Queen + Adam Lambert Concert @ Adelaide Oval

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.

Open your eyes,

Look up to the skies and see,

I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,

Little high, little low,

Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me……

When we saw the movie Bohemian Rhapsody during last year’s visit to Adelaide, it was simply the best movie we’d seen in a long time.  It was clearly a candidate for the Best Picture Oscar.  It might not have had great acting like Casablanca or great action sequences like a Star Wars movie, or the pomp and circumstance of Ben Hur or the Ten Commandments.

It was a technically brilliant movie. The screen play was brilliant.  The direction brilliant.  The weaving of the story was clever; delivering at every turn.  Sound and video mixing were incredible.  And Rami Malek's performance was perfect. 

From the moment we departed the theater we had a singular goal; find and see Queen. We purchased our tickets long distance, very long distance.  From the US, we purchased tickets for their performance at Adelaide Oval, on this years return.

The Queen performance was sandwiched between Fringe shows.  Last year we saw Phil Collins at the Oval.  This year we changed seats anticipating a different performance.

Australia was hit by devastating bushfires between November and January. In the spirit of the Live Aid concert, a charity concert was organized to help those affected by the fires. With Queen touring Australia and their connection to the original Live Aid, they were a natural.  And did they deliver during their set at Artists Unite for FIRE FIGHT, Concert for National Bushfire Relief. With that performance the stage was set for Adelaide.

It’s the long-awaited arrival of Queen + Adam Lambert concert. Adelaide Oval is packed with a sellout crowd of more than 50,000. The well-structured 33-song set lasts over two and a half hours.

 

The most amazing part to CJ. 72-year old Brian May is on stage all evening.  The younger 38-year old Adam Lambert gets multiple breaks.  Even May’s original partner drummer 70-year old Roger Taylor gets breaks. Brian is on stage the entire time; not that anyone is complaining. He is bloody magnificent with a guitar and he has a great voice.

 

 

 

How good is this concert? Typically, at a rock concert, CJ loves it and Carol complains interminably about the noise level.  No complaints this night.  She thinks this is the best concert she’s ever attended.  For CJ it would have been much better if he’d been able to cop the close-up pictures he craved. The only downside of the concert is CJ's Nikon.  Why tonight of all nights, why on the evening of the reason I carted the camera to Australia and why after it has taken pictures thus far on the trip, does the bloody thing decide to die! Bugger all!

Are the people happy?  Are they excited?  The souvenir stands are mobbed as the crowd exits. We’ve exited a few events at the Oval but nothing like this.  We can’t find the entrance to the Torrens Footbridge.  You get into the flowing river of people and allow the mob to move you along.  Groups break into Queen songs and quickly it’s a full choir. 

The evening was magic.