This is the English report. Click at the approperiate flag for the approperiate country.
(note: they will be updated soon, don't expect much until June 22nd)
Nederlands Deutsch
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Intro
After the concert I have been walking around with the black nail polish for a couple of weeks, and that was so typical for this concert. It was all melancholy, memories of the times that are passed, on which we saw Queen alive. Nice memories, it is so nice to be in that Queen mood again (hell, as if I need that for getting into a Queen mood!)
This Queen mood
was even more feeded by the fact that the tour was still running on for a few
weeks and that I became on and on new pictures and songs (thanks babe!).
This is then the long waited report. I had a long
time off the internet, that's why the delay is way longer then planned, on the
other hand, let I be honest, I am not sure that I should've finished this sooner
if I had been with an internet connection. All disadvantages do have an
advantage, someone told, and that's the way it is.
I want to say a few on forward. All what I write is not to take away the fun from others, it is written from my heart, how I see and consider the things. It might be that some of you fully disagree with me, that's okay, I just write this as my, our, personal memory and if you have a bit of fun in reading it, then my goal is reached!
You must realize that my goal, my reason to go, was to see and
taste the Queen spirit. The rest is well, not *that* important, it was Queen
where I, we, came for.
The pictures in this report are taken by a various
bunch of people, the credits are hopefully to all below. The pics are not only at the Dortmund gig, but considering that the gigs and setlists are similar, why not sharing the best with you all :)
In fact I look forward to your reactions, comments about lay out, tuning, language and all, well, you can drop them to me at the usual ways.
A last thing for now. This report is written in my traditional (free) web
space, what means that the first days after "launch" this site might have been unreachable. The report
will have a back up in the Staying Power group at msn, with probably a tiny bit different outlook, but
basically it is the same.
When you log in into StayingPower, you have some more advantages, more pictures,
more background info and well, just feel free to join, there were a couple of
people that did it before you! You will find the URL under this pic...
Now a general remark about the concert, about the songs of Queen how they are sang and so more.
Having seen this concert without Freddie and John, it is even more
clear then before. Queen cannot be replaced. Queen is unique in its kind and
even when there are only 2 members of the Original band Queen, those two are (in my
eyes) the only ones who can carry the name of Queen.
The songs are still the same from that good old time and the nostalgia is
high. It is good to see one time how the legacy of the songs is carried by Roger
and Brian. And so should it be, the rest is just a try (one better then
another).
Time to stop this rubbish, go to read where it all is about! I hope you do enjoy it!
Before
Ah well, good old memories from the concerts of so long ago, It is so hard to believe that it is 30 years ago.. Time flies and.. you can't turn back the clock.. Yeah it is a shame indeed.
Actually when we heard that Brian and Roger should be performing live again in a
real tour, we did not have to think long for deciding that we simply had to go
to see the boys performing. It reminded me to the discussion I had 3 years ago,
with my friend Jorge. I was then convinced that Roger and Brian should go to
tour together, in a year... and he was convinced they were not. Well, he was
right, and I was just impatient :) So I guess that that beer stil needs to be
drunk, one way, one day :)
Brian and Roger
announced "yes,
we are going to tour again" officially at the german show "Wetten Dass..?"
that they planned a
tour, and it was then november (at the launch of the successful musical We Will
Rock you, in Germany, and I started counting the days.
We knew that
this should be a historical tour, and that this was the chance to have our Queen
experience for one time together. Okay, not that much as we should have wished,
but closer then this we could not come, we knew that.
In March (2005, ha!) it was that far, we booked the tickets and it was good that anyway at that time the internet was working well.. The tickets were very soon sold out (okay, not as soon as in the Netherlands, there they used only 10 minutes, and here in Germany it took a few weeks. But still it is amazing to realize that a group that had not performed for that long time, now, (with some others in it) sold out that quick. Queen is still alive and a lot of fans that never had the chance to see more then the live videos now take the chance to go, together with the old clan, who is loyal for about 20 years or longer. You can say it is a mix of generations and it is still amazing to realize that old AND young are fascinated by their music.
