Only one night of Queen

Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time. It is also one of those we will never see reunited in our time. This is although members Brian May and Roger Taylor are currently doing shows with American Idol finalist Adam Lambert on lead vocals. Reports say that they are very good but it remains a fact that a fantastic Queen concert like in the old days will never happen again.

And this is why having a tribute band like One Night of Queen is very important. We have had them before, performing like the Beatles or Abba and we have enjoyed their shows. They were almost like the real thing. They do not only do the job of memorializing the past, they recreate great moments for generations to come.

So here is good news for all of you out there who want to revisit the golden days of Queen, certainly one of the greatest rock bands of all time. One Night Of Queen is playing at The Theatre of Solaire Resorts and Casino tomorrow, Oct. 24 and on Oct. 25. This is a two-hour energy-filled concert that has never failed to amaze audiences all over the world. 

Featured performers are Gary Mullen and The Works. It is Mullen who does the spot-on imitation, looks and voice, of the legendary Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury. You don’t really see many lookalikes who can also sing like the much-lamented Mercury around. And it is because of this that it is often said that this show is the closest thing there is to a true live Queen experience.

May on vocals and guitar and Taylor on vocals and drums were teen-aged kids when they formed a band called Smiles in London in the early ’70s. They were joined a short while later by bassist John Deacon and a flamboyant vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who named himself Freddie Mercury. It was him who suggested that they change the band’s name to Queen and who brought up the idea of doing elaborate musical arrangements. And that was how Queen was born.

From 1973 onwards, Queen presented the most melodic and the boldest ever take on arena rock recordings and concerts.  Albums like Queen 1 and Queen 2, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races and others brought about some of rock’s greatest anthems. Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust, Flash, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Who Wants To Live Forever, One Vision, Somebody To Love, Tie Your Mother Down, Scandal, Love Of My Life, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Radio Ga ga, Under Pressure, I Want To Break Free, Hammer To Fall and so many others. 

Queen was at its peak when Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS. He died on Nov. 24 in 1991. His demise brought about an outpouring of grief from fans everywhere and saw the song These Are The Days Of Our Lives soar to the top of the charts. But that was not the end of Queen. The albums and videos continue to sell. A musical, We Will Rock You, features their songs. Deacon chose to retire but May and Taylor keep on performing, first with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company and then with Lambert. They also continue to write songs and have recorded new materials.

The members of Queen are now numbered among rock’s greatest musicians and the work that May and Taylor continue to do for the band is most admirable. Most so as curators of the hit-filled Queen catalogue. Their desire to perpetuate the legacy and to give newer fans the best that Queen can offer has resulted in compilation albums to treasure. This was what made the arrival of Queen Forever late last year truly an event.

Lovingly assembled by May and Taylor, the two-disc Queen Forever features Freddie’s vocals singing rarities and remixes by Queen. Most notable among these is There Must Be More To Life Than This, a duet by Queen with Michael Jackson. There is also the stripped-down version of Love Kills and best of all, a superb previously unreleased ballad titled Let Me Into Your Heart Again. In this one is Queen at its best.

Rarities and remixes mean no Bohemian Rhapsody in the album. For that, you have to get the Greatest Hits collection.  Better yet, enjoy a live version by One Night Of Queen at the Solaire. It is almost like the real thing.