Queen’s long-awaited Rhapsody Tour hit Melbourne’s AAMI Park stadium in February 2020. Pre-Covid, pre-lockdown, and pre-social distancing, this was essentially Rock’s last stand for the year. But for the blissfully unaware thousands at AAMI Park on February 19, it’s business as usual – and there’s pre-gig excitement, in spades. There are Freddie lookalikes of all eras, merch stands, fan-made banners, sunshine, laughter, pre-show drinks – and once inside the stadium, that electric sense of excitement that signals the show will very shortly be underway.
Although I don’t have one particular favourite Queen song, Now I’m Here and Seven Seas of Rhye are definitely two that are right up there. To me, they are iconic early Queen songs, and in my minds eye, have always been reminiscent of Freddie at The Rainbow circa 1974. That the band have chosen these two tracks to open their Melbourne show on the evening of February 19, is nothing short of genius. It’s the band exploding on stage in very much the same way Freddie exploded onto the scene in the 70’s: We’re Queen! Hello! GOOD EVENING!!
Experiencing the opening chords of Now I’m Here is one of those impossible moments when the blur of onstage action and the roar of the crowd melds fantasy into reality, creating an almost out of body experience. To be standing on the barrier (yes, I was that close!) as Brian May literally tears down the catwalk like a man possessed, wielding his guitar like some magical music axe, and thrashing out chords across the stadium, is a pure legendary rock moment that will never leave me. The full volume of the crowd, the screams, the “Oh my f**king God it’s Brian May!!!” are an audience testament to this truly amazing scene. Now I’m Here and Seven Seas of Rhye, back to back, herald the return of Queen to Melbourne, and the 30,000 strong crowd stand ready to be rocked to their core.
Brian May knows he’s ‘The’ Brian May – but he’s cool with it. And he acknowledges that we, the audience, are part of the journey. There is a humbleness about the man, even in performance, that makes him truly unique. Brian May not only plays, but rides the wave alongside us, squinting into the light, making out the crowd, nodding with us as we scream in unison. It’s truly a celebration of music – him and us, together. And Freddie is watching down on us from the sky, and he is pleased with what he sees.
The white-haired, white-bearded Roger Taylor may make his way quite ordinarily towards the stoic drums atop the riser at the back of the stage, but once he begins the beat, there is a fierce transformation that takes place. It’s a magical chaotic energy that leaps from his drumset out into the night once he begins to play, and the fire in those incandescent eyes of his shows us the connection he feels to the energy we return with his every drumbeat. As with Brian, it’s a musical union between those onstage and the audience. It’s palpable, it’s tangible. And Roger Taylor is the Roger Taylor of Bohemian Rhapsody still. Those unmistakable nuances are all still there, and as he plays, 2020 merges with the Roger Taylor of Queen’s 70’s heyday, until, through that magnificent drumbeat, we hear and see nothing but the drummer, the band, that we have always known. Age is no barrier for Roger Taylor, he transcends it with ease. He is impossibly brilliant to an extent that makes most drummers not even half his age seem sorely lacking. The man is legendary. He is an icon.
Frontman Adam Lambert is the Johnny-Come-Lately to this party. Both the band and the majority of the audience have been around for longer than he has, and he knows it. But he plays his hand perfectly, and from the heart. He acknowledges a deep-felt gratitude and awe for the position he’s in – both in his performance, and in a verbal aside to the crowd (“I’m not Freddie…” he tells us) – but he also shows us why he belongs here, why he’s worthy. And in the end, this is what wins us over. He is proud, camp, flash, humorous, and performs with a vocal capability that not only astounds but is truly resonant of the shoes he can never fill. He does not try to be Freddie (who could?) – instead, he brings to the table a chemistry, a persona, and a voice that fits.
Even the unbelievers, here purely to see Brian and Roger, soften. There is a palpable outpouring of appreciation from the crowd for what Adam gives us in Freddie’s absence. It feels right – it’s not the same, but it works. The fact that Adam Lambert has been embraced by the band to the point where, he too, has become part of the rock spell they cast, is testament to his incredible talent, charm and charisma. And the truth is, without the amazing Adam Lambert the show would not go on. And the show must go on.
I passed on seeing Queen live in 1985, telling myself that they were a band who would always be around, and that there would be plenty of other opportunities to see them. A decision I have lived to regret, many times over. This concert experience is not Queen sans Freddie, as I’d expected – it is Queen embracing Freddie, courtesy of Adam Lambert. Freddie is still here. He’s here in the music, in the adulation of the crowd, in the heartbreaking/heartwarming sequence of Love of My Life, where Brian May sings to him, as he appears behind on a giant screen. This is not Queen minus Freddie, it’s Queen circa 2020, and Freddie is still very much part of the show.
When you are in the presence of such rock royalty as Queen, every moment is a heightened experience, and every song builds on the last to an almost unbelievable crescendo. The music alone would have been more than enough to satisfy the capacity crowd, but Queen have never been a band to settle for anything less than extraordinary. And from Adam Lambert’s flamboyant, sequined, costumed best; to Roger Taylor’s solo performance at Catwalk’s end, complete with a drumset that appears from beneath the stage; to Brian May’s Rock God Guitar Solo atop a ginormous moving asteroid – they certainly give the crowd A Show. But it isn’t all show. To hear the sheer brilliance of Lambert’s vocals, to see the beyond imaginable skillset of Brian May on guitar and Roger Taylor on drums, reminds you that you are experiencing something truly remarkable. The sum of this band’s talents combined, merge to create something greater than the whole – something called Queen – and every soul in the stadium feels it.
Queen play for both the diehards and the newbies (at the show thanks to the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic). There’s everything from hits like Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now, and Radio Ga Ga, to the more obscure but beautiful 39 (with Brian on vocals), and I’m In Love With My Car (Roger’s long fought-for B-side on Bohemian Rhapsody). This is a show for all ages and creeds. One of the night’s highlights is surely the band’s homage to rock contemporaries Led Zeppelin. Whole Lotta Love showcases a battle royale between Lambert’s vocals and May’s brilliant guitar riffs – ending in a draw. From showcasing their rock contemporaries, the band then moves to pay tribute to their roots, with a cover of Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel – The King and Queen, as one! Brilliant.
But nothing comes close to the night’s ultimate moment – the band’s tribute to their (and our) beloved Freddie Mercury. Love of My Life, with Brian May on vocals – is poignant, beautiful, and heartbreakingly sad – Brians voice calling out to Freddie, surrounded by the admiration and tears of 30,000 souls, whose deepfelt love for Freddie Mercury has never waned. The man himself appears on a giant video screen towards the end of the song, with Brian reaching out his hand to touch Freddies – ultimately connecting in spirit, if not in flesh. One the most amazing and beautiful rock moments I have ever experienced.
We Are The Champions provides a fitting finale for the night. The audience are won over, revelling in the joy that the night has bought them. Queen are a band that stadiums were made for – they are masters at what they do, and they do it with love and with gratitude. True champions, all.
As the stadium lights come on and the crowd leave, making their way out into the night, one truth remains. Freddie is gone, but with Queen, he lives on.
Here’s to rock royalty, darlings! Long may they succeed!
For a full gallery of photos from Queens 2020 Melbourne shows, please visit our Queen Gallery.
[Linda Memphis, 2020]
© 2020 Linda Memphis
I was at the Brisbane concert
Amazing