I was recently invited to review Radio Gaga, a Queen tribute concert at The Adelphi Theatre, London. I am fan of Queen, and in particular, the vocal talents of Freddie Mercury. I love their songs and so was rather looking forward this this, but not expecting it to be that good as it's not easy to sing Queen songs. Freddie Mercury is one of one.
This is a touring show that has seen success previously with great reviews. They played all the great classic hits including, Don’t Stop me now, I Want to Break Free, Somebody to Love, Another one bites the Dust, We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You, and my favourite Bohemian Rhapsody.
Mark Sanders as Freddie Mercury was just phenomenal, let's start there. He was in no way Freddie Mercury but as tributes go, he seemed like the best there is, and he didn't pretend to be anything other than himself, Mark Sanders. For me, this was very authentic and was great to see as 'pretending' to be someone else can be quite cheesy.
Mark is a powerhouse vocalist! The ease with which he was able to duplicate Freddie's vocal nuances and very specific vibrato was such a pleasant surprise for me. I applaud him for it. He was able to extend his vocals from bass to soprano, which is not easy and I don't see many established musicians able to sing in that range. Through his mannerisms on stage, he brings some of the essence of Freddie Mercury to life.
The rest of the band were quite brilliant too, although Brian May's wig (if indeed it was a wig) seemed rather odd. The band had good chemistry and were given their time in the limelight to showcase their talents. This is when the audience really cheered, but nothing lauder than a cheer for Mark as Freddie Mercury.
The stage was great and lighting design truly added to the experience. The lighting designer, Tye Connolly, really does deserve applause. The movement of lights with the music and big numbers produced quite a show, and I think this is important in a show that is celebrating the greats of British music.
All in all, this was a great show and I would highly recommend if you get a chance to see band while they are touring. If you are into singing along to Queen songs, and great atmosphere then this is for you, and it's very much family event.
Mark Sanders - Freddy Mercury
Band:
Jon Caulton Richard Ashford Ben Parkinson
Michael Richards
Lighting - Tye Connolly
Website and bookings: https://www.entertainers.co.uk/show/radio-gaga
