Queen is a band I’ve loved for nearly half my life.
They laughingly tower over superlatives. They are everything I ever wanted from a band and more. With the most charismatic and vocally gifted singer to ever grace the Earth in Freddie Mercury, listening to Queen was listening to the heights of creativity and the outlands of beautiful ’70s hard rock pomposity.
For me, a Queen song was an experience: sacrament by sound wave. So, despite the fact that the phrase “tribute band” makes my skin crawl, I rolled the dice last night and went down to House of Blues to see the Queen Extravaganza, Queen’s official tribute act.
This was not going to be any tribute band. The QE were put together by Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who, along with guitarist Brian May, have been tasked with the duty of preserving the legacy of Queen for the past 20 years after the passing of Mercury in 1991.
I was only a year old when Queen performed their last shows in the U.S., so the chance to see even an officially sanctioned second-hand show gave me the hope that at certain moments in the evening, I could close my eyes and achieve the feeling of being at a teen in 1977.
This article appears in May 30 – Jun 5, 2012.
Nobody can bring Freddy Mercury back from the dead. It sounds as if you were determined to hate this from the start. if that’s the case then nobody and nothing can help you. You seem to want something that is completely impossible. Nothing’s going to be able to compare with the fantasy in your head.
You may want to recall that Freddy’s mandate, when performing, was first and foremost to be entertaining. And that Queen’s music was frequently cheeky and irreverent. This was a rock band, live. Not a classical recital.
Cast in this light, the guitarists’ antics are perfectly appropriate. Jimi Hendrix, anyone? One of Brian’s idols, also Freddy’s, FYI.
The mandate of this project, as laid out by Queen, is to perform this music as well and as entertainingly as possible. They are fulfilling it completely, And admirably.
Many other people, thousands in fact, some who saw Queen in their prime and some, like you, who missed the whole thing and have only a fantasy to compare this with, are throwing down their hard earned money and going home happy. And that’s beautiful.
I don’t think Justin hated it. I think like my wife says is that they felt cheated. They know what the Queen concert experience was like by viewing it on Youtube or listening to a concert. I got to see the last US concert tour, Hot Spaces. I remember the extravagant set, Freddie’s voice and the tightness of the production of professional musicians as they honed their talents. I feel cheated as seen in documentaries about Freddie choosing his lifestyle as it would not affect anyone but himself. He was selfish not to consider the others in the band and the void when he became infected. It’s like telling a bike rider to wear a helmet when they feel the only person affected was him, not the family and friends that would deal with the head injury that could occur in an accident that could have been prevented.
Freddie cheated his fans and now has become larger than life. That is a fact. But he was one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time. I can listed to the music and see the tribute bands with other lead singers, but the closest we have now is Marc Martel. I wish the QE would use his talents more as his voice is hauntingly similar to Freddie. But those a some big shoes to fill. That is my take on QE. I loved the show. Spectacular to see young people come out on a Monday night in Cleveland with three weeks worth of ticket sales to hear the music of my favorite group of all time. QUEEN. The queen may be dead, but long live Queen.
I seen Queen in 1980 (The Game) and 1982 (Hot Space) at the Richfield Coliseum. I’ve been to so many concerts I’ve lost count. Those two shows were the best concerts I have ever seen. From Freddie to the whole production was first class all the way. Now we can only remember what Freddie and Queen brought to the music world.
I was septic about going to this show Monday night, but I’m glad I went. Was a fun show and was somewhat amazed at the mixed crowd of young and old. I thought QE put on a upbeat, fun show. You’ll never have another Queen entity and to still have such a following of Queen music is great. Kudos to the QE band and best of luck on the rest of the tour. You brought back great memories Monday night from growing up with Queen.
I first had the chance to see Queen in 1980 at the Richfield Coliseum! I will never forget the spectacular show I was privileged to see! It was AMAZING! That was 32 years ago! Monday night, June 4th, 2012, I was privileged to see The Queen Extravaganza at “OUR HOUSE”, the House of Blues, Cleveland! IT WAS ALSO, AMAZING! This band of AMAZING MUSICIANS put on a “celebration” of the music of QUEEN! I did not consider it a “tribute band”, but, a group of fans that are lucky enough to be “FANTASTIC” musicians! The show was just about the most fun I have had at a show this year! My lovely wife, Marlena, was 2 years old when I first saw Queen, she “rocked” out the entire show! She said that Queen must have been one of the best live bands because The Queen Extravaganza put on a show she will never forget!
There were some “gaffs”, as you called them, but, this is a “live” show, things happen. That’s ROCK AND ROLL!
I asked you what you thought of the show after the first set. Your reply, “the jury is still out”? My reply to you, “were you at the same set I just witnessed”? I guarantee you that if Freddie Mercury, himself, was at the show Monday night, he would have said, “THANK YOU, The Queen Extravaganza, for putting on one of the best shows I have ever had the pleasure of attending!”
There were a few of us “old timers” that were lucky enough to see Queen live, with Freddie Mercury singing! In fact, one couple made a 3 hour trip from the Dayton, Ohio, area. Another made the trip from Detroit, Michigan, where he had seen the show a few nights before. And, we all agreed that this was one of the best shows we had ever seen! The musicianship, the performance, the obvious love for music, that these musicians displayed was just AMAZING! In fact, most of the musicians on stage were not even born, or were in their very young years of life, when I saw Queen in 1980!
I don’t understand your review, I don’t understand how you could have not been “blown away” by this show, and, I don’t understand that, as you said, you are such a huge fan of Queen and could give the review I just read? Are you breathing? I am not, because, The Queen Extravaganza just took my breath away! “Another one bites the dust”! THANK YOU, THE QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA, FOR PUMPING SOME LIFE INTO THIS OLD FAN’S LIFE”! “WE WILL ROCK YOU” INDEED!
