Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour


type=World
locations=Europe, North America, Aruba, Japan, South Africa.
artist = Queen + Paul Rodgers
start_date = March 19, 2005
end_date = May 25, 2006
number_of_legs = 5
number_of_shows = 66
last_tour = Magic Tour
(1986)
this_tour = Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour
(2005-2006)
next_tour = Rock the Cosmos Tour
(2008)

Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour was a world concert tour by Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, joined by singer Paul Rodgers under the moniker of Queen + Paul Rodgers. The tour was Queen's first since 1986 and the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bassist John Deacon also did not take part due to his retirement in 1997.

History

The origins of the collaboration came when Brian May played at the Fender Strat Pack concert in 2004. Now for the first time, he joined Paul Rodgers for a rendition of Free's classic, All Right Now. After this Brian spoke of a chemistry between the two of them. Following this, Brian invited Paul to play with Queen at their induction to the UK Music Hall of Fame. Again citing a new excitement with Rodgers, the three announced they would tour in 2005. The tour originally was meant only to include Europe and the 46664 concert of that year. However at the end of the European tour, some dates in the USA and Japan were added. In 2006, a full scale US tour was undertaken.

The show

The stage design was minimal for the tour, the main feature being a large thrust runway which extended out into the audience. This would frequently be used by Rodgers & May. It also served as a B-stage of sorts, with the acoustic set being performed from there. A large moving lighting rig was used at all venues that could accommodate it. Unusually for a band that pioneered it, there were no cameras present at most of the gigs, and thus there were no large screen. Instead one screen would periodically play nostalgic footage. A mirrorball was used during "Last Horiizon".

The show would usually begin with the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" being played over the PA system. Toward the end of the song the guitar would join in from behind the curtain. This was used to build tension before the appearance of Rodgers and the song "Reachin' Out". Thought by many to be a new song, it was however a charity song that both Brian & Paul had taken part in during the 90s.

The Band would then perform both Queen & Rodger's favourites. A Short acoustic section would follow with Taylor and May handling the lead vocals. Depending on the condition of Rodgers voice he would either join in the second verse of "Hammer to Fall", or leave it to May & Taylor. Taylor would sing "I'm in Love With my Car" whilst playing the drums. For "These Are The Days of Our Lives" & "Radio Ga Ga", Taylor would leave the drum kit and sing from the front of the stage, the drums would instead would be samples from the studio original, controlled by Edney.

"Bohemian Rhapsody", by magic of modern technology would be a duet between Freddie Mercury & Rodgers. Freddie's vocals from Wembley would be used whilst the video of him played on the screen. The rest of the band would supply the music. After the operatic section, Rodgers would sing the heavy part.

Setlist

2005

# Lose Yourself [tape]
# Reachin' Out
# Tie Your Mother Down
# I Want to Break Free
# Fat Bottomed Girls
# Wishing Well
# Crazy Little Thing Called Love
# Say It's Not True
# '39
# Love of My Life
# Hammer to Fall (slow/fast)
# Feel Like Makin' Love
# Let There Be Drums
# I'm in Love With My Car
# Brighton Rock Solo
# Last Horizon
# These Are the Days of Our Lives
# Radio Ga Ga
# Can't Get Enough
# A Kind of Magic
# I Want It All
# Bohemian RhapsodyEncore:
# The Show Must Go On
# All Right Now
# We Will Rock You
# We Are the Champions
# God Save the Queen [tape]

Other songs

*Little Bit of Love (first six concerts)
*Seagull (first six concerts)
*Another One Bites the Dust (from Birmingham and on)
*Under Pressure (six in UK/Ireland)
*Fire and Water (Belfast, Dublin and Tokyo)
*Long Away (Just a Verse – Pesaro, Budapest, Yokohama, Nagoya, Fukuoka)
*Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt (part – Budapest)
*'39 – two verses (first time in Leipzig, the almost every concert)
*Danube Waltz (during guitar solo – Vienna)
*Molly Malone (during guitar solo – Dublin)
*Sakura (during guitar solo – Tokyo)
*Sunshine of Your Love (part – Newcastle)
*Imagine (Hyde Park)
*Bad Company (Aruba, US gigs 2005, 2 in Japon)
*Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy (Aruba, both US dates)
*Teo Torriatte (Japanese gigs)
*I Was Born to Love You (Japanese gigs)

2006

# Lose Yourself [tape]
# Reachin' 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 fast
# Feel Like Makin' Love
# Let There Be Drums
# I'm in Love With My Car
# Guitar solo
# Last Horizon
# Bad Company
# Dragon Attack
# These Are the Days of Our Lives
# Radio Ga Ga
# Under Pressure
# The Show Must Go On
# Bohemian Rhapsody

Encore:
# We Will Rock You
# All Right Now
# We Are the Champions
# God Save the Queen [tape]

Other songs

*I Want to Break Free (nine concerts)
*'39 (four concerts)
*Say It's Not True (Miami)
*C-lebrity (for the first time in new song) (Las Vegas)
*Red House (Vancouver)

Tour dates

Personnel

*Brian May – Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, Vocals
*Paul Rodgers – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano

Extras

*Spike Edney – keyboards, Backing Vocals
*Danny Miranda – Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Jamie Moses – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

External links

* [http://www.queenconcerts.com/live/queen/paul.html Queen Concerts]
* [http://www.queenonline.com Queen + Paul Rodgers official site]