Queen Machine with the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra and featuring Kerry Ellis.
Originally scheduled for 2019, the small issue of a global pandemic delayed the tour for 2 years before Scandinavian tribute band, Queen Machine with the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Freeman and featuring West-End star Kerry Ellis, could finally perform in Glasgow.
Queen Machine are recognised as one of the finest Queen tribute bands treading the boards and it is clear to see why. With a set list initially reminiscent of the bands 1986 Magic Tour, the band and orchestra take to the stage at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with lead vocalist Bjarke Baisner resplendent in white trousers and open fronted jacket in the style worn by Freddie Mercury on that tour.
With around 2 hours of hits to get through the band waste no time in warming the crowd up with a fine rendition of ‘One Vision’ before guitarist Peter Møller Jeppesen jumps onto one of the stage podiums with his replica Brian May guitar and the opening riff of ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ is heard throughout the auditorium.
Pausing only to introduce conductor Matthew Freeman and the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra, Queen Machine launch into a medley of hits from ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’ to ‘We Will Rock You’ via ‘Killer Queen’ and ‘You’re My Best Friend’.
The introduction of the bands special Guest, and star of Londons West End musicals such as ‘We Will Rock You’ and Wicked’, Kerry Ellis brings a whole new dimension to the evening and the crowd are soon on their feet singing and dancing along to ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ before a duet on ‘These Are The Days of Our Lives’ With vocalist Bjarke Baisner.
Kerry Ellis briefly leaves the stage whilst Baisner, Jeppesen and the remainder of the Queen machine band, Jens Lunde on bass, Henrik Østergaard on keyboards and guitar and drummer Paolo Romano Torquati continue with the hits prior to the return of Kerry Ellis for a spine tingling rendition of ‘No-one But You’, the song she absolutely made her own during her time as the character ‘Meat’ in the hit west end musical ‘We Will Rock You’.
After a short break and appropriate costume changes the band, orchestra and Kerry Ellis, power their way through the major hits of Queen such as Another One Bites the Dust and I Want to Break Free. This latter track is not before Kerry Ellis and Peter Møller Jeppesen have wowed the crowd with the breathtaking ‘Love of My Life’ and a duet with Baisner on there haunting ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ from the film Highlander.
After some audience by-play and sing along there could be no one who had forgotten the number of hits that Queen had throughout their career. If they had then they were soon reminded with the absolutely sublime closing song of the set proper in the epic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ featuring Baisner on then piano.
Naturally it is not really the end and the band, orchestra and Kerry Ellis, return to the stage for the encores of Somebody to Love and We Are the Champions which finally does bring to a close a fantastic night of entertainment and a solid reaffirmation of just how good a band Queen were and the sheer number of hits that they have released in their career.
Review and Photographs by Gavin Ross
