexican band on first that just kept playing and the promoter was a "blinged-out" brother cliche). If I had know that "Queen for a day"'s set was getting shorted everytime the "om-pa" band said "ok we're going to do just one more" (which turned out to be a medely of badly performed Miami Sound Machine songs- a.k.a. Gloria Estifan songs) I would have started a chant until they go off the stage. I'll probably never go to BB kings there again and I suggest likewise for anyone else who has affinity for Queen. Ciao.Isn't Gregory Finsley great!! He's quite the showman. His band (QFAD) is doing more shows outside of Texas now and the LA show was a huge jump! Proud of him... (Plus, he looks awesome in a leotard! WHOOHOOOO!) |