By Anya Whitlock

Artist:  Queen & Adam Lambert

Date / Venue:  Wednesday September 3rd, Vector Arena, Auckland

I walked on Wednesday night at 7:42pm into a packed Vector Arena and the first thing I notice is that the crowd was exceptionally diverse. I suspect that there were at least 36 people there who made their yearly trip past the letterbox just for this occasion. My mum was there... all 3990 of them and before the show even began. There was more air fisting and foot stomping than during any smoke free Rockquest ever attended. I also partook in my first Mexican wave with tourette's, which really set the tone for the event. I was a bit disappointed when the lights went down and the music started as I was enjoying the spectacle of the ramshackle enthusiastic bunch before me so thoroughly!

Then the sheers veiling the stage swooped upward like a freaky nimble ghost and revealed an epic stage set up- huge neon loops and whirls and more red flashing lights than Michael J Fox playing 'Operation'; complete with ancient rockers and a leather studded Lambert.

The energy was up and so were the people... 3rd song in and we're into Another One Bites The Dust. The videography was interesting with a GoPro mounted on the headstock of Brian May's guitar. This produced a fret board/ crotch shot in the first portion of Fat Bottomed Girls. May then ran around the catwalks extending from the stage capturing the audience at a perfect 90% angle which was then projected onto the massive 60ft+ backdrop... old people and technology are often a curious mix.

There was a beautiful heartfelt tribute to Freddy during an acoustic Love Of My Life that brought a tear to the eye of even Lodo the Serbian security guard.

Highlights for me were all the songs little me and my brothers would emulate on the recorder, ukulele and mums pots and pans; I Want It All, Bohemian Rhapsody and for an epic encore We Will Rock You. Queen and yes... even Adam Lambert did a pretty awesome job at rocking everyone present although I must admit there were a few times during the guitar solos that the 'I'm rockin out axe solo face' got me worried and looked more like angina.

The final flourish of 'We Are The Champions' had me on my feet and swaying about with my arms around perfect strangers and the walking stick which was thrust in the air throughout the concert from the front row was symbol and testimony to a good night had by all.

Setlist

1. Now I'm Here
2. Stone Cold Crazy
3. Another One Bites The Dust
4. Fat Bottomed Girls
5. Lap Of The Gods
6. Seven Seas Of Rhye
7. Killer Queen
8. Somebody To Love
9. I Want It All
10. Love Of My Life (short Version)
11. '39 Brian
12. A Kind Of Magic
13. Bass Solo
14. Drum Battle
15. Under Pressure
16. Dragon Attack
17. Who Wants To Live Forever
18. Guitar Solo
19. Tie Your Mother Down
20. Vocal Solo
21. Break Free
22. Radio Gaga
23. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
24. Bo Rhap
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25. We Will Rock You
26. We Are The Champions