Queen + Paul Rodgers

A “review” by the Lava Lords bass player. This opinion is the view of the bass player and should not be construed as the opinion of the entire band. Then again they may share the same opinion. You will have to ask them.

Stating the obvious….

Millions of people go out to concerts every year worldwide to support a wide variety of musical entities. How many of them actual sit down at a keyboard and attempt to offer a review? Everyone has an opinion and everyone is entitled to state their opinion, even me!! I’m not so sure this is even a review….probably should be categorized as more of a rant !

The earth is flat. The earth is round.
There is a God. There is no God.
One generation loves RAP music. Other generations do not. The generation I am part of doesn’t think too much of the recent trend in “gangsta rap” which oftentimes seems to condone rape, cop killing and crime…in my view. My parents generation probably didn’t think too highly of shock rock bands like Alice Cooper (snakes and face makeup?), Black Sabbath (biting the head’s off bats in concert?) (of course that never really happened) David Bowie (was he a she ??????) and hippy bands of the sixties promoting free love and drugs?? Of course it didn’t stop me from listening to them. So there is always the element of “relativity”.

Whose right? How can humans even have such disparate views? Thankfully in the U.S we can express our opinions freely. Everyone has an opinion and everyone is entitled to state their opinion. On the American Idol TV show, Paula, Randy and Simon get paid big bucks to offer their opinion. Simon “You SUCK”. Same singer / same song. Randy “yo….dude …..welcome to the dog pound”. America…..someone gets voted off.

As far as the voting for American Idol…
Maybe all the country music lovers in America vote for singers who do country songs.
Maybe all the women in America vote for the hot looking male singers.
Maybe all the men in America vote for the hot looking female singers.
Maybe all the nerds in America vote for the nerd singers.
Maybe all the tall people, short people, fat people, thin people, white people, black people, sophisticated people, hick people, young people, old people vote for someone that they empathize with or whom they think shares something like them? Maybe people aren’t really this shallow??? Maybe some or most people actually vote for the best singer…..in their opinion. In some parts of the world certain cultures might think the whole show and most of what’s on American TV is totally pathetic, along with other things in Western culture. (a non music rant for another time or blog)

Hmmmm….So what does this have to do with Paul Rodgers + Queen?
What does this have to do with the Lava Lords? I guess I am just trying to set the table for my opinion. For me the concert goes deeper than just a one night stand at the Excel Energy Center. Maybe that is how it is with all those inspired to offer their opinion… Maybe all opinions, even if it is supposed to be one performance on one given night, are cumulative to many experiences, possibly even those of a lifetime relating to a given subject.
In addition to our once a week practice and once a month gigs, the Lava Lords like to get together, go out on the town and check out the scene. In this case we basically traded our recent Zimmerman Legion gig money to get four tickets to Queen + Paul Rodgers at the Excel Energy Center on Sunday March 26, 2006. Not all four of us were as passionate for seeing this show as others, but we all agreed we would make it a good time regardless. Last year we had gone as a band to see Deep Purple. I had high hopes but ended up disappointed with them. (is Deep Purple really Deep Purple without Richie Blackmore and Jon Lord? Better save that for another rant). Thankfully, one of the opening acts Joe Satriani and his band TOTALLY ROCKED that concert and made it worthwhile!!

Me personally……You would have to go back to 1970 when the band Free (Paul Rodgers) toured the U.S. to support the album “Fire and Water” and All Right Now was a big hit. Of course in 1970 I did not know who Paul Rodgers was but being a 13 / 14 year old youngster coming in to the music scene that song had a huge impact on me. In the small southern MN town I grew up in (Fairmont as you probably already know if you have been reading this blog) we had a Youth Center where we could go to hear local / regional rock bands perform. At that time it seemed they all covered All Right Now by Free. I can remember this song as being one of the first Rock songs that had an early influence on me. This song guaranteed a full dance floor back then. Even now when the Lava Lords play it we always get dancers. Maybe it is the "cow bell". Over the years of my youth and young adulthood I came to know and love many bands…of course Bad Company and Queen were high on the list.

Jon Bream from the Star Tribune offered his review of the concert the very next day and he stated the obvious. Queen is not Queen without Freddie Mercury. Jon Bream was not too impressed. He gets paid for his opinion. We all know Queen is not the same band without Freddie Mercury. Freddie Mercury was one of the key reasons that Queen became what it had been as a rock band. So after Freddie Mercury’s death the band should just give up being Queen? Maybe all ROCK bands from the 60’s and 70’s should JUST GIVE UP!!! IT’S OVER !!!! (not my opinion) For me the concert was an opportunity to be able to hear Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor perform songs LIVE from three bands of an era I loved and grew up in.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I knew I would going into it. It was a preconceived notion. I loved the set list. I really enjoyed hearing them perform Dragon Attack and All Right Now as those two songs the Lava Lords cover. I missed Freddie Mercury’s antics. I enjoyed the music and reminisced about the old days. I laughed days later when I discovered my boss and I sat in the same section, the same row within 8 seats of each other and didn’t even know it!! Of course Jon Bream did not seem to know it but one of the “other 3” musicians on stage was bass player Danny Miranda, most recently from Blue Oyster Cult. BOC is another band I still love and have seen Danny perform live with. BOC doesn’t have the same lineup they had in the seventies either but I still like them as they are today. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of bands from the 21st century too, but I ain’t giving up on the seventies just yet.


The Queen concert was not a sellout. The crowd was not raucous. The concert probably did not make the top 20 best concerts I have attended in my lifetime as there have been many. But it was probably my only shot at seeing Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor LIVE in my lifetime. (at least until they start playing the casino circuit….yikes they will really get ripped then). When all is said and done…………

I got my hundred bucks worth!

In an ironic twist of fate and in closing this rant….for the American Idol show Tuesday April 11th, 2006 the contestants will be performing…..songs from QUEEN !!!
Don’t the producers of the show know Freddie Mercury is dead??????

Here is the Queen + Paul Rodgers set list March 26, 2006 at the Excel Energy Center.

It's A Beautiful Day
Reaching Out
Tie Your Mother Down
Fat Bottomed Girls
Can't Get Enough
Take Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Love Of My Life
Hammer To Fall
Feel Like Makin' Love
Let There Be Drums
I'm In Love With My Car
Guitar Solo
Last Horizon
Bad Company
Another One Bites The Dust
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Radio Ga Ga
Dragon Attack
Under Pressure
The Show Must Go On
Bohemian Rhapsody
We Will Rock You
All Right Now
We Are The Champions
God Save The Queen