Last Friday I had a rare spontaneous night out to see Killer Queen live at The Grand Pier in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.
Who is Killer Queen?
Killer Queen are a Queen tribute band who formed in 1993. Patrick Myers, who performs as Freddie Mercury, created the band with friends after they realised people of their generation and beyond will never get to see the full Queen play live following Freddie’s death in 1991. They originally thought they would last one summer but their popularity grew and they are now said to be the world’s best ever tribute band, performing in the UK, Europe and USA and selling out the same arenas as Queen.
Killer Queen live at The Grand Pier
On Friday 10th May, Killer Queen opened their 2019 UK tour at The Grand Pier in Weston-Super-Mare.
They opened the show with One Vision and then followed by I Want It All. The first half of the show took time for me to get into. In the back of my mind, I was genuinely hoping it would sound exactly like Queen and I felt slightly disappointed when it didn’t, but after a while, I had to think that this isn’t Queen but their own style of Queen. Freddie did not have as much of a vocal range but then, of course, there is only one Freddie!
I was definitely impressed with the members performing as Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor. Their guitar riffs and drumming were sensational and I also loved their improvisation/solo pieces in between songs.
After the interval, the venue was definitely rocking out, jumping, dancing and singing. They played, in my opinion, the best Queen tracks of all time; Don’t Stop Me Now, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You & We Are The Champions.
Freddie’s stage presents and interaction with the audience was great, encouraging the crowd to join in, scream and dance. He was a bit obsessed with us using our hands and I kind of felt sorry for my friend Steph who couldn’t raise her arms because of her MD.
I was also disappointed by how the crowd behaved throughout a majority of the show. People were constantly moving in front of us to go to the bar or toilets and loads were talking and laughing during songs. What is the point of paying for tickets to a show if you’re not going to watch it?
I think concerts, particularly those at small venues, should run like they would at the theatre; stay in your seats/standing area during the performance and open the bar during the interval.
Overall, once I got used to the band’s style of Queen, it was a great performance full of energy, love and emotion.
To find out more about Killer Queen and their UK tour dates, visit their website and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Youtube.
Accessibility at The Grand Pier
I was very disappointed with the accessibility at the venue. Firstly, I had to pay for two tickets because they had no carer concession tickets and due to my poor vision, I have to be accompanied by a carer.
Secondly, there wasn’t parking available at the venue but a multi-story shopping centre car park near by. However because it was the evening and the shops had closed, the normal exit doors were locked and there was no safe walk to the lift.
Plus after the show, the lift was locked, despite the car park being opened until midnight, so we had to take an unsafe walk up the car park ramp where cars were exiting.
Thirdly, there wasn’t an accessibility platform at the venue for wheelchairs so our views were restricted.