Glad to See Jeff Scott Soto get a nice comment from the reviewer 🙂 he’s been around for a long time and never really gotten appreciation from American audiences He’s the whole reason I would want to see this show because I have his Entire concert he did of Queen songs called the Queen Concert and he was pretty Awesome in that.
I absolutely loved the show! I stood right next to you and I had a wonderful time so rock on QE! My niece was blown away at the fact that one of the singers singled her out(in a good way). You all made a 9 yr old be on cloud nine as well as myself! Thanks again for making my dreams come true of ever being able to hear queen songs in concert!
Why are there still so many people out there who believe that being gay is a choice? Why would anyone choose to be gay and have to deal with people like Paul Luch?
I thoroughly enjoyed the show…Tristan’s “awkward hip gyrations” and all. Actually, I didn’t find them “awkward” at all. That aside…QE was amazing! However, I didn’t come to the show expecting Freddie resurrected either. I went to watch some talented musicians and vocalists do their thing, which they did quite well. The only thing that would have made the show more enjoyable would have been if my sisters, mom, and aunt didn’t have a bump on a log, who wasn’t enjoying himself from the very first note sung, to try and look around the entire show.
I have to say that I too came to this concert with the idea that it wasn’t going to be anywhere near as good as it was. I just kept thinking “Who could ever touch a Queen song, and make it sound as good as they did?”. I have to say that I am now very happy I did not miss the experience in seeing QE, because they fulfilled my expectations beyond what I imagined. My 9 year old daughter was even in heaven! I think that too many people people, like myself, let their expectations cloud their judgement, when we really need to keep an open mind! As for the “doughnut eating reporter”, there is another show you might want to check out. It’s called The Biggest Loser!
“Nine semi-pro musicians”???? C’mon. Did you read their bios on the band website? They’re young, but they all have professional credentials, some from professional theater, some from other bands. You even wrote “Metal scene veteran Jeff Scott Soto …” Doesn’t that make him a pro? It sounded like a professional group of rock ‘n rollers to me! Thoroughly enjoyed the show, especially since I never got to see Queen live either. I agree that Marc Martel delivered a vocal and stage performance that was consistent with that of Mercury’s, without doing an impersonation. Martel is blessed to have a natural singing voice that sounds so much like Freddie … and on top of that he plays piano and guitar, too! IMHO, that’s the extra spark that makes this show so great!
Martel’s Band downhere has won 3 Canadian Grammy’s (Juno’s) I think he’s already a star!!!
First off I think it is great when talented musicians get together to pay homage to a band & a man who is no more! First off they were not a “tribute band”, they even said that at the show & they also said they were not there to sound exactly like Queen. They were there to celebrate all the music that came from Queen. Second of all, we were standing in the Pass the Line @ HOB Cleveland, when you come walking back. You were asking everyone how they felt the show was going to be & what they truly thought of Queen Extravaganza. I KNOW FOR A FACT, OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TALKED TO, NONE, I REPEAT NONE OF THEM HAD ONE NEGATIVE THING TO SAY ABOUT THE BAND! Yet none of this is reported in your review. You had such a negative attitude going in, no wonder you didn’t enjoy it! I know I am glad I was not standing next you, NEGATIVE NANCY! I really think Scene needs to reconsider who they have write reviews! You can’t have an attitude like that & fairly review a show! I can guarantee that if you talked to anyone after the show, they would have great things to say, but that wouldn’t make it in to your review would it! And another thing, when the band can noticed that you are negative from the way you look as they are busy playing, that also says something! I truly hope I never see another review come from you, especially if I attend a show! I do know that I would never base my decision to see a band or not on ANY of your opinions! Apparently I am not on my own……awful lot of people that agree with me, as written above. If you want some advice….go find a different job, because you suck at this one!
I’m the 16 year old you met before the show in the backroom and I’m going to be quite brief and frank, I saw the show twice. It blew my mind away, from all the videos my hardcore Queen fan dad has shown me and DVD’s, it is truly a shame that you weren’t able to close your eyes and picture yourself back in the old days. I really believed that I was there (needless to say when Marc M. was up there) at a Queen concert, maybe not as good as Live Aid but nevertheless I was there.
I am really glad that this group is bringing Queen music to life for the young Queen fans these days and for us to see it performed so well is just simply a gift from the Gods.
As for the guitarists, I’m a guitarist myself. It’s very hard for us to not feel the music and get into it, whether it is your band, your originality or not, you want to have FUN, you want to give the crowd a feeling that you aren’t bored with it, you want to show how much the music means to you, it’s all good stage presence. I felt their energy, they felt ours. Simple. It’s not that they were cocky they just FELT it.
Anyways, I was glad I had the pleasure of meeting you and I think it’s terrible you weren’t able to see the show through some of our eyes.
Your article is spot on Justin. I was born in 1972 but was never an actual Queen fan until 3 months ago. My friends and I were debating how live bands and singers disappoint every time because they have terrible vocals outside the studio. What brought me down to my knees in awe was Freddy’s voice live. No one can even compare.
I too had the same criticism of this ‘tribute” band when I went to the concert in South Florida 2 days ago but we shouldn’t be too harsh on them because they are the ones that will march Queen forward into the new generation and keep their spirit alive. Not only were they very talented but they were also very respectful of the band they were honoring.
The unfortunate problem of a true icon like Freddy Mercury passing on is that there will never be anyone like him ever again. Long live Freddie.
I saw QUEEN over twenty times, and I loved QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA… Period!!!