| stateside fan 15.02.2006 22:50 |
After seeing the show in Nj and watching ROTC a bunch of times i must say im really let down by the stage and lights.With ticket prices as high as any major act touring i hoped for alot more then what we got.The lights are dated and the catwalk idea is poor because Paul does not have the charisma needed to pull it off.Brian has said there are no gimmicks this time-but isnt that what we love?The over the top experience of a Queen show.I am so torn sometimes because i want this to work but for Christ sake Queen were never a boring bluesy band so why trhe cutbacks now?Money is no issue and having seen other bands this year i just wonder why they cant give us all that they can.I know for sure we give all we can to the Band.Having said all that,i will be in Philly and Washington forking out the cash! |
| Togg 16.02.2006 11:03 |
When I first saw it I also felt it was a bit small, however by the time I saw the Hyde Park gig I changed my mind. I think the DVD brings it out well, but the main difference I think is that they used varilights as well as par spots, so they didn't really need so many lights. Years ago before vari lights they had to just use gel on par cans which means you need many more to create the effects. But the rigs have been getting smaller with all bands these days due to the technology, the days of the 'pizza' rig are over. |
| Togg 16.02.2006 11:13 |
Put it another way. One single varilight costs £1000 One single Par56 cost £50 you do the math Hence why bands have smaller rigs these days, however the cost of hiring a rig is still way higher than in the 70's and 80's even allowing for inflation. |
| rhyeking 16.02.2006 11:19 |
Nice to see serious discussion on the craft and lighting instruments here. Do you work in the industry, Togg? Intelligent lighting (ie. Computer-controlled/manipulated) has definately come a long way since the Magic Tour and even the late '70s "pizza oven". Varilights, Studio Colors, all of it...it's all changed the way concerts and industry shows are designed. I can't wait to see them at work at the Toronto show! Oh, yeah, and to see Q+PR...Can't wait to see them too...yeah...um...yeah! |
| Togg 16.02.2006 11:36 |
No I don't work in the industry as such, although I do hire lighting etc for my band from time to time. I do however work in the creative industry and part of our business is a photography/film studio in which we do use a certain amount of lighting (naturally) however it tends not to be of the same spec as for rock bands. |
| Queenman!! 16.02.2006 13:38 |
I would love to see roger blowing of his chair like the early days. Some gunpowder in a bucket or some great bangs at the and of tie your mother down like the wembley 86 tour.(pyro) To Bad! |
| stateside fan 16.02.2006 14:07 |
lol I agree i love explosions!Togg-Great stuff.I understand what your saying,my point was that i have seen quite a few shows this past year and much lesser names are doing much more then QPR.Perhaps Paul being a no frills kinda artist has something to do with it.But when you see the name Queen you think excess and over the top which this show-sophisticated new lights or not-just seems drab. |
| sexmachine 16.02.2006 16:06 |
Togg wrote: Put it another way. One single varilight costs £1000 One single Par56 cost £50 you do the mathi am absolutely sure that the stuff is rented. but anyway... i like the lightshow a lot. simple and great. |
| Ray D O'Gaga 16.02.2006 16:13 |
stateside fan wrote: .. the catwalk idea is poor because Paul does not have the charisma needed to pull it off.Well that is just patently ridiculous. Paul Rodgers leaves more charisma floating in the toilet every day than most of us will have in our whole lives. You're very one-note about this tour, stateside fan. Practically every comment you make shows that you are viewing the entire enterprise through the prism of how much you feel ripped off by the ticket prices. When the ticket prices were announced way back, that was your first reaction and it has colored everything you've said since. And now you're actively looking for things to criticise in the context of how expensive the tickets are. You're starting to sound like a broken record or a skipping CD, my friend. Let it go. You've already paid your money, so you must at some point have gotten past the prices. Why not let it go now? One day they're all going to be dead and no one will care what they paid to see the show. |
| Haystacks Calhoun 16.02.2006 17:14 |
Ray D O'Gaga wrote:CHEERS LOUDLY....stateside fan wrote: .. the catwalk idea is poor because Paul does not have the charisma needed to pull it off.Well that is just patently ridiculous. Paul Rodgers leaves more charisma floating in the toilet every day than most of us will have in our whole lives. You're very one-note about this tour, stateside fan. Practically every comment you make shows that you are viewing the entire enterprise through the prism of how much you feel ripped off by the ticket prices. When the ticket prices were announced way back, that was your first reaction and it has colored everything you've said since. And now you're actively looking for things to criticise in the context of how expensive the tickets are. You're starting to sound like a broken record or a skipping CD, my friend. Let it go. You've already paid your money, so you must at some point have gotten past the prices. Why not let it go now? One day they're all going to be dead and no one will care what they paid to see the show. |
| stateside fan 16.02.2006 18:32 |
Radio first off thanks for following my posting career im flattered.Why so angry?If you think a certain way on this or any other issue about Queen thats fine.Its what makes for great debate.The show lacks what i thought it would be and what i became used to with Queen.Dont get your panties in a wad though. |
| Serpent_of_the_Nile 16.02.2006 21:01 |
Brian May before the tour: If you don't like, don't come. |
| All I Hear Is Radio Gaga 16.02.2006 21:19 |
Can't you just be happy with it instead of being ingrateful? If your going to complain about it then don't go. |
| stateside fan 16.02.2006 22:26 |
oh piss off you twit. |
