Sunday 22 September 2013

Queenbert iHeartRadio Festival Las Vegas


It was Queenbert last time round that broke this blog due to the long sets and overwhelming volume of media, so this seems an appropriate time to fix it. A Queenbert collaboration is about as perfect a fit as it's possible to get and a reunion we'd been wishing the months away for. Here's the full set:



It seems like forever since I last saw Adam perform and what a sight for sore eyes he is. Wow. He looks stunning. Cutting a svelte figure looking refined in unimposing understated black, he's dressed respectfully in keeping with the rest of the band and not attention-seekily, which only shows Adam's sensitivity and class. There's facial hair with very little make-up and it's quite rare to see him without a jacket for such an event. Maybe he's remembered it makes him sweat bucketloads. Casual with shirt slashed to the waist and skintight jeans, there's no denying his irresistible sex appeal. The only bling comes in the form of a bit of jewellery, a belt and those bedazzled Louboutins.

The set kicks off with the "Mama" part of Bohemian Rhapsody and with it he's finally scratched my 5 year (almost) itch. Despite being part of previous Queenbert concerts, this is the first time Adam has performed it since his AI audition. It will draw the inevitable comparisons with Freddie but he holds his own. I think he lacks the cutting clarity of Freddie's tone but it's strong and he adds a different grittier rock texture to it. The theatricality and the emotion still give it that impact though.

Another One Bites The Dust completes the opening medley and the start is a shock. Adam's voice is so low and rich and it's that part of his range that we rarely hear. Even during the higher parts I realise that during the Trespassing era I haven't heard that much of his melodic sweet spot, which is truly sublime. He gets his strut on, showing us all what a powerful and charismatic front man he makes.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love comes with a heavy dose of swagger with some of Adam's diction a nod to Elvis. He's a bit tentative when the music cuts out but his belting is mightily impressive.

Who Wants To Live Forever brings an abrupt change to the mood of the set. Super dramatic from very soft and whispery to strong, powerful and operatic, Adam's voice seems limitless as he glides effortlessly between its many different shades and facets. He gives me goosebumps galore, especially at the climax which I will to keep going. You cannot fail to be moved by this and the emotion behind it. It's spellbinding. I watch and listen in awe, astounded all over again by his mastery of his phenomenal voice. I already feel from this concert that he's reached a new level, above everything else so far and it makes me proud to see him strive to keep improving when there's so little room for it. It could just be the quality of the recordings but it sounds to me that the difference between this and last year's Queenbert is considerable.

Adam leaves the stage for Fun to join Queen for Somebody To Love, sung by their front man Nate Ruess. It's quite cruel for anyone to follow Adam, kind of like the anti-climax of Kris performing after Adam on the AI tour. Nate has a lovely timbre to his voice but he seems to not be very well trained on the mic. I think it's too far and he doesn't keep it steady, affecting how we perceive his tone, power, projection and volume. They have different styles though and I've come to appreciate how slick and well-controlled Adam's is. Comparatively rough around the edges, Nate does a good job and it's enjoyable, but for selfish reasons I can't help but wish it were Adam singing instead. As an aside, it seems Fun's guitarist didn't get the memo regarding what to wear. I think he looks like a guy they dragged in off the street.


Adam is re-introduced back on stage for a Fat Bottomed Girls duet with Nate. When I think of Adam performing, I often think of him playing up to the crowd but I have a new-found appreciation of how physically restrained he is. In direct contrast to Nate's rather hyperactive flaily style, Adam seems effortlessly cool and laid back in comparison. His stage presence still dominates and is second-to-none. The highlight which is hilarious, has to be where he straddles an imaginary object (I'll leave that to your imagination), works his snake hips and demands us to get on our bikes and ride. Yes sir!

A mashup of Dragon Attack with the Bohemian Rhapsody breakdown follows. By force of habit, I almost expect DA to segue into Shady but both songs are frustratingly abbreviated. He hits a rare sharp note in the very short burst of BR. I want to hear more of it though. I really think full versions deserve to be heard and a half hour set is nowhere near enough.

We Will Rock You marks the beginning of the end. A tuft of hair is starting to fall and there's a flat note. I have to say that the crowd is particularly lame. Don't any of them know how to clap in time? Admittedly they didn't all come to see Queen and the venue is massive but when you compare it to any of the London shows it must have been a disappointment for the performers. Maybe Adam should have led the clapping There was the potential to create a magical atmosphere for all that was missed.

We Are The Champions is the spectacular conclusion to the set and Adam leaves no doubt as to his suitability for the task in hand. The crowd is better for this one with a few arms swaying in the air but it's still not a patch on London last year. He ends the concert with a blast of his trademark bluesy runs but I just don't want it to end.

I love this concert though the truncated songs and the abrupt switching between them is a serious source of irritation. I would've liked to have heard Don't Stop Me Now, The Show Must Go On and a full Bohemian Rhapsody but the allocated time is too short. I feel that Adam's upped his game, vocally stretching his range. His voice and his presence are so very powerful, exuding charisma and commanding all before him. There is no denying his Rock God credentials as I feel humbled just watching him. Magnificent.

16 comments:

  1. Love your review. You were lucky to have been there. One of these days I hope it will be my turn. Until then, I will live vicariously through reviews like this one, videos and Twitter accounts. Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately I wasn't there in person but I was lucky enough to see them in London last year.

