Queen Forever (Review)

Finally, after holding this one special ticket in my hot little hands for over two years, I excitedly boarded the train to travel to Queensland Performing Art Centre (QPAC) to see Queen Forever last night.

I even bowed out of my soon to be daughter-in-law’s Hens night for this Concert.

Queen Forever is an Australian Tribute Band that has been wooing audiences since 2006, but I’d never lived close enough to attend a concert.

I am an avid Queen lover……….and last night I had the magical night of attending their concert in the well renown Concert Hall. The hall holds 2,000 people and there was barely a vacant seat to be seen.

I arrived to find I was seated in the centre of the tenth row from the stage and I was a little disappointed. I don’t normally attend if I can’t get a seat in the first three rows — the reward for going alone is you can usually always get a near front row seat — but I was determined to make the most of it.

The start of the concert was pretty average if I’m honest. I had the luck of the draw, in that I had two very tall people sitting in front of me and then in front of them was someone even taller. Damn!

The first few songs were having a slight technical issue because we could hardly hear the lead singer but by the third song all was well and I sat back to watch, with what limited view I had.

All in all though I still could not wipe the smile from my face. It was sheer magic.

Half time arrived and people headed to the bar, including the two tall people sitting in front of me.

I’ll admit at this point…….with a little guilt……that I silently asked the Universe to keep the two seats in front of me free.

Low and behold, they did not return after half time and I’m sorry……..but I was stoked.

The tall guy in the next row over returned so you’ll see a lot of the back of his head in my photos. Though if that’s the worst of it for the night…..I’ll be happy.

The band played exceptionally well and the music was destined to become lost in. Forget your troubles, forget the future, treasure the moment and I sure did!

The lead singer pulled off Freddie Mercury well and brought back so many memories.

The guitarist was a fantastic cast for Brian May and extremely talented in his own right.

The keyboard player had me confused because I recognised his face. I also recognised his mannerism, the constant flicking back of his long blonde hair — yes I’m a sucker for a guy with long hair — but how can that be as I had never seen this band play before? Then at the end of the night, when the band was introduced one by one, we were informed the keyboard player was from Darwin, in the Northern Territory. My old stomping grounds, back thirty years ago, when I’d party to a live band at least three nights a week. No wonder I recognised him.

The drummer was talented and had also gone to great lengths to look the part. He was very good at what he does and it was obvious he was a huge Queen fan.

But my all time favourite and in my eyes the star of the show, was the bass player. A gentleman from New Zealand. I know, I know, usually the bass player of any band is the underachiever, the invisible musician but this guy rocked. Most bass players stand still and strum their bass with a deadpan expression on their face — I’ve often wondered if they really enjoy their gig.

Well let me tell you, this particular bass player was pure joy. He rarely stayed still and enjoyed every single beat of every single song. A true musician and I battled to keep my eyes off him as he moved to the beats.

The ugly side of he concert, was not ugly at all. There was no ugly but the one slight disappointment was the audience. As you can imagine we were all a similar age group, but it’s like they no longer knew how to party. The lead singer attempted to get people to sing, to clap but it was a halfhearted effort, until that is, the band said goodnight and left the stage. Then the roof was blown off the hall with 2,000 cries of more, more, more. 2,000 sets of feet stamping the floor until the band reappeared. Finally the audience had awoken!

At one stage the lead singer asked if anyone was celebrating anything special and there was one young boy who put his hand up. He was asked to come up on stage and explain. He happily did so and told us all that he had received the ticket two years ago for his 13th birthday as he was a huge Queen fan. He is also learning the drums.

Well he was kept on that stage for the entire song and he was brilliant. Not at all shy, he danced, sang along and wooed each of the musicians one by one. That boy is going to be a star one day!

The band did something, that was to me, a beautiful thing. They invited all fat bottom girls up onto the stage. If you went up there and you were skinny they forewarned you’d be kicked off. Then they sang that famous rendition and those beautiful women danced the song away. It was precious!

Now I know I have not said much of anything about the songs, the music — well that’s because this is Queen — what more do you want me to say? I think that says it all.

But okay, okay, a quick mention of my favourites played throughout the night. Bohemian Rhapsody was to die for. Freddie’s favourite, Find Me Someone To Love, almost had me in tears, happy tears, as it’s also one of my favourites. The night was wrapped up with a rendition of We Are The Champions and this had the crowd on their feet……finally!

All in all, the good was great, the bad was eventually fixed and the ugly…….well there was no ugly.

Just a night of pure magic and sheer perfection!

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Originally posted on Medium