| jcrawford79 16.02.2006 22:54 |
I think the lighting rig is pretty impressive. |
| All I Hear Is Radio Gaga 17.02.2006 02:58 |
stateside fan wrote: oh piss off you twit.Ok I'll get right on that... |
| All I Hear Is Radio Gaga 17.02.2006 02:59 |
jcrawford79 wrote: I think the lighting rig is pretty impressive.I agree, I was very impressed... |
| Togg 17.02.2006 04:53 |
knebworth wrote:Of course the gear is rented, well hired to be accurate, however the cost in percentage terms is the same, it is much more expensive the hire varilights than standard Par cans.Togg wrote: Put it another way. One single varilight costs £1000 One single Par56 cost £50 you do the mathi am absolutely sure that the stuff is rented. but anyway... i like the lightshow a lot. simple and great. I was just using the value of the equipment to purchase as an example. the fact remains that to build a big rig these days is several times the price of the old days due to the technology. That being said I understand the thread starters point, and I think Queen made a decision to produce a smaller less extravigant show this time out. It makes the point this is not the same as before, we are now Q+PR which is a different animal, they treat the songs in a different way and hence the show too. Now as we know some here seem to rant about the fact they have changed, but frankly they our just kids that can't get their heads around the fact that as you grow you have to change and evolve. These people display a basic ignorance and clearly don't have any concept of what it's like to be a musician. but I digress. |
| All I Hear Is Radio Gaga 18.02.2006 01:34 |
Togg wrote:"Now as we know some here seem to rant about the fact they have changed, but frankly they our just kids that can't get their heads around the fact that as you grow you have to change and evolve."knebworth wrote:Of course the gear is rented, well hired to be accurate, however the cost in percentage terms is the same, it is much more expensive the hire varilights than standard Par cans. I was just using the value of the equipment to purchase as an example. the fact remains that to build a big rig these days is several times the price of the old days due to the technology. That being said I understand the thread starters point, and I think Queen made a decision to produce a smaller less extravigant show this time out. It makes the point this is not the same as before, we are now Q+PR which is a different animal, they treat the songs in a different way and hence the show too. Now as we know some here seem to rant about the fact they have changed, but frankly they our just kids that can't get their heads around the fact that as you grow you have to change and evolve. These people display a basic ignorance and clearly don't have any concept of what it's like to be a musician. but I digress.Togg wrote: Put it another way. One single varilight costs £1000 One single Par56 cost £50 you do the mathi am absolutely sure that the stuff is rented. but anyway... i like the lightshow a lot. simple and great. I agree with you completely. |
| g2000 20.02.2006 09:46 |
hmmm, i agree with stateside in a way, it isnt nearly as big a show as it used to be, but then again the biggest showman isnt there so.... when i went to see them it wasnt that they werent good, they were i guess, it was just, i thought, they lacked a freshness, the lights were just there and i dont think added anything, and the show was more akin to karaoke really. it was all a little self congratulatory. BUT i looked around and everyone was having a great time, lots of smiles and clapping and that ultimately is the barometer. you and i stateside can complain forever but them selling out everywhere tells its own story |
| Togg 20.02.2006 10:23 |
I think there are also two other points here, firstly when they designed the rig they were really just considering one or two dates, not a whole tour worldwide as they didn't know how well they would go down and if fans still wanted to see they. And secondly, I think they also made a decision to not try to copy the old days too much, as this was the start of something new. Who knows, now they have established they there is indeed a huge Q+PR market they might do things differently next time around! |
| stateside fan 20.02.2006 21:53 |
togg its always great to see what you have to offer and we appreciate your expertise on this subject.perhaps a few new wrinkles for 2006 are in the works. |
| stateside fan 20.02.2006 21:55 |
G2000 you are probably right.maybe this glass is half full. |
| 7Innuendo7 21.02.2006 07:55 |
light show during Last Horizon was amazing, especially the mirror ball, but I keep wondering -- where are the clouds of dry ice & flashpots? |
| Togg 21.02.2006 08:22 |
Well I can tell you that there is no shortage of smoke going around. I played a gig with my band recently, I usually have a smoke machine under the kit at the back, during the point when it was meant to go off, nothing seemed to be happening, so I kept going whilst trying to set the thing off. About three or four mins later there was a loud pop from under my seat and more smoke came out that I have ever seen, I spent the next ten mins trying to play through thick fog, the rest of the band were trying not to fall into eachother on stage or even off stage for that matter. Eventually it cleared and I have now purchased another machine. Anyone know how to repair a defective smoke machine? |
| FriedChicken 21.02.2006 10:09 |
"Brian has said there are no gimmicks this time-but isnt that what we love?The over the top experience of a Queen show" Queen never used gimmicks on stage. The only thing they don't do now what they did when they were with Freddie are pyro and dry ice. |
| goinback 22.02.2006 05:57 |
No major band uses single gel lights anymore...they're so old and tacky. And...what lighting effects could anyone do these days that would blow previous attempts out of the water? It seems bands like Queen and Pink Floyd (both innovators in concert lighting) both realize that they reached the zenith of lighting technology, and now the only thing to do is scale it back and make it more intimate. |