Bloozcat
April 13th, 2009, 02:22 PM
A friend called me on Saturday and asked if I had any interest in seeing a Queen Tribute band that evening. The concert was billed as 'One Night of Queen". I thought, what the hey why not, it might turn out to be good. The band is actually a British band called Gary Mullen & the works, and this was their last American gig on a seven week tour.
I'd never gone to hear a tribute band before, so I wasn't sure how good the band would be, and it wasn't like they were emulating some slacker band, Queen wouldn't be easy to cover well.
The lead singer (Gary Mullen) came out on to the stage dressed like Freddy Mercury, complete with the haircut, mustache, and mic with the stand extension still attached, just like Freddie Mercury was known to do. His mannerisms were eerily like Mercury's and his voice a very close match. Seems he had won some TV show in England like American Idol or something as Freddy Mercury, so he was well practiced.
The lead guitar player's name is Davie Brockett, and he did a really good job of iminating Brian May's play. He is, without a doubt, a great guitar player. Most of the concert he played a Brian May guitar with the Burns pickups, except for Crazy Little Thing Called Love, where he played a Strat. I couldn't make out the amp heads he was playing through, even when I walked up to the stage. Whatever they were, they sounded good through the 2-4X12 half stack Marshall bottoms he had. The tone was a little more on the Marshall side than Vox AC 30, but it was close enough for a live gig.
The band did a two hour show with songs from early Queen to the later (and more commercially recognizable) songs. Except for the back-up singing (which was a little weak), they did a great job. The crowd was really into it which was partially due to Gary Mullen's stage personna, which again, was very Freddie Mercury.
It sure beat hanging around at home Saturday night....:AOK:
I'd never gone to hear a tribute band before, so I wasn't sure how good the band would be, and it wasn't like they were emulating some slacker band, Queen wouldn't be easy to cover well.
The lead singer (Gary Mullen) came out on to the stage dressed like Freddy Mercury, complete with the haircut, mustache, and mic with the stand extension still attached, just like Freddie Mercury was known to do. His mannerisms were eerily like Mercury's and his voice a very close match. Seems he had won some TV show in England like American Idol or something as Freddy Mercury, so he was well practiced.
The lead guitar player's name is Davie Brockett, and he did a really good job of iminating Brian May's play. He is, without a doubt, a great guitar player. Most of the concert he played a Brian May guitar with the Burns pickups, except for Crazy Little Thing Called Love, where he played a Strat. I couldn't make out the amp heads he was playing through, even when I walked up to the stage. Whatever they were, they sounded good through the 2-4X12 half stack Marshall bottoms he had. The tone was a little more on the Marshall side than Vox AC 30, but it was close enough for a live gig.
The band did a two hour show with songs from early Queen to the later (and more commercially recognizable) songs. Except for the back-up singing (which was a little weak), they did a great job. The crowd was really into it which was partially due to Gary Mullen's stage personna, which again, was very Freddie Mercury.
It sure beat hanging around at home Saturday night....:AOK: