Queen and Adam Lambert rock ‘Rhapsody’ concert ahead of Fire Fight Australia performance
Queen and Adam Lambert have reclaimed their legendary rock royalty status at ANZ Stadium as they ramp up for their performance at the Fire Fight Australia bushfire benefit.
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Queen and Adam Lambert reclaimed their superiority as big gig royalty with their grandiose Rhapsody show at ANZ Stadium.
When the rebooted band, with newly minted rock god Lambert stepping into Freddie Mercury’s legendary frontman role, toured here two years ago they thrilled diehard fans with their arena shows.
But that was before the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic starring Rami Malek in an Oscar winning performance as Mercury swept the globe in late 2018.
The phenomenal box office success of the film not only reignited their enviable catalogue in the streaming era, it fuelled an inter-generational refresh of the audience eager to see then perform live.
And so more than 70,000 fans, the newcomers and the stayers, the young and old, raised their voices into their fine crowd karaoke when original members Brian May and Roger Taylor with Lambert and band took the stage after a 30 minute thunderstorm delay.
When Lambert introduced his legendary partners in music — he has been working with them now for eight years — the roar was real.
And when he professed his fandom of Mercury — and gratitude for this once-in-a-lifetime singing gig and audience acceptance of him in this coveted frontman role — again, the fulsome cheers were full of bonhomie.
There is certainly a mutual admiration society going on here as Lambert’s prodigious vocal and performance gifts have significantly contributed to the band’s ongoing chart and concert box office fortunes.
Queen songs are engineered for stadiums - from the devilishly paced and vocal gymnastics of Somebody To Love to the frenetic rock opera of Killer Queen, this is glam rock on steroids.
But the power of their performance in the world’s stadiums in 2020, five decades after they began in the workers clubs of the UK, lies in the drama of Lambert’s dexterous voice, those melodies imprinted in our DNA and May and Taylor’s superlative skill and enduring enthusiasm for their day jobs.
They love playing these songs to the millions of people who have them on high rotation in their cars or their playlists.
In case you don’t know Under Pressure is one of my fave songs of all time. They so gotta play this at Fire Fight Australia! #Queen #Sydney pic.twitter.com/jiBJcgwCa0
— Kathy McCabe (@McCabeRadar) February 15, 2020
There is something truly noble about the pursuit of rock’n’roll excellence over five decades.
Yet equally endearing is the tongue firmly placed in the cheek when they deliver the hilarious novelty song duo of I’m In Love With My Car and Bicycle Race.
They are ridiculous rock songs but you cannot begrudge their existence, nor the song which followed them, Fat Bottomed Girls which is more anthemic now than problematic.
Their orchestrations of the revered Queen catalogue were indeed stadium upsized. Another One Bites The Dust punched tougher than in any previous incarnation without sacrificing that disco flavour.
Freddie’s presence is always built into the show as May ventured to the front of the runway with his acoustic guitar to sing Love Of My Life, accompanied by a sea of mobile torches, and then his late bandmate via video to sing the last chorus. It’s such a gorgeous moment.
Yet there are so many facets to this band and Queen showcase them all, assembling rockabilly trio formation for Crazy Little Thing Called Love before unleashing the power pop rock of Under Pressure.
“The only thing iPhones are good for†#Queen #Sydney pic.twitter.com/NP141RyYYj
— Kathy McCabe (@McCabeRadar) February 15, 2020
They paid tribute to their predecessors and peers with covers of Heartbreak Hotel and Whole Lotta Love — songs which could have been sacrificed because of the rain delay but were not.
And then it was a clutch of Queen chart classics including the brilliant pop camp of I Want To Break Free, the harmonic gymnastics of Who Wants To Live Forever — which so should have been a Bond theme - with the momentum slightly stalled by an obligatory guitar virtuoso solo from May before the rockin’ Tie Your Mother Down.
The Show Must Go On, appropriate considering the thunder bolts and lightning frightening of the pre-show storm, was a worthy addition to the setlist.
Of course the concert finished with Bohemian Rhapsody before the We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions grand finale.
Yeah baby. Another Bites The Dust #Queen #Sydney #ANZstadium #aftertherain pic.twitter.com/LY6U2qIBbW
— Kathy McCabe (@McCabeRadar) February 15, 2020
While this was a show for the Queen faithful, it was also a supreme warm-up for their performance at the Fire Fight Australia bushfire benefit on Sunday.
The band donated their stage and will play for more than 25 minutes at Fire Fight, even longer than their 17 minute scene-stealing slot at Live Aid in the 80s.
Foxtel will broadcast the Fire Fight Australia concert live on Fox8 and Channel V from 1pm.
Donations can be made for the ongoing recovery effort via firefightaustralia.com