As some of you might know, at least if you checked the shoutbox recently, yesterday I was to a fantastic concert called Queen Symphonic Rhapsody. I'm sad that it only tours Spain, as I'm sure all or almost all of you might enjoy it so much! It was quite an experience, and here I am to make a full review. The photos are not very good, as all are taken by my movile phone: as we were on seats I thought we could not take pictures, but I managed to make some...
Well, first of all, Xiquet and I arrived just in time, as we were visiting Girona (100 km far) and left a little too late... But we managed to be on the venue 15 minutes before the show started, so no problem! Here you have the venue from the outside and from the inside, before the show:
The concert consisted of a full orquestra, one guitarist (Christian Vidal), one bassist, and four lead singers, to male and two female. I fear you all know the two male singers: Thomas Vikström and Mats Léven. Their female counterparts were
Michell McCaine and the soprano
Graciela Armendariz-. I must say that I am absolutely impressed of the Armendariz's voice and of McCain charisma (her voice too!)
They played several Queen's hits, and a few other songs from Elvis Presley (the ones that made the public get up and dance!) and some other like... well, I'll tell later
The show can't be summarized in one word, but perhaps it can in two smilies:
Music was magnificent, with the full orquestra playing the songs, that powerful music in a powerful hands and powerful sound. Incredible. And the voices... Wow. Of course I already knew about Mats and Thomas, and I was not surprised at all, but the other two singers are incredibly good too. All of them is good on their own, imagine when they sing together! They did in some songs: although usually one song = one singers, some songs were performed by more than one, and those are, in my opinion, the most powerful of all. You'll see an example pretty soon...
A lot of songs have something special, but I will explain only some of them, as I can't do it too long... A very special moment happened when they were playing "A kind of magic". It was when Vidal took the protagonism and all the singers (except the soprano, the only singer that was not on stage that song) went to him... It's better to see it than to read it!
(NOTE: This picture is the only one NOT taken by me. I've "borrowed" from a guy who posted it on Facebook)
When it was the break, I bought the CD (from the previous year gig), and saw that two or three songs ahead (if the songlist was the same) was going to happen the most funny song of all (as I heard in other reviews): "I want to break free!". So, I prepared my phone camera and wait... But it was still not the moment. First, some few fantastic songs, and a surprise... Vidal goes accoustic!!
Two songs more... and the first notes of "I want to break free" appeared. Camera on hand, I managed to take a few pics... sorry for the quality, but Mats, the singer of the songs, rarely was quiet! The most fun came when Thomas appeared too, disguised such a way that Snowy would have envied him. But Thomas appeared in a rush, run here and there, hid here and there, and disappeared. Even so, I managed to take one blurry picture where you can see him... if I tell you it's him!! The three first pictures are from Mats... the fourth, from Thomas (yes, that person at the end of the stage):
Yes, it was a good laugh!
Another moment of the show was for a song that made me shiver... "Barcelona", originally performed by Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballé at the Barcelona Olympic games. This is a very special song for Barcelona people, and... well, imagine "Barcelona" sang by Thomas Vikström and Armendariz. Perhaps you must not to imagine too much: although the soprano is different, there's still Thomas (from the 2011 gig):
Queen Symphonic Rhapsody and "Barcelona".
(shivering of emotion, not fear).
But the most fun had yet to come... To the end of the show, after some danzable songs (from The King, for instance), the final song happened. And the one after the last, the one where all singers went down the stage one by one and walked by the corridor (haven't I said we were in the 4th row, numbers 1-3 (next to the corridor)? Well, we were. And something happened... "We will rock you" was the song, and everybody was chorusing. Mats and Thomas approached some of the public and made a little dance or... made them sing. Thomas went next to us, made Xiquet get up, approached the microphone to him, and everybody could hear the duetto of "We will, we will rock you!" of Thomas Vikström and Xiquet
(I wasn't rolling on the floor because I was staring and the duetto too intensely).
It was the end of the concert, and we were already leaving but... there was a "photocall" organized by the producer. People on a row waiting to be taken a picture of them with all the singers. Well, we couldn't NOT do it, so we placed ourselves there and waited. The photo will be shown when we have (it will be ready to download on Facebook soon... we still don't have it). Btw... when Thomas saw me he made a sign of surprise and said "Oh... hello!". I suppose he recognised me from the soundcheck on Barcelona
I suppose that wearing the Therion T-shirt helped a little too... After the photo, we waited with the CD and a pen on hand, ready to ask them for a signature. Just after all the photos, I asked Mats, who signed it (and he quickly dissappeared) and then to Thomas. I said him "hello" on behalf of Agnes, and he was surprised, as he didn't expected me telling from her. I thanked him for the fantastic performance and I told him we'd see again on October (with Therion, of course), at what he agreed, and we finally asked for McCain's sign. She speaks Spanish, and he thanked us... I told here that thanks to her for the fantastic performance!!
Later, Xiquet told me he overheared somebody saying that Mats disappeared so soon because he dislike all that... I can't blame him: it's not like people waiting for the musicians leaving the venue and taking some photos, having some chat with the fans... it was an arranged and compulsory thing they have to do every concert because they are told of. Luckily, I was able to get my signature just before him leaving
Another weird, funny thing, than happened that day: at the afternoon we were talking with a friend (Maite, for those who know her) about a Spanish singer, a famous person here who sings a kind of weird, "uncouth" pop... or whatever. We said that he is a little scary now, and he was long time ago, when he sang in a children's programme (when we were children). Ok... imagine who was two rows behind us
Ok... that's all for now. I wish I've not bored you too much. For me, it was quite an experience, absolultely enjoyable, a memorable night.
Thanks for your patience...
And some more pictures!!!!
NTSMS has gone Budapest! 