And we got our tickets, and we were happy counting down the days to the show, but you can read that at
.
Finally it was that far, the day of the concert started.
We checked in in our hotel in the afternoon, having first surrounded the "westfahlenhalle", a large thing that is. We saw some people "stealing" the huge we will rock you announcements outside, that were just hang there.
Ehm yes *blush*, it were dutchies..
After that we checked in in our super luxury hotelroom, we did polish our nails.
And that brought back the memories, that when I was 16 I came home from the
Queen concert with black nails..
My mom was already deadly concerned about the life-size-big posters at the wall of Freddie, with his make up and slim fitting ballet suits, but the nails, they did it. I never saw her that angry and I know that from that moment she was convinced that it never should get good with me.
Mom, you were so damn right! *smile*
After that the polishing work was done we went for something to eat and met in the restaurant Freddie (B) and Noor, a bit strange to meet just those two who we know, while there were about 9.000 people in total coming up for the gig.
Two hours to go
Around 7 pm we went to the WestfahlenHalle where more people were gathered. You cannot say that it was a queue, it was more a mass of people standing there, parents with children, grey hair and less, in short, the typical audience of nowadays queen, Rock music lovers from all ages (and rock and roll is alive!)
The doors went open and we got get in, In the hall (before the entrance of the concert hall were, apart from the necessary food stands, some commercial posters for the musical and the upcoming open air concert as well as of course a fan market stall, where you should be able to buy some Queen stuff.
During the concert some people left the concert (!!) to go to get those posters. I realy wonder that that can be more important then enjoying the show, but okay, maybe I'm too old for this kind of things, or just not fanatic enough. Anyway, it is pictured so that remains in a handsome format. :) We walked around and finally found our seats. Yes the hall is seated, so we all had a chair available,
When
entering the doors to the hall itself we found the message of the band.. I read an article in a german newspaper,
(thanks Ilona) about how "weird" it is to go to a ROCK concert where smoking is
not allowed..
At request of the band "Queen+ Paul Rodgers" we state a strict non smoking allowance
We found our places, looked through the program, in what of course a small inaccurate location was mentioned, while the venue in July in the Netherlands was recently re-located to Arnhem instead of in Nijmegen. I will be there as well, then with my children, and you can count on a report on that as well for sure!Another thing to mention from the program is the fact that the name of Queen is written on it in Japanese. Is that a "signal" for where the tour will lead to? I don't know, but I love it and thanks to my dear friend Maki you can read herewith the explanation. Maki showed it to Brian (sigh) in Brixton and Brian reacted like: O my God, I can read this! :)
The hall filled rapidly, more and more sound, activities around the stage.. Dark stage and hey, what idiot tries to organize a wave at 8.15? We were not waiting for that, right? So the wave failed and there came a couple of strange releases of we will rock you around.
20.30 sharp.
The lights went out. The music as well...
New music started pam pam pam ..
Pommmmm... dang dang dang, dang dang dang...
Keyboards...Plengplengpleng domdomdom, plengplengpleng - domdomdom..
It''s a beautiful daaaaay
A nice remix by DJ Como.. Freddie was with us, and he didn't leave us anymore that night. It was impressive, to hear Freddie singing for about 9.000 people, who were not silent from that moment on anymore. Clapping and dancing, it did not stop anymore.. No one's gonna stop me now,
Or?
What's coming up? *shock effect*
The music of
Eminem..
yea yea, we know that one, loose yourself okay... :)
Loud enough to get the attention, but who the hell is waiting for such? What is that song doing in the show at all?
Silence again... A guitar starts to play. A voice we never heared before in a Queen concert starts to sing...
Lately I've been too hard to reach...
I've been living on my own too loohohong
Blabla
Are you reaching out
for meeeheeehee, like I'm reaching out fooohhoooorr youhooo...