      Delete
  2. WWTLF is missing.It goes right to STL. I tried it twice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's working fine for me. Where are you watching from? One possible explanation might be that the 2nd video in the playlist is blocked.

      Delete
  3. Thanks for this great review. I found myself imagining that Brian and May had a chat with Adam during rehearsal and told him to not hold back or worry about upstaging them. It felt to me like they want to champion Adam as much as possible, just as he has done so much to energize them. Beautiful to see.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's such a difficult and daunting job to step into Freddie's shoes so I'm glad they're really supportive. I can't imagine anyone else being able to bring such élan to the songs for new audiences.

      Delete
  4. OMG a review,finally! As someone who got a ticket in sec. 114, let me tell you about the crowd: Vegas rollers, guests, loaded drunk people most of who were there to see a specific act and then left. To start with, about 10% was unsold because they held onto the artificial high prices and when MGM released the tickets, people didn't know and thus didn't buy them. Some of those radio contest winners were so lost as to what to do in the crowd, it was funny to watch them. Then there were the $$ guys - old guys in their 70's nodding off with their younger female partners bopping heads. Anyway, the exodus of inebriated people is what allowed me to seat-hop my way down to floor (well, 2nd row since I am short although the security lady offered to let me go to the actual floor)and thus the last set of pictures was taken from the 2nd row of section 14 with a pretty clear view of the stage. The crowd was terrible, people didn't know what to expect but I did see that those who were paying attention actually came alive during Queen's set. It was Some Kind Of Magic! But it was not an appropriate public for Adam Lambert + Queen. None of the artists were shown any modicum of hall-wide respect, perhaps Elton John came closest but the youngsters had no patience for him. Oh and women massively left during C. Brown's set (I did too). Now let's keep our fingers crossed for an actual concert States-side.
    Cheers,
    Lily
    @_Lilzy

    http://lilzy.smugmug.com/Music/Adam-Lambert-Queen-iHeartRadio/32030206_v5RvP8#!i=2781040615&k=MQK63Pr

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow Lily, great pictures and thank you for sharing. Glad you got to experience Queenbert first hand and managed to get close to the action. It really is a shame about the crowd but I guess that's what happens when you get such a mishmash of artists in the same line-up. The atmosphere will lack that passion. It's a pity because the buzz during my Queenbert experience was incredible. Hope there's more to come.

      Delete
    2. We NEED another REAL Queenbert Concert! I mean, Adam was/is in such top form, i can't even imagine what could be in a proper hall with the right audio system. The audio feed inside MGM's Arena was much better than the Apollo but Nokia Theater in LA would be even better. One can dream! Heck, for acoustics, I'll book Disney Hall which has a hall specifically constructed in shape and from materials (soft wood) to properly carry sound.Oy vey :-)
      Lily

      Delete
  5. Thank you for this amazing review! I see your point when you say Adam was trying not to seek attention with his clothes, but I did miss his glam look, he didn´t even wore nail polish, and I feel this is kind of part of him. I loved his performance, he was stunning as usual, and I do love Queen,so for me it felt like heaven! Thanks again for your reviews.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it was really classy of him to not try to be the centre of attention as he understood that it was Queen's work he was showcasing. I'm really loving this look of his, so refined!

      Delete
  6. Great review! Missed your point of view so very happy you are writing again! Adam's performance was astounding and I've been shaken by the power of his voice and his presence. I hope this is a beginning of the new chapter!
    AD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, hope I manage to keep it going. Still watching this on repeat, can't quite get over how remarkable that voice is and its ability to move.

      Delete
  7. Good god, finally you are back. I've always loved your writings. You've done another outstanding job reviewing Adam's performance.

    I was lucky to be in the audience. I was on the floor to the right of the extended stage. Maybe 10 feet from performers. Let me tell you, Adam's voice on that night was so magical. It was so rich, clear and really really really powerful to a point that scared me a little. His voice filled the entire arena and soared. I was totally blown away. And then here came his magnificent stage presence. I was completely floored.

    The crowd was ok, many people in the arena actually enjoyed the Queenbert set a lot. And you could feel people's curiosity and the respect at the same time. Although they were not necessarily Queen fans let alone Adam fans. I think the problem with them was that they were not familiar with songs like AOBTD, CLTCL, WWTLF as well as DA. And from where I stood, I observed that many people were actually stunned by Adam's voice. They didn't know what to react and was slow. You know, for young people Queen was too old for them and for older people they liked to keep calm. But they were in awe of Adam's performance. Plus, good number of people were participating and waving their hands. So, all good.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wish people would judge Adam by his voice and not his lifestyle. I am a fan and have been since he appeared in Idol. His overall look is amazing and I truly thought that maybe Elvis had a son. His appearances are majestic. His over all charisma is stupendous. He is a very handsome man and that voice is just pure magic. I am 65 years old so I am not after Adam for anything except his beautiful music and personality. He will be a greater star than Elton John and I like John's music.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. COMPLETELY agree! I love Adam, I think he has the most amazing voice but his showmanship is fantastic! It always fits the song. I wish all the write ups and interviews would not bring up his lifestyle. He treats people with respect, he respects himself, he's not promiscuous or into drugs so he's a great & I hope to see him soar to the top.

      Delete