The Anthem band

Radio Ga, Ga and Bohemian Rhapsody and We Are the Champions brought the house down, literally.
As I walked away from the show, my heart pounding and head buzzing the thing that struck me the most, beyond May’s brilliant guitar playing and Taylor’s amazing drumming was that Queen did not write songs. They wrote anthems. Anthems to go with possibly every stage of life for every kind of person. I mean there is scarcely a song of their’s that cannot get a small crowd or a packed stadium clapping and singing in unison. And that is just, just brilliant.

Roger Taylor - II

And you figure ok, they are going to set up his kit on the ramp and he will do a drum solo. They do. Only it’s not a drum solo he does. It’s a song. They bring a microphone on. And the Queen drummer sings It’s a Kind of Magic. On his count of three, the entire stage bursts into light and the band backs him from there. It was amazing to see a drummer sing from upfront like that. And Taylor rocked.
From then on they could do no wrong. Freddie was remembered more than he was missed.

Roger Taylor - I

Together they do another acoustic song and before you know it, the big rock show is forgotten and the whole band (accordion, double bass, rhythm) is upfront doing acoustic. The crowd was simply ecstatic.
Then, they all go away, leaving just Taylor, bass drum and bassist up front. Taylor showboats, playing out Under Pressure on the bass guitar with his sticks. Then, the bassisst disappears and its just Taylor on his bass drum. At the top of the ramp.
Someone then brings a snare. And then a tom. And then a cymbal. And he is playing all the time.

Queen - II

In that setting once the tempo has been set, to drop it is risky.
And yet, the manner in which May turned an arena setting into an intimate one, was magical. I always have VIP tickets and I never stand by the ramp. Because I was alone at this show, I took a spot within touching distance of head ramp. A smart move.
Once May had the crowd in the palm of hand and hanging on to the lilt of his voice, he brought on Paul Taylor, who sat next to him with just the bass drum and hi-hat.

Queen - I

So there I was, among 5,000 fans, as Paul Rodgers warmed us up belting out Fat Bottomed Girls and Tie Your Mother Down. Just as the crowd was getting over the euphoria of hearing these songs played live, and beginning to cotton on to Paul’s lack of intensity and suitability, the stage went dark.
Brian May then came onto the edge of the ramp, sat on a stool and sang an acoustic love song. To appreciate the risk of this (and the confidence of May), you have to keep in mind a huge crowd, a massive stage, et al.

Cool geniuses

Queen was fronted at the show in Dubai by Paul Rodgers, lead singer of 70s rock band Bad Company. Rodgers looked uncomfortable and at times, forced, handling anthems like Another One bites the Dust and I Want It All. It was only when Brian May and Paul Taylor took the vocals that the real Queen shone through – one that even the vocal maverick Freddie would have been proud of. The thing about legends, and May and Taylor make the grade in my book, is they wear their genius lightly on their sleeves. And these two oldies exemplify that.