Paul stopped singing
The mass sound of the red special set in
Pahdanggg.. Tahdadammm
The grand lady speaks, the long curly hairs approach on stage, the audience gets
wild and doesn't need any seats anymore. Brians' white glogs run over the stage
and they got kicking ass...
oohooo yea
Get your party gown, get your pigtail down
Get your heart beating baheyby...heyheyhey
Errn, yes, another singer *sigh*, okay...
Tie your mother down,
and it was lovely to hear that song again, the familiar sound of the one and only red special (not those almost as good copies, but just the best shit you can get!). Paul sang and of course I got to get used to his voice, but he did what he could and that was okay -hey hey-. No immitation of the one that could sing this better, just his very own style. But it should have been damn hard to sing those songs while the audience is singing the songs the way they know so well from the tours, from the dvd's, what in fact the only thing was we had heared of the past 15 years! Anyway, they were off and the start was great. Brian took the microphone and said:
"Hi Dortmund, we are going to fucking rock you!"
Loud reactions of course, wow, is that realy our Brian? What is going to happen tonight? Nevermind, as long as they go on like this we can't complain!
And on they went, Paul sang next song as well.. Bass starts
Pomperdeepom pom pom
I want to...
Breakfree
And
the mass sang karaoke again. O, let me explain this as well. Karaoke is (of
course) a japanese word and I have been told that it literarily means it
literarily means singing without <live
performing> music. That's different from the meaning we gave it to it, we mean with
karaoke singing with the music (also taking over the voice). And that's what
happened. Everyone proved that they know the lyrics and Paul looked greatful
with this help, it seems!
Who was not warmed up by now, never should be it!
Brian ran over the stage like in his good old years...
The fun that the performers had on stage was clear, even for us who were not so
close on stage, it was so good to see them all and they were sure having a good
time, almost as good as we!
One two three (Teehee, Roger!!)
Rogers' voice from back on stage is so good to hear. *heh* .
The fat bottomed girls got the
handclapping in this nicely nasty song (brian, what did you think when you wrote this?) splashed through the hall...
Right beside the red fire lights...
I love this song, it is fun but I can't get rid of the feeling that
Paul is not realizing exactly what he is singing.
Nevertheless, the song is great and I looked at the background a bit more, how
great to hear Roger with his high range of backing vocals, and how much fun
Danny Miranda and Jamie Moses did have , they constantly roamed around Rogers'
drum kit and played with their backs to the audience..
Paul takes the guitar and next song is on,
Probably he still had a bit of difficulties
with the lyrics. I don't know, I loose my concentration a bit and think about
that such a thing simply was unimaginable (errn, is that english?) with Freddie
on stage...
Tam bedam dam, tam bedam dam..
this thing.. called love.. I just...
He can just handle it! Paul sang
Crazy little thing called love, and to be honest, he plays better guitar (alive)
then Freddie did :). But Pauls' sound was again a bit poor, it still was great to
listen to, but the way Paul is singng it it is not the "song from the 50's" that
it used to be anymore... Bran's guitar makes the song swinging "like a yelly
fish", and I kinda like it..
Until I'm ready - Are you ready Freddie
One of the nice effects in this song is the kind of solo from Spike, who (imho)
was hidden a bit too much in the corner of the stage, what as well was for the 2
guitarists, but hell, we came to see Queen (+ Paul Rodgers) and that's what we
got in the spotlights!
And then it became silent.
For one moment only. Roger left his drumkit and came
on front of the catwalk. That alone is already a reason for a lot of girls to
faint.....:)
Roger told about the song, that is written for the
"
The harder they fall..
.
Say it ain't true is a wonderful song. Roger is not just a good background
singer and drummer, but he is an excellent singer as well..jpg?dc=4675522852444214443)
concert (one and
a half year ago). He felt he had to say for one more time
This ballad about
aids (
Roger was musical assisted by Danny and Jamie,
it was very impressive and I consider this as one of the (many) highlights of
the evening.
