REVIEW
THE BEST OF QUEEN
PERFORMED BY THE BOHEMIANS
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea – Friday 16th August 8pm
THE BEST OF QUEEN
PERFORMED BY THE BOHEMIANS
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea – Friday 16th August 8pm
SWEENEY ENTERTAINMENTS PRESENT
The Best of Queen, performed by The Bohemians and presented by Sweeney
Entertainments, pay homage to the world’s most theatrical and dramatic Rock band, Queen
The Best of Queen, performed by The Bohemians and presented by Sweeney
Entertainments, pay homage to the world’s most theatrical and dramatic Rock band, Queen
I was tempted to give this review a heading, along the line of “The Problem With Tribute Acts”. A glance at last week’s schedule at the Cliffs would tell you that there were at least four tribute bands playing on different nights, including Michael Jackson and Ariana Grande. So there is clearly a demand for this kind of entertainment.
Friday night was the turn of Queen to take to the stage, and an almost packed house - many dressed in Queen regalia and merchandise such as T-shirts - created a huge buzz in the auditorium. The lights went down and Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon did NOT appear! Instead, four completely unknown musicians took the stage. For me the sense of “so near, yet so far” was overwhelming.
The recent film, “Bohemian Rhapsody“ recreated the look and sound of Queen so brilliantly that expectations are very high for any live performance of Queen music.
The first ten or fifteen minutes of the show were indeed somewhat bumpy as our Fab Four took time to settle down whilst the sound desk guys had difficulty finding the right balance. The noise of the drums and guitars were deafening, and it was very difficult to hear “Freddie“ at all. “Oh dear, oh dear,” I thought, making plans for a swift exit at the interval.
Then something weird happened. Rob Comber, as Freddie, relaxed; his voice suddenly took off, and the illusion of Freddie started to take over. As he powered his way through one hit after another, sweat literally dripping off his nose, we all sat back, relaxed, and began to marvel at this guy, who seemed to have vocal chords of steel to carry off those huge anthemic songs, whilst playing piano and guitar equally well too. The man had me won over, and I cancelled my plans to pick up an early take-away on the way home.
In little over 40 mins, Rob powered his way through at least a dozen numbers, which are all so high-energy that you are left wondering how on earth he can keep it up for another hour and a half.
So far so good. Musically the band are all surprisingly fine. Dan Church, as Roger Taylor, provides excellent support on drums, whilst Kevin Goodwin as John Deacon, provides bass guitar and sings harmonies well. However for this reviewer, the problems come with Christopher Gregory who plays the Brian May role. He is a fine player, acquitting himself well in all those demanding extended solos too, but oh, this man has the stage presence of a rabbit! He simply cannot perform. He has the kind of face which brings to mind a combination of Jim Broadbent and Wallace and Gromit. Throwing an appalling black curly wig on him does not help. In fact, seeing his nose poking out of it in profile made the whole thing risible. If you’re going to present Queen, you have to at least give some attention to detail and presentation. Many shows are so sophisticated and slick, that this kind of shoddiness simply will not do. Neither he, nor John Deacon provide the physical support and panache needed to make the job of the lead singer, playing the man we have all come to see any easier.
Anyone even thinking of stepping into Freddie Mercury’s shoes has got to have one helluva talent. Freddie was one of the greatest performers of all time. He ate the stage. How on earth does any mere mortal stand a chance of succeeding? Unbelievably, against all the odds, Rob Comber, who, in his mid-fifties, has the kind of energy many people half his age would envy, wins the challenge hands down. He strikes every pose, busts all the moves, and single handedly raised the roof. So what if he nearly floods the stage in sweat, or has a few extra pounds round his waist, that become a bit too visible through his vest when he sits down at the piano? He somehow makes you forget that he ISN’T Freddie and wins the audience vote long before the end.
The success of the evening is largely down to him, and by the time he glided back on in the famous Union Jack cloak, the job is done, and the audience are on their feet.
3.5 stars overall. 4.5 stars for Rob Comber as Freddie Mercury
Review: Andrew Walters
Friday night was the turn of Queen to take to the stage, and an almost packed house - many dressed in Queen regalia and merchandise such as T-shirts - created a huge buzz in the auditorium. The lights went down and Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon did NOT appear! Instead, four completely unknown musicians took the stage. For me the sense of “so near, yet so far” was overwhelming.
The recent film, “Bohemian Rhapsody“ recreated the look and sound of Queen so brilliantly that expectations are very high for any live performance of Queen music.
The first ten or fifteen minutes of the show were indeed somewhat bumpy as our Fab Four took time to settle down whilst the sound desk guys had difficulty finding the right balance. The noise of the drums and guitars were deafening, and it was very difficult to hear “Freddie“ at all. “Oh dear, oh dear,” I thought, making plans for a swift exit at the interval.
Then something weird happened. Rob Comber, as Freddie, relaxed; his voice suddenly took off, and the illusion of Freddie started to take over. As he powered his way through one hit after another, sweat literally dripping off his nose, we all sat back, relaxed, and began to marvel at this guy, who seemed to have vocal chords of steel to carry off those huge anthemic songs, whilst playing piano and guitar equally well too. The man had me won over, and I cancelled my plans to pick up an early take-away on the way home.
In little over 40 mins, Rob powered his way through at least a dozen numbers, which are all so high-energy that you are left wondering how on earth he can keep it up for another hour and a half.
So far so good. Musically the band are all surprisingly fine. Dan Church, as Roger Taylor, provides excellent support on drums, whilst Kevin Goodwin as John Deacon, provides bass guitar and sings harmonies well. However for this reviewer, the problems come with Christopher Gregory who plays the Brian May role. He is a fine player, acquitting himself well in all those demanding extended solos too, but oh, this man has the stage presence of a rabbit! He simply cannot perform. He has the kind of face which brings to mind a combination of Jim Broadbent and Wallace and Gromit. Throwing an appalling black curly wig on him does not help. In fact, seeing his nose poking out of it in profile made the whole thing risible. If you’re going to present Queen, you have to at least give some attention to detail and presentation. Many shows are so sophisticated and slick, that this kind of shoddiness simply will not do. Neither he, nor John Deacon provide the physical support and panache needed to make the job of the lead singer, playing the man we have all come to see any easier.
Anyone even thinking of stepping into Freddie Mercury’s shoes has got to have one helluva talent. Freddie was one of the greatest performers of all time. He ate the stage. How on earth does any mere mortal stand a chance of succeeding? Unbelievably, against all the odds, Rob Comber, who, in his mid-fifties, has the kind of energy many people half his age would envy, wins the challenge hands down. He strikes every pose, busts all the moves, and single handedly raised the roof. So what if he nearly floods the stage in sweat, or has a few extra pounds round his waist, that become a bit too visible through his vest when he sits down at the piano? He somehow makes you forget that he ISN’T Freddie and wins the audience vote long before the end.
The success of the evening is largely down to him, and by the time he glided back on in the famous Union Jack cloak, the job is done, and the audience are on their feet.
3.5 stars overall. 4.5 stars for Rob Comber as Freddie Mercury
Review: Andrew Walters