It almost seems like a crime when you first hear of it -- the legendary English rock band Queen, going on tour sans the late Freddie Mercury, and having American Idol finalist Adam Lambert sing in his place. How is it possible or even thinkable to succeed one of the most enigmatic and iconic frontmen in rock'n'roll history?
It's not the same -- it will never be the same. But it didn't mean that the band's first ever concert in Bangkok last Friday at Impact Arena didn't rock everyone's world.
The atmosphere in the hall was tense with anticipation once concertgoers -- ranging from teenagers to older people who could barely walk -- slowly filled up the seats. Greeted with a giant red tapestry of Queen's emblem fluttering above the stage, the excitement was contagious, since fans weren't sure what to expect with only lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor left from the original line-up.
After an hour-and-a-half of chanting We Will Rock You and humorous failed attempts at a human wave, the lights went off, and with a flash of white light, the tapestry fell, audience members jumped out of their seats, and the band kicked off with Seven Seas Of Rhye from the band's first two albums.
Warming up the Thai audience with their lesser-known songs, Adam Lambert from the get-go was an impressive force on stage. While Freddie Mercury was known for his larger-than-life stage presence and theatrical style, 34-year-old Lambert went down a more flamboyant, almost campy route -- confidently strutting the stage, thrusting his hips and flirting and bantering with the audience whilst working his extremely impressive vocals.
It was after three songs that the band started to bring the house down with hit after hit. Concertgoers danced and sang to Fat Bottomed Girls, Don't Stop Me Now, Somebody To Love and Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and went mental with Bohemian Rhapsody, which was joined by a virtual Freddie on screen and the original music video for its operatic section.
Performing with incredible respect and faithfulness to the original recordings, it was soon clear that no one was trying to replace Freddie, but in fact, it was a celebration of him and the incredible music that he graced us with.
"He may not be here physically in the building," said Lambert to the audience before singing Somebody To Love. "But I know you all feel his spirit! I know you're here because you love Freddie Mercury!"
Each original band member, with loving approval and adulation from the audience, was given their time in the spotlight as well. Lead guitarist Brian May, 69, who had the incredible energy to walk and jog around the stage for the full two hours, gave a tear jerking solo acoustic performance of Love Of My Life accompanied by footage of Freddie Mercury screened behind him. His status as a rock god still reigns with his technical and melodic guitar riffs shown in full in a 10-minute guitar solo preceding Tie Your Mother Down.
Roger Taylor also sang a few numbers including It's A Kind Of Magic and paid tribute to David Bowie with Under Pressure. At 67-years-old, he still drummed and sang simultaneously with full energy and force, even having a drum battle with a blonde-bobbed man who turned out to be Rufus Tiger Taylor, his son.
The band played an incredibly stunning set of 23 songs accompanied by amazing lights and visuals. It was a beautiful tribute to Freddie Mercury. It was an astonishing highlight of the skills of the original band members, and it was a great show of the new generation of talent. With Queen + Adam Lambert being this incredible, it's almost impossible to imagine Queen during their golden days when Freddie was alive.