And rhen it was Brian who had to show up,
and talking a bit. About that he is suprised to see all the seats (who bothered, anyway?),
inviting all to come forward what the security naturally did not allow...
And then Brian found he had to appologize for
having used the F** word at the start of the show. He appologized for having
used it, and i think if he had not made that excuse that no one should have
remembered this anymore after the show, but thanks to his excuse we know it
forever. "it's a family show, I should not have said that"...
After this "voice from the organization" Brian
returned to where he is good in, he sat in front and played
39. Good song to
cheer up again, after the impressive ballad from roger, and everyone clapped and
sang along again, a great party we got indeed!
"this song is for Freddie, okay?"
Yeaaaah...
And we all sang
Love of my life.. and Brian did do the guitar..
I screamed as well with the song, it is not that
often that you have the chance to sing with Brian playing guitar with it. As
ever an emotional song, and the tears did almost come into my eyes, not by the
quality of the song, :)), but because it is so obvious who we miss on nights like
this.
Applause for ourselves, and the guitar gently
wheeped...
Pleng Pleng...
Here we stay... and here we fall..
The smooth change from slow to rock did as
well change the voice to Pauls'. For a moment it seemed that the proper guitar
could not be found.
But.. they got it and a Hammer to fall
played on and became as well a
singalong song, a huge contrast to the lyrics,
Paul happily clapped, threw with
his microphone standard and so it was weird, but true, that this song as well
became a singalong for everyone.. The same song with such a different load,
amazing!
It was about time, it seemed, for a Paul Rodgers' song.
His "Feel like making love" is a nice song, starts slowly and ends a bit more
rocky. Paul did enjoy singing this, (was it me again??) you could see and taste that this is the song that he knows and can handle perfectly.
Not all people
knew this song, BadCompany is in our area of Europe never been that
famous. Paul sang relaxed, more then in the Queen songs, and of course I don't
dare to blame him, 'cos the Queen songs were actually not written for this
singer.. The stage went empty. Roger still behind his drumkit. And he
started to play,
Let there be drums (later in the tour transformed to Let there be Gene, read about it in the message in Staying Power, click the pic) Wow, I
I never expected a drum solo, the more while Roger always
told that he doesn't like solo's, but this one was wonderful, a bit influence of
Cozy Powell could be heared too and at the end Brian joined and played with
Roger. The hall was exploding (in fact.. I have no idea, I did explode :P) .. Our two heroes on stage, Tuhmduhmduhmdum...
Yes, no surprise for the next song.. Hmmm Hmmm, hmm uh uh..
The machine af a dream.... I'm in love with my car, the song that is not only written by Roger, it IS
Roger.. Druming and singing like a blond sex god... When you closed your eyes,
anyway.. If you opened your eyes you saw a grey sex God instead, but
who f*cking
cares, he rocked our socks off
it was a blast and I was realy out of control.
Wha, what a song, what a drummer, this is what I love! And what a voice, raw
like a rock, hot like chili peppers damn, I almost could get jealous at that
man! :D Almost, almost, I can't drum but further... *innocent look* Just considering that it should be good to get a break it looked like they
did reply to my wish, because now the stage was for Brian. Before the concert, in talking with others about it, I joked that this should be a great moment to go to the toilet, but
since I didn't have the need... No, just kidding, Brians' traditional GUITAR SOLO Honestly it is not my favorite item, but it
belongs to a concert in what Brian is playing, he did his magic tricks with the
red special that we know so well from him through the years, echoes, effects and
it brought some magic in the show indeed.
The We Will Rock You musical and Brian
are two of one kind, so it is okay this way. The musical needs in Germany in
fact not much commercial, because it is soled out and a great success, the best
musical ever (in selling figures).
