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Preview: Queen Extravaganza

This is an odd one for us – the Queen Extravaganza is essentially a covers band, and when was the last time a covers band was featured on TGTF? About 3 weeks ago last century? However, this is no bunch of wedding-singing journeymen – these guys have been hand-picked by Roger Taylor to keep the Queen dream very much alive. The whole show revolves around the astonishing vocal talents of Marc Martel, who really must be heard to be believed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dREKkAk628I[/youtube]

If you haven’t heard him sing, you’re in for a treat; it’s difficult to believe how similar he sounds to the real Freddie, and he even looks the part, complete with cheekbones, overbite, and trainee moustache. He’s arguably the best of the three Mercury interpreters so far, neither of whom have really hit the spot – Paul Rodgers was too bluesy, too pedestrian, and frankly too old, and Adam Lambert, for all his metrosexual camp and onstage energy, was never going to convince the fans from the old days that he was the true heir to the Mercury throne. Ironically, by not calling this project “Queen”, fans may be more accepting of them as an alternative, and less critical of the lead singer, a situation helped by Martel’s uncanny resemblance to Mercury.

The rest of the band are just as competent, if not quite as much carbon copies of their idols as Martel. Guitarist Brian Gresh is famous for his breathtaking backflips, something that even the guitar legend that is Brian May didn’t achieve. The truth is that these musicians had successful careers before joining the Extravaganza, with various solo projects and bands (Martel’s own group, Downhere, has 10 albums under its belt, and several Juno awards, the Canadian equivalent of Brits), so in reality it’s a supergroup masquerading as a covers band. Spike Edney, Queen’s keyboard player for almost 30 years, is present on keys and as musical director, representing the important demographic of those who actually knew Mercury himself personally, before his untimely demise.

Overall, this is certainly a treat not to be missed for anyone with even a cursory appreciation of the Queen canon. There’s no getting away from the fact that no more than half the original lineup will ever play again, so why not go the whole hog and invent a completely new band to get stuck into the countless classics in the Queen back catalogue. It would be Ga-Ga not to.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5tK4kut5MM[/youtube]

The Queen Extravaganza tours the UK in October and November. Visit the band’s official Web site for all the details on the upcoming tour.