perjantai 24. marraskuuta 2017

Living legends in Lithuania

I seem to have a tendency to experience Queen + Adam Lambert abroad instead of my home country. And with the absurd Finnish ticket prices, who could blame me? This time I opted for the show in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was my first time there, and so it was for the band as well!

Queen + Adam Lambert @ Zalgirio Arena, Kaunas, LT 17.11.2017
Such a nice and quite small arena, one might actually call it intimate. We managed to get super amazing spots from the front row, right in the corner where the stage and the catwalk meet. Sweet! Also, no support acts, hooray! The stage and the band was hidden behind a mammoth screen, which eventually rose up and revealed all the goodness. The show opened with a short We Will Rock You teaser, which quickly evolved into Hammer to Fall, followed by Stone Cold Crazy and Tie Your Mother Down. I must confess that I wasn't very familiar with this trio, but I was in no way opposed to them being in the set because more hardcore fans knew them by heart for sure.
Another One Bites the Dust paved the way for the rest of the set, which was filled with nothing but hits, hits and more hits. Killer Queen was the only song I had spoiled for myself beforehand, but I thought the giant robot head would appear at the end of the catwalk. But it didn't, suddenly it was there about three meters away from us instead. I could hardly do anything else than gasp and stare in amazement at the robot and the high-heeled and bright pink unicorn of a man sitting on top of it. Helloooo. My other favorites were Don't Stop Me Now, Get Down, Make Love (all the leather and steaminess holy shiiiiit, take me home!), I Want to Break Free and the totally stunning Who Wants to Live Forever spiced with amazing laser effects and lights. Also, who wouldn't love Bohemian Rhapsody? One of the most beautiful moments was Love of My Life, sung by Brian May with help from the audience. When Freddie appeared on the screen next to May at the end of the song, it was truly magical. Whataya Want From Me was also in the set, so lovely and a great sign of respect these people have for each other. Maybe it will nudge more people towards Adam's own music.
It never ceases to amaze me how energetic Brian May and Roger Taylor are despite the fact that they're soon in their seventies. Taylor handled the drums with vigor and May ran around the stage with his guitar like crazy. And well, do I even have to mention Adam? I've been loving his glittery gay ass for years now and I won't be changing my mind anytime soon. He keeps on slaying wherever he goes.
They had a world-class lightshow, a high-quality screen and a few automatic platforms to lift people up when needed. Sometimes less is more, I really liked the simple yet jaw-dropping design of the show and the stage.
Adam and Queen are such a match made in rock 'n' roll heaven. There's no replacing Freddie, that's a fact. The great thing about Adam is that he is not trying to take Freddie's place, he is just there to have a good fucking time and honour Freddie's memory in his own unique way. All in all, Queen shows are done with huge class and style, but there's also a lot humor and warmth. Although I'm always longing for Adam's solo shows and tours, I hope the world will be able enjoy this Queen goodness in the future as well. A little Queen + Adam Lambert every now and then never hurt nobody! // YYKAAHOOVEE

- juoksepoistytto