Brian goes to the backside on stage, and then
Buckingham palace shows up. Brian goes up and there he is playing at the roof
again, I think that that was a very highlight in Brians' carreer and it is nice
to see it returning here, I liked it.. We go further and higher and in
LOST HORIZON
the screen shows Brian in the air. The camera goes higher and higher and
the disco ball is turning. Brian returns to earth and comes at the catwalk where
he sings under the stars. Nicely done, the climate of a fairy tail is surely
created and it looked very well, it was lovely and even a kind of romatic :).
You can say it is a bit fake, but it fitted wonderful. And guess what, those
solo were the moments that we used our seats, it was comfortable and realy nice
to have this break, I cant think of a better kind of, actually! Of course it is
not a Queen song, but well, Brian, you're forgiven (again!) After this nice solo we hear the sounds of
THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES coming on. Brian and Roger are on stage, the background rhytm comes from tape. It is such an impressive song, and Freddie is missed even more with it.
And I enjoy Rogers' voice, and when he comes to "when I look, and I find..." In fact I was a bit K.O. after this song. So much Roger "power" after each
other.. Okay, no problem, I loved it, the high expectations I had of the guys,
they did not let me down for a minute! And the stage was again for the bass... Pampadapam pam pam pampadapam pam pam..
I should not mind if this should go on a bit longer, I
can't get enough of
it, and that's what happened now on stage, Paul sang his song "
I love the
Hammer to Fall slow version alot,
it
is a touching song that way, this way it is a touching song and it makes the
lost of Freddie be felt even more. Brian can move those melancholy strings with
his strings and he did do that..
LOOOOVED it
was not boring for a second. 
It
is amazing what he can do with a guitar and the light effects with the show made
it something wonderful. A little bit of "chinese torture" was definitely added
in, and then at the video wall there came some commercial adds for the
musical.The Dominom Theater, London (hmm, well, that looks anyway better then
the Dome in Cologne *smiles*,) ah well. 
After the show of tonight there was an
afterparty (in the hotel where we stayed in), in what the musical got an award
(I believe, something like that). A big cheers comes up when the video wall shows pictures of Queen in Japan, that long ago.. *big sigh* and e melancholy blues comes over me.
Dammmit, why Freddie, why?
(brians' solo sets in), Roger looks more then a bit to Brian, to his hair? Later in the concerts Roger changed the lyrics from.. when I look.. and I find.. No change.. to When I look .. and I find .. Brian May
No change indeed :) 
Yea,
singalong time again :) Party time with Radio Gaga and of course, it is ROGERS' song,
so he sang a part, it was great. So many times I heard them playing this song
and I heard Roger singing it already, it always is nice and cool, and then Paul
Rodgers took over the vocals and the song changed into a party song...And
everybody put the hands in the air, but of course darling! :)
(sorry stace, annoying huh? :P)
Peeeww...peeeeww.. Guitar flashes
Freddie babbling...
The lightshow at full strength, and that means a LOT of light... The big hall transformed into something from another world...
Freddie babbling on...
we knew what was going to come, my God what a light show....
I know I get boring, but hell, I missed that man on stage..
It is like Freddie looks down from upstairs and sees what they are all doing with his songs.. It's a... kind of maaaagic... And that it is, it is realy fantastic, the lights and music makes everyone going out of their heads, ha! who needs drugs when we have queen? :), it is fantastic. It is wonderful, what more can we actually wish? It is what we were coming for :), Queen Kicks Ass!
So.. You want it all? Brians'question got a big cheer as answer of course.
Errn, didn't we have it all already? One of my favorite songs coming up, whoa! Roger counts One two three.. Nothing happens..
Errnn..
again
Roger: One Two Three!! There we go :), the boys got it all again and played the stars from heaven.
Especially the guitar rock solo is fantastic and the guitarists did play with all they got and that's a hell of a lot!
Queen rocks baby, yea they do!
And again I need some air, but next song, well, it is somehting special.. it more takes our breath away. It is a very typical Queen song, and it is good that it never is performed alive, because that should rape the song.Anyway, it is so nice to hear it, the song that everyone knows, what is not my all time favorite, but that is so much a monument itselves as Queen is..
Bohemian Rhapsody is in fact the Queen "hymne" itself.
Paul rises up the higher part of the stage, points to the video screen and there Freddie comes up, behind his piano... A bow from Paul...And the first notes of Borhap are coming from Freddie.. *sigh again*...
Mamaaaa....
In the 2nd strophe Brian dares to come on stage and he plays his guitar with it. Roger drums.. It is not a perfect harmony, but it is loaded with emotions, and it is impressive, it gives shivers down my spine.. body's aching all the time... (or aging? :P)
The opera section gives us nice video parts and then the rocky part is about to come.. Not so rocky as that we know so well. No light or smoke bombs (yea brian, no smoking indeed har har har), and the song goes to it's end...Paul let's us all sing:
Nothing realy matters tooooo meeeeeee...
and then he sings it as well... The high notes as good as he can (but well... in compearance with its creator....... sorry... I can't leave it alone!).
Anywhere the wind blows is again taken over by Freddie and it is clear that the song is ended.
Dammit, now already? The evening rushed over like quicksilver holy cow where did the time go!
And there the boys go off stage. It seems the show has ended. We know better, of course, and we weait patiently and a lot are screaming for "wanting more".... what we as well shall get without making such a noise :)
After about 5 minutes we here the first notes of the last song of the Innuendo album...
The show must go on,
a song that for me should not have been in the setlist, (and it is later skipped) The song is so emotional loaded, it is so much the farewell song from Freddie (yes, I know Brian wrote it, but for me every word is like Freddie tells us that he is leaving and that we go on). Realizing that he sang this song so late in his life, and that the song is so hard to sing, well Paul sure did it his way, and of course it is not the same as that the song (in my opinion) should be. The interpertation that Paul makes his own variation in the song..
First you hear "the show must go on..." and then repeats Paul it in "the show must go on" whereby the song gets a more bluesy climate.. It rips away for me the meaning of the song. But I know, I might be too soppy for this...
The make up might be flaking, but my nail polish still stayed on! And it is good that way... Aaah, what a coincidence... the next song is the absolute singalong of Paul himself
All right now, a song from Free, that Paul sings with greath enthusiasm, it is realy nice to see him doing this song so great, I liked it. The only thing I wonder is why this song has to be spread out to a 10 minutes long karaoke sng, a littlebit shorter should have done for me! :)
Dammit, the time is over, the usual end of the show is coming up,
We will Rock you, one more time we're gettomg rpcled off, and then the one and only group that can sing THAT song,
We are the champions.
A great song, wonderful to sing and clap, the big "feeling together" feeling, ah well, nothing new for this eveniing, ior the last time I scream my lungs out (sorry guys if I was out of tune) and then the lights in the Westfalenhalle dim.
With the chords of God Save The Queen we have had it, and it was wonderful. The close-cheers were showeing how much we all enjoyed it. It was wonderful to be a part of this show, and it is great to see that Queen is so much alive. Brian and Roger do have a lot of fun in this tour, they made a great and good move to finally tour again. It was worth it for every second, but it was hell of a short thiingy!
Off we went to our hotel room, counting the days to the next concert, what shall be completely different, but with this as a warm up I tell you it's gonna be hot in Arnhem, July the 10th!
================
Okay, some bonus pictures. There are way more, you find them at....
.
Links and credits for pictures that are used here.. Queenvriendin Hannie (Queen Fanclub Nederland), you rock!!! The love of MY life,
Jean Marie, merci beacoup for all the bunch!
Quenvriend
Freddie vt B
Queenvriend
Hedwig/Ontframed
Polona/Smjrka
Friends of Brian May Maki
Queenvriend Tony en alle andere Queenvrienden
Ilona (Frankfurter Zeitung)
http://www.planet-punk.de/comments.php?id=88
Freddie
